Several youth golfers in Walker County have been making their marks on the course this summer while competing in various junior programs all over the northern half of the state.

A number of local youth golfers have been competing in the Northwest section of the Georgia State Golf Association's Junior Sectional Program, having played in three tournaments in the past month.

The Northwest Section includes players from Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, Douglas, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordan, Harelson, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Union, Walker, and Whitfield Counties.

On June 5 at the Alpharetta Athletic Club West Course in Milton, Gage Smith won the boys' 11-under division with a 40. Matthew Ingram was second in the boys' 12-13 division with a 77, Cole Ingram was third with a 93, and Zackary Whittle was fourth with a 101. Jacob Morgan took third in the boys' 14-15 division with a 74, and Dylan Stansell shot a 75 to place fourth.

At the Coosa Country Club in Rome on June 18, Smith again took top honors in his age group with a 38 while Riley Grant carded a 57, good enough for a tie for fifth. Matthew Ingram won the 12-13 group with a 77. Cole Ingram was third with a 95, and Whittle finished in fifth with a 102. Morgan fired an 80 to place fourth in the 14-15 group, while Kurt Ingram's 79 was good for third in the 16-17 age division.

On June 25, the golfers hit the links at the Marietta Country Club in Kennesaw with Emma Dendy tying for second in the girls' 11-under division with a 66. Smith won his third straight junior tournament, shooting a 39 in the boys' 11-under division.

Local golfers took the top five spots in the boys' 12-13 group. Ethan Dendy's 75 won him the title, followed by Cole Ingram's 87, Matthew Ingram's 88, Ian Morgan's 90, and Whittle's 128. Jacob Morgan shot a 75 to place second in the 14-15 group with Stansell's 81 giving him a share of fourth place. Kurt Ingram had an 82 to place third in the 16-17 division.

The following day, Dendy won his age group at a U.S. Kids open tournament at Sugarloaf Country Club, a PGA course in Duluth, by shooting a 78.

In their most recent action, several youth golfers had solid showings in a Calhoun-Gordon County Golf League tournament on June 28.

In the girls' second-fifth grade division, Kelsey Hodge finished third with a six-hole score of 37, while Riley Grant won the boys' second-fifth grade division with a six-hole score of 25. Cole Ingram took the boys' middle school title with a 40 with Carter Grant shooting. Kurt Ingram won the boys' high school division with an 18-hole score of 78.

The next GSGA Junior Sectional event will be held on July 9 at the Dalton Country Club.