Wasco Elementary Adds High-Tech Golf Simulator to Expanded Learning Program

In golf, the first swing can be the hardest. The club feels unfamiliar, the target seems distant, and the motion doesn’t come naturally—until, suddenly, it does. The Wasco Union Elementary School District hopes to create that same breakthrough moment for students with the launch of its new golf simulator room, an innovative space where kids can take their first swings in a sport full of lifelong opportunities.

The district officially unveiled the facility during an open house last week, inviting district administration, Expanded Learning Directors from across Kern County, and the Wasco High School girls’ golf team to tour the space. The event showcased the cutting-edge facility at Palm Avenue Middle School, which will serve 5th-8th grade students throughout the district.

“To ensure all students have access, the district will bus in students from elementary and middle schools on a rotating basis for after-school sessions,” said Michael Polley, dean of students at Palm Avenue Middle School.

The Golf Academy, part of the district’s Expanded Learning Program, features two advanced Full Swing Golf Simulators and an indoor putting green. The facility aims to introduce students to the sport in a controlled, low-pressure environment where they can build confidence, develop skills, and discover a game that could open doors to scholarships, careers, and personal growth.

Superintendent J. Bradley Maberry, a driving force behind the initiative, believes that exposure is the first step toward opportunity.

“In order to provide students the ability to open the doors of opportunity, you have to open their eyes to see the doors first,” he said. “This is about more than just golf—it’s about expanding our students’ view of what’s possible.”

Members of Wasco High’s girls’ golf team.

A key inspiration for the program was the Drive, Chip, and Putt Competition, a national initiative aimed at helping young golfers develop fundamental skills. The district hopes to see students compete in this event, and with a dedicated space for year-round practice, they now have a strong foundation to build on. The Golf Academy will be used after school, as well as during ELOP intersession and during summer school.

“We have golf experts to help with instruction, techniques, rules, and etiquette,” Polley said. “The ratio of student and teacher is 5 to 1 to ensure safety.”

Beyond building technical skills, the program also seeks to address an often-overlooked opportunity: the lack of female participation in golf. Every year, college golf scholarships for girls go unclaimed, leaving significant potential untapped. By introducing the sport at the elementary level, the district hopes to spark early interest, creating a pipeline that leads to increased participation at the high school level and beyond.

That vision was on full display at the open house, where Wasco High School Athletic Director Mr. Huddleston and five members of Wasco High’s championship-winning girls’ golf team took part in the celebration. The high school athletes, who had previously spoken before the elementary school board to advocate for more opportunities in the sport, took their turns on the new simulators and shared how golf had positively impacted their lives.

For the Wasco Union Elementary School District, this is just the latest example of its commitment to expanding opportunities for students in ways that extend beyond traditional academics. With this new golf simulator room, young learners now have the chance to take their first swings in a sport that can shape their future—whether that future is on the green, in a college program, or simply in the confidence that comes from learning something new.