Improvement on the links or simply a solid start in the sport of golf is achieved through proper training.

For boys and girls ages 10 to 17, that proper training will be made available this summer by PGA professional Mark Lambert and Suffolk Christian Academy golf coach Mike Bigony.

The men will be running the second annual Suffolk Youth Golf Clinic July 20-22 at Nansemond River Golf Club, 1000 Hillpoint Blvd.

“The kids who want to learn are the kids we want to work with,” Bigony said.

He and Lambert will be teaching participants chipping, putting and driving.

“The short game is probably 60 percent of the game, maybe even 70 percent of the game,” Bigony said. “The long game’s about 20 percent, and the rest is mental in being able to control emotions and thought processes and things like this.”

Lambert and Bigony will also give instruction on irons, correct posture, how to grip golf clubs correctly, the rules of the game and etiquette on the course.

Bigony noted some of the principles learned and honed through golf, like discipline and etiquette, apply directly to life.

“You have to be responsible for everything you do and say and for the way you conduct yourself,” he said.

And practical benefits of golfing are physical as well as mental and social, he added.

“Exercise just does wonderful things for kids outside,” Bigony said.

Each day, sessions of the clinic will run from 10 to 11 a.m.

Bigony said the PGA has always wanted to develop and work with young people, but the cost to take advantage of such opportunities is often a significant barrier for parents.

Price is meant not to be an issue in this case. The fee for the clinic is only $15, covering drinks, a hot dog and range balls daily.

“Mark has been so gracious with the golf course there,” Bigony said, referring to Lambert, who is the Nansemond River Golf Club’s PGA pro.

The motivation of the two men to provide this clinic for young and beginning golfers is simple.

“Somebody did it for me when I was young,” said Lambert, who has played for 50 years.

“The game over the past 50 years has given so much to me,” Bigony said. Referring to his skills and knowledge of golf, he noted, “If you’ve obtained something, you want to help someone else obtain it if they want it and if they want to work at it.”

To register for the Suffolk Youth Golf Clinic, call the Nansemond River Golf Club pro shop at 539-4356.

For those willing to donate, Bigony is seeking women’s or junior golf clubs that could be used and stored at the Nansemond River Golf Club.