JENKS, Okla. — Since COVID, the game of golf has exploded, especially with young kids. But the cost of playing has kept a number of families off the course.
It's a problem Blake Burger ran into with his 11-year-old son Fitz.
WATCH: Jenks man starts kids' golf club company
"As Fitz has grown, there's just not a lot of options," Burger said.
Upswing, a golf club company started by Jenks native Justin Giles, hopes to fix that problem. It was started after Giles struggled to find clubs for his kid.
"I wanted him to have high-quality golf clubs so he could perform well and hopefully like the game, but I knew he'd outgrow them, Giles said.
So, he found inspiration from an unlikely source.
"The idea kind of dawned on me back from my old hockey days," Giles said. "We used to have two-piece hockey sticks. And I was like, why don't we do that for kids' golf clubs?"
The result? Three sizes of clubs; junior, JV, and varsity. Once your kid outgrows one size, they move up to the next, for kids as tall as 5'6".
The clubs are already making a name for themselves nationwide, earning the Most Innovative Product at the 2025 PGA Show, and being played by elite juniors around the country.
For Fitz's family, it's about the convenience.
"Golf is expensive," Burger said. "The clubs are expensive. So, it's kind of a one-time shop with them right? Like as he's growing, the clubs will grow with him."
Growing up with Fitz, then down to his three siblings.
"My thought was after he grows out of them, I can push them back," Burger said So I get multiple sets for Fitz, then I can push them back to my other kids as well."
At South Lakes, Giles got to watch Fitz hit the clubs he created on the driving range he grew up at.
"If we can get kids involved, and they can enjoy the game, there's a lot that golf has to offer for them," Giles said.
Upswing has both boys' and girls' clubs. You can find more information on the design and the products here.
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