DAYTON - Kids up and down the Touchet Valley will have the chance to improve their golf swings for free next week, as Touchet Valley Golf Club in Dayton holds its annual free junior golf lessons June 24-28.

Golf pro Max Reinland from Veteran's Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla will be this year's teacher. The class is open to kids aged 7-17.

The lessons consist of 50-minute instructional sessions to groups of about 20 similarly aged and skilled players on Monday through Thursday. On Friday, the young golfers will set off onto the course to play a few of the holes along with their instructors or other volun- teers.

"Right now we have 30 kids signed up for it," Touchet Valley Golf Club's Linda Harting said. "We usually get about 60."

"The lessons are at 9, 10 and 11 (a.m.)," Harting continued. "We divide them up by age, but if we have one (kid) who's seven years old and he's a little more advanced, we might put him with an older (group)."

The TVGC Women's Club puts together the an- nual event. On the final day of lessons, the Women's Club provides a hot dogs and ice cream lunch for the participants.

Returning to this year's classes as a volunteer in- structor is Waitsburg High golfer and 2013 graduate Dakota Baker. Baker has participated in the junior lessons as a student or teacher since he was 8 years old.

"We'll cover the basics- grip, stance, and how to swing the club," noted Bak- er. "(The kids) improve a lot over the week."

Baker encourages the youth of the valley to partici- pate because "we're going to have a lot of fun, you'll have a good teacher, and you're going to learn a lot."

Harting says that while there is technically no cut-off date for signing up, earlier is better. "It should be done probably by the 21st or 22nd," she said.

Once sign-ups are in, par- ticipants will be divided into three groups and assigned to one of the three morning sessions. Organizers will call the parents of each participant and let them know the time of their child's session.

Parents can sign their kids up at the course in Dayton, located behind the Dayton Mercantile next to the Columbia County fair- grounds, or by calling (509) 382-4359.