Ross Randall walks slowly onto the practice green with youngsters swarming all around him. A stand-out veteran among inexperienced youths, Randall attracts the eyes of all. What he says, they do, and it has been that way for 28 years.

Randall, the Kansas University golf director, uses his experience and expertise to mold young golfers during his Jayhawk Golf Camp, which he held for the 28th time this week.

“It’s been really popular,” Randall said. “They usually come in for four or five days. We work on all phases of the game, short game, full swings, bunker shots, chip shots. What we emphasize a lot is just playing lessons on the course, strategy, what to do.”

Youngsters ages 10 to 18 flocked to Lawrence from six states to learn from Randall this week. To cope with his many campers, Randall enlists the help of KU men’s coach Kit Grove and some of his players.

During the week, campers receive instruction on the fundamentals of golf and course strategy. Instructors also attempt to help campers deal with the emotional swings bad shots can create.

“It’s everything,” KU junior golfer Bobby Knowles said. “It’s fundamentals. It’s thinking your way around, dealing with your emotions. All these kids, they’re all over the place. They don’t know how to react to shot sright. You can teach a kid how to physically do it, but then emotionally you can teach them that as well, just to keep their cool and make good decisions out there.”

By visiting a college campus, staying in the dorms and interacting with college players, the young golfers get a taste of collegiate golf and what it takes to make it to the Div. I level, 15-year-old camper Greg Graves said.

The experience gives campers more than just a better golf swing, Randall said. It also makes the transition from high school to college athletics easier.

Fortunately for Randall, the camp also can be used as a recruiting tool.

“In the past we’ve had a number of campers play on our golf team,” Randall said. “Probably not as many as we’d have liked. But a whole lot of the campers over the years have eventually ended up at KU going to school here because they got an idea of the campus and liked Lawrence.”

Campers who wish to stay in the residence halls spend $700 on the camp, while those who only take instruction during the day and stay elsewhere spend $600.

Many campers come back year after year. Graves participated for his third year.

“Every year it’s really fun,” Graves said. “The counselors know what they’re talking about. The coaches are cool, and it’s a good experience to learn with other kids.”

For the counselors, working the camp isn’t mandatory, but gives them a chance to work with a group that could be the future of their program.

Though the goal of the camp is to shave strokes, the ultimate goal for campers is to have fun.

“They really have a good time,” Randall said. “We work them hard, but we have some fun times built into it also because we want them to have a good time. We want them to work hard on their golf, but enjoy their golf, too. So we kind of preach the harder they work, they better they’ll get.”