Mountain View Golf Club will be the home away from home for a number of junior golfers this season.

In addition to offering lessons, Mountain View plans on starting a junior league in early June.

With the Canada Summer Games including golf for the first time, the timing for the junior league couldn't be better. The league will be opened to players seven to 18 years old.

"It was actually by junior request, they want to get more competition, they want to have a sponsored league," said Jeff Wiggins, Mountain View's head golf professional. "It's more competition that's more specific to them. As opposed to playing with the men, which is not not a bad thing, but this gives them their own league."

In addition to the junior league Mountain View Golf Club has a ladies' and mens' league.

Wiggins said the success of the two adult leagues are an encouraging sign for the club. He added, with 32 teams, this year the mens' commercial league has the maximum number of teams, while the women's league has more than 100 participants.

The juniors, meanwhile, will play in a competition development league. The format includes mixing up the groups each week, giving individual players the opportunity to be paired with a variety of skill levels.

Wiggins said he was hoping to start a junior program last season, however, to ensure it happened this year he brought in assistant head golf professional Mark Romanelli.

"These programs are so important," Wiggins said. "We have tons of potential."

Wiggins said junior registration won't be open for a couple of weeks, but added there is a real demand for this type of initiative and expects it to grow over time.

Mountain View Golf Club will also play a vital role in preparing the Yukon juniors for the Canada Summer Games, which will be held in P.E.I. in August. Wiggins said he will hold tryouts, starting the third week in May and finishing the third week of June. He said there will be three sessions each week.

"It's going to be intense,' Wiggins said.

The Yukon can send three boys and three girls to the Canada Summer Games for golf. Wiggins said so far around 20 juniors have expressed an interest in trying out. Canada Games tryouts are open to players 12 to 17 years old. Golfers must have an established handicap to try out.

The three main focuses at the tryouts will be strength conditioning, technique mechanics and game rules.

"The criteria is not just going to be who's the best golfer," Wiggins said. "I want who is going to be a good teammate, who's doing good in school, who's making to all the practices, who has the best conditioning, who has the best attitude. All of that stuff, they are all components that are actually coming down from Sport Canada."

Ricky Schmok, 15, will be one of the Yukon golfers trying out for the Canada Summer Games team. Schmok admitted to being a little rusty so far in the pre-season.

"My swing right now is horrible, but it's pre-season, so I'll be ready," he said. "It will come with time."

Schmok said he is also looking forward to the club offering a junior league this season.

"We have had junior tournaments in past years, but this year it sounds like Jeff and Mark have it all figured out," he said. "It should be really good. Better than past years."