DETROIT (WXYZ) — About 100 students gathered in Detroit Wednesday for the first Youth Golf and Tech Expo, a collaboration between Black Tech Saturdays and the Rocket Classic, designed to introduce young people to both golf and technology ahead of the tournament's final year.
The event brought together middle school students to college-bound youth for hands-on experiences in putting, chipping, and golf simulators, with instructors available throughout. On the technology side, students explored robotics, digital animation, and game development through various stations.
Dean Bokuniewicz, director of marketing for the Rocket Classic, said the event reflects the tournament's longstanding mission.
"When we brought the tournament here eight years ago, this is what we wanted to do. We wanted to give back to the community, give back to the youth," Bokuniewicz said.
Johnnie Turnage, co-founder of Black Tech Saturdays, said the pairing of golf and technology is more natural than it might seem.
"When I think about tech and golf and why they make sense is, it's all a personal journey. You really do have to fine tune mechanics," Turnage said.
Participant Kylie Baker said the experience was approachable for newcomers to the sport.
"It's really fun. You just need to learn how to hold the club, and it just gets easier when you learn how to hold it," Baker said.
Zechariah Powell, a recent Detroit King High School graduate who plans to major in electrical engineering, said the combination of golf and technology connects directly to his future goals.
"Going into that field, I need to know how to properly navigate technology," Powell said.
"Mixing that with golf, one of the greatest sports on planet earth, in my opinion. It is hard but one good thing that comes with it is networking. Your network is your net worth to be honest," Powell said.
Turnage said the goal of the expo is to show young people the full scope of what they can achieve.
"If you've ever heard the song 'I Can' by Nas, I just hope they feel inspired that the sky is the limit, their imagination's explored. And whether it's in tech or leveraging their different skills, they find a place their genius can shine," Turnage said.
The Rocket Classic tees off next week at the Detroit Golf Club. This year marks the eighth and final edition of the tournament.
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