Junior Golf

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I either haven't found the thread yet, or realized we don't really have a thread that focuses on junior golf and those of us who have children who play the game with us, are just getting started out, or are playing competitively at the junior level. I would love a place to have those kinds of discussions here on the forum.

My boys, ages 7 and 4, both love to join me on the golf course. My 7 year old has done two years of the First Tee program at our local club, and will be getting into it again this summer in a new age group where they start to work more with clubs in hand (the first couple years were developing movement skills associated with the golf swing, which I thought was FANTASTIC). He has no formal training on a swing, and I don't know enough about it to try and coach him, but he's developed some pretty good ball striking naturally and is hitting most of his drives straight and anywhere from 75-90ish yards. He's currently 4' tall and weighs 52 pounds. This year will also be the first year he gets to compete in the PGA Drive, Chip and Putt contest, which he's very excited about. We are also going to sign up for a couple WPGA South Central Development Tour tournaments in July. These are all things HE is choosing to do, as I made up my mind a long time ago that I'll never force my children into any sports or events they don't truly want to do. I am really excited for him to get started with these programs.

He currently uses a set of Tour Edge HL Junior clubs for his age bracket, and with his height, they should fit him for a couple more seasons. At that time, I'll be considering the next step up of the Tour Edge clubs, or potentially switching to a USKids set. I really like the looks of the PING Prodi G clubs as well, but think we will wait till further down the line, if at all, for those.

I'd love to hear from those of you who have children playing junior golf (looking at you, @GolfSpy MPR ) on how they got started, what events they do or practice they partake in, and what clubs and equipment you've found you really like and some to avoid. As someone who didn't start golfing until his 20s, it is all uncharted territory for me.

Here's to sharing the beauty of this game with our children!

[GolfSpy MPR]

We have a bunch of threads on junior clubs: I tried to catalog a bunch of them in this post:

The search feature here on the Forum is OK, but using Google to search our Forum is even better. Here's a search that will turn up many threads on the junior golf.

As for specific events: it's so very region-dependent. Up here by us, there isn't a ton. A number of years ago, i took Kirke to a US Kids event in Minneapolis, which is over 4 hours away. Obviously, that's not something we're going to do often.

I'm grateful that our region of the state golf association has a very affordable junior tour here in the UP. The events have so far been $25 each, with lunch included. The fields are very, very small, however.

All youth sports can be insane and insanely expensive; golf is certainly like this, and maybe more so because there's an assumption that parents with an interest in golf probably have some money.

I do not see a scenario in which we chase the big junior events. That's just not a priority for us. We had a call, a little over a year ago, with a PGA Tour pro (got connected on Twitter); this particular pro is also involved with a major college program, and his take is that if a kid can play, he will get found. I suspect that this is right.

[Girldad18]

I'll chime in here for what it's worth.  I started golf in a local junior golf program.  Fortunately for me, I grew up in South Carolina and the local program ended up getting involved with the state junior golf program and we had chapters within the state.  Each chapter held individual events over the summer to accumulate points in each age group where the top point getters from each group and chapter came together in a end of summer event - All Stars - to be played at Myrtle Beach at the time.  It was a lot of fun.  I also got involved in a region area junior tour called Plantation Tours, not sure if he's still in existence or not, but there were tournaments all over and he eventually expanded into most of the Southeastern states.  

For what it's worth, First Tee is a great start for him.  Most course will do some sort of junior clinic or camp during the summer.  Best I can advise would be to do a Google search for junior golf tours or junior golf camps in your area and see what you find and go from there.

When I grew up the PGA junior series was non existent but the AJGA was very popular, alot more expensive than what we could afford, so the Plantation tour hit nicely.  

Let them both play and enjoy it.  If they dive off into it, it is extremely competitive.  However, there are alot of great colleges out there, not just D1, that look for golfers of all levels.  I went D2, unknowingly at the time, to a school that had developed into playing alot of post season and we continued that on.  That was so much fun.  Tons of great memories. 

Just look around and see what you can find.  Some clubs will allow outside juniors to come in for camp or even an event as they try to grow the game.  Wish you all the best with it.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Great posts, and thanks @GolfSpy MPR for linking the junior clubs threads. I couldn’t find them for the life of me. The WPGA Junior Tour here is fantastic. Very small fields for sure, but all courses are within a 15 minute drive of our house. As we are nowhere near really competitive golf and truthfully I want to keep him out of that for as long as I can, things that make it fun are what I’m looking for. There’s lots of time to compete, and I don’t see us ever doing the big national junior events. 

@Girldad18 thanks for the insight!

[bens197]

43 minutes ago, Girldad18 said:

Let them both play and enjoy it. 

This is so important.  Create an environment where they seek out the game and want to play.

My daughter is 6 and loves hitting balls.  I have all the resources to teach her proper form and technique and I am choosing to not do so.  Balance and hand-eye coordination are paramount and my only priorities are getting her clubs that fit and making it fun…so you know that means she absolutely got to purchase some pink golf balls and pink tees.

If I go hit balls I always ask if she wants to go.  If she asks me to play I say yes.  

I want her to enjoy the game because she enjoys it and the company, not because I am forcing my passion onto her for my enjoyment. 

 

Any parent lucky enough to have a child who loves this game is truly lucky.

[KC Golf]

Great new thread.

My son is 12 now, but started in group lessons at 5.  Not too serious, just more for fun.  Weekly for a month or two each year.

His swing is a lot better than mine was at his age. He hits it farther too.

I have avoided anything competitive other than the odd Father Son alternating shot fun Tournie once a year.  

Best advise I got.  Always make it fun.  An afternoon at the golf course should always be fun for them.  Get them a milkshake or candy after you are done.  If he’s not having fun, he usually grabs a laser to figure out how far my shots go.  Interestingly he never has the right distance, always shorter!

I think deep down he really likes the Father Son time!

 

[Chubbs1991]

As a former Junior Instructor, I've found that making the game fun and engaging is key to fostering a lifelong love for golf in youngsters. Here are some exciting ways to introduce your little ones to the sport while ensuring they have a blast on the course:

Tennis Ball Practice: Start with the basics by practicing with tennis balls instead of traditional golf balls. Set up targets around the yard or practice area and encourage your kids to aim for them. This not only helps develop their swing but also adds an element of fun and competition as they try to hit different targets.

Chip and Putt Contest: Create a mini chipping and putting course in your backyard or at the local putting green. Use household items like buckets, hula hoops, or even cardboard boxes as targets. Have friendly competitions to see who can chip or putt the ball closest to the target or into the makeshift hole. Don't forget to celebrate their successes and make it a fun experience for everyone involved!

Junior Golf Clinics: Check if your local golf course or club offers junior golf clinics or lessons. These are often designed to be fun and interactive, providing kids with the opportunity to learn from experienced instructors while making friends with other young golf enthusiasts.

Family Golf: Make golf outings a family affair by hitting the course together. Choose courses that are family-friendly and offer shorter, more manageable holes for kids. Focus on having fun rather than keeping score, and encourage your little ones to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while learning the game.

Remember, the key is to keep it light, enjoyable, and age-appropriate. By focusing on making golf fun for your kids, you'll instill in them a love for the game that will last a lifetime. Who knows, you might just have a future PGA champion in the making

[GolfSpy_KFT]

All of this advice is so great, thank you everyone! Like @bens197, I am fortunate that my oldest asks to go play or hit balls. He truly loves being out there, and I love taking him out there. I play 70% or more of my rounds with him. My 4 year old likes to go, but he's just more or less along for the ride. He swings his clubs till he gets bored, then plays with the range finder or golf balls or tees in the cart and is content. I always make sure I'm never "making" them go. If they don't want to, we stay home and play something else. Same with the equipment, he wanted some high vis balls he saw in the pro shop, which just so happened to be the new TM Speedsoft balls which work fantastic for his slower swing, and he had a gift card he got for his birthday last year so used it on a sleeve. He thought it was pretty cool buying his own stuff lol.

Our #1 rule has always been that as soon as it no longer becomes fun for my oldest, we go back home no matter what hole we are on. Sometimes that is after two or three holes. I never want to leave the course with him feeling frustrated or disappointed. He actually played a couple 18 hole rounds with me last summer, which as a 6 year old I thought was incredible. He takes holes off if he wants to and then jumps right back into it. He's already been asking when he gets to play 18 again this year, and we've played one 9 hole round and then jumped out on the course for anywhere from 3-6 holes on some random evenings since we live right there. 

@KC Golf for us it is usually a kiddy cocktail and hot dog at the turn! I always manage to sneak some treats into the cart for surprises as well .

[russtopherb]

My son started golfing in group lessons when he asked if he could take lessons when he was in grade school. He eventually asked if he could quit Little League so he could play PGA Jr, which was fine with me. He played there for a few years before leaving when he would have needed to move up to the senior division; he wasn't a fan of some of the kids he would have needed to play with, and just wanted to go golfing on his own. 

Now that he's 18, he heads off to the range on his own when he wants, and just signed up for a jr golfer membership in our state which grants him $5 walking rounds at the course down the street from us. He already told me his plan is to golf as much as he can this summer around work, before he heads off for college in Sept.

Key to all of this - his insistence and desire to go golf, right from day 1. I've never pushed or pressured him, and always let him make the call. A few years ago he told me how happy he was we let him quit baseball, as he never enjoyed it but thought it was the "accepted" thing to do since all of his friends played. He loves golfing now (and loves out-driving me consistently) and a big part of that was him deciding his own engagement levels with it over the years. 

[Girldad18]

All of this is good.  I actually started playing out of jealousy.  I was in basketball, baseball, and soccer.  My dad took me and my sister out to a golf course.  He played 9 holes, she got a lesson and I was sent to the putting green to wait.  I remember saying to myself, if she can hit then so can I.  We go home after sisters lesson and I go upstairs in the attic in the garage and pull out an old set of blades with leather grips (I can still feel the sting) and carry the whole bag downstairs.  I was 7.  That bag was as big as I was.  I take the right handed club, grip it left handed and swing away.  3-iron for close shots - it looked more like a putter; 9-iron for long shots - it went further when it got in the air.  Finally my dad comes out and asks what I'm doing.  He turns me around and gets me sorted and went from there.  His statement was I needed to be right handed as they didn't make left handed clubs for juniors.  So I learned right handed.  Only sport I play on the "right" side.  For a few years I had one of those old putters you could putt right or left handed with and I putted left handed.  I eventually gave up all the other sports, soccer was the last to go and honestly it was the first love.  But a bad coach turned that sour for me, which led me to the golf course.  As a kid though, I could play golf for free at any local course as long as I walked.  I would get dropped off in the morning on my moms way to work and dad would pick me up when he got off work.  Sometimes he and I would play.  Sometimes not.  But I could get in 54 holes easy most days.  In the hot humid SC summers.  Oh I miss those days...

[Mrsbell89]

This is a discussion i can get into! My son is 14 and just happened to find my dad’s old clubs in our attic last year. They had been up there for years but for whatever reason the peaked his interest so he brought them down and started messing around and hitting balls. He was looking up videos and developing some pretty decent skills so we bit the bullet and put him in lessons. He’s only been doing it a few months but he’s gotten pretty good. He doesn’t ever keep score of a full round because he wants to “keep it fun” but he’s made par a few times and even a birdie. I find myself pushing him to keep score and think about competing in jr tournaments eventually but he really doesn’t want to so try to respect that. Now that brings me to my experience… My dad played golf his hole life and his parents both played and now that I’ve gotten into it, I find myself feeling a little mad that my Dad didn’t push it on me harder… but i guess that’s the thing, if he had pushed it on me, I probably wouldn’t be wanting to play like i do now. 

[Mrsbell89]

4 hours ago, Chubbs1991 said:

As a former Junior Instructor, I've found that making the game fun and engaging is key to fostering a lifelong love for golf in youngsters. Here are some exciting ways to introduce your little ones to the sport while ensuring they have a blast on the course:

Tennis Ball Practice: Start with the basics by practicing with tennis balls instead of traditional golf balls. Set up targets around the yard or practice area and encourage your kids to aim for them. This not only helps develop their swing but also adds an element of fun and competition as they try to hit different targets.

Chip and Putt Contest: Create a mini chipping and putting course in your backyard or at the local putting green. Use household items like buckets, hula hoops, or even cardboard boxes as targets. Have friendly competitions to see who can chip or putt the ball closest to the target or into the makeshift hole. Don't forget to celebrate their successes and make it a fun experience for everyone involved!

Junior Golf Clinics: Check if your local golf course or club offers junior golf clinics or lessons. These are often designed to be fun and interactive, providing kids with the opportunity to learn from experienced instructors while making friends with other young golf enthusiasts.

Family Golf: Make golf outings a family affair by hitting the course together. Choose courses that are family-friendly and offer shorter, more manageable holes for kids. Focus on having fun rather than keeping score, and encourage your little ones to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while learning the game.

Remember, the key is to keep it light, enjoyable, and age-appropriate. By focusing on making golf fun for your kids, you'll instill in them a love for the game that will last a lifetime. Who knows, you might just have a future PGA champion in the making

I love these tips! I really want to get my daughter into it with me, she’s open to the idea and we even found a set of wilson jr clubs when we bought our house but she’s very apprehensive to the idea of a male instructor. I’ve been on the hunt for a female instructor with no luck so I’m gonna just try and get her to do the tennis ball thing and chipping in the yard with me then maybe see where that goes! Thank you for sharing!

[Chubbs1991]

56 minutes ago, Mrsbell89 said:

This is a discussion i can get into! My son is 14 and just happened to find my dad’s old clubs in our attic last year. They had been up there for years but for whatever reason the peaked his interest so he brought them down and started messing around and hitting balls. He was looking up videos and developing some pretty decent skills so we bit the bullet and put him in lessons. He’s only been doing it a few months but he’s gotten pretty good. He doesn’t ever keep score of a full round because he wants to “keep it fun” but he’s made par a few times and even a birdie. I find myself pushing him to keep score and think about competing in jr tournaments eventually but he really doesn’t want to so try to respect that. Now that brings me to my experience… My dad played golf his hole life and his parents both played and now that I’ve gotten into it, I find myself feeling a little mad that my Dad didn’t push it on me harder… but i guess that’s the thing, if he had pushed it on me, I probably wouldn’t be wanting to play like i do now. 

For your son. I wouldn’t even think about keeping a score for a while. Maybe simple things like how many putts or did he find the fairway off the tee. 
 

stats can help but can also hurt if that makes sense.

 

[Chubbs1991]

45 minutes ago, Mrsbell89 said:

I love these tips! I really want to get my daughter into it with me, she’s open to the idea and we even found a set of wilson jr clubs when we bought our house but she’s very apprehensive to the idea of a male instructor. I’ve been on the hunt for a female instructor with no luck so I’m gonna just try and get her to do the tennis ball thing and chipping in the yard with me then maybe see where that goes! Thank you for sharing!

I had more girl jrs in my free clinic. We would putt tennis balls, chip plastic balls in to laundry baskets. Just have as much fun as possible. Best advice I ever got was go into golf with no expectations. Think of a surfer they are just so happy to ride the waves. They don’t think about how long or how fast. Play for joy and the rest will come. 

[Mrsbell89]

4 minutes ago, Chubbs1991 said:

For your son. I wouldn’t even think about keeping a score for a while. Maybe simple things like how many putts or did he find the fairway off the tee. 
 

stats can help but can also hurt if that makes sense.

 

It does make sense. I think i suffer from toxically thinking he’s the greatest thing who’s ever done anything so it’s hard not to want to push him because of where I believe he can go but I also love that we have this game we get to play together as a family and I really don’t wanna suck the fun out of it!