I love my kids. I love golf, too. While diaper duty came at the expense of my total rounds at first, my children are now at the right ages to get on the golf course with me on a regular basis. I have to say: I enjoy playing, especially playing well, but there may be nothing more enjoyable for me in golf than seeing an ear-to-ear grin on my kids face after a well-struck shot. Introducing my kids to this game has only heightened my own love for it. What follows is some helpful advice for parents looking to start their children on a golf journey as well.
Let’s be clear: I wouldn’t dream of telling anyone else how to parent their children. I like to think I’m a decent golfer and a decent dad but I’m certainly far from perfect on either of those fronts. I am constantly striving to get better at both. My goal with this article is to provide you with a few nuggets to consider for getting your kids off to a solid start in this great game of ours. If after reading this article, you take away one or two tidbits that help you do that, mission accomplished.
The Cardinal Rule
If you take nothing else away from this article, remember this one thing: MAKE IT FUN. If your kid is not having fun on the course or at the range, you’re doing it wrong, regardless of your goals or your kid’s goals. Now is not the time to burden your little one with expectations of scholarships and trophies. Sure, perhaps your offspring has the DNA to make it as a professional golfer one day. The odds of that are low, for all of us, but it’s entirely possible.
The thing is that for little Timmy to decide he wants to win the Masters when he grows up, he’s got to fall in love with the game first or that goal won’t stick. Your job is to start that love affair and that means making golf synonymous with fun. The time to push Timmy may come but it’s certainly not at the beginning of his golf journey. Do your best to make every outing fun and you’re certain to have him coming back for more.
Keeping It Fun
So, how do you keep it fun? For starters, drop all expectations. Your first nine holes with your child will not be like a nine with your buddies, at all. Take them out for a twilight nine, peg them up from 100 to 150 yards out, and turn them loose, all while being a fountain of encouragement and enthusiasm along the way. But there’s a good chance they won’t last a full nine. If they say “Dad, can we go?” after five, the answer should be an emphatic “yes.” Always leave on a high note. Telling your kid “in three more holes” risks turning it into a chore and the fun-meter starts plummeting. And don’t sweat the fees; you’ll find a lot of courses won’t charge you for your new playing partner anyway.