How to Get Kids Involved In Junior Golf
By Teresa Justine Kelly
Golf is a non-contact sport that any child--small or large, male or female--can enjoy. Golf also teaches children some of life's greatest lessons, including fair play, etiquette and discipline, and it is a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. In 2001, research conducted by GOLF 20/20 showed that early instruction in golf leads to a greater likelihood of long-term involvement with the game. Adults who learned golf through a structured junior program play 58 percent more rounds than adults who had informal exposure to the game in their childhoods.
Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Take your child to a practice green to teach her how to putt and experience the feeling of getting the ball in the cup. You can start your child in golf around the age of six.
Visit a practice range with your child. Let him hit a bag of balls using clubs fit for his size and strength. Do not worry about the direction the ball goes at this stage.
Enroll your child in a junior golf program at a golf course. Many golf courses offer beginner programs for juniors. The buddy program works well; your child may enjoy the experience more if he takes lessons with a friend.
Take your child to a par-3 or executive course to allow her to use the skills she learned in the junior golf program.
Take your child to local golf tournaments or watch PGA and LPGA golf tournaments on television. Children learn by imitation. The LPGA also has free instructional clinics for children at each of its events.
Encourage your child to participate in junior golf tournaments if he shows interest in these types of events.
Tips & Warnings
If you cannot find a short or executive-sized course in your neighborhood, modify the regular golf course near you. Your child can tee up the ball down the fairway, anywhere from 200 to 100 yards out from the green and start from there. Do not attempt to keep score at this point. Just let your child enjoy the experience of driving the ball and getting it onto the green.
Keep your child's golf experience enjoyable. Do not focus on golf technique; she could become frustrated and unwilling to participate in the game, so leave the instruction to the professionals. Always leave the practice range or a golf course with a happy, contented child, willing to return to play golf another day.
About The Author
Teresa Kelly graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. She was an editor for seven years for several magazines and publishing houses. Kelly is an avid golfer, a well-known children's book and golf author, and is currently the president of Highview Press/Golfing Lady that produces all occasion golf greeting cards.
