Always Make Junior Golf Fun

Video Transcript

Here at Duke University Golf Club we are besieged with calls and emails with parents asking us ôhow can we get our kids interested in golf?ö The ones that have played it and lose interest the parents want to know how can we keep them interested. There is one simple rule, and that is make it fun. If it s not fun for kids it is not worth doing. Golf can be a fun game but it needs to be approached in a fun manner. For example, if you are a golfer, bring your child out to the putting green. It can be any age, but depending on their skill level let's keep them close to the hole. Let's get them in there at about two feet and let's let them se that ball go into the hole. When they make it from two feet then they move to three feet. When they make that one then bring them out to four feet. What is discouraging to us is when we see kids out there putting with their parents from 20 or 30 feet and taking four or five putts to get the ball in the hole. After a while that begins to lose its magic and the kid is looking around trying to see what else he can do. I like to see little games on the green where you are putting from a certain distance and you are playing with your child. When you succeed make it a big deal. Great putt, way to get it into the hole. Once they begin to get accomplished, as they get a little bit older, keep them around the short game. Short games win championships. It will make them a great player who knows how to maneuver when they get around the greens. Start them off with maybe an 8-iron or a 7-iron, or if you have a properly fit sand wedge, put them off to the side and say here is the game, one shot to get it on the green and two shots to get it in the hole. If you do that it is a par and let's play nine holes. That whole game takes 30, maybe 40 minutes, and they feel a sense of accomplishment because they have a score for nine holes. I encourage you to do that. Remember, short game practice, simulating fun practice. That is going to keep your child in the game of golf and having lots of fun.