I grew up at the start of the video game era when Space Invaders, Pac-Man and Saxon were big. It was fun but never as much fun as smashing a little white ball around on real grass.
In today’s world of super-realistic video games, smart phones and child obesity, it can be hard to drag your son, daughter or grandkids away from the screen. Golf is the perfect excuse to spend an entire day appreciating nature and developing healthy life-long exercise habits.
The key is to find one of their friends that already plays golf or start two friends at the same time. If they are young start them on a putt-putt course or take them to a local par three. Tee the balls up on every shot so they can get them airborne easily. Watching the ball fly through the air is a great motivator.
Let them steer the golf cart, chase butterflies or rabbits and tumble down hills between shots as my kids did as four and five year olds. Let them rake bunkers, throw stones into the ponds and pick daisies – at this age, it’s not all about the golf.
If they are older, start them at the driving range or get them into a junior clinic program, which is offered at just about every course. Best of all, get them lessons with a PGA professional as soon as possible so they won’t develop bad habits. Your local professional will show the correct grip and alignment needed for success. The longer you wait to do this, the harder it is to learn to do it right. While his Uncle Ronnie may be a good or avid player in your eyes, his 18 handicap does not qualify him as professional-grade instructor; in fact, he is far more likely to cause damage than be of help.
As soon as practical, get the child a handicap because when there are clear goals, motivation increases. Nothing will heighten his desire to practice like lowering his handicap below that of his friends. Like any worthy goal, rewards (like new equipment, a trip to a tour event or a round of golf on a famous course) should come on reaching a goal, not merely on demand.
Competition helps, and getting your child onto the school team or playing in club, county or state event is a good idea. That said, one should
always remember that it’s still a game and they are still children – it has to be fun!
The goal in a casual round does not always have to be a low score. Changing the focus can change the fun. The goal of the front nine might be to avoid bunkers at all costs, while on the back the goal could be the lowest number of putts. This means that missing the green so you can chip close is often an advantage. Try playing with just three or four clubs to encourage shot making. Have an irons-only nine or hit five irons off every tee to put the focus on pitching and scoring. Mixing up the games and keeping them fresh is especially helpful when things are not happening as quickly as your child would like to see.
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