Do you want to learn how to get your kids interested in golf?
If you’re a parent, I’m sure you know that golf is a great sport to introduce to your kids. I would argue that it teaches kids so much more than just learning how to play a sport. As the 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus said, “A kid grows up a lot faster on the golf course. Golf teaches you how to behave.”
Some of the benefits of introducing kids to golf include:
- Meeting new friends.
- Learning how to interact with adults.
- Getting outdoors and off their phones.
- Understanding more about the mental side of sports.
- Teaching them a sport that they can play the rest of their lives.
And about 20 other reasons.
I couldn’t agree more, as I started playing around 10 years old and was working at the golf course at 14. Golf taught me a lot of lessons that most kids just don’t get from other sports.
Sadly, golf doesn’t usually have the mainstream appeal or “cool” factor like football, soccer, basketball, and baseball. So it usually takes a little bit more convincing on your end to get them into the game.
Luckily, there are tons of ways to get them excited about the sport that we all love.
How to Get Kids Into Golf
When it comes to getting your kids excited about golf, rule number one is not to force them into it. If you drag them to the course or force them into a junior golf camp, chances are they won’t love it. Sure, some might catch the golf bug, but it’s an uphill battle.
Instead, use these strategies to ease your children into golf. Remember, always think about it as a marathon, not a sprint, as it’s a game they can play for the rest of their life.
When you implement these strategies, I’m sure you won’t burn them out early.
Mini Golf
The first strategy is simple and cheap – good old mini golf. Sadly, there aren’t as many mini golf courses as I would like in the country, but if you have one near you, take them on an outing. It’s a fun way to take the family out, introduce them to golf, and not overwhelm them with the full swing stuff.
Mini golf allows you to open up the conversation about golf without dragging them to the course for four plus hours. Plus, most mini golf courses are usually in a family fun center with other activities like arcades, water boats, and more.
Golf Video Games
Introducing children to golf isn’t like it was in the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s. Now, kids have an endless amount of technology at their fingertips. Since they’re likely already playing video games, why not introduce them to golf with a medium they’re already familiar with.
Whether it’s a physical console or even apps on their phones, there are tons of options. Or, you can even splurge for a Phigolf mobile and home smart golf game simulator. This is a gift that your kids will love, but you can benefit from too.
The Phigolf isn’t some video game they will get sick of, either. Instead, it comes with a swing stick that looks like a real golf club. It’s a shortened version of a club and has a real golf grip and everything.
Let them swing the stick and get real results. Not to mention, when they aren’t using it, you can benefit too as it provides real feedback on your swing. You can play head-to-head with other golfers who own the device, play various games, and use it for practice mode too.
Watch Golf on TV
If you’re like most golfers, you love to watch the best players compete on TV when you aren’t golfing yourself. While it’s not only fun for you, it’s actually a good way to introduce them to the sport too.
Some of my earliest memories of golf are watching Tiger Woods on TV. I would marvel at his ability to hit amazing shots and celebrate with his epic fist pumps that no one else would dare try to do.
If they get bored watching live coverage, show them some highlights instead. Or, have them watch this YouTube video of some of Tiger’s greatest moments. Or, you can even show them the highlights of Tiger playing with his son Charlie in the PNC invitational.
Take Them to TopGolf
I think that TopGolf is one of the best ideas ever to grow the game of golf. It brings together people who have never played golf with the most obsessed golfers out there. It’s fun, entertaining, great food/drinks, and overall, a much different experience than a normal driving range.
To me, TopGolf is like a high class bowling alley and more about entertainment than the sport itself. That being said, it’s fun for the whole family as they have all kinds of games aside from just golf too.
If they haven’t shown a ton of interest in the game yet, I’m sure they will after TopGolf. Make it a fun family outing and invite some of their friends too as the bays are quite large. Don’t forget their epic dessert either (like the injectable donut holes) as I’m sure your kids will love them.
Buy an Indoor Putting Green
Another great way to introduce your kids to golf is with an indoor putting green. Similar to some other strategies on this list, this will not only benefit your kids, but your golf game as well.
An indoor putting green is a great, low-cost investment for a lot of reasons:
- Easy to store when not in use.
- Fun for you and the entire family.
- Easy to make it into competitive games.
- Awesome to entertain with family and friends visit.
And most importantly, helps them with the most important part of the game – putting. As Arnold Palmer said, “Putting is a fascinating, aggravating, wonderful, terrible, and almost incomprehensible part of the game of golf.”
The point being, you or your kids probably can’t putt enough. Putting plays a pivotal role in total score and often what holds good golfers from becoming great golfers. Plus, it’s a cheap way to get your kid interested in the sport.
Buy an indoor putting green and make it part of your weekly routine. Keep it fun and soon enough, they’ll want to take their skills to the actual golf course.
Hit Balls in the Backyard
The next strategy to get your kids excited about golf is simple and convenient. In fact, you don’t even need to leave the house and you get to benefit big time.
Instead of driving to the course and worrying about a busy range, start by hitting golf balls in the backyard. Or, if you have enough space, install an at home golf practice area in the garage or spare bedroom.
The great thing about this is that you don’t need much, either. The bare essentials include a golf mat and golf net. Sure, you can opt for other accessories and gadgets for yourself, but don’t need too if you want to save money.
A lot of times you don’t even need to invite them to start hitting, either. Chances are, they will see you banging balls and want to watch or give it a try themselves. If this is the case, you want to splurge and get them a junior set specifically geared for kids.
This will set them up for success and give them the best chances for better ball striking (and likely more fun). Which leads us to the next step…
Buy Them a Starter Set of Golf Clubs
The second thing to get them excited about golf is to buy them a starter set of junior golf clubs. The key word here is “starter” set. Do not feel like you need to go out and buy them a 14-piece set, golf clothes, balls, and other accessories.
Instead, opt for a basic, cheap, set of golf clubs that are designed for kids. The main thing here is that you want to set them up for success by having them use junior golf clubs.
Do not, I repeat do not, saw down your old golf clubs.
Sure, it seems like a cheap alternative, but it’s not doing them any favors. When you saw down a club, you make it stiffer and harder to hit for juniors.
Plus, adult clubs are much heavier to begin with and often have too large of grips. This is why we 100% recommend golf clubs that were designed for juniors specifically.
These clubs are lighter, very forgiving, and shorter. Plus, they make all types of different sets now based on your kid’s age, size, and other factors. Whether you want to introduce your kid to the game at 3 years old or 13 years old, there is a cheap set for them.
Instead of making you search the internet for the best set of clubs for juniors, we made it easy for you. Click here to read about the best golf club sets for junior golfers.
Visit the Driving Range
Once they have some clubs of their own, have them hit some basic shots into your golf net. Get them comfortable with the grip, their natural athleticism and a few fundamentals. Once they’re ready to see the ball take flight, then it’s time to visit the driving range.
Going from hitting balls into a net vs. seeing them launch off the club is a big step. Make sure they’re excited about the opportunity, and also remind them that other people will be there. Remind them that golf is all about having fun and don’t put a huge emphasis on the result.
Instead, when you’re at the driving range, offer tons of encouragement and support. Remind them that all golfers, old or young, hit bad shots.
Make sure to hit balls yourself and show them what to do instead of telling them. Kids tend to learn better by this method of teaching instead of endlessly talking about fundamentals.
Finally, make sure they don’t hit too many golf balls and wear themselves out. As you know, quality is better than quantity of golf balls at the driving range. Maybe split a medium bucket together instead of splurging for the jumbo and getting tired with half the bucket left.
Play Lots of Games in Practice
Once you do get them to the practice facility, make sure that your kids don’t get bored. The best way to do that is to have fun and not just bang a jumbo bucket of balls with the same club.
Instead, play tons of games or mini challenges with them. This will help keep their mind engaged and not get burnt out. Plus, this type of random practice can help your game too by challenging your mind and body instead of hitting the same shot over and over again.
Junior Golf Clinics
If your kids are loving the game and can’t get enough of it, find a junior golf clinic or camp near you. A lot of municipal and even private clubs offer after school clinics or summer golf camps. This is a fun way for them to play golf, learn the rules, meet new people, and add some competition as well.
Get Their Friends Involved
If you really want to get your kids involved with golf, have them recruit a friend or two. Whenever kids go to the course as a pair or small group, they’re likely to have much more fun. And having this much fun will likely make them want to go to the range or course more often.
Take Them On The Golf Course After Hours
Once your kids are excited about golf and enjoying the practice facility, the next step is to take them to the golf course. Instead of playing a full 9 or 18 holes, start by taking them after hours when less people are there. See if you can sneak out and play 3-5 or 6 holes and show them what it’s like on the actual golf course.
As always, make sure it’s fun! Don’t try to go out there and play your normal game. Instead, make it all about them so they’re excited to go back out and eventually, play a full round of golf.
Play an Executive Golf Course
Once you’ve tested the waters with them on a few holes, the next step is to book a real tee time. But don’t take them to some monster golf course that is hard for even experienced players.
Instead, start them off at a short, easy, executive golf course. These courses are usually made up almost entirely of par 3’s and maybe a few par 4’s that are short compared to most courses.
Executive courses are much easier to walk, have flatter greens, and shorter holes in general. I recommend having them play from the forward tee or a junior tee if they have one. You also might want to check to see if they offer junior rates on specific days/times for special rates.
This will give you the best deal and also not get in the way of other groups. If you do choose to walk instead of ride, make sure their bag is very lightweight or rent a push cart too.
Go to a PGA or LPGA Tour Event
The last idea is to take them to a professional golf event if you have one nearby. Check the PGA or LPGA Tour schedule, buy some tickets, and enjoy the day together. This is a great way for them to see the game up close and personal that TV just can’t replicate. Plus, you never know, they might get an autograph or a chance to see their favorite player in real life.
If you do choose this route, make sure your kid is old enough for all the walking that is involved. Otherwise, your time might be cut short if they get too tired to follow their favorite golfers.
Bonus: What Not to Do
Remember, when it comes to kids and golf, you need to play the long game. Don’t force golf on them if they’re not ready, or you risk them losing out on a sport they can play the rest of their life. While the strategies above are sure to help, here are five strategies on what not to do as well.
Obsess About Golf
If you’re like most people reading this article, chances are you’re borderline obsessed with the game. We think about it often and make golf a priority in our life. While that’s fine, make sure you don’t obsess over it with your kids.
Instead, offer to take them to the course or range, but don’t make them go if they want to do something else.
Get Overly Technical
No matter how good you get in golf, chances are you always want to get better. That means reading golf blogs, watching YouTube videos, and maybe even hiring a coach. All in the quest for “perfection” so that you can have a more consistent swing.
While that’s great for your game, do not make the swing highly technical for them. This is a good way to overwhelm your juniors and quickly make them tune out.
Instead, focus on the fundamentals like grip, setup, and let them swing their swing. If they want to keep advancing, then you can work on more advanced swing techniques. But for the time being, provide more encouragement than technical golf advice.
Keep Score
Once you take your kids to the course, don’t make score a top priority. Instead, focus on having fun, focusing on the good shots, and teaching them more about the game. As they get better and become more consistent, then you can start tracking scores.
Play the Wrong Equipment
As I mentioned above, golf is hard enough even if you have custom fitted clubs as an adult. But if you’re a kid trying to swing a heavy, stiff golf club made for grown adults, they’re going to struggle.
If they’re ready to follow you to the course, buy them a set designed for kids. It will make the entire experience more enjoyable for you and them.
Make Golf Not Fun
Finally, make sure it’s a fun experience for them above all else.
Don’t let them see you get mad or frustrated at your game or theirs. Instead, keep it lighthearted, let them do what they want, and make the most of your time together.
By avoiding these five strategies and implementing the ones above, I’m confident your kid will get excited about the game.
Best Drills For Kids in Golf
Once your junior is ready to take their game up a notch, we have some simple drills to help them out.
Putt to a Coin
As I discussed above, putting is one of the most important parts of the game. And one great thing about junior golfers is that they don’t have any bad memories of poor putting performances. Instead, they see a ball and putt to it with a natural instinct, which is why kids are so good on the green.
An easy drill is one you can do at home with an indoor putting green or at a busy golf course. Instead of having them putt to a hole, throw down a poker chip ball marker or coin (the smaller the better too). This will help them focus on their target and once they get to a real hole, it should feel like a bucket!
Chip In Competition
Another easy drill for their short game is a chip in challenge. Find an easy chip just off the green and see if they can make one. Even if it takes 5-10 minutes, I bet they will love the challenge.
Then, once it goes in, make sure to celebrate! This is a fun drill for them but also effective as it will get them in the “chip to make it” mindset instead of just trying to get it close.
Splash the Sand
One of the hardest shots for golfers is the dreaded greenside bunker shot. So many players get nervous and totally choke on a shot that isn’t that difficult.
Here is a drill that I used to teach in a junior golf camp. Have your kid go into a bunker with a wedge and no golf ball.
Tell them they have one objective – get the sand out of the bunker. Show them by example of the sand physically leaving the bunker and splashing out on top of the lip or on the green.
This is a fundamental move that you can’t learn early enough, in my opinion. By having the “splash the sand” they will do what most golfers don’t do – accelerate. This will help them get the ball out of the bunker much easier as they will have plenty of force to hit the sand, which then carries the ball out of the bunker.
Don’t worry, this drill works for adults too.
Pitch to a Towel or Bucket
This is an easy drill that you can do at home or at the practice green. If you’re on the practice green, set a small towel down at your ideal landing spot.
Make it a goal for your junior to pitch the ball so that it lands on the towel. Or, if you have some room in the backyard, have them pitch to a pop-up bucket too.
This drill gives them a good visualization of picking a target and hitting toward it, not the cup.
Swing As Hard As You Can
Once they’re on the range and have some consistency with their swing, challenge them to swing hard! First off, this is fun for kids as they want to see the ball go far.
Second, it’s good to have them hit it long. In a game that is constantly prioritizing distance over accuracy, set them up for success. Remember, you can always find a way to hit it straighter as you get older, but longer isn’t easy.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully these strategies will help get your kids eager to play golf and if all goes well, enjoy the sport for a long time. Some of my favorite memories with my family happened on the golf course, and hope you get them as well.
Just remember, as a parent, you’re in it for the long haul, not the immediate short term. Right now, they might not care about golf, but things could change in six months or a year. Keep trying, and always make it about having fun together.
Don’t forget, this is a sport they can enjoy for life. As the great Bobby Jones said, “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots and you get good breaks from bad shots. But you have to play the ball where it lies.”
The post How to Get Kids Into Golf: The Right Way & Wrong Way appeared first on The Left Rough.