For many people, it’s a dream to be able to play golf with your children, and to spend hours of family fun on the golf course. When you have a love of golf, what could be better than sharing it with your children? However, golf may end up low on your children’s list of desired activities, as it competes with other sports, school activities and constant screen time.
But while you can’t force your children to love golf, there’s a lot you can do to encourage their interest along. And one of the great things about golf is that it’s a sport for all ages, plus it gives you the opportunity to create lasting memories with your children. Creating a golf-filled environment will really help you nourish your child’s love of golf. Here are some tips to help.
How young is too young to start golf?
There’s really no such thing as too young – as soon as a child can swing a modified plastic club, you can start playing golf-like games with them. Of course, they won’t be ready to play on a course at that age, but there are plenty of different activities they can do that are both fun and developmental. They won’t even realise they are learning the basics of golf grip and swing – to them it will just be fun.
What you can do with really little kids to help their interest in the game
Make it fun
You don’t have to play strict golf with little children. Instead, make it fun. Try hitting water balloons instead of golf balls – guaranteed to generate a lot of fun and laughter. Modify the rules, or even change them completely, or invent some new golfing games of your own. The number one rule is to have fun, no matter what – there’s plenty of time to get serious later. Children learn very differently to adults, and play-based learning is the main way smaller children learn. You can find many great ideas for fun golf games for children with a quick Google search. You can also discover some great golf games and ideas here.
Ensure they are successful
When kids are learning a complex sport like golf, they need to have lots of success early to ensure they want to continue. Constant failures will just make them hate the sport. Do age appropriate activities with them to ensure they can have some success and feel like they belong in golf. Don’t focus too much on technique too early – they’ll be plenty of time for that later on. Allow them to develop basic skills, and as they get older, they can start to refine their technique.
Make golf a family activity
Making golf a family activity is one of the best ways to encourage a lifelong love of golf. Younger children will love doing activities with you, and regular exposure to golf will be beneficial in nurturing a love for the sport.
Regularly take your children to play a round with you, or to the driving range or putting green, and spend some time bonding with them and teaching them some skills. They’ll love learning and improving and showing you what they can do, as well as just having your time and attention.
Lower your expectations
However, when you regularly take your children to the golf course, you’ll need to lower your expectations – for both yourself and your child. When playing with your child, your focus will not be on your own round, so don’t expect to go and hit your best round when you have your child in tow. Instead, turn the focus around so it’s on your child and not on your own game. Consider it a fun session, not a competitive one, and don’t worry about your score.
Likewise, don’t worry too much about how well your child is hitting the ball or how much of their potential they are using. Put the emphasis on the whole experience of playing the game and the fun your child is having. Too much criticism of technique too early will turn your child off the sport, so give them lots of praise and encouragement. And if they get tired of playing after five or six holes, leave it at that and go and have a cool drink at the clubhouse. Five holes of fun is better than nine holes of whining and grumpiness. Make sure your kids have a good time when they’re at the golf course.
Create golfing traditions
Establishing family golfing traditions is a good way to set your kids up for a lifelong appreciation of golf. You could make Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or your birthday a great excuse to go out for breakfast at the club and then play a family round of 9 holes. Or you could celebrate any significant family occasion or holiday with a trip to the golf course and a delicious meal or picnic. The tradition will stick with your kids as they get older, and they’ll always associate golf with family.
Play Mini Golf
Mini golf is a great starting point for younger children, as it’s designed to be fun and challenging yet achievable. Regularly try and fit in a round of mini golf – it’s a fun and age-appropriate way to incorporate golf into your family activity time. When you finish, see if your child wants to hit a bucket of balls on the driving range with you or hit some putts on the putting green.
Play golf with friends
There’s nothing like peer pressure to ensure kids persist with an activity, and kids love to do things with their friends. Invite some of your child’s friends along when you take them to the course, as it’s really helpful for them to have someone of their own age to play with.
Learn about how to become a lifelong golfer!
Buy them golf equipment for presents
Gift junior golf equipment to your children for their birthday or Christmas – getting new stuff is a great way to get excited about playing.
Use a golf buggy
You might enjoy the walk around the course, but chances are your younger children won’t. A golf buggy they can ride on will make a trip to the golf course irresistible, so consider investing in one. At Parmaker’s prices, you can’t go wrong.
Choose off-peak times to play
When playing with your child at a golf course, don’t choose the most popular times, as that will just slow down play for other golfers. Instead, play at quieter times so that you don’t feel rushed and pressured with your inexperienced golfer.
What to do as they get older
Book some golf lessons
Private golf lessons are a great idea for older kids who have established a liking for golf. This can help deepen their appreciation for the sport and develop and hone their skills, leading to greater success in the game.
Consider golf camps
Similarly, your child might be interested in attending a golf camp or holiday clinic. Not only will they learn new tips and tricks from the pros, they’ll also build relationships with other likeminded kids. This will make sure that golf is associated with happy times and good memories – a great way to encourage a love of golf.
Watch – and discuss – golf at home
Invite your kids to join you when watching golf at home, or even just have golf playing in the background as you do other activities. And don’t just stop at watching golf – initiate discussions with your children about their (and your) favourite golfers, why you like them, what you think about their shots, how they might have approached that shot themselves etc. Use correct golf terminology so that your children learn to speak the language of golf comfortably. Don’t overdo it though – your children probably don’t want to watch golf 24/7, so don’t insist on them watching it with you all the time. Make it a fun, bonding activity and they’ll want to watch golf with you more often.
Get correctly fitted golf equipment
As your child gets older, their game will improve if they have properly fitting golf equipment, rather than just using your old clubs. Get your child the right clubs and make sure they are expertly fitted to them. This will make the game easier and more fun for them, and will make them more likely to be successful. Ensuring they have the right clubs can really help them stay engaged with the sport. Plus, who doesn’t like getting new accessories?
