How do we get kids involved in the sport of golf?

Question

Today's Ask the Planet category is Sports -- find out more at http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/asktheplanet

Answer 1

You can find several different types of junior golf programs for kids. The first place to look is www.juniorlinks.com The is a great place for information about programs in your area. The site also has games, information for parents and information for kids to help them learn the game. The second place to look would be www.playgolfamerica.com enter your zip code and it will show you a list of programs in your area. The 3rd place would be your local PGA Section. Every section has a key person in charge of junior program. They could help you find something in your area. You can go to www.pga.com or www.pgalinks.com to find out what section your in and how to contact them. Good luck I have a lot of links on my 360 blog roll . Let me know if I can help


Now if anyone is interested in helping put together a junior program they should start with the golf pro at a local golf course. Men's and Laide's assoications can play a major role in junior programs. I find it's best to keep the programs at a affordable price, but not free. Free does not work, we have one for $49.00. We teach the PGA's first swing program. Every get is issued a starter set up clubs with bag and several other items. All they have to do is complete the classes and demostrate golf knowledge in a fun event. Once they do that they get to keep the golf clubs. That is where people can help support junior programs. The men's and ladies clubs can help raise money to pay for the clubs.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Introducing golf at an earlier age would encourage children to be more interested. Just as other sports are introduced at the elementary school level, there is no reason that a form of golf could be introduced as well. Taking turns on a fake putting green or even driving the ball into a net. This may encourage an initial interest. Also, golf is a fairly expensive sport, even to practice (green fees), if there was a more cost effective way for young people to practice and enjoy the sport, both children and parent may be more willing to get involved.

Answer 4

Free golf clinics should be offered in school every year. This way children are exposed to the sport at a young age and are given an opportunity to experiment where they otherwise may not have ever had the chance. Come back the next year and again offer the clinic, with a little more instruction for those that have been through the initial class. If this is done in late May or June they could then be offered the opportunity to attend a summer camp for a week to either start or continue to learn the sport.

Answer 5

Like Put Put Golf I see a lot of kids go there and enjoy themselves.Mini golf could be fun too.Some kids just don't like golf and we can't really do anything to stop that,because it's not the best idea to force kids into doing things,then again the kids that do like golf some might like the ball going into a whole in the ground some might like them going into little wooden castles.A way to get more kids involved is teach them how to play and the basics of golf then let them play a few games of golf.After a few days they should start enjoying it.

Answer 6

I think gold clubs are looked upon as an exclusive, higher social class sport; which it is. How many golf courses, driving ranges, etc. are located inner cities? They all occur in suburbs or countrysides, which require a car to access.

Start a program for golfing in the education system. Schools have huge fields and less than 2% of schools provide golfing as a unit in the P. E. program. This will allow children who can't make it to a driving range or course access.

Golf clubs need to open their doors more to summer camps and field trips. Once again, most children and parents do not have access to courses and lessons. They need to get more people in, but often clubs are too exclusive and snaughty about it.

2. Media
Golf is portrayed as a gentle sport. Tiger Woods and Mike Weir and other young players have injected youth into the sport, but people still view it as slow and boring. It needs to have excitement and entertainment and coolness to attract children. Need more heroes and characters on the course. Maybe getting Dennis Rodman in the PGA tour may create some attention. :)

3. Price
Who can afford the equipment and clothing... it's also expensive to play a round at a golf course. What about the instructor and lessons! Golf is not a sport that you can just "pick up", so you will need lessons.

Answer 7

Well maybe if they go to a fun golf coarse instead of something boring and regular.Like Put Put Golf I see a lot of kids go there and enjoy themselves.Mini golf could be fun too.Some kids just don't like golf and we can't really do anything to stop that,because it's not the best idea to force kids into doing things,then again the kids that do like golf some might like the ball going into a whole in the ground some might like them going into little wooden castles.A way to get more kids involved is teach them how to play and the basics of golf then let them play a few games of golf.After a few days they should start enjoying it.

Answer 8

I have always wondered why the world of golf has never gotten into smaller versions of the game. I'm not talking about mini-golf here, I mean something more along the lines of the differences between 5-pin and 10-pin bowling. Perhaps a scaled down course would encourage kids to try the game more often. You have to admit that a regular course is a pretty fair distance for children to contend with. Children will also become bored after awhile if the process goes on for too long, no matter how much they enjoy the game itself. Children are geared to activities that usually don't last much longer than a couple of hours.

Furthermore, I think that seniors who have never had the opportunity or time to play when they were younger, would also enjoy making the rounds of such a course. The weaker sex (ahem!) might find it entertaining to play a faster game that allows them to fit in the other things required by their daily routine, instead of having to pass it up altogether, due to lack of time.

Answer 9

I wish I would have started golf when I was younger. I started playing when I was 16 and looking back now, it definitely would have been something I would have enjoyed a little younger. I think schools should offer it during gym with some after school programs as well. I also think it would be great for the sport to televise youth golf tournaments. Seeing other kids playing and doing well is a great way to create interest. If popularity in spelling bees can increase from being televised, I'm sure golf can do the same.

Answer 10

Research your child's school's fitness programs. If golf is not one of the activities covered in the cirriculum, you should address the school board and see if gof can be added to the cirriculum.

By learning the rules and the sportsmanship of golf at a young age (let's say starting in grade two or three), then they will have established an elementary interest in the game.

Golf is a wonderful sport that teaches strength, balance, thought/follow-through perception, but is also a sport where kids can learn sportsmanship, etiquette and discipline. It's competetive in the group sense, but also in personal improvement.

If schools can't provide the environment where children can learn the sport, if you live in an area/community that supports community centres for kids and youth, see if they provide golf as a sports/learning opportunity. If they don't, it may be because of lack of funding (I doubt it would be lack of interest). Suggest a fundraiser that would help raise money for equipment and supplies that the kids can use.

Overall, I think you would get more children intersted/involved in golf by helping them have access to the equipment (publically, through schools, church groups or community centres). Not all families can afford equipment for ever-growing children and many parents may not consider golf a family activity. If we can get this message out to the younger generation, I'm sure when they grow up, they will most likely spend more time with their kids out on the golf course.

Answer 11

Well - I started by getting my son a set of his very own clubs and a couple of dozen practice balls. We tore up the lawn pretty good and we had a lot of fun. Now he's 6 and he can whack the "whiff" balls across the street. I'm getting him more involved by taking him to the local driving range this Father's Day and sharing a bucket of balls with my boy - promptly following by mini-putt and an an ice cream from Dairy Queen afterwards. That's all fine but my concern is finding a course that will let us "hack" on a couple of holes for an hour or so. That's all I need to get him started. I wish courses would allow this on week nights at twilight. I'll repair any divots - for crying out loud - he's only 6 - I'm sure I've taken bigger divots than him. Courses are way too "short sighted" when it comes to getting kids golfing. My boy is 4 foot 3 inches and can swing a club so I'm determined but I understand the challenge in getting them started. If he continues to show interest, I guess the next step is Golf Camp. They run one at my local range for about $135.00....much cheaper than hockey camps eh Mike? I hope he enjoys golf his entire life, even if he never breaks a hundred like me. My Dad never golfed with me and I can't wait until the Father's Day comes or the golf vacation where I can see my boy stop one on the green and just be in total awe of the moment.