| The putting green is the best place to introduce kids | | | | and making the junior feel inadequate. Both the adult |
| to golf by putting. Once an "understanding" is | | | | and the junior needs to remember .it is just a game. |
| developed, close to the green chipping should be | | | | 4. Before you start to play, determine what their |
| introduced. As the junior golfers get farther away | | | | .personal par. will be for every hole you will be playing. |
| form the green pitching will be introduced and finally | | | | As the junior golfer improves obviously the "personal |
| the full swing. | | | | par" will go down. |
| Sooner or later the junior golfers will want to play a | | | | 5. Make the putting green the goal. This is a good |
| round. Many parents, as well as other players, wince | | | | way for the younger junior golfers to get started |
| at the thought. They are afraid a bad golf course | | | | and as it reads only count the shots that it takes to |
| experience might turn their junior golfers off to the | | | | get to the green to determine a score. |
| game of golf. Brad Myers, South Texas PGA 2005 | | | | 6. The hole does not need to be the end of the hole. |
| Eastern Chapter Junior Golf Award winner, gives you | | | | What does this mean? Some smaller juniors find it |
| some hints on how to keep the game of golf fun | | | | more fun to hit it into a bunker than onto a green. |
| when you first go to the golf course. | | | | This may seem counter-intuitive to many golf purists |
| 1. Go out with your junior golfer in .non-peak. hours. | | | | however, once you think about it, typically the |
| At some courses this is easier to do than others. | | | | bunkers are smaller than the putting greens. This can |
| 2. Depending on their age allow them to .tee it up. | | | | only make them better later. In addition, they LOVE |
| from the 100 or 150 yard marker on all the par fours | | | | to climb into the bunkers and this gives us a chance |
| and par fives to begin the hole. This is not as | | | | to teach bunker etiquette. |
| daunting for them and will help keep the group | | | | 7. Keep the game fun at all costs!!! Keep a junior golf |
| moving around the golf course. | | | | journal to continue the fun at home as well as build |
| 3. Before you start, agree with the junior on what | | | | memories that can be looked upon forever. With so |
| the "max score" per hole will be. This can also make | | | | many activities available to our young people, their |
| each golf hole fun by making it a game. It is very | | | | interest may come and go. However, by keeping it |
| important not to make a big deal if the max is hit | | | | fun they will always come back to golf. |