What's The Best Way To Introduce My Daughter To Golf?

[Dornenglanz]

My daughter is 11.  She's expressed an interest in learning to play golf.  We're very close, and I think she loves the idea of us having a way to spend time together, just the two of us.  Obviously, I'm excited about the idea too.

Do any forum members have experiences introducing the game to a family member?  Any particular experience with youngsters?  Girls in particular?

My suspicion is that it would be a good idea for her to have some lessons before she picks up a club, to get her on the right path.  There's a very active junior section at my club, and one of the pros specialises in youngsters.  I don't know if he's any good, though!

What about clubs?  My son plays, but has never taken it seriously, and never had any lessons.  He has a few junior clubs - I think a Driver, a 4H, a 7I a 9I and a SW, from memory.  However, I'd be happy to get her her own stuff - I think she'd like to have something that wasn't a handmedown.

Thoughts, advice, counter-indications, etc all welcome!

[Double Mocha Man]

I would take her to your club's range first.  Let her first experience the travails of hitting a golf ball.  Then she'll be more ready for lessons. 

Let that pro who works with the juniors try to work his magic.  She will end up getting on the course with the other juniors.  That's a good thing.  Make sure you reserve time for just the two of you, as well.  Though she will have shared allegiances.  

You might want to take some lessons, too, to keep up with your daughter.

Good things ahead.

[Dornenglanz]

Thanks for the thoughts!  Yep, I'm planning to have some more lessons.  I had one about 7 weeks ago, and definitely keen to have another.  However, the person I've been to before, and plan to go to again isn't very local (an hour or more away).  That said, I think he's really good, and would be happy to introduce him to my daughter.  I just wonder whether it makes much more sense for her to start with the pro at my club, as you suggest.

[Double Mocha Man]

16 minutes ago, Dornenglanz said:

I just wonder whether it makes much more sense for her to start with the pro at my club, as you suggest.

Just my personal thoughts... having a golfing kid of my own... don't drag your daughter an hour away for lessons.  Make it quick and easy for her initially.  Otherwise she could bail.  When she's attaining a certain level of gamesmanship... gamespersonship, then she'll be more open to traveling for lessons.

[iacas]

Same advice I always give: make sure she has fun at the golf course. If that's trying to catch frogs or making footprints in the bunkers (rake them after she's done), cool. Driving the cart? Cool. If she has fun on the golf course, she'll enjoy going with you, and will eventually try to make putts or take a few swings.

[Dornenglanz]

8 minutes ago, iacas said:

Same advice I always give: make sure she has fun at the golf course. If that's trying to catch frogs or making footprints in the bunkers (rake them after she's done), cool. Driving the cart? Cool. If she has fun on the golf course, she'll enjoy going with you, and will eventually try to make putts or take a few swings.

Thank you - I really loved seeing your daughter help in the putting video!  Does she play much?

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Dornenglanz said:

Thank you - I really loved seeing your daughter help in the putting video!  Does she play much?

Yeah.

Natalie Brosig Golf (2021) | Natalie Brosig Golf - 2021

 

[bwdial]

On 8/11/2020 at 7:59 PM, iacas said:

Yeah.

Natalie Brosig Golf (2021) | Natalie Brosig Golf - 2021

 

I am going to be showing my youngest daughter these videos.  I'm getting her to coil instead of standing up in her back swing.

[Dornenglanz]

So last week my daughter more or less suggested it would be great if she could do more golf stuff with me, as it's a great way for us to spend time together.  We went together for her first lesson today, and she had a really good time, and made some good progress, and we did a bit of practicing together too.  She's keen to have another lesson soon, and to help me with my practice regime, and hang out with me sometimes.  We have a big enough room for her to hit some indoor balls too.

[Double Mocha Man]

You didn't say how old your daughter is.  Let her be involved with golf at her own pace, and if she really likes it she will continue.  If not, she'll get a boyfriend.  Is there a middle school golf team?  Certainly there's a high school team.  Talk about going out for those teams, at least make sure the opportunity presents itself.  Never intentionally let her beat you on the course.  But on the day she finally does beat you be a proud dad and congratulate her.  Pat her on the head and tousle her hair.  If she's open to it discuss your games over root beers.  Watch tournaments together on TV, critique the announcers a bit.  Take her to a pro tournament... it's an eye opener.

[Vinsk]

7 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

You didn't say how old your daughter is.  Let her be involved with golf at her own pace, and if she really likes it she will continue.  If not, she'll get a boyfriend.  Is there a middle school golf team?  Certainly there's a high school team.  Talk about going out for those teams, at least make sure the opportunity presents itself.  Never intentionally let her beat you on the course.  But on the day she finally does beat you be a proud dad and congratulate her.  Pat her on the head and tousle her hair.  If she's open to it discuss your games over root beers.  Watch tournaments together on TV, critique the announcers a bit.  Take her to a pro tournament... it's an eye opener.

11. 12 now. Pay attention.😁

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, Vinsk said:

11. 12 now. Pay attention.😁

I hit that one off the hosel.  I didn't read the first comment in the thread...

[Dornenglanz]

5 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

You didn't say how old your daughter is.  Let her be involved with golf at her own pace, and if she really likes it she will continue.  If not, she'll get a boyfriend.  Is there a middle school golf team?  Certainly there's a high school team.  Talk about going out for those teams, at least make sure the opportunity presents itself.  Never intentionally let her beat you on the course.  But on the day she finally does beat you be a proud dad and congratulate her.  Pat her on the head and tousle her hair.  If she's open to it discuss your games over root beers.  Watch tournaments together on TV, critique the announcers a bit.  Take her to a pro tournament... it's an eye opener.

She's actually 13 now! The own pace thing is such good advice - in fact since I started this thread, she was interested for a few weeks, and then moved onto other things, but we were talking the other night,  and she suggested doing some more golf stuff as a way to get some time together away from everything else in life.  I know my teacher has a good track record with kids, and he's also based in a really nice location with a beach, ice cream, chips (fries!), and other attractions, so I suggested she might like to meet him and see how she gets on.  She had fun, played on trackman, hit some balls, and is keen to go again.

On the pro tournament, I created a thread the other day about this, as I am pondering going to St Andrews this year, and my daughter played onto the 18th on the simulator, so I mentioned it, and she thought that would be a great adventure to go to Scotland together, see St Andrews, watch some pros, and get some east coast sea air!

[Yossarian]

Things I learned trying to get my kids (now 8Yo and 11yo) love golf:

- Par 3 courses are perfect for the job

- save the "sacred balls", first bogie, first par...

- after school group lessons have been quite useless for the swing, but you get the hat, the ball marker, the gadgets... they love it

- have clubs of the right length

- make them practice a bit on a mat before hitting the course. What they only look for is to advance the ball, so if they are consistent just enough to not top or chunk the ball, they are happy

- generous gimmies: they haven't figured out yet putting from a short distance, they hit a 3ft and it becomes a 5ft, which becomes another 5ft, etc That frustrates them a lot

- for them is a tragedy to lose a ball in the water, get a ball retriever

I am still struggling with the sibling competition, even if they don't keep the full score, when one gets a much worse day than the other, ends up pissed off. Sometimes the God of the Last Golf Hole intervenes and the day ends well