When do you get your kids golfing

[OrlandoGolfBlogger]

Having a new addition and a three year old, it got me wondering when I should get the yard apes started on golf?

My three year old has a set of those kids plastic clubs and he hits like a hockey player. :) He likes it for about 10 minutes and then gets bored.

Your thoughts?

[Lemay427]

well if he swings like a hockey player then you should get him some skates and have him play hockey!! LOL

[MrKadash]

I, like you, got my son those plastic jobs when he was young. My club's junior lessons start at 6 and up, so he started a couple of years ago, and is progressing steadily. I just can't get him to either overlap or interlock, he wants to baseball grip the club, but he'll do what is comfortable. I think kids in general at a very young age have a short attention span, at least mine did. He wants to play a lot now that he's 8, so I think they grow into it.

[sonicblue]

My son is 7. I got him "real" clubs at around 5, Hagen Series I, and just moved him up to the Series II. My daughter, 4, got the old clubs. We go to my dad's often, and he lives on a course, so we play a lot and chip/putt while we're there, so I wanted the kids to have actual clubs to play with. However, I don't push them at all. I take my son out with me when I can, he mostly rides and chips and putts on the greens. I'm not really thinking lessons or anything for a while, just let him develop his own penchant (or not).

[MunkeyGolfer]

I was thinking of starting my kids around 5 or 6.

[ripsid]

My son Jack, has been swinging a golf club and shooting a hockey puck since before he could walk! He would stand with a club or stick and hit ball after ball after ball and puck after puck! He's 2 now, and when we goto the range he can hit a whole bucket himself.. when we have a tee that's not too high for him he can hit the driver about 25yds + in the air and then lots of roll. When he swings his irons, he really hits down on the ball and the ball stays low and gets tons of roll.

Here's 2 pictures from after he got his first full set of irons, it's a set of Dunlops.. I like the picture where's he's checking his back swing.. wonder where he got that? :) he's got a great slap shot as well! He'll shoot a real puck and get it up and in the net ... then he yells..."GOAL!!!!!!!!!" :)

MY BOY!

Peter

[ripsid]

OH, I have videos on my phone that I'll upload to the tube so you can see him knock the crap out of the ball. :) proud papa!

Pete

[Klean]

You must be so proud!

I started my sons really late and well it's been a challenge to get them into it. The last time I took my 10 yr old out he hit a few dozen balls then decided to dig a hole in the ground with my divot tool.

[ripsid]

You must be so proud!

LOL... it's funny we go and we'll get 3 big buckets and he'll pour through atleast 1 1/2! LOL the russian guy at the range loves him so he always brings him an extra bucket.

I'm most proud that he wants to do it on his own, and it's funny how he likes golf channel already! LOL He'll do like I do and grab an imaginary club and practice swing, and he does it on his own! it's hilarious! We live in a townhouse community and we have an end unit with a side yard which is his own little driving range, and people just walk by and get blown away by him. Proud... extremely! I just want him to enjoy the game as much s I do... he likes when we goto golfsmith or galaxy where he can grab the usa putters and put. Where as other kids are playing hockey or knocking balls around, he's putting! LOL had a guy ask me what I did to get him into it, I said nothing... he just likes to swing a club. Love it! Jack is the man.. Peter

[mikelz]

Having a new addition and a three year old, it got me wondering when I should get the yard apes started on golf?

I have one daughter, now 24.

We never pushed her into any sport - we just encouraged her at anything she wanted to try. When she was little (like 3-7) I always took a couple of clubs I made for her on vacation. We let her steer the cart a bit and that kept her interest. When we got around the green, she took her yellow ball, 9 iron and putter and finished the hole. Somehow she ended up playing varsity golf in High School.

[Gummi Bear]

My daughter's 5, and around her birthday, I bought her some kids clubs (a 9 iron and a putter)

For the last few months, she plays with them in the back yard, chewing up my st augustine, but having a fantastic time chasing the wiffle ball around the yard (sometimes, she can even get the dog to bring them back to her)

A couple of months ago, I took her and the Mrs to play a local 9 hole that we walk. She had a ball. They've got kids tee's set up about 100 yards or so from the hole on each hole. She plays them and has a wonderful time with my wife and I playing along with her.

Last week we bought her a driver to go along with her other clubs, she couldn't be happier, and is bugging me to take her to play again soon.

When she gets tired, she'll sit out a hole; just walking along with us, usually munching on a snack.


To keep it fun for my kiddo: Bring lots of snacks. Be prepared for extra potty breaks (about 4 -5 holes is what she'll hold out for) and a toy for a distraction when they get bored isn't a bad idea either. Lots of sunscreen, and a hat like mommy/daddy's to make her feel like she's really a part of the crew (and to keep the sun off her head). A cool wet towel and/or a mister bottle can be a lot of fun too (and feels pretty good when you get a chance to nab it for a second )

[chipper2]

I have 3 grandchildren. Their dad & myself would play sometimes on the weekends. We would take one of kids with us. They would "tee off", then pick up their ball till they got close to the green. Then pitch and putt it. They were around 5 when they started. As they go older the distance they played increased. This prevented them from being frustrated and having to hit 20 shots to go from tee to green. They are now teenagers and enjoy golf.

[Richie3Jack]

I don't have kids, but I would suggest getting them into playing it as soon as you can. It's a good sport to learn on many levels and if they don't really enjoy it, then you can just try to get them interested in something else. you don't have to go nuts with buying them clubs or getting them lessons, just get them playing the game and then gauge their interest level. But mostly I find golfers wishing that they got started earlier in life.



3JACK

[Three Putt]

My 3 boys play, they all seemed to like putting at first, around the house, at the practice range, etc... They are always trying to "one up" each other so they would spend sometimes 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours playing putting games.

I would start any kid putting, it's simple...ball....hole.

[OrlandoGolfBlogger]

Thanks folks,

I got some real good pointers from you all, appreciate it!