Junior Golf Ideas

[Bluenoser67]

I have been a member of our Golf Course for the last 4 years and having a son just entering the club in the last year I have taken an interest in our Club's Junior Program.

Because of that I have volunteered to be the Junior Program Coordinator starting next year. With that in mind I was wondering if you could post your experiences (preferably the positive ones) when you were in a junior program or if you have ever run one.

I'm looking for fun events, cool skills competion ideas, training ideas, or what ever else you can give me for advice that will help me create a fun and successful program at our course.

Thanks.

[Da Caddy]

Bluenoser67- congrats on becoming an active member in the lives of junior golfers. I think the most important thing that you have already hit on is "fun". I saw a program once where the instructor started by asking the kids if they could hit a beach ball and then had them hitting beach balls. It progressed in the same session to tennis balls and finally to a golf ball.

As a kid, the head pro at my club would have chipping contests, putting contests, etc. and the reward was a sleeve of golf balls (the 2-piece rocks not the nice balata balls of the day), but never the less it was something to strive for. Unfortunately, nowadays, with everyone being so touchy, feely and "no one is a loser, everyone wins" it will be difficult to do contests. Maybe have a season long competition where the winner gets to play a round with the pro. That way the kids build up points over time.

[James_Black]

Maybe have a season long competition where the winner gets to play a round with the pro. That way the kids build up points over time.

that's a good idea.

What the pro at my old club would do is give a sweet to all the kids and then have a competition like whoever could chip it the closest, chip it into the bucket, hit the sign (it was an advertising board at the range around 50 yards away) or hole a 10 foot putt. how old will the kids be? if they're under 10 then just make it fun, no point giving them swing advice at that age.

[TN94z]

From what I have seen in my step-son's golf camp, these kids LOVE to have some kind of competition for money. It was just a dollar, but man, you would think it was 1000.00 by the way the kids acted when they won.


The fun contests are for sure where it's at if the kids are younger. If they are a little older, then you have a points thing like stated above.

[montru]

My daughter (13yrs) has been in many golf camps/acadamy's there are a few different ideas out there.
One camp runs for about eight weeks and runs on a points system, the kids get a point for showing up each week and then points are awarded for various skills challenges i.e nearest to the pin from 100yds out, 50yds out, then from the greenside bunker, and another one was from about 20yds but over a bunker. Another one was putting challenges, lag putting from 60 feet etc.

Anoter campp does very similar but awards prizes for the challenge winnerplus points that accumilate for the final week and then the kids get prizes for total points for the season etc.

last summer she won Gold, Silver and Bronze in the skills challenges, and then went on to win the 9 hole trophy match, I was very proud