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Parent-Child Golf

I just found this website while searching for iron reviews. I registered to be a member when I saw all the info and people on here that seem to love golf as much as I do. I've got 3 girls and we have a great time going golfing. Glad to be a member. THanks to all that post on here.
 
First tournament of the season for my son coming up Easter weekend. He is very excited but we have had tons of rain and the courses are going to be a mess. We played a practice round on Saturday and the grass was so long you couldn't tell the difference between the fairway and the rough. Tough on an 8 year old.
 
My LEFT handed eight year old daughter got her first set of clubs for Christmas. We've been to the driving range a few times and she has ridden the course with me and putted on the green once I'm putting.

She's going to go to a golf camp at Wildcat Golf Club here in Houston this summer. Then she wants to try and play some little Linkster tournaments. I'm pretty excited. I have to pass a course and then I'll get to be her caddie.

She's quite the soccer player already, but I think she'll want to make golf her other sport. Great way to spend time with her.
 
Hey all. My son has been playing since he was 2 1/2. He is 10 now and has played in over 100 tournaments. It has been and continues to be a heck of a ride as his caddy. All the daddy caddies after a tournament would drink the 19th hole dry if we could! May be the best and the hardest thing to do. What enjoyment and what a challenge caddying for a 6, 8, 10 etc. year old for nine holes. I wouldn't trade it for the world as I've seen some amazing golf, from all the kids. In my experience, 2 to 3 years old is fine to start with plastic clubs.

Out of love for being daddy caddy, and after not finding any sites for us daddy caddies (all junior sites are about clubs, or instruction, or the next Tiger Woods), I started a blog just to help parents new to golf and competitive golf, and daddy caddies, to help promote the sport for kids. The site is DaddyCaddy.net. I just kicked it off. I'm not selling instruction or equipment. Just a place to promote child golf as a labor of love and help the parents who don't have a clue. Caddy once and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Check it out and share please. I hope you will guide new parents with questions about child golf to the blog to help them get started and more comfortable with the whole child golf thing.

By all means, get into child golf. It's a GREAT way to spend time with your kids, and your family. DaddyCaddy.net is new, but I hope it grows quickly over time 'cause it's meant to come from a very practical perspective having been there. Best regards.
 
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Signup for a WI State PGA event held at The Irish Course at Whistling Straits (not the Straits) opened at 8:00 pm. Only $70. Includes lunch.

It filled in 10 minutes. lol. Think there were a few parents and/or kids poised at their keyboards at 8:00?

Kevin
 
My little girl is 4 we went to the range today and she "whacked" a few balls and played around for an hour!!! It was a great time. She has a nice little set of clubs.She told me when she grows up shes going to play golf on the golf channel. We shall see.
 
At what age did you start taking your kid to the course with you? Just to ride in the cart while you played a round.
 
I have three kids, two of which have started hitting the range with me. My oldest is Lucy, she is 9 and her interest piqued when my 6 year old son Tony went to the range with me one night. Tony actually asked me to teach him how to swing the club and that's all I needed to hear. I gave him my SW and had him choke up on it just to get the basic idea down out in the yard. He started off hitting them 8-10 feet, but then it clicked and he was getting air under them and I said it's time for the range.

Here's a clip of each one on their first trips to the range.


Lucy:


Tony:

I'm looking into getting them both their own clubs, might just get a driver, an iron, and a putter for each. We live next to a Par 3 course that is attached to this range. So we will hit that this summer to start out I'm sure. It'll be like a full size course for them, and Dad will get to work on his wedges!
 
Had a round with my dad today. It's always good to go play with him. He's a good coach for me when it comes to attitude. It's nice to play with him and have a laugh and not be serious. Even though I shot 73 and he shot 101, the score doesn't matter. I had fun.
 
I am 25 years old and an absolute beginner. I played sports growing up and finished my athletic "career" as a college soccer player. Have played golf here and there growing up, mostly on crappy nine hole courses with my buddies in high school, and was very unsuccessful. Started playing again about a month ago with the executives in my company. These guys are much older ( and richer) and have been playing for years. Needless to say they expected as a very successful college athlete that I will be able to at least hit the ball on the course and have some fun. This was not the case. I shot something like 135 for 18 and was frustrated throughout the whole experience. Being the competitive person I am, I decided the next day to go to Golf Galaxy and pick up a set of used irons and a driver.

Throughout the past month, I have decided that I can not self teach myself, and that it would be smart to hire an instructor to take some lessons from. After finding a qualified instructor, I have taken lessons twice a week for about the last month. Through my enthusiasm to learn I have also gotten my father back into being interested in golf. He is not very good but shoots around 90-95 and enjoys being out on the course, especially with me. About once a week I get out to the range with my dad, and we each hit a bucket of balls. Through hitting about 3000 balls over the past month, I have not gotten any better, I actually believe that I have gotten increasingly worse, and much more frustrated. I hit my driver well which I attribute to my natural athletic talents (240-265 and straight), but I have not been able to get an iron in the air.

This past week I told my instructor that I thought I was wasting my money, and that I was probably going to find someone else to help me. I went to another instructor, told him my story, and took an hour lesson where I felt I made a little improvement. This being the case I wanted to show my dad my newly acquired skills and asked him to hit the range. As per routine this Monday, we each got a bucket of balls and starting wacking away. SAME STORY. I could not get my irons in the air, and basically got to my breaking point, which consisted of me sitting down on a bench halfway through my bucket of balls and just watching others hit. After giving me a minute or two, my dad came over and asked if I was going to finish my bucket. I explained to him at this time that I was gonna finish the bucket, but that my clubs were probably going to be listed on craigslist in the next few hours and I would probably spend my money on beer instead of golf.

I kid you not, I walked up to the mat and on my next swing I flushed my 6 iron about 175 yards and dead straight :bulgy-eyes:. To my surprise I actually hit the ball well. I figured I would mimic exactly what I did on the swing before on the next one and the same result occured. I started pumping ball after ball dead straight with nice trajectory. Long story short I have hit about 500 balls since and I have really been hitting the ball well. I literally went from quitting to being absolutely addicted in one swing. I just figured id share this story because I am so hyped that I can actually hit a golf ball ! Thanks to my dad for not letting me quit after the past month of agony and whining.
 
I just recently got married and my wife has a 5 year old. I’m worried that because all he wants to do is play video games that he won’t play any golf! I guess what I’m asking is, should I get him a little set of clubs. He is turning 5 next month, but I have tried to take him out with me to the range and he has shown little to no interest. I want to play with him and be a good dad but I’m not going to stay inside all day on the weekends. Any suggestion?
 
That's what I tell everyone who is new to the game! I my self am not the best player, under80 is my goal, not my game. But Keep coming back every weekend because I had one, two, or three great balls a round!! I an a very athletic person as well and shoot anything from 86-94, this game is 90% mental 10% physical. I cam make all the shoots in the book at the start of my rounds then fall apart in the end. I would start with tring not to lose any balls which means hitting it straight all day then you wee your score go down, or at least have a chance for birdies and pars. Good luck and hang in there!!!
 
I played 18 with my 13 year old, I only managed to beat him by 2, he is still playing from the whites. Won't be long before he is kicking my tail.
 
I quit playing golf before my daughter was born 13 years ago because it was just too expensive. She has been through different sports and activities through the years. Started with tennis at 4, was interested in volleyball, different dance classes, choir, and others.

In March of 2011 she decided to go to the CC with her grandparents on a Sunday. Her grandfather told me at work the the following day "Man, you should have seen your daughter hit the ball. She just crushed it." I had seen her hit before and thought to myself, "Bull Sh@@. I have seen her swing a club and he is just being nice."

So, the following Sunday she went again with them. Same exact conversation happened the same exact way the following Monday with my father in law. I just rolled my eyes and kept on working.

She went with them a couple of more times before Easter and I kept hearing the same thing. On Easter Sunday we all went out and to my surprise, she was knocking the crap out of the ball. She then told me she wanted to start playing. Thought to myself "Great. Reason to start playing again and I can get some new clubs."

So we started playing last summer. I don't know enough about the swing to teach her because I self taught myself. I just told her the typical "Keep your head down and swing the club." Frustration set in though she still had a keen interest in getting better. She started playing on the middle school golf team this year. Because of prior commitments she would make some practices and miss a lot. Over Christmas break she made the decision she wanted to get good. She ended up joining the county Jr. Golf Foundation and within two weeks her game took off.

I am not going to say she is great because she isn't, but the potential is there for her to be pretty good. I have thoroughly enjoyed the process with her and being involved. She went in less than a year shooting a 140 to being able to shoot a 98 and is still getting better. She went from driving the ball 90 yards to hitting it 240 yards. She went from hitting a ground ball with her irons to hitting her 7 iron 150 yards. It has been a fabulous process and gives me something to do with my teenage daughter. She has given me the opportunity to see private courses that I never have dreamed of seeing. These courses open the doors for the Jr. golfers where I live to let them come play the courses for free about once every 2-3 months. There are so many courses where we live they get to play every Saturday for free as well as play in tournaments.

Now I am having fun searching for her a new set of clubs. Going to get her fitted and buy some for her birthday next month. I know she is going to need mens clubs as her swing speed is up to 82 mph right now and she won't be getting any weaker.
 
hcopenhagenh said:
I quit playing golf before my daughter was born 13 years ago because it was just too expensive. She has been through different sports and activities through the years. Started with tennis at 4, was interested in volleyball, different dance classes, choir, and others.

In March of 2011 she decided to go to the CC with her grandparents on a Sunday. Her grandfather told me at work the the following day "Man, you should have seen your daughter hit the ball. She just crushed it." I had seen her hit before and thought to myself, "Bull Sh@@. I have seen her swing a club and he is just being nice."

So, the following Sunday she went again with them. Same exact conversation happened the same exact way the following Monday with my father in law. I just rolled my eyes and kept on working.

She went with them a couple of more times before Easter and I kept hearing the same thing. On Easter Sunday we all went out and to my surprise, she was knocking the crap out of the ball. She then told me she wanted to start playing. Thought to myself "Great. Reason to start playing again and I can get some new clubs."

So we started playing last summer. I don't know enough about the swing to teach her because I self taught myself. I just told her the typical "Keep your head down and swing the club." Frustration set in though she still had a keen interest in getting better. She started playing on the middle school golf team this year. Because of prior commitments she would make some practices and miss a lot. Over Christmas break she made the decision she wanted to get good. She ended up joining the county Jr. Golf Foundation and within two weeks her game took off.

I am not going to say she is great because she isn't, but the potential is there for her to be pretty good. I have thoroughly enjoyed the process with her and being involved. She went in less than a year shooting a 140 to being able to shoot a 98 and is still getting better. She went from driving the ball 90 yards to hitting it 240 yards. She went from hitting a ground ball with her irons to hitting her 7 iron 150 yards. It has been a fabulous process and gives me something to do with my teenage daughter. She has given me the opportunity to see private courses that I never have dreamed of seeing. These courses open the doors for the Jr. golfers where I live to let them come play the courses for free about once every 2-3 months. There are so many courses where we live they get to play every Saturday for free as well as play in tournaments.

Now I am having fun searching for her a new set of clubs. Going to get her fitted and buy some for her birthday next month. I know she is going to need mens clubs as her swing speed is up to 82 mph right now and she won't be getting any weaker.
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jeez... she hits the ball as far as i do
thats awesome... get her lessons quick
 
She has some serious length for a junior girl. She's going to have an enormous advantage even at 240 off the tee. If she gets longer as she gets older, look out. It sure is fun, isn't it?

Kevi
 
looks like he will have your HC in no time, I wish my 5 year old would get into it with me!! Maybe soon! that's good stuff dadB
Dadbiondo said:
I have three kids, two of which have started hitting the range with me. My oldest is Lucy, she is 9 and her interest piqued when my 6 year old son Tony went to the range with me one night. Tony actually asked me to teach him how to swing the club and that's all I needed to hear. I gave him my SW and had him choke up on it just to get the basic idea down out in the yard. He started off hitting them 8-10 feet, but then it clicked and he was getting air under them and I said it's time for the range.

Here's a clip of each one on their first trips to the range.


Lucy:


Tony:

I'm looking into getting them both their own clubs, might just get a driver, an iron, and a putter for each. We live next to a Par 3 course that is attached to this range. So we will hit that this summer to start out I'm sure. It'll be like a full size course for them, and Dad will get to work on his wedges!
Click to expand...
 
Sounds like a kickback is around the corner, Just Joking I know for a fact that if your a baseball player it hurts your golf swing so don't go that route. But good stuff Nate!!
Nate said:
Icey,
I have 3 daughters, 5yr/3yr/7months and will have the same dilemma as you and
many others on the board - when to start your kids playing golf. I played golf
in HS, tennis in college and taught tennis for 8 years during and after
college. I ran a junior tennis program at a club during the last 4 years. What
I'm about to say is the plan I have for my girls and I'm sure will be adjusted
as they develop their physical and mental skills as children.

Having taught and played tennis, I will tell you that this is a wonder tool for
young children (even starting at 4) to begin to develop eye/hand coordination.
My 5 year old started taking some lessons at 4, just 30 minutes every week or
so. It was great watching her get better and better with very quick results.
Proper form is a must but she is starting to really swing with a bit a power
and some good results. I am going to continue doing this till she probably 7ish
and will then start some golf with her. Why? Tennis is giving her great results
that will lead into the golf arena. The tennis swing (forehand) and golf swing
are very similar in mechanics. She is learning the golf swing right now without
even knowing it, and at the same time is getting great eye/hand work along with
what all kids want to do........moving around!!!

I am not trying to have any of my girls be the next Michelle Wie......far from
it. If they played HS or college tennis, golf or whatever sport, I would be one
happy dad.

Every kiddo is going to be different, and you know your kids better than anyone.
Click to expand...
 
Esox said:
She has some serious length for a junior girl. She's going to have an enormous advantage even at 240 off the tee. If she gets longer as she gets older, look out. It sure is fun, isn't it?

Kevi
Click to expand...

More fun than I could ever imagine. It is funny because my buddies will invite me to play in scrambles and then ask me if my daughter can play. Playing from the ladies tees they are always using her drives.
 
bogey_russ said:
jeez... she hits the ball as far as i do
thats awesome... get her lessons quick
Click to expand...

If she will straighten the pitching, chipping, and putting up she will be low 40's for 9 holes before the summer is up. She is getting lessons and playing alot.
 
under80 said:
I just recently got married and my wife has a 5 year old. I’m worried that because all he wants to do is play video games that he won’t play any golf! I guess what I’m asking is, should I get him a little set of clubs. He is turning 5 next month, but I have tried to take him out with me to the range and he has shown little to no interest. I want to play with him and be a good dad but I’m not going to stay inside all day on the weekends. Any suggestion?
Click to expand...
Under80, try making golf fun for him on his terms to peak his interest in the sport. Maybe taking him to the video store to get a golf video game the two of you can play together. Maybe a trip to Dicks sporting goods to let him pick out a kids club and a fun headcover, and then make it a fun game in the backyard. He needs reason to want to want to play, maybe going to the range with you for a half hour and allowing him to bring a friend and then take them for ice cream and talking about the fun they had at the range, even if They just ran around. Don't try to teach him golf, if he's having fun he'll ask you learn, remember baby steps and fun, he's 5. With some patience and creativity pretty soon he'll be the one asking you to golf. Good luck.
 
Both my children (ages 7 and 9) participate in the First Tee program. Strongly recommend it to any of you that want to get your kids started in golf without being committed to getting a full time one on one instructor. They focus on skills for on and off the golf course. I'm learning just as much as my kids out there. They have just started playing golf this spring, but I already see a great improvement in their play.

On the weekends, I'll take the kids out to one of the par 3 courses in the area. Each hole, I'll hit my shot and then have them drop one off the green and chip and putt theirs in. There are a couple really short holes that I'll let them play out and take out the driver. Pretty much building on etiquette and rules that they have learned in the First Tee. I see it as bonding time and practice time for all of us. In a few years, they both will be kicking my butt out there.
 
My wife and I played in a couples event at our club today, so my daughter Gracie played be herself. She played the back nine first joining up with two guys making the turn. She played the front with a father/son twosome. While she's been most play from 5,700 to 5,800 yards, today she played from 5,250 because she has the state junior match play next week from around or a little more than that yardage.

She shot 35 (-1 on the back nine)-39 for a smooth little 74. Her best score yet and I didn't get to see it. She's feeling pretty good.

Kevin
 
Esox said:
My wife and I played in a couples event at our club today, so my daughter Gracie played be herself. She played the back nine first joining up with two guys making the turn. She played the front with a father/son twosome. While she's been most play from 5,700 to 5,800 yards, today she played from 5,250 because she has the state junior match play next week from around or a little more than that yardage.

She shot 35 (-1 on the back nine)-39 for a smooth little 74. Her best score yet and I didn't get to see it. She's feeling pretty good.

Kevin
Click to expand...

This is great stuff for sure buddy!
 
Esox said:
My wife and I played in a couples event at our club today, so my daughter Gracie played be herself. She played the back nine first joining up with two guys making the turn. She played the front with a father/son twosome. While she's been most play from 5,700 to 5,800 yards, today she played from 5,250 because she has the state junior match play next week from around or a little more than that yardage.

She shot 35 (-1 on the back nine)-39 for a smooth little 74. Her best score yet and I didn't get to see it. She's feeling pretty good.

Kevin
Click to expand...

That is awesome.
 
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