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For those with Kids -- or young golfers -- what age to start?

My son is 8 and has been playing for almost 2 years. He does first tee and group lessons, but I don't think private lessons are worth it just yet. He enjoys the atmosphere and friendship from first tee and group lessons so we leave it at that. He doesn't compete and when we play we typically use the scramble format so he doesn't get stressed. He usually tees off from 200 on par 5's, 150 on par 4's, and 100 on par 3's. Occasionally he plays from the ladies tees when we have no one around us just because he wants to use actual tee boxes.
 
My son is 3.5 and all he wants to do is lately is hit golf balls in the back yard. He can really get ahold of them sometime. We went to the range today for the first time and he loved it.
 
Motopilot said:
is that working well? Was not sure where I could start my son so lately I have been having him tee up at the 150 marker. Makes him feel like he uses his iron and driver. But I like the idea of keeping him closer.
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My little guy is 5 and I tee him up at 100 yards. I keep him close for now because when he drives the green (maybe once a round) it is a priceless moment. He talks about it for days and wants to play again soon. Letting him steer the cart makes it fun too. So important to make it fun for them at that age.

I started him with plastic clubs at 1.5, first set at 3 and group lessons at 4. Then one day he didn't want to play golf. I learned my lesson and pushed him too hard. He's come back to playing on the course with me but I leave it open for him to decide. Sometimes video games win and I'm okay with his decision hehe.
 
I've been taking my daughter with me since she was about 5 to a little par 3 course. At first I just let her putt once I got on the green. Once she got down to about about a 3 putt average, I bought her a US kids ultralight set for her height and found a guy that gives kid clinics, and let her play from about 100yds and in.

The clinics that the guy runs spend a good amount of the time on major motor skills (develop an athlete that golfs, not just a golfer mindset) and then mixes in mostly short game/putting type drills and games. BTW, I don't try to teach her at all, because she takes after me and doesn't take instruction from her parents!

The biggest thing I've learned is to take plenty of fun snacks and make sure there's some kind of fun reward at the end of the round.
 
My son did almost the exact same thing you are describing Canes. I stopped asking him to go and when he was ready he asked if he could start coming along again. Too much to fast I think.

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Early on, we pushed our daughter too much, also. But, she was good and was winning tournaments. She just wasn't having fun. It's been 2+ years since her last tournament. But, last week she asked if she could go practice with me. And, she plans on signing up for the middle school golf team in the Spring. It takes time. But, it needed to happen on her (or any kids) terms.
 
My 8 and a half year old, loves going to the range to hit balls, he does't really take the instruction I give him in how to swing, but every shot he hits he says "Dad, was that a good shot" I am honest with him and tell him if it was or not. He's just too loose with his swing and doesn't take the time to set up or try to swing properly, but he has fun which is all that matters. But man if he does't pummel through a medium bucket before I am even halfway done with mine and he comes and starts taking some from my tray. He does enjoy it and I take him miniature golfing which he likes too, and he enjoys putting on the practice greens. I figure he'll improve, and already has a junior TGA card so he can officially go on the par 3 courses.

I think the most important thing is to not try to force him to do things, try to show him how to hit it and let him just have at it. If he is having a good time with Me, Then I know that I am doing something right. I enjoy the time with him I think more than he knows.
 
I started my son when he was 8 years old. I liked that age because he was old enough to take instructions and get some understanding of the basic concepts of the swing and the game. He did well, and I paid an instructor, but I couldn't follow up because I was busy with work, and he had school.

I do plan to get some serious summer sessions with him in the future, just for him to try out again. However, I have no illusions that I am raising the next Tiger Woods, nor is he a projection of any of my frustrations as a golfer. I want him to have fun, and it's his choice whether he'll take it up again when he gets older. He took up swimming also and I just bought soccer shoes for him.

Still, the few times we played together were priceless. He became more interested in driving the golf cart than hitting, and around hole no. 15, he got tired, so I asked him to stop playing and just drive around. No one was behind or ahead of us, so that was cool. It was also hilarious to see him 5-putt a hole. These kids try to ram everything in.

Bottom line, it was for his fun and exercise, I have no expectations if he will take the game after me, and while I think I'm good enough now to teach him myself, I don't think I would want to get angry if he hits a bad shot. I've seen golfing fathers, and I don't want to be like them. I can see in their kids' eyes they're not having fun, no matter how good they are.
 
This is a big reason I got back into golf.
My son is 3 1/2 years old and we have not done anything together towards golf, however, I wanted to rebuild social ties and participate again before exposure.

I asked a pro, and the response I got was depending on the child between 6 to 8. There is a pretty neat ping junior bag and set I've thought hard about at my local course.

He is not there yet. Just last night he paused action at a fresh dog poop in the yard, so I made it a shared adventure. Yup, soon as he helped accomplish the task at hand, I ended up getting the business end of the rake caught up in the pocket of my work shirt.
Plastic clubs it will be.

I saw some plastic golf balls at the local dollar store, but haven't found an clubs yet that don't look like they'd hold up past a week. Figure I'll make a hole out of a coffee can or something and will both have at it doing our own thing.

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This picture gives you an idea. Son, Father, and possibly the pooper.
 
Awstyn said:
This is a big reason I got back into golf.
My son is 3 1/2 years old and we have not done anything together towards golf, however, I wanted to rebuild social ties and participate again before exposure.

I asked a pro, and the response I got was depending on the child between 6 to 8. There is a pretty neat ping junior bag and set I've thought hard about at my local course.

He is not there yet. Just last night he paused action at a fresh dog poop in the yard, so I made it a shared adventure. Yup, soon as he helped accomplish the task at hand, I ended up getting the business end of the rake caught up in the pocket of my work shirt.
Plastic clubs it will be.

I saw some plastic golf balls at the local dollar store, but haven't found an clubs yet that don't look like they'd hold up past a week. Figure I'll make a hole out of a coffee can or something and will both have at it doing our own thing.

View attachment 39257
This picture gives you an idea. Son, Father, and possibly the pooper.
Click to expand...

https://www.thelittlestgolfer.com/products/tlg-first-set

Over-engineered plastic. But when they say don't use a real golf ball, they mean it.

~Rock
 
Charlotte is starting some lessons this summer, pro is using the SNAG program to intro the game and she's pretty pumped about it. Lotte will be in great, and fun, hands.
 
McRock and Jman I checked both of those suggestions out.

Exactly what I was looking for. The only thing I've seen local was pretty cheap, and didn't look like it was worth the effort.

SNAG and The Littlest Golfer show what I was looking for.
 
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