How to get kids interested in golf

PGA Professional Wayne O’Callaghan looks at a variety of ways to get your child or children into golf and reveals his tips on how to keep them interested in playing.

Golf first of all has to be a fun learning experience for children so they can stay interested in taking up the game.

If you are a parent with a junior and you want them to take up golf, a great starting point is to encourage them to try mini golf. From there you can find a local PGA Professional who is running a junior programme. He or she will have the tools to develop your child’s game in a fun learning environment.

Don’t rush your child into being the next Tiger Woods! Let them have fun and develop skills over time. Herbert A Simon, a Nobel prize winner with an interest in the role of knowledge and expertise, said that ‘to become an expert required about 10 years’ of experience’.

Children love to play games and luckily now golf coaching has evolved with the advent of technology which has made learning a fun experience.

My junior programme has a Trackman simulator which allows juniors to play shortened courses indoors along with a host of fun challenges. Another investment I made was purchasing a putting studio with a projection which can track and replay the ball roll along with projecting the challenges on the putting surface. This certainly keeps young golfers interested.

I have found a simple ball of wool and some tees on the putting green can create a fun environment. Some examples of games I play include creating large circles on the outside and then gradually make them smaller like a bullseye in the middle. Set up a points system the most points going to the player who lands the ball on the small circle.

Another game I find junior golfers like to play with wool is create a noughts and crosses game. Juniors love the challenge and you are also developing other key skills along the way.

Getting juniors equipped with the right equipment from the start makes a big difference and make sure when they are introduced to the golf course for the first time that they are playing from a distance where they have the ability to reach the green. It’s also a good idea to reward juniors who make the green and allow them to have a maximum of three putts.

The course can easily be lengthened as they improve but never play them off the main tee box as the holes will be too long and nobody likes to take high numbers, which will no doubt lead to the junior losing interest pretty quickly.

Lastly, golf is a game for life and a great way of making friends. It’s a fantastic game for children to get involved with, just remember to keep it fun and that will help keep them hooked.