Kids Golf Tips for Parents

Is my Child Ready
for Golf Tournament Play?

Kids Golf Tips

As junior golfers become more efficient on the golf course, they will likely be encouraged to test themselves against top competition. Waiting for them is the junior golf tournament circuit, which brings young talent of all school ages together on a local, regional, and national basis in competitions that can be fun and challenging – or mortifying, if a child is not ready for what they are about to face.

Know the Golf Game Basics

The first kids golf tip to consider is the golf game basics: Does your child know the rules of golf? Is your child familiar with golf etiquette, and the golf tournament format? Without that background, that first golf tournament could be ruined by preventable errors that could lose both friends and strokes at critical junctures.

Know the Skill Level of your Child
and the Golf Tournament

Next, take a look at your child’s skill level, as compared to other golfers. At a minimum, your child should be able to get the ball airborne from the tee and the fairway, and be familiar with the other golf shots that they will be called upon to hit. A golf lesson or two before the golf tournament is always helpful, especially before the first competition or two that they enter – this could be a vehicle to both work out any last-minute golf swing issues and offer golf advice on what to expect. Otherwise, even the most enthusiastic young golfer could get discouraged with the game after a sub par initial tournament experience.

Know the Emotions of your Child

Beyond that comes the emotional questions. For smaller children, make sure that they are able to focus on golf instead of wanting to build castles in the sandbox or chase after the local wildlife with a putter (don’t laugh, it happens), and that a bad golf shot doesn’t reduce them to tears. Older children will have to be able to control their temper, both in terms of words (no cursing) and deeds (never throw a club).

Teach to Play (Win) Fairly by Self Policing

Finally, all will have to understand and adhere to the fundamental honesty of golf game. This goes beyond the usual golf instructions not to cheat by improving a bad lie, but the notion that competitive golfers will call penalty on themselves for golf rules violations. That self-policing is part of what makes golf special, and it is never too early for a tournament golfer to take that golf lesson to heart.