[S.T.D.]

We have a bunch of newer members with young kids who golf. All of them seem to be girls, too! Anyway, I thought it would be fun to compare notes, share tips, etc. without boring the childless among us.

Boo Girl will be nine in May. She had her first lesson on her seventh birthday. Boo has a pretty swing and plans to play golf professionally--then she'll design golf courses. We'll see.

The funniest thing about Boo's game is watching her line up a shot. Particularly her putting--she'll pretty much plumb bob a green, and then line herself up so she's aimed nowhere close to the hole. At least that's something I can help her with.

[SimSlim]

I think we should sticky this thread Claire.

[S.T.D.]

I think we should sticky this thread Claire.

Works for me; thanks. I love seeing all these little girls playing golf.

[Suentiend]

I am pretty sure if JB and I ever have children they will be born with a golf club in their hands.

[pissmanvd]

I've got 2 daughters and just picked up a set of Tour Edge junior clubs for my 6 yr old. It's a pretty sweet set with a little pink bag and all. She really likes it and we're looking forward to getting out once the weather turns permanently for us. My 8 yr old sounded more into B-ball so we got her a hoop on the way, but once the clubs showed up she's pretty eager to get her own set too. So I guess we'll be picking up another set here soon as well.

Last year both my girls kinda shared the same little iron I picked up for them, we'd usually alternate who got to go with me. Typically I'd take one of them out later afternoon on a weekend when the course starts to slow down, then we can go bang around and not get in anyone's way.

I haven't really done too much in terms of helping them with their swings, I obviously help them grip and line them up, but I'm just trying to get them to "whack it" and enjoy the game and time with dad. I don't want to get too caught up on the right and wrong things to do just yet, once they are ready to get better we'll know. Having fun and wanting to continue to play as much as possible is key right now.

I expect pretty big strides this summer, by the end of the summer we should have a pretty good idea how much golf we can expect in the future. I'm certainly hoping there is a big interest, I'm almost certain my younger one will really be into it...not 100% yet on older sis. We'll see though.

[Catieliecutty]

I think they key is to just let them have fun, even if their swing isnt mechanically perfect.
I see a lot of parents out on the course, who are, IMO, too hard on their kids. You know, they expect them to make these mechanically perfect swings and expect them to be all serious about it.
I say just let kids be kids and have fun. If they eventually want to work at getting as good as they can, by all means show them what they need to know, but I see too many parents out there trying to make the next Tiger Woods/Michelle Wie.
If the kids arent having fun, they likely arent going to stick with golf and if they arent having fun, whats the point?

[mrllxp]

When my oldest grandson was 9 he wanted learn the game. We purchased a US Kid's putter for him, with the promis that when proficient with it, we would purchase a wedge, and eventually work our way up to a 3W/driver for him. In other words he learned the game backwards, from green to tee. It took him about 3 months, and he was breaking his "putting par" for 2/3 of the holes we played together. His putting par was 3 putts. At 6 months into our venture he was hitting half of his 100 yard shots into the greens. The other half were not that far off. Long story short, he is now 15, and is a 9hdcp per his highschool coach's records. There was never any pressure put on him to learn the game. I just made myself available when ever he wanted to play, and learn. It is my good fortune to have a grand son who likes to "hang" with his grand pa. I taught him enough so that he never embarassed himself, which helped to keep himself interested in the game. He only threw two clubs in anger. The first time we just had a heart to heart talk. The second time I threw his clubs, bag and all into a water hazard. The problem now is he is 6'-3+" tall, and weighs close to 235 lbs. He loves playing football, and golf is just something else to do untill football practice starts. Can't do much about his choice of sports as he is now big enough to throw me into a water hazard.

His par break down to get the ball into the hole went something like this. Putts-3, chips-4 including putts, pitch shots -5 including putts and every shot with mid irons, and metal woods from predetermined distances was 6, including putts. Example when we started chipping, he had a total of 4 strokes to get the ball into the hole. Once he he could hole out in 4 or less chips/putts, 2/3 of the time, we would move him move farther away from the green.

[JJoon077]

I have two daughters a nine year old and a five year old. They have both showed some interest in trying to play. The older one is planning on going to at least one golf camp this year and possibly a second. My younger one is left handed so unfortunately she won't be getting any hand me down clubs. Although right now the only thing she has are the little plastic toy clubs and they are right hand, she likes to go out in the yard and hit. I wonder if she starts out playing from the right side if it will make a difference to her? Anybody have any experience with that?
I'm definitely not going to put any pressure on either one to play.

[interbaoui]

My daughter's 5 now. I bought her a couple of used USKG clubs last year for her to knock around with (a 9 iron and a putter) Since then, we've gotten her a driver, and a little golf bag. She's exactly right for those clubs, height wise, and I've promised her that if she keeps improving on her own, that I'll buy her the 'big girl' set when she grows a few more inches.

Her attention span is pretty short, but she'll hit a few balls, and usually pretty good at that (she's had driver shots roll out to near 100 yards a few times) She LOVES to play mini golf, so sometimes we'll go and just do that, not even take the rest of the bag with us.

I asked my instructor when's a good time for her to start lessons, he said in 2-3 years, but for now to give her a 10 fingered (baseball style) grip, tee everything up, and swing as hard as she can.

Sometimes I'll take Twerpy with me to play a short par-3 course near the house. She'll walk the whole thing. I have to take plenty of snacks, water, and I also let her carry a spray mister bottle to keep cool with. She'll usually hit off the tee, then I'll have her pick it up until we're about 50 yards off the green, where she can hit her iron and then putt. It's really slow, and I usually have to let her hit the potty about the 4th hole, but we have a pretty good time as long as it's not crowded.

[Intory]

My son is 3 1/2 and loves to "Whack the Ball". I just got him a putter and a wedge and he is very excited to hit"real" balls this year instead of the fake plastic ones that are in his little kid set. Right now it is mostly just hitting some in the yard with me but I plan to take him out this year some and see if he likes it.

[lungumnentibe]

I have two sons the oldest (24) is a very good golfer, the only reason I can stay anywhere near him is he doesn't get to play enough (Law School) so his short game suffers. However he still manages to KMA around the track. The younger one (20) has a great natural swing but he'll only play 9 with me because in his words "putting is just down right stupid and boring!" So I can still beat up on him but if he ever gets the bug that will change quickly. I have yet to play a round with the older one's girlfreind. I only mention her becasue well my gut is that this isn't a flash in the pan and she'll be around for sometime to come. I have given her a few lessons as my son has no temperment for that. Her first time out last year she shot 98, so I guess the lessons weren't a complete waste. The best part was when she came out in her outfit, she had a sweater tied around her neck to you know finish off the look...the only issue with that was it was 85*..... but she looked good. I was going to play with the two of them but I was offered a shot a playing the Love Course at Barefoot gratis with a couple of Club Pro's & a friend so I grabbed it. I was told the sweater only lasted until they walked off the putting green before teeing off. She's told me that we are going to get in several rounds this year even if grumpy can't break free.

[alecaf]

my daughter is 4 gonna be 5 in july... and she has the little pink set up... and i sometimes take her with her friends down to the range and let em whack em however they want....its kinda funny, but what can you do? i am looking forward to summer so that we can try the old ride around in the cart with daddy move....

[S.T.D.]

my daughter is 4 gonna be 5 in july... and she has the little pink set up... and i sometimes take her with her friends down to the range and let em whack em however they want....its kinda funny, but what can you do? i am looking forward to summer so that we can try the old ride around in the cart with daddy move....

Watch it--she'll want to drive.

Boo and I went to the range yesterday, along with friends of ours. The girls were on the upper deck, having a blast. Boo got past the 75 yard marker with her six iron, though from one story up, I'm not sure how to adjust it for real yardages.

[PilotJargon]

My kids, one in High School and one in JH both play some golf during the summer.
No interests of pounding the golf balls at driving range for practice and they play OK for not touching a golf club 10 months out of the year.

[robstamps]

No kids yet for me, but I have 3 nephews and a niece. On their bday they get a day with me to do whatever they want. The now 9 year old always wants to go golfing. He started lessons because gandpa and I play. The first time I took him to a very kid friendly short par 3. I was actually really impressed, he is very good at remembering his lessons. His set up is, two feet together even with the ball, then move each foot out wide...he would say it and do it every shot. He had a couple of about 80 yard drives in the middle of the fairway. Now if only he could putt, we did a lot of from one side of the green to the other. We need to get this boy playing some mini golf.

He and his brothers take lessons every summer and get to play with me a few times a year. (My niece is only 3, hopefully she will join them once she is old enough) I just try to encourage them as much as I can to just keep playing, not to worry about anything else.

The 9 year old says he want to be BETTER than Tiger. We will see...