The Value of Junior Golf Programs

Having a well structured junior golf program, can be the cornerstone to successful Country Clubs nationwide. Developing and implementing one not only creates good young players, but it also builds many future members of Clubs in the area. Learning the basic rules and fundamentals at a young age, make it much easier to enjoy the game so that they want to continue with it. Even kids that run into distractions with other sports and activities will usually end up coming back to golf later in life.

Our job as Golf Professionals is to grow the game of golf. To do this, we must make junior clinics as fun as possible. However, while trying to keep everyone safe, many times we need kids to stand in line and wait their turn. This will usually cause them to become bored or distracted, especially on the really hot days. Other action sports such as football, basketball, or hockey, seem much more exciting due to the constant movement. To change this, we figure out fun ways to incorporate aspects of golf in an activity or game to keep things moving.

I feel strongly about using the Junior set of tees located in our fairways, to help build confidence rather than frustrating young golfers. It also allows children to achieve lower hole-by-hole scores like their parents or older siblings do. Pace of play will also improve with these yardages, allowing parents and children to fit in more golf. Seeing kids want to come back to the course and become more excited to play with a parent, sibling, or friend gives me a sense of accomplishment.

The Junior Golf Program here at Sunset Country Club is on its way to producing some great local talents in the near future. Both our boys and girls are showing signs of very nice improvement in their game, and also in their sportsmanship among each other. Whether or not any of these kids end up on the Tour is uncertain, but many of them will go on to enjoy golf, introducing children and grandchildren to this great game!