One Child at a Time

Growing up getting lessons from Harvey Penick, I reflect back on how he had so much joy watching the “young people” learn the game. In my formative years learning the game from Mr. Penick, he never once charged me for a lesson and always served as a mentor. Without my relationship with Mr. Penick, there is a high probability that I never would have been introduced to the game of golf.

One child at a time… I am a living testimonial.

The game continues to evolve and some of the trends are going the wrong direction. Did you know that the game of golf is losing approximately 1 million players per year? And since 2006, the game has lost 36% of the junior players (under 17) and 23% of the women players. Like many that love the game of golf, these statistics need to be addressed to preserve the game.

In 2012, the PGA of America launched Golf 2.0 to change these trends. The mission of Golf 2.0 is to increase the size of the game from 27 million to 40 million by 2020… and to transform the game to be more fun and more welcoming by having a broader market appeal.

One child at a time… Golf 2.0 will strive to add 13 million new players in 8 years.

In Austin Texas, I am blessed to be a member of Austin Country Club. Our club professionals have a high passion for teaching the game to the youth segment. It is my opinion they have been executing the Golf 2.0 strategy for the past 10 years. Did you know that ACC consistently has approximately 100 juniors playing in the club championship?

One child at a time… children are learning the game they will play for a lifetime.

The mission of My Little Golfers is to provide parents with a forum for playing with their children the game of golf in a positive constructive manner. Our goal is to help parents “plant the golf seed” by making it fun and engaging for both the child and parent. Through the use of technology and a grassroots strategy, we believe the mission of My Little Golfers can support the efforts of growing the game.

The people on the front lines are the thousands of PGA professionals that work at golf courses around the country. These professionals need your support, your ideas and your feedback. Next time you see your club professional and/or teaching professionals, give them a high 5 and thank them for their support.

Let’s grow the game of golf… one child at a time!