Golf – Through the Eye’s of a Child

Playing golf for an adult is pretty self explanatory; we strive for good shots and low scores.  But for a child they see going to the golf course as something completely different… something much bigger.  As a parent, I find taking my child to the golf course is one of my greatest joys.  It is a win-win-win…. I get to introduce them to a game I love, my wife gets a break and the kids get a chance to stretch their legs.

After our first few golf outings, I quickly learned that if I wanted to keep coming to the golf course, our trips to the golf course need to more than about hitting golf balls and making putts… something more exciting.  My children quickly taught me that going to the golf course was like going to a giant park – there are a lot of other fun things to do than hit balls.   Not too long thereafter, I found myself spending more time making snow angels in the sand trap with Katie or skipping rocks at the water holes with Ally.

The Learning – The #1 priority is Fun.

If your child is having a positive experience while at the golf course and learning some golf in the process… you are on the right track.  “Planting the golf seed” with your child is a long journey … and the key drivers that solidify the foundation are these positive experiences (much of the time have nothing to do with hitting or putting).

For me this was a learning process… it wasn’t until I “loosened up” and quit taking everything so serious that my kids passion for the game went to the next level.  Said differently, I switched my paradigm from my eyes (hitting, putting and playing) to my child’s (games, nature, being silly).

As an example, the average child under 8 may see the golf course as a:

• Big Zoo – where they will see everything from turtles, fish, butterflies, deer, squirrels, birds, fish and duck
• Giant Sand Pit – a place where they can take off their shoes and build a sand castle
• Place to Collect Treasures – my girls love finding odd things at the course and putting it in their “treasure box” which contains everything from big leaves, rocks to pink tees
• Giant Hill to Roll Down – Nothing is more fun for a child than to roll down a hill spinning like a madman (my girls prefer to lay on their belly)
• Place with Treats and Snacks – A little candy goes a long way, especially for rewarding good behavior… highly encouraged!

Making birdies, chasing ducks or skipping rocks… it is all good.  Next time you take Junior to the golf course, go do something “out of the box” and watch the “fun factor” of your child go up.  By changing the paradigm, this may be the “best shot” that you could ever ask for.

Cheers!