Published: June 10, 2006 11:50 pm         

On And Off The Course: Junior golf is alive, well

TERRE HAUTE — Even if I didn’t have school age children, I would know that school was out because of the abundance of kids I’ve seen on the golf courses! I think that’s a great sign for the future of golf, that there is a strong interest in junior golf. Judging by how some of the local high schools in our area have fared this spring, I’d say junior golf is very strong in the western part of the state of Indiana.

As I write this, the boys’ golf teams from Linton, Terre Haute South, Sullivan and South Vermillion are all preparing for regional competition, having made it past the first stage on the road to the state finals, which were the sectionals. The teams from Northview and Terre Haute North just missed coming out of it by one and three strokes respectively. Those were two strong teams that just didn’t play up to their potential at Rolling Meadows.

The same thing happened to South’s team last year at Regionals at Christmas Lake. That loss rankled the South boys all season, so they are very determined to make it to the state this year, although it won’t be easy. Last year, Travis Smith went as an individual qualifier, but I know he would prefer to have his teammates with him.

I have watched a lot of boys high school golf since my son Phillip plays for the South team. On the whole, I have been favorably impressed with most of the boys that Phillip has played with, reconfirming my idea that a golf course is a pretty good place for a growing boy to hang out. They’re not going to get into too much trouble on a golf course, and they might make some strong friendships along the way.

So how do you get a youngster interested in playing golf? If you are a golfer, and are the father or mother of a child, the easiest way to get them interested is to take the time to take them out with you. When they’re very young, take them out in a cart on a day when the course isn’t crowded, and let them ride along with you. They’ll be more interested in driving the cart than anything, so let them sit on your lap and steer while you control the pedal and brake. You can always grab the wheel if you need to. Make sure that they are out of the cart or far away from the gas pedal while you’re hitting though! I remember learning that lesson the hard way. Children can begin to learn golf etiquette even before they can play. Our lesson No. 1 was teaching our boys to be quiet!

Up to the age of four, one of those plastic toy sets is going to be enough to keep a child occupied and learning golf. We started Phillip with one of those, but the only problem was that they are made to be right or left-handed. Phillip started out swinging left-handed, so we made a valiant effort to change that. We knew we would have too many hand-me-down sets of right-handed clubs so we needed him to be right-handed!

The next step is to get him or her one of the little tiny junior sets that are available at golf shops. They’re pretty inexpensive, but durable. They will last until the child outgrows them, most likely. Taking an old set of clubs and cutting it down to child-size is a possibility, and is what we did with an old set of mine, but the problem is that the shaft becomes pretty stiff. The children’s sets on the market have very flexible shafts, allowing a child to get some pretty good distance with a little club. Little children can learn how to putt, and start getting an idea of how to chip. Here’s a tip I used when trying to keep my boys to keep their head still while putting: hide a colored marker under the ball, and tell them to tell you the color of the marker right after they hit the ball. This keeps their eyes on the spot where the ball was long enough for them to not lift their head.

When they get the strength and coordination to do a full swing, make sure that they learn a proper grip and set up before they start flailing away. They can learn these things at a junior clinic put on by golf professionals. One thing that we have found with our boys, and I hear it from other parents too, that they are more likely to listen to anyone else besides their parents, regardless of their abilities! When Phillip was about five, he argued with his father about his grip. He was certain that his left hand went below his right, for a right-handed set up. Andy took him into a golf shop, and had the owner showed Phillip how to do it correctly. After that, Phillip referred to it as “the grip Jay showed me”, even though it was the same grip his father had shown him.

When your child has started to learn a swing, you should take them out on the course when it’s not crowded. If a child is struggling and taking a long time, you feel frustration if you know you have a foursome breathing down your back. Try to be very patient with a new golfer, so that they don’t associate golf with making mom or dad angry! Always teach golf etiquette along the way; teach a child how to repair a ball mark, replace a divot, and rake a trap. Once you’ve reached the green, show them how to mark their ball, and avoid walking in someone’s line. Also, teach them how to remove the pin and place it where it won’t get hit by a putt going too far past the hole.

Golf is a game that can be played throughout a lifetime. Teaching a child to play, and playing with them often, will form a bond that will also last a lifetime. This is true of daughters too. Please don’t stereotype your daughter that she can’t play golf because she’s a girl. The ratio of boys to girls at the Boys and Girls’ Club clinic this summer is about 9 to 1. The best way to get girls playing is to start them young, and to make it fun for them. In the long run, it could be the best time you’ve ever invested in the development of your child.

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Upcoming events for juniors:

Rea Park — June 22, the Rea Park Junior Classic, and on June 29, the Rea Park Junior Scramble. Sign up for both events in the pro shop. Call (812) 232-0709 for more information.

Hulman Links — June 28, the Hulman Links Two-Ball Tournament; July 11, the Hulman Links Junior Open; Aug. 9, Hulman Links Junior Scramble. Call (812) 877-2096 for more information.

The Junior City Tournament will be July 18-20 at Rea Park and Hulman Links. Sign up in either pro shop.

Jennifer Myers can be reached by email at jfmyers@xsthe.net.