Make the First Rounds About Your Child’s Experience
The first few times on a golf course with your child should be all about them. Your game is secondary. As a parent, it’s tempting to focus on maximizing your time on the course—but if you're caught up in your own play, get frustrated by your shots, or ignore your child, they’ll associate golf with stress rather than joy.
Make their early rounds all about having fun. If you succeed at that, golf can become a regular family activity. And don’t worry—you’ll have time to focus on your game later, especially since they might be beating you sooner than you think!
Introduce Competition Slowly
Golf is one of the most adaptable and competitive games out there. Thanks to the handicap system, anyone can compete, regardless of skill level. But when your child is just starting out, don’t treat their early rounds like your Saturday morning match with friends.
The first few times on the course can be intimidating for a junior golfer. The challenge of simply getting the ball in the air and making it to the green is enough. Let them build confidence before introducing competition. When they’re ready, start with fun games and lighthearted challenges.
Tee Boxes Are Just Suggestions
Standard tee boxes—even the forward ones—can be too much for young or beginner players. Asking kids to play from 100+ yards out often results in multiple fairway woods just to reach the green. That’s frustrating and boring.
Start them closer. Let them tee off from a spot where they can hit two shots and comfortably reach the green. It’s much easier to move back as they improve than to push forward when they’re discouraged.
Rules Are Meant to Be Broken (At First)
Your child isn’t playing in the U.S. Open—so let go of strict USGA rules early on. If they’re in a bunker and want to toss the ball out, let them. If they need to roll the ball out of rough or skip a penalty stroke, that’s fine too.
Once they start to love golf, they’ll naturally want to play it “the right way.” For now, don’t let rigid rules get in the way of fun. The priority is fostering a love for the game.
End on a High Note
This one’s big. Many parents take their kids out to play nine holes on their first outing. It usually starts great—new challenge, exciting environment. But then they have a frustrating hole… and another… and suddenly they don’t want to play anymore.
Unfortunately, many parents push through all nine holes anyway, turning what started as fun into an hour of frustration.
Instead, if your child hits three or four bad shots in a row, ask them if they want to take a break or skip the next hole. Don’t force them to finish. Kids will learn perseverance and resilience later—but those aren’t lessons that need to be taught in their first few rounds.
Final Thought: Make Junior Golf Fun First, Serious Later
The goal of introducing kids to golf is to plant the seed of enjoyment. Make early experiences playful and pressure-free, and they’ll want to keep coming back. Once the love for the game takes root, everything else—practice, rules, competition—will follow.
And who knows… they might be taking you down in your next parent-child match.