It’s a different kind of nerves the first time you watch your junior golfer compete in a tournament. They’re out on an island, with no one to blame but themselves. There are no teammates to lean on, no coaches to help, it's just your child, on their own, probably for the first time in their life. Some juniors will thrive in this environment; most will need to learn how to handle it. There are crucial things you can do as a parent to help them become the best competitive golfer they can be, especially if they’re part of a junior golf program.
Focus on Growth, Not Results
First and foremost, realize how unimportant the outcome of the first event is. Your child’s first competitive tournament will never be the moment they get discovered or recruited. There should be no external pressure to perform. The goal of the first event is simple: to observe how your child handles competitive golf.
From there, you can build a plan to help them improve their performance in competition — one step at a time. Competitive play is a skill, just like putting or driving. It takes time and experience to get better at it.
Use these early events to build confidence and ensure your child wants to play in the next event. Because once that final putt is holed, the next tournament becomes the most important one. That’s the mindset that builds long-term development in any junior golf program.
Be Proud of the Effort, Not the Score
Above all, be proud of them — no matter the score.
Your child chose to play golf with kids they might not know, in a competitive environment where there’s no safety net. That takes courage. Most kids don’t willingly step outside their comfort zone, and you should be proud that yours did.
Don’t tie your pride to their performance, good or bad. Instead, be proud of how they carried themselves, how they handled the challenge, and how they showed up. That’s what matters most in the long run, both in golf and in life.
There’s already enough pressure kids put on themselves in tournament golf. When they feel like they’re also playing for your pride or approval, it can become overwhelming. The best thing you can do — in any junior golf program — is to be their steady support, not their toughest critic.