GlennM

Are there rule adjustments for juniors? My son is 7 years old and rarely gets par on a par 3 course. I told him his score can be cut in half and he'd compete against me that way. But he's frustrated knowing par is 3 and he rarely hits the green in 2.

BrianMcG

There are no rules adjustments other than letting them tee up farther ahead. We had some junior events where we would put the tee boxes for the really young ones at either the 250 yd marker on par 5s, 150 yd on par 4s, and 75yd on par 3s.

The older kids all teed off from the red tees.

When I was a junior golfer I played bogey golf. Meaning my par was a bogey on a hole. That would help me from getting too frustrated.

Maybe you could make him his own score card with his own "pars". And tell him this is the par for kids under 10.

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Toad

My son (9) just started playing a few months back. I, like you, thought an wondered what if anything should be changed 'rule wise' for a youngster. We ALL know how frustrating this game can be and with my son, lemme assure you he has been frustrated with his inability to score. After a couple partial rounds with him, with me regulated to the 'its OK...its a long way for you to hit to etc' job I came up with a bit of a different approach.

The majority of the rounds we play together...we turn our home course into a par three. When he and I go out together we will alternate on who gets to pick out our 'tee box' (generally 75-125 yrd out in the fairway) and play everything as a par 3. I personally believe in the rules of golf and I play by them strictly. My son and I observe the rules and etiquette of the game. I think its important that youngsters get rules and etiquette very early on. We count all strokes, penalities etc. From these sessions we developed a handicap for him based on what he shot for a few rounds of 'par 3'. The first few initial rounds...yea...I absolutely pummeled him in score. But I was consistant in a couple messages 1) Your not going to play as well as dad does...as dad has been playing this game longer than you have been alive. 2) When we get your handicap established you can compete against me evenly.

With a few rounds of par 3 under our belts we got him his 'handicap' and he is given basicly a couple strokes a hole (there are a couple holes where he gets 3 strokes due to approach shots over bunkers etc). It wasnt long till he was really making me work to beat him with his handicap. The lil guy is FEARLESS with a putter in his hands and routinely makes impossible putts. If he is inside 15feet I personally would put him up against most anyone...no kidding. He is taking lessons and his teacher and he goes out on occassion and par 3 it a bit...playing lessons are awesome for these guys. His instructor is a fantastic cheer leader and my son listens and follows his directions very well (he has a son my sons age). My son is having a blast and progressing at just fantastic rates.

This approach does several things.

1) Its teaching him the game from the hole out. I firmly believe this is how we all should learn the game. I know I wish I had. We all know that 100yds in is where your going to score. I want my son to learn that.

2) It teaches etiquette and rules to the littles. Most of the etiquette errors players make is on or around the greens in my experience. By focusing on these areas...my son is a very polite golfer. He wont step on your line, move or make noise while your putting, he rakes bunkers...etc etc.


Sorry this a lil long...if you cant tell...having my son play with me is one of the cooler things for us as a father/son...its important to me and yea...I am rather passionate about it. That said...one last thing.

If you have a youngster...get them involved in lessons and junior golf programs. In our area...junior lessons are inexpensive...generally $20 for 30 min lesson (30 min is PLENTY for a 9 year old). While I am not your average golfer (I played to a plus 3 in my early twenties and while self taught I am a 'student of the full swing') I *COULD* teach my son the game...I rely on a PGA pro to teach him his full swing. Why? Our pro has studied and is VERY experienced in teaching and coaching juniors. These lil folks are different than us big folks. ;-) Things my son does would injure most of us cause, being 9, he is a rubber band (read that as - VERY flexible). While I attend his lessons, I generally hit a few balls to make him THINK I am occupied...I am listening very intently to what he is told. I generally ONLY enforce things that his teacher enforces.

While I have had questions and thoughts on occassion about his swing I always address them with the pro out of my sons earshot...usually on the phone prior to the lesson. Generally, the things I notice, while fundamentally incorrect, they are common and OK errors for juniors. For instance my son tends to lock his knees (no flex). For a big person thats not a good idea...it limits rotation and in turn distance etc. For a 9 year old that has the elasticity of a rubber band, and who is making full hip and over rotating shoulder turns...its not hurting a thing...in fact is helping him shorten up. There are a slew of things like this that those experienced coaching/instructing juniors are aware of...hence when you find a good junior coach stick with em. They are worth their weight in gold.

Also...and most importantly...my sons teacher has his ear. My son is a good kid...polite and well behaved...but me teaching him things there is always a lil bit of rebellion or something. Not the case with his teacher. His teacher is a professional golf instructor! He listens to his instructions and doesnt even for a second question them. In turn he is developing into a HELL of a junior player. My son's instructor is already talking about junior tournaments to my son. My son is chomping at the bit. And dad is grinning ear to ear. =)

300Yards

I'm glad someone started this dicussion..cause I have a good one:

The other day I witnessed a little kid make a hole in one..well, sort of. This first swing missed the ball entirely. Then, on his second attempt, he hit his 5 iron perfect, on the 165 yard Par 3 1st hole at my home course..and it rolled right in the cup. Now, I congradulated him on his ace..but deep down I was thinking that he really made a Birdie, because he whiffed the first one..did I do the right thing by not bursting his bubble?? I think so..it was a good shot.

Toad

Man thats TUFFF!

Your right though...its a birdie...one HELL of a birdie though.

300Yards

That's what I thought to..I'd let him have it, if I was his dad..that was just to sweet..It rolled in so clean..so much cleaner than my first ace. He hit it, and it just had a nice babay fade to it, it hit the green about 8 foot from the pin, and just followed the break all the way to the cup. It was one of those shots, that as soon as it hit the green, you know it was going in..I watched it the whole time. Tiger couldn't have hit it cleaner..

2under

Well as long as he truly wiffed it is a hole in one but if it was one of those wiffs were the ball goas 3 inches then yes it was a birdie.

white_tiger_137

No. If you make a swing past the ball with the intent to hit it, it's a stoke whether you actually make contact or not.

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Doby45

Nope it is a stroke.

From the USGA site.

Stroke
A “stroke’’ is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

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3 FW SVG (TM Clone) Graphalloy Prolaunch Blue FW Shaft
3,4,5 SVG Hybrid (TM Rescue Clone) Graphalloy Prolaunch Blue HY Shafts
6-LW Snake Eyes Viper Graphalloy Proluanch Blue Shafts
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