Golf is a sport that generates passions in people of all ages, I’m sure you curious about what age a child starts taking golf lessons, as children who start earlier will have a more effortless swing and hit the golf ball in a better way.
People who start golf older find it more difficult with their swing, and they have to work a little harder to hit the ball and make rounds under par. The earlier the better as learning to play golf is similar to what happens with riding a bicycle: if you start as a child, it will be much easier, and you will do it better.
A child should start golf lessons around five to six years old when they start school as they need the necessary attention span to stay concentrated and well-behaved for the typical 45-minute golf lesson. But you teach a 2 year the basic golf fundamentals like the golf stance, and the swinging motion without taking them for lessons.
Every child will be different, Tiger Woods son Charlie started having lessons when he was two years old! Keep reading to know what is the right age to start having golf lessons, can a 3 year old play golf and if you can bring a child to the golf course.
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When Is The Right Age To Start Having Golf Lessons?
According to the company, the Littlest Golfer kids as young as 18 months should be learning the game. But parents can enter children into formal lessons when they start school which is around five to six years old when they start school as they will have the attention span needed to concentrate for a 45-minute golf lesson..
Whilst Tiger Woods started taking golf lessons at the age of 3 and Jack Nicklaus started at 10 all children mature and develop at different rates. Some gifted children like Woods had the ability to grip a club, stand properly, and swing at an early age but this doesn’t mean your kid would, it could take them years to develop the required maturity for the game.
Children all mature at different rates, usually girls mature faster than boys so a school of thought is children need a certain level of maturity to play the game, as due to the dangerous nature of the sport a child gets hit with a golf club/ball is a real danger.
They need to understand the etiquette that is expected of them on the course, it’s a superb opportunity to teach your child the complicated rules of golf. If you have daughters you understand they mature physically and socially far quicker than boys, girls tend to behave far better than boys in social situations, if you have a daughter you can expect them to behave themselves in a golf lesson at a far earlier age.
Although don’t expect a two-year-old child to understand the complete ins and outs of golf and how they should behave. Albert Einstein is reported to have given up golf after one try as he thought it was too complicated! If one of the smartest people ever thought golf was too complicated what hope does your toddler have to understand it?
“Mr. Einstein, do you play golf?” Derr asked.
“No, no,” Einstein said. “Tried it once. Too complicated. I quit.”
Report From Augusta Chronicle
If you think your child is mature enough to understand the rules at two-three then it’s good they start as early as possible, but you won’t do their golf skills any harm if you wait a few years and slowly exposure them yourself to aspects of the game like the proper stance before spending cold hard cash on lessons.
For a complete guide on everything you need to know about golf lessons please check out my helpful article.
Five to six-years years old is a good age to start formal golf lessons as this is when they start school so they’re used to the required attention span to last through the typical 45 minutes of a golf lesson, this is also when your child may show a strong interest in playing sports as they should have physical education in school.
Remember your children need to stay behaved during the lesson, I’m sure you have seen the terror of several 5 years olds causing havoc and as a former Kindergarten teacher, I can tell you how difficult it is to control a big group of children. Most golf children’s lessons will be in groups so make sure your child can behave themselves before putting them in a group setting!
But do you or your child even need a golf lesson? Can’t you teach yourself and your kid using free resources on YouTube? Learn the facts in my article.
You don’t NEED your children to have golf lessons for them to succeed in golf, Nick Faldo took his first class at 14 whilst Greg Norman started playing at 16 however the earlier you start the better they will be. Look at Tiger Woods quote about how he taught his son Charlie to play Golf
“My dad never coached me. It was all about feels and being there, being present, being with me. He did that and I’m doing it the same way with Charlie.”
Tiger Woods
Instead of paying for expensive golf junior lessons here are some ways you can slowly make your kid fall in love with the game.
3 Ways To Teach Your Kids To Play Golf
1.Make It Enjoyable!
If you ever had an over-bearing parent who forced you to do something you didn’t like, you will understand the damage you will do to your kids golfing ability if you force it on them, they must love the game themselves for them ever to get good.
Always keep it fun and don’t scrutinize your kids ever move for them to develop. Don’t believe me? Check out these statistics.
A poll from the National Alliance for Youth Sports determined around 70% of kids in the United States stop playing organized sports by the age of 13 because it’s not enjoyable anymore, you don’t want this happening to your kid.
Some golf events introduce rules to stop over-competitive parents who are trying to live their unrealized dreams through their children to be at least 70 yards away from juniors in competitors. Whilst exposure is key, give your children the freedom to love the game of golf themselves it is key to keep them playing.
2.Give Your Kids The Right Equipment
Kids need different equipment to play golf, from the ages two to four they can start to play with plastic clubs and balls and from 5 onwards they need to use custom-made clubs made for children. For boys from the age of 10 is it best to adapt to women or seniors clubs to a children’s size.
Typically, a bag for starting kids consists of five clubs: Driver, Wood, Iron, Wedge, and Putter. The high of the club should come from the ground to reach an area between the waist and below the chest, it is key they have the correct equipment in order to learn key fundamentals of developing a good swing.
From the age of two kids grow an average of 5 inches per year so it’s key to check how quickly they are growing and fitting their clubs with their size.
Whilst traditional bladed golf shoes can damage kids’ feet it’s important to wear non-slip shoes so they don’t lose balance as they swing, you can get kids golf shoes especially for a bargain on Amazon here and some child-specific golfing equipment from Amazon here.
Curious if it’s worth it to spend $1000s on expensive golf equipment? Learn the reality if buying expensive equipment improves your game in my article.
3. Immerse Your Child In Different Golf Activities
Taking your child every week to golf lessons isn’t the only way they can learn to love the game of golf, here’s a few ideas to nurture that golfing spirit.
- Put Golf On The Background– Whenever this is golf on just put it in the background, this can be the PGA tour or a YouTube video. Over time they will be more and more interested in the game without you being pushy
- Play Golf Video Games– Every kid loves video games PGA2K is a popular series of golf video games that will help youngsters understand what a perfect swing looks at and learn the basic concepts and rules of the game.
- Take Kids To Driving Range– Driving range is a safe environment for your kids to understand the key basics of the game, even whilst young your child can see you smacking balls and get fascinated with what you’re doing. Make sure to keep the session nice and short(less than 1 hour) to keep it interesting. To see how to maximize your time at the range check out my article.
- Miniature Golf- 40% of Golf shots involve putting, teaching your kids miniature golf is a fun way to learn the fundamentals of the most important stroke in the game and give them a starting point that will benefit them for life
- Learn Golf at hope- At your backyard/garden you can get your kids enjoying and practicing golf in a setting they are comfortable in, you can use your kitchen with a cup as a makeshift hole or have a golf net to practice a swing. Make sure you use plastic or foam balls to stop any broken windows! Your partner and/or neighbors will thank you. Buying a putting mat like the fantastic Putt Out trainer and Putt Out is fantastic to give you and your kids invaluable putting practice. Get them both for a steal on Amazon.
- Take Them On The Course– Save this for when their older due to the danger of flying balls but bringing your kids to the course is a crucial way to get them interested. Have them ride around in a golf buggy(fun guaranteed) or sink a few putts when the time calls for it. Over time they can progress to playing a part three or teeing off very closer to the room( no further than 100 yards), if you keep it enjoyable they are bound to love it.
Want to know everything there is to know about golf lessons? If so I suggest you take a look at my helpful article.
