This is a sponsored guest post. Stick with it though as it makes some interesting points about getting children into golf. Monkey is just getting into golf, is now the proud owner of two golf clubs and wants to go to lessons.
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| Photo credit - jhonnyt |
Nowadays it is getting harder and harder to entice your
children into the outside world and away from all the suffocating technology of
the house. With more and more children suffering from obesity in the United
Kingdom, there has never been a better time to strap golf equipment onto their
backs and introduce them to the amazing world of golf.
Quite often people are put off golf, as the overall
consensus is that golf is a sport for the well off or retired. However, with
golf equipment becoming cheaper as the days pass and community golf courses
springing up across the country, this could not be further from the truth.
Besides this, most people find it best to start teaching
children about golf within their very own back garden, or if this isn’t an
option, in the local park. Here you are given an unlimited amount of time to
teach putting and really making sure that your children are getting a grip of
the club. Of course, once the putting is sorted, it is time to move onto the
most exciting part – the swing.
Throughout the United Kingdom and often attached to golf
courses, there are golfing ranges where you are able to practice and teach your
child how to well and truly hit a ball. Here, like the park there are usually
no time restrictions, as you pay by the ball, meaning that you have all the
time in the world to teach your young one the ways of the golf club.
Of course, once you are confident that your youngling is
ready to set foot on the golf course itself, there are golf courses all around
the country that are happy to accept new people, young and old. Most
communities also have the afore mentioned community golf courses. This means
that instead of paying annual fees (although this can be an option), you can
instead pay by the round, as this is a great way of introducing your child into
golf; once you have both decided that golf is the sport for you, it is then
time to consider monthly, or even yearly membership fees.
For just about anyone in the golfing world, a full 18 holes
can be quite daunting. That is why it is often best to start playing in halves,
either by playing the front nine, or back nine.
A front nine consists of the first nine holes of a golf
course and is often the way to start as a full 18 holes can be very tiring for
a beginner. If the mood suits, you can quite often play what is known as the
‘back nine’ although this is less popular than playing holes 1-9.
The benefits of introducing your children to the sport can
be huge. Not only is it a healthy and productive sport but golf also teaches
children about patience and respect to other people. Whereas most sport
revolves around disadvantaging your opponents, golf revolves around deducting
yourself and being truthful to others. What better ethos could you teach your
children than this? With lessons that can be used for a lifetime, golf is a
sport that can carry a person throughout their entire life and is often a
popular sport at work.
But of course, that is years away, what you need to focus on
now is the fun and enjoyment of the sport. Why not try by taking your son or
daughter out on a day at the nearest crazy golf course? This could be a great
introduction into golf in general and a place where you can plant the idea of
the sport into their minds. You never know, the person currently trying to
whack the ball under the scary clown could just well be the next Tiger Woods.
(I have been paid a fee to publish this post).