The many wonderful qualities of golf attract millions of people to the links each week. Included in these numbers are kids, both boys and girls. Aside from the fun they are afforded on the golf course, kids receive a variety of long-term benefits from their experiences with the game.
Patience and Discipline
As Bernadette Moore describes in her book "Teaching Kids Golf," the process of learning golf has the potential to foster patience and discipline in kids. Success in the game requires consistent practice habits over an extended period. While it's clearly not advisable to force kids to stick with a pursuit in which they have no interest, those children who do possess the desire to develop their skills will learn firsthand the sense of satisfaction that comes with overcoming the challenge of improvement in golf.
A Game of Honor
Golf, long identified as a game that values honor, presents lessons of honesty and respect that might be lacking in other things that kids experience while growing up. As stipulated in "The Rules of Golf," players are expected to police their own play, calling penalties on themselves when they occur and carefully abiding by the rules. Additionally, golf promotes a respect for others in the practice of etiquette established in the game over years of play.
Confidence and Independence
Nancy Berkley writes on the site Cybergolf about mentoring her children through golf experiences. She mentions her decision to have her children carry their own bags through a round, in part to instill a sense of independence. Furthermore, kids take on a sense of accountability, independence and confidence as they make choices about the kinds of shots to play in different situations and manage their rounds of golf through good and bad days.
Sport for a Lifetime
Bernadette Moore repeatedly refers to golf as a game to be enjoyed for a lifetime. As kids are introduced to the game, the experience provides the basis for a lifelong connection to an enjoyable and positive influence. To be sure, lessons learned on the golf course don't cease to occur when you reach adulthood. The experiences and relationships created and developed over years on the golf course never stop carrying a special meaning for those who love the game.
References
- "Teaching Kids Golf: A Baffled Parent's Guide"; Moore; 2001
- Cybergolf.com: "Why Teach Golf to Kids?"; Berkley
- "The Rules of Golf"; USGA; 2010
Member Comments