Ting Tang Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 My 10 year old son got a putting green for Christmas. He's been having fun with it. I've always been interested in having him try this sport because I thought it might suit him. I've read it can be a great sport for kids on the spectrum. There is a somewhat reasonable golf course not too far away that offers lessons, has a kid course, etc. But I'd really love to know what it is like to have a kid who plays and competes in this sport. Nowadays, we have indoor golf facilities. The one nearby is more than playing real golf. Do the competitive kids spend time at these facilities? I've never been to one. Thus, is this one of those sports that claims to have a season but really is year-round? Do you ever feel emotionally and physically exhausted supporting your child in this sport? How is the culture? Do the costs never end? Will I ultimately end up miserable if this ends up being his thing? I kinda feel that way about my daughter's stuff. Joy has been sucked out. Kinda wanting to avoid any more of THAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 My kids both loved playing golf. The culture really depends on your area. We encountered wonderful people and just plain nasty people who acted like their precious was the next Tiger Woods. We only did outdoor courses so for us it is a spring/summer/fall sport. It was pricey when I needed to buy new equipment for them but not too bad really. I got their clubs from marketplace from parents who had bought everything to discover their child hated golf. Most of the parents didn’t spend time talking to anyone so it was a your on your own type of thing. So I never had any support from the other parents but I didn’t care. Buy a fantastic hat and I did a neck fan too as the heat was too much. See if you have a golf camp during the summer near you. It is a great way to see if it is a good fit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHP Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Check around to see if anyplace offers a membership program for kids. We had one for $10/year and the kids got a bucket of balls a day at the driving range and other discounts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 He doesn't ever have to be a competitive golfer, he can just enjoy the game. Which is not necessarily cheap (depending on the kid programs in your area), but certainly nowhere near the cost and time commitment of tournaments. I think it's okay to tell kids 'no travel sports' in general, but that might be more complicated for you if you've already let one kid get deeply involved in an expensive and/or time-consuming activity. With any sport or activity, you can be casual or competitive, the activity itself doesn't determine that. Should he enjoy it enough to actually learn how to play, it can be a lifetime sport and remains very handy in many parts of the business world. If he is a bit awkward or otherwise has social challenge (AND enjoys it), I think it's worth encouraging for the social and business aspects. You can be with other people, but it's a set activity with rules, and most of the conversation revolves around setting up the next shot, lol. But yeah, there's always money involved. Work pays for a whole lot of golf for my husband, and he still manages to drop at least a couple of hundred a month. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 6 hours ago, Ting Tang said: My 10 year old son got a putting green for Christmas. He's been having fun with it. I've always been interested in having him try this sport because I thought it might suit him. I've read it can be a great sport for kids on the spectrum. There is a somewhat reasonable golf course not too far away that offers lessons, has a kid course, etc. But I'd really love to know what it is like to have a kid who plays and competes in this sport. Nowadays, we have indoor golf facilities. The one nearby is more than playing real golf. Do the competitive kids spend time at these facilities? I've never been to one. Thus, is this one of those sports that claims to have a season but really is year-round? Do you ever feel emotionally and physically exhausted supporting your child in this sport? How is the culture? Do the costs never end? Will I ultimately end up miserable if this ends up being his thing? I kinda feel that way about my daughter's stuff. Joy has been sucked out. Kinda wanting to avoid any more of THAT. Why are you assuming your son will want to compete? Why not just have him take some lessons and then simply enjoy playing golf? Why can't it just be something he does for fun? Honestly, I find it a little odd that you're thinking about him competing before he has ever even held a golf club in his hand. He might not even enjoy it -- and even if he loves it, there's no reason why he should have to play competitively. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 I think you'll discover answers to your questions as you go along. If someone had told me years ago, when I had a Bambi child dressed in snowpants and bike helmet who went through Learn To Skate level 1 (TWICE!!!) what would happen now, I would have laughed my rear end off. And then immediately pulled him out. $20/week to watch teen girls teach him how to fall and get up is much different than how a 13yo works. And how a 13yo works is much different than how a 12yo works because 13 is the year where kids prep for different tracks. And there is a group online that covers Canada and the US, and man, does everyone have wildly different experiences! Local culture influences a LOT of what each kid is doing. My oldest did golf. He took weekly lessons for about a year, liked it enough to keep it up on his own but had no desire to join a competition level. He bowled competitively, but backed out when it got to a point where the crazies made it less fun. Youngest ds likes hockey, but competes at a low level and doesn't fit the intensity energy of club level. He prefers competition in non-sports. So, just take it a day at a time, a step at a time. You always have the option of setting limits and just seeing what works for your family. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 (edited) This reminds me of when my daughter learned to skate so she could go to someone’s birthday at the skating rink…… Too much $$$$ spent to calculate, tens of thousands of miles driven, too many hotel rooms paid for to count, costumes, etc Its 18 years later, she still skates, loves it as much as she did on day 1 and the best part is it cost me $0! Edited January 14 by gingersmom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ting Tang Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 (edited) I guess I figured golf is competitive since it is a game, lol. But I guess people do go play by themselves? He is considering taking lessons and maybe doing a clinic, so I just wondered if you had a child who really got into it, what would it be like? When I look at the cost for youth to play, it doesn't shock me. I am looking locally. But these indoor things, they look pricey in my area. But I am finding far too often, there is no longer a happy medium with so many things. And honestly, I would love for him to be around other kids his age, but I don't want to put him in a toxic environment, either. Like him feeling left out because we don't do expensive indoor golf. I do find some things to be more prone to toxicity than others. For example, my son's tae kwon do---not toxic. Daughter's stuff---lots of great things, but it has many spoilers. I was thinking a little sports knowledge in general would be helpful, even professionally. My husband has a set of golf clubs but found the game very frustrating, but at least it is something he has actually played. My son's uncles and male cousins play, and I think that might make it good for him, too. Edited January 15 by Ting Tang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemsondana Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I know kids who have taken lessons to learn and then play for fun. I know kids who are on their middle and high school teams, which is busy during the competition season (as with any school sport) but otherwise they just play. I don't think anybody does indoor things except as a fun thing. Golf is one of the few sports where you actually can play just by yourself because you are trying to lower your score, but most kids prefer to play with somebody or at least have somebody with them. I do know a few moms who just go walk the course with their kid as he plays. But, these are also moms of high school boys...there comes a point where you look for anything that you can do together during those last few years that you have with them at home (says the mom of a senior, who rides in the car with him every chance that she has). My kid has never expressed an interest, but a lot of kids that we know have. It may be something that he tries this summer since, through an odd series of events, he was randomly given a set of golf clubs. 🙂 A lot of my male relatives like to play a round when they get together on vacation and a couple play regularly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 1 hour ago, Ting Tang said: I guess I figured golf is competitive since it is a game, lol. But I guess people do go play by themselves? He is considering taking lessons and maybe doing a clinic, so I just wondered if you had a child who really got into it, what would it be like? When I look at the cost for youth to play, it doesn't shock me. I am looking locally. But these indoor things, they look pricey in my area. But I am finding far too often, there is no longer a happy medium with so many things. And honestly, I would love for him to be around other kids his age, but I don't want to put him in a toxic environment, either. Like him feeling left out because we don't do expensive indoor golf. I do find some things to be more prone to toxicity than others. For example, my son's tae kwon do---not toxic. Daughter's stuff---lots of great things, but it has many spoilers. I was thinking a little sports knowledge in general would be helpful, even professionally. My husband has a set of golf clubs but found the game very frustrating, but at least it is something he has actually played. My son's uncles and male cousins play, and I think that might make it good for him, too. Well, Scrabble is a game, but I would think it a little odd if you said you 'compete' in Scrabble when all you mean is that you play the game. He doesn't need lessons for the basics, if his uncle/cousins are willing to go out with him sometimes. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 8 hours ago, Ting Tang said: I guess I figured golf is competitive since it is a game, lol. But I guess people do go play by themselves? He is considering taking lessons and maybe doing a clinic, so I just wondered if you had a child who really got into it, what would it be like? When I look at the cost for youth to play, it doesn't shock me. I am looking locally. But these indoor things, they look pricey in my area. But I am finding far too often, there is no longer a happy medium with so many things. And honestly, I would love for him to be around other kids his age, but I don't want to put him in a toxic environment, either. Like him feeling left out because we don't do expensive indoor golf. I do find some things to be more prone to toxicity than others. For example, my son's tae kwon do---not toxic. Daughter's stuff---lots of great things, but it has many spoilers. I was thinking a little sports knowledge in general would be helpful, even professionally. My husband has a set of golf clubs but found the game very frustrating, but at least it is something he has actually played. My son's uncles and male cousins play, and I think that might make it good for him, too. I feel like golf is more of a leisure activity. You are often competing against yourself and previous trips to the same course. There are competitive teams, but a lot of people just go out to have fun together, too. My oldest is my least competitive child. He had no interest in team sports, so many of the avenues we pursued for him were things he could take into adulthood but still had competition opportunities as a child if he wanted them. He did golf, bowling, swimming, frisbee golf.. I hear you on the toxic environment. Those will become more apparent. And you'll really figure out what is best for your kid. Like I said youngest ds competes low in hockey, but he trains HIGH. He has no desire to get into a situation where winning is the ultimate goal but loves working with detail-oriented coaches who expect greatness. It's kind of an oxymoron that works for him in order to keep the game just plain fun. It also means he skips the "must do"camps/sessions for competitive play because the kids and parents can be awful. When they're available he ends up in smaller, more off timed sessions that are much quieter so they have a ratio of 1:3 instead of 1:20. And when he's not there, he's using training aids at the house. By keeping what he does more private, and going about it in different ways, he's not letting the public pressure get to him. I'm sure golf has similar situations and probably similar solutions. My oldest ds set up a range net in the backyard for ds. It's primary use is to catch stray arrows, but it definitely does double duty for figuring out wrist shots and catching soccer balls from the neighbor friend. And it's a lot less expensive than getting ice time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 We have a set of brothers in our former homeschool group who are now ranked junior players both playing for their universities. I will say golf can be a solitary as well as group game. Take him to the range and there will be lots of people- mostly retired men who will be interested in teaching him and playing. The indoor ones are different from the outdoor real golf ones. If he is still interested as a teenager, he can work as a caddie to pay his own way. It’s a rich person’s game so they pay and tip quite well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ting Tang Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 7 hours ago, Lilaclady said: We have a set of brothers in our former homeschool group who are now ranked junior players both playing for their universities. I will say golf can be a solitary as well as group game. Take him to the range and there will be lots of people- mostly retired men who will be interested in teaching him and playing. The indoor ones are different from the outdoor real golf ones. If he is still interested as a teenager, he can work as a caddie to pay his own way. It’s a rich person’s game so they pay and tip quite well. Everything feels like a rich person’s game, but I get the impression the indoor stuff isn’t a requirement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 3 hours ago, Ting Tang said: Everything feels like a rich person’s game, but I get the impression the indoor stuff isn’t a requirement? No, it is not. Nobody's playing actual golf at Topgolf, it's more golf-themed sports entertainment. Some people do take lessons there, though - they have the simulators that analyze your swing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebcoola Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 3 hours ago, Ting Tang said: Everything feels like a rich person’s game, but I get the impression the indoor stuff isn’t a requirement? No indoor is definitely not required my neice and 2 nephews were all Jr ranked and 2 played in college and they never did indoor. They were outside Jackson wyoming they could only play a few months out of the year and the nearest indoor place would have been several hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 14 hours ago, Ting Tang said: Everything feels like a rich person’s game, but I get the impression the indoor stuff isn’t a requirement? No it’s not and it’s quite expensive too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyx4 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Look for a First Tee in you area. It might be worth a bit of a drive. Generally, affordable and accessible for non-golf families. https://firsttee.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA75itBhA6EiwAkho9e7Vy--SSrUiJ3s7FS0JhOHRLFtfu2OIBDKeAnPiITRqowopJ61fTJRoCyBQQAvD_BwE 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I don't know if this answers your question, but here's our experience. We live in a small town and are fortunate to have a golf/country club with reasonable prices for a family membership. It was worth it for us because it comes with access to the pool, tennis courts, and weight room. So we kind of looked at it like a YMCA membership. When ds was 14, we started dropping him off at the driving range and weight room for something to do. Fast forward, he learned to love golf and now drives himself to play almost every afternoon. It works for us, because we were lacking activities for him. He also has ADHD, and the wide open space, nature, lots of walking, and hyper focus made the whole thing really beneficial to him all around! It's also something he plays with dad and brother often, which I love! A local private school allows homeschoolers to participate in athletics, so he joined the golf team last year. It was a short fall season. He did pretty well in tournaments, but not enough to travel to the state championship. Dh attended most of the tournaments. Not very many other parents attended. I don't know why. Ds would like to play in college if possible, depending on how he does the next 2 years. He also just got hired by the golf club for his first part time job handling the golf carts since he developed a good relationship and reputation with the management. All that to say, I was hesitant at first because of the "rich man" connotation, but it has turned out well for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vasha Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Our experience: My son took lessons first at age 6 in a very low-key environment; his coach recognized his ability and suggested competitive play which he did through the Jr. PGA primarily. He has competed since and in junior high joined the golf team at our local school. He now in his first year of college golf. Starting with lessons is probably a good idea. Our local course has a great price for a junior membership which makes it very affordable. He also has been a member of Youth on Course which also provides discounts. Indoor facilities are a option, not necessary, and type of simulator at them matters. I'm assuming the cost is comparable to a lot of other sports' start up costs with golf equipment coming in a variety of prices; apparel is important as well and try eBay for both. The culture is what you make it in my opinion. I have always been a consistent spectator (never a player though). Please feel free to ask specific questions if I didn't answer something and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.