Addicted son

[Chard]

Howdy all from South Texas, my son (14) just picked up the game in June and has been hooked ever since. To him it is truly "The greatest game ever played".

 

[TheTrueReview]

Welcome Chard. Do you have that same addiction?

 

[johnnymo]

Welcome Chard

Hopefully you get out on the course with him, there are few sports I can think of where multiple generations in a family can play on relatively equal grounds together

 

[Chard]

Nope, I'm the caddy/cart driver/funder of the fiend....lol. I joined this forum see what common problems and expectations are for begginer golfers.

 

[Chard]

I agree, there are many multiple gens out on the course, most of his friends who are into golf play with thier dads. We are competitive in other sports, but this one is all his.

 

[johnnymo]

Nope, I'm the caddy/cart driver/funder of the fiend....lol. I joined this forum see what common problems and expectations are for begginer golfers.

1. Have fun
2. Learn the rules and play by them. Carding a 9 that you earned may sting a little but golf is a sport of honor and integrity and to see true improvement the scores have to be honest.
3. It will seem a bit hypocritical considering the context of the majority of posts in the forum but it is almost always the Indian and not the arrow. As long as your son has some clubs that are close to the appropriate size for him; golf lessons are probably better investments than new clubs. *puts on flame-retardent suit
4. Have fun

 

[Chard]

I appreciate the advice and pointers.
I purchased a beginners set for him in June along with his first lesson. The lesson consisted of grip mastery. He was shooting in the 120 range and really didn't seem too interested. After his second lesson (stance/swing) he improved to just over 100.
His third lesson in mid September revealed club head positioning as an important factor. And the he needed new clubs as he hit a growth spurt and grew 3 inches in as many months. We picked up the TM R9 driver, callaway x20 irons, odyssey saber tooth putter, and a couple of king cobra rescue drivers.
After his new clubs came into the picture, he became extremely active in golf. He had his first highschool JV tourney in late September and got tourney individual champ with an 83. Since then he puts in at least 3 hrs a day, driving, chipping, and putting.

 

[shep3470]

Must have a son with some serious talent Chard. Going from 120 to 83 is about 3 months. Nice.

 

[limpalong]

Nope, I'm the caddy/cart driver/funder of the fiend....lol. I joined this forum see what common problems and expectations are for begginer golfers.

As others have said, "Welcome!"
1. Always remember it's a game. Have fun!
2. More can be learned of a person's character during a round of golf then can be learned from a casual relationship of many years. Teach your son to display the characteristics he wants to be known for the entire time he is on the course. Integrity, courtesy, honesty, knowledge, passion.... to name a few.
3. Always remember it's a game. Have fun!
4. Never allow temper to trump etiquette and courtesy. No bad shot you make is worth ruining the round for those who have allowed you to play golf with them.
5. Always remember it's a game. Have fun!
6. You use your driver, maybe, 14 times/round. There are individual irons you will use once/round. Out of the 90 shots/round, at least a third of them will be with the putter. Concentrating on the short game will cut strokes off your game the quickest.
7. Always remember it's a game. Have fun!

Golf is a game that can be enjoyed from a young age to the age of us old farts. It can be an enjoyable game. It can be a frustrating game. Many think they master the game in their youthful exuberance. Then, along comes family and career. Playing time will ebb and so will the ability to concentrate on the game. As kids mature and leave home, we will try to return to the level we remember when we were young flat-bellies. We get frustrated when the older bodies that now suffer from being too old, too fat, bad knees, bad back just won't respond. Then, we begin to find we enjoy the company of our fellow golfers as much as we enjoy carding the low scores. We return day after day or week after week to hear the same jokes we've heard a dozen times. We return day after day or week after week to laugh at each other's chunks and shanks and whiffs. We understand, now, there are much more serious things in life... there are much tougher challenges put in our paths... than hitting a 275 yard drive down the middle of a fairway.
Help your son learn this great game. Help your son to understand it is just a game and to enjoy the time a father has dedicated to the companionship that is so important as the meaning of "family" has become somewhat diluted in today's society.
Good luck!!!!