Junior Golf and the Nightmare Manager

[IrishGolfer]

I’m the team manager of my club’s junior golf team. The lofty title is another way of saying I’m taking an interest in one of my sons, who is on the team. Anyway, we have had a good winter program, including access to a trained physio, who has been working with them on a weekly basis to develop their cores. The club pro has also been helping with lessons. I also organised mini-matches, talks on strategy and etiquette. etc.

There is a nationwide junior tournament, a knock out format, home and away. It is a scratch competition for U18s, so the level can be quite high, with some teams boasting county panel members.

Our team’s ages are 16, 16, 16, 15 and 11 so it is fair to say, we have a young development squad. That’s my strategy anyway, to build a team for two years’ time.

Our first match, the away leg was at the weekend. We had drawn a club about 70 miles away, so it entailed me renting a mini-bus to transport the team of five plus two reserves.

So there’s me, driving the bus, with kids messing about and yours truly shouting and hollering for them to sit down etc. We drove past a MacDonald’s on the way down and to quieten the rowdies, I offered to buy McFlurries for all the winners on the way home. There were cheers, whoops etc.

The end story was we were (badly) beaten 1-4. We had two reserves, one of them won his match but it didn’t count. On paper, their team had similar handicaps, but there is a huge home advantage in these games at this level. We had been for a practice round, but the style of golf is very different to links golf. This was a parkland/meadowland course, with lots of trees, and very lush lies, fringes etc. So the boys had a lot of adapting to do.

The return leg is on Sunday, so I imagine the tables will be turned, but we have a mountain to climb.

But the reason for this ramble is about the story on the way home. We came to MacDonalds and they all wanted to stop. I told them I was going to keep my promise and I bought two McFlurries in the drive-through. I didn’t allow them to get out. I passed the ice creams to the winners and then drove on. I asked the winners were they enjoying their ice-creams and they hammed it up, emphasizing how good it was. I swear I thought there was going to be a riot on the bus. My son didn’t speak to me for 24 hours!

I’m a tough, no-nonsense type of manager!!!!

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

I’m the team manager of my club’s junior golf team. The lofty title is another way of saying I’m taking an interest in one of my sons, who is on the team. Anyway, we have had a good winter program, including access to a trained physio, who has been working with them on a weekly basis to develop their cores. The club pro has also been helping with lessons. I also organised mini-matches, talks on strategy and etiquette. etc.

There is a nationwide junior tournament, a knock out format, home and away. It is a scratch competition for U18s, so the level can be quite high, with some teams boasting county panel members.

Our team’s ages are 16, 16, 16, 15 and 11 so it is fair to say, we have a young development squad. That’s my strategy anyway, to build a team for two years’ time.

Our first match, the away leg was at the weekend. We had drawn a club about 70 miles away, so it entailed me renting a mini-bus to transport the team of five plus two reserves.

So there’s me, driving the bus, with kids messing about and yours truly shouting and hollering for them to sit down etc. We drove past a MacDonald’s on the way down and to quieten the rowdies, I offered to buy McFlurries for all the winners on the way home. There were cheers, whoops etc.

The end story was we were (badly) beaten 1-4. We had two reserves, one of them won his match but it didn’t count. On paper, their team had similar handicaps, but there is a huge home advantage in these games at this level. We had been for a practice round, but the style of golf is very different to links golf. This was a parkland/meadowland course, with lots of trees, and very lush lies, fringes etc. So the boys had a lot of adapting to do.

The return leg is on Sunday, so I imagine the tables will be turned, but we have a mountain to climb.

But the reason for this ramble is about the story on the way home. We came to MacDonalds and they all wanted to stop. I told them I was going to keep my promise and I bought two McFlurries in the drive-through. I didn’t allow them to get out. I passed the ice creams to the winners and then drove on. I asked the winners were they enjoying their ice-creams and they hammed it up, emphasizing how good it was. I swear I thought there was going to be a riot on the bus. My son didn’t speak to me for 24 hours!

I’m a tough, no-nonsense type of manager!!!!

Sounds like a good experience for the kids and good on you for keeping your promise. Sprinkles are for winners!

 

[TheTrueReview]

I can see a movie in the pipeline! [emoji327] “The Bad News Shamrocks”

 

[warbirdlover]

I would love to do this kind of thing. Good on you IG!

 

[TEA Time]

And I thought I was the glutton for punishment.

 

[IrishGolfer]

I can see a movie in the pipeline! [emoji327] “The Bad News Shamrocks”

I'll be played by a grouchy Tom Hanks!

 

[IrishGolfer]

Well, we had our return leg yesterday and we were beaten, in the end by a better team. Having said that four of the five games went to the last hole so it could have gone either way, but the result was 2-3, giving an overall result of 3-7. It was great experience for a very young team. My son is eligible to play for the next two years. In fact, one kid is able to play for the next 6 years, as it is an U-18 tournament. We now go into the Plate competition, so all is not yet lost.

Man, those kids can hit a ball. My son hit a drive on #18 320 yards (admittedly downwind). I reckon he got 70-yards run. And he hit first to the green.