Golf: Making It a Family Affair

Creating Families of Golfers

Dave Stockton, a PGA tour professional has said, “Golf gave me a chance to teach my sons good values without boring them with lectures. There’s nothing like a game of golf to show honesty in action.” Some of America’s best golfers—Arnold Palmer, Bobby Jones, and of course, Tiger Woods—began playing golf with their fathers. The movies of Tiger Woods as a toddler hitting golf balls are enough to inspire any parent to put a club in their child’s hand. Golf is changing from an elitist sport for businessmen and grandfathers. Jennifer Mario, writer for Golf Publisher Syndications, suggests that golf is becoming “cool” among the younger generations. She notes that golf is a great family activity because instead of taking your kids to their sports practices or games and watching them, parents can actually participate with their children. What needs to improve, she suggests, is lighter equipment and shorter tee boxes. New lightweight clubs with fl atter lie angles, flexible shafts and slender grips help kids learn a smooth swing and get the ball in the air, which helps them feel more successful. If your golf course doesn’t offer shorter tee boxes for children, create your own. Moving up from the red tee box to your own created box will make your child feel more successful and make the golfers behind you happier. Women are scrambling to the game of golf. Organizations such as the Executive Women’s Golf Association offer an opportunity for women of all ability levels—from novice to scratch golfer—to have a good time and practice their game. Many area golf courses teach classes aimed specifically for the woman golf beginner. The Kalamazoo Municipal Golf Association teaches golf to all ages at Grand Prairie Golf Course. Those classes cover basic fundamentals of grip, stance, posture and swing. Their goal is to provide students with enough skills to feel comfortable playing a round of golf. For families looking for activities that the whole family can enjoy together, golf may be the answer. The day outside includes walking through beautiful rolling fairways, eating hotdogs and sipping lemonade, sharing special conversation and recreation, and spending quality time together. Many golf courses in SW Michigan are actively involved in making golf a family affair. Area golf courses have special family rates for a day of golf with courses set up with family tees so that small children won’t have a disadvantage. Kids Play Free days are common at some area courses.

The Higgins Family Tradition

Every summer the Higgins family has a family golf tournament at a local golf course. The theme of the golf tournament is developed over the winter when the golfers in the family are salivating over the thought of spring. Most of the tournaments themes are from movies, another passion of the family. The Higgins Holy Grail, Napoleon Dynamite, and Happy Gilmore are the three most recent. At the Napoleon Dynamite tournament, participants dressed in costume. A blow-up alligator was a part of the Happy Gilmore tournament; golfers who hit a water hazard had to wrestle the alligator. Rumor is that this year’s tournament will have a Princess Bride theme. It all began with a memorial tournament in honor of an uncle who passed away earlier in the summer. In his honor, people teed off left-handed because he was left-handed, wore snorkel/mask combos while they were golfing because he was into water sports, and participants bellowed like George of the Jungle (his nickname) when a tree was hit. The tournament idea stuck, the movie theme was established, and the annual tournament has endured. To run a family tournament such as this, the Higgins’ say that you have to fi nd a laid-back golf course that allows such foolishness. To make it fun for even non-golfers, certain rules have to be followed. The tournaments are four-person scrambles and play off the best ball. Teams are created so that every team has one good golfer. Everyone participates in the activities, and every attempt is made to move the game along so that other golfers are not inconvenienced. The previous year’s winners are charged with deciding the theme of the next year’s tournament.

Let’s golf!

For more information about women’s golf, family golf, a list of courses that are family friendly with special family rates or children golf free days check out these websites: www.kalamazoogolf.org
www.ewga.com
www.playgolfamerica.com
www.misouthernswing.com

Home | Local | Food | Fun | Parents | Kids | Advertise | Customer Service | Subscription | Site Search