Junior Golf Camps Teach Skills That Last a Lifetime

It's a game for a lifetime. But it's probably best if one starts early.

That's why junior golf camps are beneficial. They provide an opportunity for youngsters to learn the game right and receive quality instruction.

Many Houston-area golf courses are holding summer junior camps for boys and girls.

Among the courses offering summer programs are Wildcat Golf Club, the Golf Academy at Cinco Ranch, River Ridge Golf Club, Redstone Golf Club, Jersey Meadow Golf Course, BlackHorse Golf Club, Cypresswood Golf Club, Houston National Golf Club and Memorial Park Golf Course.

Youngsters out of school for the summer have many options for learning and having fun. Golf is one.

“The most important aspects of a junior golf camp are fun and fundamentals,” said Trey Birchum, head PGA professional at River Ridge. “It is imperative to teach proper basic fundamentals to kids so that they have a decent foundation to build on. But far and away, fun is the most important.

“There is not a kid in the world who wants to do something at age 18 that he despised at age 10. We gear our camps toward keeping the kids moving from station to station and having fun, not standing there and pounding balls for an hour at a time.

“We spend the final day of each camp on the course with the kids, teaching them etiquette and basic course management skills. And hopefully at the end of three days, they want to come back.”

River Ridge will have junior camps on June 23-25 and June 30-July 2.

Reason to continueJunior golf camps are a great way for kids to get involved in the game with other kids as well as their parents.

“I see so many parents trying to get their children playing golf with them, when all other sports they play are with kids and friends,” said Derek Clouse, golf professional at Redstone. “This is always the best way to get them enjoying the sport and wanting to continue.”

Matt Swanson, director of instruction at Wildcat, said that in addition to having fun, kids at his club's junior camps are constantly going over fundamentals, etiquette and having the proper grip.

“The main thing, it's a concentrated time to work on their game and doing it with kids their age,” said Swanson. “They're not just hitting golf balls.”

There are always putting and chipping contests at the Wildcat camps.

At most golf camps, ages range from 6-16. It's important to get the basics stressed.

“They get good fundamentals,” said Swanson. “It's easy for kids at an early age to mimic.”

Wildcat has summer junior golf camps that never fill up; the club simply adds instructors. There is about an 8-1 student-to-instructor ratio and a 5-1 ratio for the advanced camps. There is an added emphasis on course management at advanced camps.

Jersey Meadow completed its first summer junior camp last week and has two more this summer, June 16-20 and July 21-25, with 2 1/2 hours of instruction each day. A limited number of spots are available.

At the Jersey Meadow camps, instruction centers on grip, stance, alignment and ball position for each golf club.

“We spend a great deal of time on building and reviewing skills and then building additional skills and reviewing again,” said Lynn Parker, head golf pro at Jersey Meadow.

Parker likes the way youngsters take to golf.

“Kids are so wonderfully optimistic,” Parker said. “Bad shots typically do not discourage them, and the smallest breakthrough elates them.”

At the Golf Academy at Cinco Ranch, there are 11 sessions scheduled this summer for junior golf, with the last from Aug. 18-21 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. There is a maximum 8-1 student-to-teacher ratio.

Houston National's next session is June 17-26, with the sessions Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Year-round sessionsThe Cypresswood School of Golf conducts junior clinics through the year. Each junior summer camp clinic will be four days a week from 9-11 a.m. each day. Cypresswood's next clinic is June 24-27, with registration deadline June 21.

There are seven remaining junior golf camp sessions at Memorial Park, with the next being June 18-20. There are three-hour clinics on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the 2 1/2 -hour session on Fridays includes play on the golf course.