Playing with Juniors - pitfalls & good points......

[Macster]

Was our last Medal of the year yesterday, and due to my playing partner injuring his knee, I dropped back to play alongside my son and a good friends son, both 15yrs - 25 & 28 H/C respectively.

Lets give it a go I thought, despite knowing full well how frustrating they can be with their expectations and mood swings, and sometimes becoming downright miserable on the course when things dont go their way !
However, they needed an adult to play with them, so I stepped in. I was keen to give it a good round to finish the year off well, and hoped that they would/could follow my lead. I even agreed NOT to impart any words of advice to my son, as he wished.

I have played with some of the other Juniors this year, admittedly lower H/Cers, and found them to be a refreshing change with their attitude to Medal play, ripping every shot and not worrying about the round the same as most of us do.

Elliot proceeded to play the 1st like he had never swung a club before, with an 11, despite recently winning his first Comp with a 7&5 victory against a 14 H/c'er.
Luke, my son, got his par, but then folowed that up with a 9 on the 2nd ! Elliott picked up

So, we have 1 no return after 2, and the other well hacked off already !

3 & 4 didnt go any better, with my son also picking up on 4, leaving me officially the only one still with a card to play for, and I was scoring none too well anyway watching all this going on !

The 5th capped it off. After 2 of us driving into the trees, and looking for the balls, (green still un clear) the pair behind proceeded to drive off too which landed some 8feet from me, also in the trees.

So, after staring back up at the Tee so they got the message, weighing up the position of having 2 miserable 15yr olds to carry all the way round what was going to be a slow round anyway, I did what I dont like doing in Medals, and suggested we walk off.

I'll stick to playin with my usual buddies in Medals next year, and leave these 2 to their own moods.

How does anyone else manage playing with their sons/Juniors ?

It seems damn hard work to me.

 

[johng]

Hi Chris.

Only times i've played with juniors it has been great. I have no kids so can't compare that part.

Found the juniors to be care free, hard swinging and aggressive players. You're right about not playing with fear and worrying about the round, something we could all learn from.

Best part is they have been polite and great company, a few mood swings if the 200 yard drawn 3 iron does not quite come off!!!

Lowest round I've witnessed in person was a 16 year old shooting a gross 69, nett 61. It all looked so simple and easy - bastard.

don't know how i'd do with the very high h'caps, though we've all been there at some point and maybe it was the pressure of a slow medal round that made it worse. I'd certainly have no issues or problems going out with juniors, sometimes they're better company than the miserable, arrogant and pompous senior members.

john.

 

[medwayjon]

I have had mixed experiences with juniors. Unfortunately at Gillingham they have all been bad.

They all seem to have 5min pre-shot routines followed by 27 practise swings. They spend an eternity lining up even mere tap-in putts and are moody little buggers too!

I have had experinces of juinors elsewhere and they have been fantastic.

I did play with one junior at Gillingham who was a visitor and was the grandson of a pal of mine. He was a fabulous golfer, didnt fart-arse about too much and had a great temprament, he plays of 2 at 15 and it is clear that he will be a fine golfer no doubt about it.

 

[TWM]

John,
"I'd certainly have no issues or problems going out with juniors, sometimes they're better company than the miserable, arrogant and pompous senior members."
I have seen other comments like this on here. It is quite clear that you have had little contact with the senior section in your club. In my club the seniors are a very jolly lot with plenty of banter and good humour.
We also have no problems with teenagers except possibly when they are accompanied by parents.

 

[DCB]

Not played recently with any juniors at my club, but when I last played a few holes with one of the better players I felt totaly inadequate. I wish I could have swung the club like that at 15 years of age.

We have had some excellent juniors tee it up in the mens comps this year and I've not heard anything detrimental about their participation. They are getting the feel of a slightly higher standard of golf and that can only be good for the. The older girls have played in the ladies medals for a few years now as they didn't really want to play in junior medals with the tiny wee boys or the older macho hit it out of site brigade! That has worked out very well.

as an aside,

Several years back, 2000 to be precise, I wone through to a national final and played at a course in the midlands with several other hopefulls. One of our group was a young lad of 15-16. His dad accompanied his as he was still a junior. Well this poor lad, who no doubt could play very well, was subjected to some of the worst parental verbal abuse I have seen since I stopped watching the schools football! Poor guy couldn't hope to do any better with a caring parent like that to help him out!

 

[Herbie]

I dont mind who I play with , age, h/c matters not to me, the only time I get fed up or annoyed is really slow play, by that I mean the kind of pace that is to me, way below a pace anyone should be expected to play at.I make my feelings known but it takes a little more than that for me to walk off.

You mentioned that you 'agreed' not to give them any advise??? You should be careful never to do this in any comp as you can get disqualified for it if caught.Advise from caddy or team mate is ok but between competitors is a no no.

 

[johng]

John,
"I'd certainly have no issues or problems going out with juniors, sometimes they're better company than the miserable, arrogant and pompous senior members."
I have seen other comments like this on here. It is quite clear that you have had little contact with the senior section in your club. In my club the seniors are a very jolly lot with plenty of banter and good humour.
We also have no problems with teenagers except possibly when they are accompanied by parents.

"it is quite clear that you have had little contact with the senior section in your club"

TWM, didn't realise you were a member at my club and knew me, how else would you be able to judge how much contact I've had with the senior section???

I'm happy that you get on very well with the seniors in your club. However I'm not at your club and whilst I appreciate the motives behind your statement please refrain from making cognitive errors along the lines of broad generalisations and assumptions.
Maybe it is because I have had too much contact with the senior members that I make such statements?

I fully appreciate that there are great individuals in each age group and category and there are certainly many fantastic people in the senior sections of the club - however I have yet to come across an unpleasent, rude or unhelpful junior but have met too many of these individuals in the senior sections.

John.

 

[TWM]

John,

"Maybe it is because I have had too much contact with the senior members that I make such statements?"

Or maybe not?

Just kidding.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There are a number of junior members at our club, especially around the 14, 15 and 16 years of age bracket where I'd rather poke my eye out with a rusty golf shaft than spend 4 hours in their company listening to them talk about themselves and this great shot and that great shot. Like others theny have a extended pre-shot routine and even though several are single figyres none in my estimation are as good as their ego's think.

That said, I had the pleasure a couple of years back of being drawn with a junior. He had recently qualified for the EGU Gold Medal finals at Woodhull Spa which he had won and which was shown on Sky Sports. He was the most self effacing, polite young man I have met in avery long time. He didn't bring the subject of his win up until asked and then only spoke about it briefly where others would have gone on for hpurs. I was fortunate enough to play with him and his dad a few weeks after having joined up with them on the 10th. He was having a nightmare. His da was a little frustrated with him for this sudden loss of form but there were no tantrums. He just hit it, found it and hit it again. He was/is junior captain I believe (I should know but don't ) and is a credit to his familiy and the club.

 

[shanker]

There are a number of junior members at our club, especially around the 14, 15 and 16 years of age bracket where I'd rather poke my eye out with a rusty golf shaft than spend 4 hours in their company listening to them talk about themselves and this great shot and that great shot.

Homer! These lads are YOUNG! I remember it! I played in a competition this summer with a youth who was 36 years my junior. Knocked it 40 yards past my best effort. B******!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Shanker,

It isn't their playing ability that bothers me. It is the way they conduct themselves on the course, particularly if things go against them. I called a penalty shot on one lad in a medal not so long ago (he moved the ball at address in the rough) and I thought he was a) going to punch me given all the swearing aimed at me and b) he was going to pick his ball up and run back to the clubhouse in tears.

I tried to make him see that we can't pick and choose which rules we adhere to and when but he just became sulky and we barely exchanged another word on the way round. Fortunately my other partner agreed entirely with me (which didn't improve this youngsters mood any). He was a fine ball striker and had a short game to die for but he has to learn (and quickly) that you have to play by the rules and that life can be tough and you just have to get on with it.

 

[TWM]

Shanker,

"I played in a competition this summer with a youth who was 36 years my junior. Knocked it 40 yards past my best effort. B******! "

I had this experience with an 8 year old.

 

[shanker]

Homer
I take your point. It's years since I've played golf with a junior in the UK and it may be that they are just as rude on the course as they are at school and in the street. However, I'll own up to being a club-slinger and a sulky little b****** on the links at their age.

 

[viscount17]

We also have no problems with teenagers except possibly when they are accompanied by parents.

but then the problems are the parents!

I've played with a few of our juniors, mostly they're fine except for the need to massively outdrive everyone.
best two I ever saw, 11 & 13, unfailingly polite, knew the rules and played far too well for their ages!

 

[Herbie]

So this is why a number of err golfers used to give me grief whenever I turned up to play when I was 18/19, good job I never turned up with my women folk they'd be doubley jelous lol.

 

[Macster]

Did I sound as tho I had an issue with juniors in general ? Just my own I think !

Seriously, I dont, most of the lads at our club are extremely polite, well presented and very talented golfers.

I think in hindsight, its just the impatience of youth that makes them a little miserable when things dont go quite to plan, but hell I was like that when I was younger, so I have no right to judge I guess.

They are the future for Clubs, and should be welcomed and encouraged, but I just perhaps dont advocate playing with your own in a Medal !

:-/

 

[Doh]

ChrisMc

As a Junior organiser it seems to me that these lads were not at a stage where thet should have been entering medal comps it's difficult enough for adults playing off 25 and 28 to play medals never mind juniors and can be very discouraging for them.

I will never let our juniors enter medal comps unless its a junior comp untill they have been coached, assessed and reach a good standard (18 h/P)both in playing ability and attitude.

 

[forefortheday]

Went for a round on Saturday and had a little warm up on the range beforehand.

The Juniors were out in the afternoon so they were all on the range,God I've never heard such rubbish spouted by kids!

"I'm going to beat the course record today,I'm going to beat you easy today" etc etc etc.Apart from one lad they came across as a bunch of egotistical little eeijits with little or no respect.

If I had to play with people with that kind of attitude I'd do time!

Mind you I could just be a grumpy old man

 

[Macster]

ChrisMc

As a Junior organiser it seems to me that these lads were not at a stage where thet should have been entering medal comps it's difficult enough for adults playing off 25 and 28 to play medals never mind juniors and can be very discouraging for them.

I will never let our juniors enter medal comps unless its a junior comp untill they have been coached, assessed and reach a good standard (18 h/P)both in playing ability and attitude.

I dont agree - a hell of a lot of Medals are won by people with 25/28 shots to play with, so no reason they shouldnt try.

Elliott, who's 25HC, is 6' 2" and 12+ stone, and quite frankly hits the ball a mile for a 15yr old. Needs to work on direction sure, and just had a real bad start for some reason. Gross birdied the 4th, but by then he had No returned.

My own son, 28H/C, is no-where near as big, but can play some great golf, and still hits it as well as many of the senior members, so again, no reason why he shouldnt play.

My issues were totally relating to their moods and impatience rather than their abilities.

Your comments suggest that no-one with a H/C of 18+ should play in Medals ? :-/

 

[Doh]

No chris you miss my point i play with all levels of golfer and anyone who has a handicap should be allowed to play in medals.

The point i was making (not very well may i add) is that both these young people ended up with N.R'S after a few hols. the bit about the attitude is grinding out a score after a poor start they had plenty of shots to play with and could both have come in with a decent score.

As a supporter of junior golf for many years i wish them both well in their endeavours.

I have fought long and hard within my club to have the juniors included in the main comps. They now accept them in if they have a handicap of 18 or below.

Part of this restriction is because of the high number of entrants.Im glad that your club lets them in at their level

However walking off the course because of a poor round is not accepable (ask Sandy Lyle)and is unfair to the rest of the field as it effects the C.S.S they also like everyone have an obligation to their playing partners. what would have happened if you or another adult had been having a good round.