Children's Courses

[B. Mogg]

So you are designing a kids golf course - just for kids, adults can play but must be accompanied by a child.......

What would be the range of hole lengths you would design to provide maximum enjoyment to the widest range of kids (in terms of age and playing ability)? I have 2 kids aged 7 and 9 and already the difference in the distance they can hit the ball is considerable (40 yards vs 100 yards).

What would comprise a par 3/4/5 (and while knowing it doesnt matter to the kids at a younger age as they get older it takes on some significance) - and it matters to the owner.

And finally, what would be the main characteristics of the design that you would consider important (few bunkers, wild greens?)?

I know First Tee have programs around the US - do they have any "standards"?

[Gary Daughters]

Wild greens?  Yes!!

[Bob Jenkins]

I recall seeing the children's courses in Scotland. Specifically in Gullane and Carnoustie. Same concept where adults can only play for kids. I think that is a great idea and should be encouraged as much as possible. As for what distances should dictate par 3, 4 or 5, I would simply try to find out what has been done elsewhere. It may depend on the definition of "kid"

[B. Mogg]

Bob - true and thats why I am wondering what age range you can deal with on these courses (before the kids start to think the course is too short for them) - I would think after they get to about 13 the kids are hitting it too far, but for 6-7 year olds anything over 20 yards is a par 4.

For adults, I would think if you are a parent you would have a blast playing any sort of golf course with your kid - length of no importance.

[Tommy Williamsen]

check out the Pimpley course at Royal North Devon.

http://www.royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk/juniors.html

http://www.royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk/pimpley.html

[Dan King]

There is absolutely no reason to have anything like par on a children's course. Par at least on a regular course has some meaning, but what would be a comparable number on a children's course? What someone at the USGA Junior Championship would shoot? They wouldn't even belong on a children's course. Build fun holes of varied lengths and let them set their own par.

Cheers,
Dan King

Golf is deceptively simple, endlessly complicated. A child can play it well, and a grown man can never master it. Any single round if it is full of unexpected triumphs and seemingly perfect shots that end in disaster. It is almost a science, yet it is a puzzle without an answer. It is gratifying and tantalizing, precise and unpredicatable. It requires complete concentration and total relaxation. It satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.
  --Robert Forgan

[B. Mogg]

There is absolutely no reason to have anything like par on a children's course. Par at least on a regular course has some meaning, but what would be a comparable number on a children's course? What someone at the USGA Junior Championship would shoot? They wouldn't even belong on a children's course. Build fun holes of varied lengths and let them set their own par.

Dan,

Agree 100% - and will argue as such - but we are talking about a relatively "new" golfing nation where creating golf courses without a par of 72 is a mighty struggle. Golf for its own sake is not understood at all.

[John Foley]

Brett,

The best I've seen is at Celebration outside Disney. They have a 3 hole childrens course where the holes are 50-80 yards near the practice green. It's all mown at fw height except the greens. No rough.

From the experince w/ my 8 year old daughter taking her out this summer, that would seem about right in terms of length of holes. A couple loops around that would be just about right.

Looks like a great great place for the kids to play.

[Tom Yost]

check out the Pimpley course at Royal North Devon.

I take it that is more of an adolescent course  

Gary: Great photo!


Tom

[Mike Wagner]

Peter Hay at Pebble - love it.

[Tom_Doak]

Brett:

The kids' courses at Gullane and North Berwick are a good study.  

The one at North Berwick has nine holes between 50-120 yards with some cool contours; I loved taking my son out there a couple of years ago and playing it with just a putter against him with whatever clubs he wanted.

The one in Gullane is much flatter and shorter (six holes, 30-60 yards), but seemed much more popular with the junior set.  They don't need it to be too hard.

[Dan King]

B. Mogg writes:
Agree 100% - and will argue as such - but we are talking about a relatively "new" golfing nation where creating golf courses without a par of 72 is a mighty struggle. Golf for its own sake is not understood at all.

I believe anyone trying to make money on an 18 hole children's course is going to lose money. Considering the land required, the maintenance, etc ... it is a crazy proposition.

We are talking about kids who have no problem watching the same episode of Hanna Montana 1,000 times. They do not need the variety of 18 holes. A six or nine hole course is perfect. It gives them opportunities to become familiar with a smaller course, so they can compare how they do over time, how much they improve. Kids that actually want to play 18 holes will get to see if they play a certain hole better on the second or third time through.  

The idea is the course must be cheap, reasonably easy, and with only a few hazards. My opinion, kids enjoy contours more than hazards. Many of their shots stay along the ground, and they love watching the ball run.

Cheers,
Dan King

The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.
 --Plato

[Dan Kelly]

My daughter learned to play golf on one of my favorite courses anywhere: a little 9-hole, par-3 resort course in northern Minnesota, with holes ranging in length from about 90 yards to about 200.

The greens are smaller than Donald Trump's bathroom (I presume).

There is no rough.

There is one bunker -- sort of halfway between the 6th fairway and the 8th fairway -- and no other hazards.

Every week of every summer, they play host to the Major/Minor Classic -- an alternate-shot competition among parent-and-child teams. It's the perfect format for such a course, and everyone loves it.

The rest of the week, the course is heavily populated by both adults and kids.

The cry of "FORE!" is heard often, as the course is extremely compact and there are three blind tee shots.

[B. Mogg]

Thanks for all the comments. It sounds like a short, 9 hole facility with minimal bunkers and lots of crazy contours is the way to go. I know that what my kids would like....Cheers.

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