[Matthew Sander]

Getting kids and beginners involved in this great game is one of the challenges repeatedly discussed on these pages. A whole litany of barriers to entry can be suggested, some more in play than others. Cost, time, facility access, are just a few of the hurdles golfers and families face while trying to make room in their lives for our preferred pastime.

Cantigny Park, in Wheaton, IL, has done their part to address some of the aforementioned barriers. Part of the Cantigny facility is a short nine hole course built solely for children. The Cantigny Youth Links features nine holes that range from 67 to 160 yards. The course is used for junior play, clinics, rules and etiquette classes, and several family/junior events. Adults can only play if they are accompanied by a child, while kids can play on their own after completing a certification clinic.

There is a small clubhouse on site with kids clothing, clubs, bags, shoes, and snacks aimed at youngsters' tastes...no mammoth double cut pork chops here! The staff is incredibly warm and helpful and do their best to make the kids feel comfortable while also fostering an environment where the kids are required to make decisions and handle themselves in an appropriate manner.

Cynics might suggest that a more assimilated approach of kids learning the ropes at established facilities would be more beneficial for the kids by not catering or pandering to them. I can understand that criticism, but I would also suggest that there are far fewer public/municipal facilities that are amenable to unaccompanied kids than in the past.

In addition to the youth course, Cantigny also features an extensive caddy program associated with the 27 hole regulation course. All of the caddies are 21 and younger and still in school. According to their website the program has produced 11 Evans scholars.

Below are some photos of the Cantigny Youth Links facility. Descriptions will be kept brief...

Overhead (from their website)




The small clubhouse




The view from the clubhouse overlooking the first tee...



...and the first green



Looking out over the course from the porch



The tee shot at the 2nd



The third hole features 2 of the course's 3 bunkers and the most undulating green...











The 6th green



Tee shot at the slightly uphill 7th



There is a bit of rumpled fairway short of the 8th green



The 9th hole with the course's only water hazard right of the green

[Stephen Davis]

This place looks awesome. I love playing courses like this. I grew up on a par 3 course and wish my kids had one to experience. I love that adults can only access it when accompanied by a kid. What a great twist to the regular way of things.

[Matthew Rose]

I was lucky enough to live in Lincoln, Nebraska as a kid and had access to the Jim Ager Memorial Junior course as a youngster, although I moved away a short time after. But for the first few years I went back to visit, I always made time to play there if it was summer.

It wasn't quite as flashy as this one, but the premise was the same - a course built for kids, with access and priority given to kids. It was quiet, shady and well kept. Some friends of ours ran it for a brief period of time in the 80s.

In Denver, I play at Hyland Hills a lot, and though I'm not a big fan of the 18 hole course, I am attracted to the wide range of facilities that they have there. There's a 9 hole par-36 course which is okay, a 9 hole par-3 course with some full length holes, and then another 9 hole par-3 course tucked in beside Sheridan Boulevard that is more suited to beginners and juniors and is more of a pitch and putt type. Not to mention a great miniature golf complex next door, as well as the aforementioned 18 hole layout, which I actually find contains the least enjoyable holes on the property.

But the variety of golf you can play and the options available to people of different ages, skill sets, budgets and time restrictions are a model that I'd love to see more follow.

[Paul Gray]

Outstanding. These guys deserve charity status if they don't currently have it.

Having backed Pat on the whole 'one tee suits all' thread, I'll now happily contradict myself by saying that until a kid is big enough to hit the full track with adults, pitch and putt golf is a wonderful way for kids to discover the game. I apologise to those that have heard this before but until I graduated to the 'real thing' I was fortunate enough to be a member at the pitch and putt (although, much like the course highlighted here, it was technically a par 3 course) at Hayling. To this day I'm not sure that a kid can have a better introduction to the game than a nine hole links par 3 course.

[Dan Kelly]

Thanks for posting, Matt.

This is just fantastic.

I wonder how much the lawyers objected. My daughter Rose has supervised beginning golfers on the par-3 course at a local municipal facility -- and regularly reported that there were much safer places to be on this Earth.

[Matthew Sander]

Paul,

The model at Cantigny is unique and would be difficult to reproduce elsewhere. Cantigny Park, which in addition to golf offers museums, gardens, recreation areas, etc., is a property of the McCormick foundation. Therefore, they are dealing with a different set of financial constraints than most golf operations. I don't know if the Youth Links would remain viable on its own if it kept its current operation model. I would have my doubts. As a result, I am hesitant to proclaim the facility as an ideal model for others to mimic.

That said, they do offer a great product and service to the area. It is very popular with the local youth. With the accompanying 27 holes and state of the art practice facility, it is a place where the game is very family centric, though not necessarily an ideal model for grass roots efforts interested in positioning golf as family entertainment. The regulation course carries a relatively hefty green fee (in the $90-$100 range for walking), but gets plenty of use as it is geographically convenient to an affluent customer base. The fees at the Youth Links are pretty reasonable for the kids however, I think $10 per round. Each child can create a refillable debit account that can be used for green fees and snack purchases.

[Paul Gray]

Matthew,

I'm pretty sure that to stand on it's own two feet, as is generally the case with par 3 facilities, they'd have to let the adults on. Interestingly enough, the par 3 course where I grew up is actually most popular with the elderly, many of whom would find 18 holes on a full size course just too much. An hour of par 3 golf though and they're very content.

[Matthew Sander]

Paul,

I'm sure you are right. As a matter of fact, when the kids go back to school at the end of summer, they do open the Youth Links up to adults for a couple of hours per day during the week. I really don't know how much use this generates as I've never dropped by during one of these off times.

[Thomas Dai]

Impressive. Such a shame that more courses like this are not generally available. I'm sure many of us posting herein were first introduced to the game on pitch-n-putt or short courses. It would be nice if future generations could be as well.
Atb

[Paul Gray]

Thomas,

Sadly, a driving range is so much safer from a business perspective. Just speaking about my little home par 3 course, a round costs about the same as 50 or 60 balls at a range. So much less maintenance at a range and you can start 25, 35 or 50 people at once.

[Joel Pear]

My daughter went through the certification program at Cantigny and I had the pleasure of playing the Youth Links with her, and it was a blast.  Many top Illinois players got their start at Cantigny, including tour player Kevin Streelman.  It will be interesting to see if/what changes will be made at Cantigny now that Kemper Sports has had a year of management there.

[D_Malley]

I love this concept, anyone know what the total acerage is for this facility?

I think this could work at many places if you were able to build it as a dual use practice range/short course.
Maybe 3-6 total holes depending on the amout of space, which could only be used if you closed the range.

You would have to designate certain days/times when the short course would be available and maybe one of the greens could also serve as a short game practice area when the range is open.

Could someone please design this for my muni course?
I actually have a ASGCA grant for this

[Bill Seitz]

I love this concept, anyone know what the total acerage is for this facility?

From the looks of it Google's satellite view, about 20 (~90,000 square yards) give or take.  Roughly the equivalent (probably a little smaller) than the three holes directly across the street on the big course, 7-8 Woodside and 6 Hillside.  Of course, that doesn't include any maintenance facility, since presumably they use the same facility and equipment that they have on the big course. 

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