Safety Tips for Golfing with Kids
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Stand behind the child who is holding the club. Never stand in front of the person who is hitting the ball. Teach children to maintain a tight grip on the club so that they do not accidentally throw it while trying to take a swing. If a child is angry, they should not throw the ball or the club. Dropping it and storming off is a better and safer choice for a child.
Check for people around you before taking a practice swing so that you do not hit someone with the club. Do not overload a child with heavy clubs. Give the child junior golf clubs like Ping junior golf clubs that are designed for younger golfers. Give your child a rolling golf club bag, carry the clubs for them or place the golf clubs on a golf cart. Do not force a child to carry a heavy load for which they do not have the physical capacity to carry.
Teenagers who have demonstrated they can carry a heavy load can carry a golf club bag. Children at five or ten years old should not carry more than a single club or two. Teach your child to listen to his or her body. Does the child’s wrist, hand or shoulder hurt? They need to know that it is not only all right to report it but necessary to do so. If a child complains of muscle strain or pain, stop practicing. If the child complains about pain or numbness after a rest period, apply ice. If there is pain or strain the next day, you may want to consult with your doctor.
Don’t let children drive golf carts. These are vehicles and driving them should generally be limited to licensed drivers. Children and teenagers require hydration when out on the golf course as much as they do if on the beach. Keep them plied with juice, bottled water and sports drinks. Avoid soda, since this dehydrates the body. Do not let your child go into the water hazard to retrieve a ball. You do not know how deep it is, and a child risks drowning if they go into the water unsupervised.