Junior comps, scoring issue?

[goughy]

So I took Kyan out for his first junior comp today. It was some special Pump golf day with some better prizes up for grabs. As it was his first run at it, he was just gonna do the 3 hole comp but turned out he was the only one so he continued on and did the 6 hole one. They score a max of 10 on a hole (to keep the groups moving) and he finished with a comp score of 55, and a genuine score of 59.

So proud of him - after a few shots he just wanted to belt the cover off the ball. A true male golfer he was. Nearly ended up on the ground once or twice he tried to swing that hard.

I am wondering how 'fluid' the scoring is usually in these sorts of things? I don't know if I was being tough or not, but I counted all airswings and his penalty for hitting in the water. The kid we swapped cards with had his dad with him and I don't think he out scored Kyan but beat him by 4 shots. And one of the girls in our group won the 6 hole comp with a score of 45, but was on her own with no parents with her. Her mum afterwards was really excited because it was by far the best game she'd ever played. But I watched her 4 to 6 putt a few times (including dropping the ball in the hole with her hand) and there was no way she scored that.

Now I know it's only kids golf blah blah blah. But shouldn't we be doing this the right way? Or was I just a prick to count the air swings? I also know the kid who came second in the comp - he was in the group in front of us with his mum and his older brother. So I wasn't there but saw plenty of him and again there was no way he came second. OK, I'm being a bit pedantic and I know they're just kids. But they did win a shirt and a box of balls each.

[shazza_rs]

I don't think you are a prick for counting air swings and penalties as that is within the rules. If it was just a social hack, maybe. But if prizes are on offer I think you've done the right thing.

[matty]

That would give me the absolute shits. But what can you do when kids are left to write their own score or mums don't worry about the air swing or little missed putt. The upside is you're teaching your son how to do it properly and if he goes on with it to proper tournaments when he's older, he'll be a lot better equipped.

[mike]

Now I know it's only kids golf blah blah blah...This.
Move on.

[popper81]

Count them Goughy... Pump is a tad more relaxed then some junior events, but the basic rules of golf need to be adhered to. I have little kids that have 60+ for two holes with 30+ air swings. So be it.

[Hatchman]

Juniors should be taught to play by the rules from the very start.
Harder to correct faults or problems after they've been doing it wrong for a while.

It's also a problem if everyone's not playing by the same rules and makes a mockery of the word competition.

[sms316]

Junior golf usually causes administrators more headaches than any other level, and it is always the battle between people who want to play completely by the rules and those who turn a blind eye because they don't want to ruin the experience for the kids.

I'm in the by the rules camp. Without rules there is anarchy. Who chooses which rules aren't important?

[goughy]

Yeah, nothing would make me change the way I'm doing it. And I explained to him how the air swings have to count as a stroke. He seemed surprised, but not worried. He did then ask me if practice swings counted!

Clikchic says I should chat to the pro's at his clinic on Wednesday. As I said it's not the end of the world. And while I don't know exactly what the other kids scored, I know one took 6 or 7 putts till they kicked the ball in the hole and they won the day with a 45 for 6 holes, and didn't have less than 4 putts on any hole. I don't think Kyan would have won anything as there were some older kids in the same comp, but two of the youngest ended up winning and I know both scored higher than they marked. So two other kids are out a dozen balls each and a shirt each.

But Kyan showed plenty. First hole he scored 11 with 2 air swings and 4 to get out of a bunker. And the par 4 third he shot 11 with a chip out from trees and a penalty drop from a water hazzard. He nailed one driver and a beautiful 3 wood from the fairway.

[Dotty]

More importantly ... Any shanks?

[goughy]

Nope. Nothing funny.

[mrbluu]

More importantly ... Any shanks?


Nope. Nothing funny.

So he is not going to be real ozgolfer then....

[Timbo]

I took one of my boys to a Pump golf comp a few years ago, and like you I counted every shot. With only Mums and Dads to regulate the scoring, I'm sure other kids had more shots but ended up with better scores. I didn't let it worry me too much as I looked at it as more a fun day than anything else. One of those dodgy score kids went on to a primary school comp a couple of years later and cheated his butt off. My son ended up beating him - just. A few years after that my son won the Junior Club champs at our club and the arithmetically challenged kid was out of golf by then. I think he lost interest when he worked out he had to count every shot. Keep doing what you're doing. I'd wait until it got to the next level before I did anything about it.

[PeteyD]

I think at this level it is best to teach your kids the right way and not worry what anyone else does. As Timbo says when it gets a bit more serious it will even out.

[goughy]

Yeah, I didn't let anything on to Kyan. Clikchic is pissed though that kids who didn't deserve it took home prizes.

[Rodent]

Well I won't be taking my son to Pump golf if that's what's going on.

[Ferrins]

I wonder what a younger Kim Jong-un would have got with his dad scoring for him.

[popper81]

I wouldn't say "that is what's going on" as a norm.... But I do here mixed feedback.

I can 't speak for down south, but up here the pump golf comps are run as part of the trainee professional program ( they have to organise one comp as part of their assessment in yr 3). With that brings a range of different attitudes depending on the individuals attitude towards work, juniors & life in general. This means there maybe a lack of conformity in comps/rules/overall feel, and the feedback I have received from parents have ranged from exceptional to poor.

This year we have started running all junior comps under GNJGF rules. Means when the kids go play the more important events, they feel a lot more comfortable... strangely we have a 50/50 break up of non golfing v golfing parents. They all appreciating the practice,as some of them have no idea when it comes to the rules of golf.

I guess junior sport is very transparent. The way it operates is reflective of the manner in which the people who run it feel about it. I am lucky to have a very driven and keen pro (who has two kids in the program) that makes the junior workload fun for all involved. The worst part of my job is the politics within the club. I much prefer having putting comps with 10 year olds.... and losing!!!!

[Dotty]

Well I won't be taking my son to Pump golf if that's what's going on.
Good idea.

That company is also enticing kids to buy water off them for $6 a litre.

[goughy]

Well he had his second junior round today, of what is going to be a regular outing for him now. And such a different round - 98 for the 6 holes. But he had a lot of fun and I didn't want to be one of those stand over dad's saying do this and that and that and this. Most of my correcting today was about etiquette, so not talking while others are hitting, not dawdling, how to mark your ball on the green etc. And then more of counting airswings, and he learned that if you put your club behind the ball and bump your ball it counts. He was really surprised by that one, but it didn't stop him from doing it another dozen times during the round.

His swing was still ok, but he couldn't hit anything today. But he still enjoyed himself and he didn't do any of the 'sitting on the ground in a huff after hitting a bad shot' like one of the others in our group did. And on the first tee the granddad of those two kids said to me 'They just need to remember three things to have a good day' and then didn't shut up the whole round - to me, to Kyan, to his own grandkids. Bloody hell, talk about putting the pressure on the kids. I told Kyan while walking to his first shot to just take no notice of that guy. Just listen to me. Jeeze there's a lot of pro's out there.

The one thing to take away from today for Kyan, and probably the one thing I tried a bit with him was to get him to work on his alignment to target. But I found out on our last hole, that he's not even thinking of a target. He hit one straight into the trees which he was aiming at, and I asked him if he knew what he was aiming at. He said 'wasn't aiming at nothing'. I told him he was actually aiming into the trees, straight where the ball went, and he shrugged his shoulders. Oh to be a kid with now cares in life :)

[matty]

Tough gig Goughy to put the adult perspective aside, in regards to caring at least a bit on alignment etc, but I reckon you're handling it great. If my young fella ever plays this sort of stuff I'd like to think I'll be much the same as you. I'll pity the kids that have the constant pressure throughout a round from their dads, grand dad etc

[Outcast]

Mate, I encountered the same type of 'creative' scoring issues when my boy was starting out. I also encountered the blank stare when I mentioned that he had hit it into the trees he was aiming at...:)

Teach them the right way, play by the rules, count every shot & also about etiquette. Guide them about aiming in order to hit it where they want to but, most important of all, let it be fun...

My boy drifted away from golf for a few years but, he's drifting back into it again now at 16... He enjoys it, he tries to play by the rules & he will be working on his AGU handicap soon.

I've seen juniors become 'cheating' adults because they thought that what they were being taught at Juniors (by their parents) was correct!! It has caused one or two minor problems where senior golfers have been advised to keep an eye on 'so & so' because the young fella doesn't seem to count too well, etc..

But, as I said mate, make sure Kyan & you are having fun learning how to play the game properly :)

[goughy]

Yeah, during the rounds I'm more about the etiquette at the moment, and little things about the golf. He's only 8 and hasn't been playing that long, and while he had a shocker yesterday he's also played much much better. But the best thing about that is he didn't notice it himself and just had a good time so I'm pretty happy with that.

[Onewood]

Yeah, during the rounds I'm more about the etiquette at the moment, and little things about the golf. He's only 8 and hasn't been playing that long, and while he had a shocker yesterday he's also played much much better. But the best thing about that is he didn't notice it himself and just had a good time so I'm pretty happy with that.
Goughy welcome to the fun of enjoying the growth of a young golfer starting off
The biggest enjoyment is still to come though, when he beats dad of the stick for the first time
In your case you won't have to wait long (unless you've improved over the years) :)

[goughy]

I just rejoined my club after 5 years of not being a member. How well do you think I'm hitting it!

[markTHEblake]

Onewood, how is Mitch going, I imagine he is 6 foot now and giving you a touch up on the course and at home.

[Onewood]

Onewood, how is Mitch going, I imagine he is 6 foot now and giving you a touch up on the course and at home.
Mitch is going OK, playing off 13 at the moment (dad 14) so not letting him get to far away yet.