Focus on fun so kids stay focused on golf

Blackstone’s Director of Golf offers tips to keep kids playing

The game of golf can frustrate even the best adult players. So how do you keep kids motivated?

“Keep it fun. That’s our mission,” says Todd Cernohous, director of golf at Blackstone Country Club in Peoria, who oversees the club’s junior golf program. Currently 28 kids participate in the program with the youngest being just four years old. The majority fall between six and nine years of age.

“The biggest challenge is getting kids to the course. So making the game interesting enough to keep them coming back isn’t necessarily about swinging a club,” Todd points out.

Cernohous has four tips to keep a youngster engaged in the game of kings:

1. Keep the instruction simple. Let kids develop their own motion by making lessons fun. Have them make swings with a baseball bat or actually hit tennis balls with a tennis racket to better understand the circular motion of the golf swing.

2. Start at the putting green. They’ll have greater success here as it’s easier to sink a putt than to start out with a more challenging drill.

3. Demonstrate what you’d like them to do. Most kids learn by visualization, so show them how to grip a club or execute a swing.

4. Get their best friends to play. Kids are more likely to stick with the game if their friends are involved, too.

Of course Blackstone’s junior golf program, which runs from November through April, covers the fundamentals – grip, stance and posture, and alignment – but additional activities like kickball, toss the football or a word find are also incorporated into the traditional session. “We’re actively thinking of games and competitions to include in our drills to make it new and exciting for the kids,” Cernohous explains. The season ends with a skills challenge and a parent-child golf tournament.

The Blackstone program also covers safety on the course, appropriate dress code and course etiquette. “Kids also need to learn at a young age where to stand, how to fix ball marks, and not to run on the greens.” Cernohous’ team then plays 2-3 holes with the kids.

“Ability is the answer to the number of holes the kids will play,” he explains. “There are a few kids who will play nine or even 18 holes with their parents.” However, he points out that a child’s success at the game doesn’t hinge on whether the parents play.

“Neither of my parents golfed but their support and encouragement, when I didn’t play well and their excitement when I did, influenced my decision to pursue a career in golf,” adds Cernohous, who started playing at the age of 13.

Also, two of his friends were golfers and that camaraderie on the course kept Cernohous coming back for more. It also kept his friends involved to this day, as one friend is a club professional and the other continues to play regularly.

“It’s such a great sport for kids to get into,” he points out, “and one that they can play throughout their lives.”