Start Where They Are, Not Where You Want Them to Be

Most children who drift away from golf do so because the first few sessions felt like a lesson, not a game. A seven-year-old does not care about grip pressure or shaft lean. They care about whether the ball goes in the hole and whether they get another go. If you build the early sessions around that simple truth, you will keep them interested long enough for the technical stuff to matter.

Short and frequent beats long and rare every time. Twenty minutes in the garden or at the practice ground, three times a week, will teach a child more than a two-hour session on a Saturday morning. Their attention span is the limiting factor, so work with it rather than against it. Finish while they still want more.

Games for the Garden or Practice Ground

You do not need a course, or even a bunker, to build the fundamentals. A few cheap props and a bit of imagination will do more than a full set of junior clubs.

• Target golf: Lay out hula hoops, buckets or old towels at different distances. Give each target a points value — closer targets worth more. Children naturally start shaping shots and judging distance without any instruction.
• Footballs and tennis balls: A football swung with a seven iron teaches the feeling of striking down and through. Tennis balls off a short tee are brilliant for building confidence because they fly without stinging the hands.
• The step-and-swing drill: Get them to take a small step forward as they swing. It encourages weight transfer and rhythm, and it feels like a dance move rather than a lesson.
• Count the tee: Place a tee two inches in front of the ball and ask them to knock the tee out of the ground. It promotes a descending blow and a proper divot, and the instant feedback is addictive.
• One-club challenge: Play a whole mini-round with a single club. It teaches creativity, keeps the bag light and removes the paralysis of choice.

Keep a scorecard for these games. Children love beating a personal best, even if the "course" is four flowerpots and a wheelbarrow.

Putting and Chipping Are the Best First Lessons

Resist the urge to start with the driver. Putting and chipping give quick success, need very little space and teach the two skills that will actually save their score later. Set up a putting "green" on the living room carpet with a mug on its side, or use a proper putting cup if you have one.

A good putting game is three in a row: they must hole three putts from three feet before they can move back to four feet. It builds a repeatable stroke and a bit of nerve. For chipping, use a washing basket on its side and see how many balls they can land inside from five yards. Vary the club and the distance, and let them experiment with ball position. The goal is feel, not perfection.

Etiquette and Safety Without the Lecture

Course etiquette is easier to absorb when it is framed as a game of its own. Rather than listing rules, turn each one into a small challenge.

• Quiet please: Have them stand still and silent while you putt, and praise them for it. It becomes a point of pride rather than a restriction.
• Shout fore: Practise it loudly in the garden, exaggerated and funny. By the time they are on a course, the word comes naturally.
• Repair and rake: Give them their own pitch-mark repairer and a small rake. Children love having a real job, and they will remind you to do yours.
• Stand behind, not beside: Teach the "safe zone" behind the player who is hitting. Make it a rule of the game, not a telling-off.
• Walk, do not run, near the tee: Frame it as keeping everyone safe so the game can continue. Safety rules exist so the fun does not stop.

Explain the reason behind each rule in one sentence and then move on. Long explanations kill the mood.

Getting Them on a Real Course

When they are ready for actual grass, choose a short course, a par-three layout or the forward tees at your club. Nine holes is plenty, and six is often better. Tee off from the 150-yard marker if that keeps things moving, and let them putt out every hole — the sound of the ball dropping is the reward.

Play a scramble format where you both hit and then choose the better ball. It keeps the pace up, avoids the misery of counting every stroke and lets them watch you hit good shots. Bring snacks, bring water, and be prepared to leave after seven holes if the energy has gone. A happy seven holes beats a miserable eighteen every single time.

Kit, Costs and Club Life

You do not need to spend much to get started. A half-set of junior clubs, a glove that fits properly, and a few soft balls will cover the first year or two. Second-hand junior sets are widely available and children grow out of them quickly, so buying new is rarely worth it.

Look for junior sessions at your local club, holiday camps and family tee times. Many clubs run subsidised junior coaching and welcome families on Sunday afternoons. Ask about junior membership, as it is often far cheaper than adult rates and comes with access to fun competitions. The social side matters as much as the swing — a child with a friend at the club is far more likely to stick with it.

Above all, let them see you enjoying yourself. Children copy enthusiasm long before they copy technique. Keep the sessions short, keep the games silly, and keep the praise specific. The swing will come.