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 But I knew better. It was still early on a Sunday, and the last time I took my 4-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter to the club early on a weekend I got lots of please-be-quiet stares. So I waited until mid-afternoon when - thankfully - the range was empty. But the solitude didn't last. Shortly after our arrival, another dad and his three little girls trudged up the steps to the range. It was perfectly fine, however, because I knew this guy wasn't going to complain about the noise. He'd just add to it. There we were, two dads with five kids under the age of 10. Our boisterous children were giggling and having a blast as they swung away with their new clubs in a hilarious attempt to make the ball get airborne, and hopefully go forward. As we watched our kids swing with reckless abandon, fearless of shanks, hooks or whiffs, I knew our smiles hid a bit of envy. To swing that joyfully without fear of where the ball is going must be a wonderful feeling, I thought. Like everything else when it comes to my kids, I'd like to protect that innocence as long as I can. But deep down inside I know that if they stick with golf it's only a matter of time before they become as frustrated with the game as I do sometimes. It's true. I fully expect the day to come when one of my kids mutters or shouts, "I hate this game!" But if I've raised them right, the next words out of their mouths will be, "What time are we playing tomorrow?" KIDS AND CLUBS Three months ago a proposed amendment to the Rules of Golf regarding additional forms of club adjustability was approved by the USGA. What the USGA hopes to accomplish is noble - "permitting additional forms of club adjustment that will help golfers obtain clubs that are better suited for their needs," according to Dick Rugge, the USGA's senior technical adviser. The rule change could have a positive effect on junior golf. With the amendment, flex, torque and other elements can be changed before, but not during, a round. Touring professionals have made equipment adjustments between rounds for years depending on predicted weather and course conditions. Golfers like you and me, however, don't have that luxury. It's no secret that golf clubs and repairs can be costly. Even inexpensive junior sets become costly when you have to buy new clubs or change shafts every season as your child grows. Easily adjustable clubs for juniors are available - Accu-Length (acculength.com) makes a terrific expandable junior set. However, before the rule change these kinds of adjustable clubs were nonconforming to the USGA. This new amendment could help in that area and also help grow the game. According to The First Tee, an organization dedicated to providing kids of all backgrounds the opportunity to play golf, four times the number of kids are being introduced to golf today than they were 15 years ago. That's the good news. The bad news is that there isn't an increase in the number of kids sticking with the game. That doesn't make sense, and I'll bet club expense is part of the problem. The average junior golfer needs clubs resized annually to maintain a consistent swing plane. If you ask teaching pros, they'll tell you that proper fitting is the No. 1 problem with young golfers today. Say a parent buys clubs for their child. The kid tries golf but doesn't like it. A year later the child wants to try again, but now the clubs are too short, making the parent hesitant to invest in another set. With this new ruling I predict we'll see more adjustable clubs available that can legally and inexpensively be lengthened. I also think major clubmakers are working hard to figure out ways to capitalize on this ruling with new product offerings. It's already apparent that Accu-Length is ready to take advantage of the ruling with a new marketing strategy that will let junior golfers who buy Accu-Length clubs go back to where they bought them and have them adjusted for free. Only time will tell if this USGA rule change will accomplish its intended goal. But it's nice to know that the governing bodies of the game are getting more progressive and open to change. SG Eric Tracy is also known as The Mulligan Man. He can be reached at eric@themulliganman.com |
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