Padraig Harrington Gives Epic Three-Minute Answer On Getting Kids Into Golf
At the PNC Championship, the three-time Major winner had some words of wisdom on encouraging children to take up the game
Padraig Harrington played alongside his son, Ciaran, at the PNC Championship at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club and there, the three-time Major winner had some incredible advice for anyone hoping to encourage their own children to take up the game.
The Irishman was interviewed on the Golf Channel at the family-friendly tournament and, in a three-minute answer on the subject, began by emphasising the importance of introducing children to the game in a stress-free environment.
He said: “The best way, if you want to get your kid into the game of golf is bring them somewhere where you’re not stressed. That’s very important. Kids pick up on that.”
Harrington then explained why it's vital for kids to explore the game in their own ways. He continued: “Let them do what they like when they’re there. Have a bit of fun. If they want to hit one shot, two shots, 10 shots, playing the bunker, look at the water or whatever they want to do, let them do, and generally, bring them home before they get tired.
Padraig Harrington suggests a stress-free environment is the best way for young players to learn to love golf and improve their skills. ⛳ @padraig_h 📺: @PNCchampionship Round 1 live on @peacock Saturday at 8:15 AM ET pic.twitter.com/2K1mxtiXyfDecember 15, 2023
"So the best thing you can do with a kid early on in golf is say: ’Hey, we have to go home,’ and don’t wait to get tired and hate it. Wait till when they’re actually enjoying themselves, go home.”
The 52-year-old was far from finished there, and explained why creating positive associations with the game can have far-reaching implications. He said: “When you’re finished, take 10 minutes to spend with your son or daughter and go and have a Coke, a Pepsi this week. Go and have a Pepsi in the bar, wherever it is, and sit there, have an ice cream, and spend 10, 15 minutes.
"If they have that 15 minutes alone time with you, just you and them, for the rest of their life, every time they play golf, they’ll remember the 15 minutes they had with their father or mother and that’s what keeps bringing them back to golf.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
"It’s a long career, and every time they play golf it’s bringing that happy memory of when they were a kid and they just got a bit of alone time, a bit of quiet time, a bit of big boy time, you know, where they’re sitting there in the clubhouse and enjoying it, so it’s very important, stress-free environment. Don’t bring them to the nice country club. That’s no use, that makes them soft anyway.”
Harrington was also keen to stress that developing a love for the game is more important than becoming good at it, at least to begin with. He said: “If your kid gets good at the game that doesn’t necessarily make them love the game. If you kid loves the game it’s likely they’ll become good.
"The love should be first, and it’s even more important to get a love for the game because we all know you plateau when you play golf. There’s many plateaus where it really gets frustrating, and if you don’t love it, those plateaus are going to stop you playing, you’re going to give up, whereas if you love it, you will go through anything.
“So, try and get the love of the game for the kids first. They’ll figure out how to play great golf. Kids are brilliant, they’ll figure it out. You don’t need to be teaching your kids how to play golf, you need to be ensuring that they’re in an environment that they just love the game, and then they’ll start asking questions.”
Looking for the perfect gift for the festive season? Check out the best Golf Gifts for Christmas.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
Cyber Monday Is Tomorrow, But Here Are 25 Early Golf Deals I Recommend...
Get a head start on Cyber Monday with these 25 amazing deals currently live ahead of the last shopping event before Christmas.
By Sam Tremlett Published
-
Cyber Monday Golf Deals Live: event begins and plenty of offers go live from top brands like TaylorMade, FJ and Titleist
Don't miss out on all the latest deals from Cyber Monday, with thousands live from brands like TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, Ping and more
By Sam Tremlett Last updated