- Proudly edited by The Globe and Mail
Junior Golf
The continued popularity of golf in Canada relies on introducing more children to the sport and increasing their overall enjoyment of the game. As well, we must be committed to keeping up with the evolution of the game by aligning with the Long-Term Player Development Guide (LTPD) framework, providing the support and expertise to develop our best junior golfers.
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Enter
My child has little-to-no background or experience in golf
Is your school one of the more than 1,200 elementary schools in Canada currently offering the National Golf in Schools program? Some 150,000 children in Canada between the ages of 5-12 are learning about golf as part of their elementary school’s physical education curriculum. Outside of school, more than 1 million kids have gone through CN Future Links—Canada's national junior golf program, designed to provide "Best in Class" golf programming for junior golfers across the country—since 1996. Quite simply, CN Future Links is the best golf program for your son or daughter in the country. Contrary to popular belief, golf is not an expensive sport—especially for kids. Golf facilities like driving ranges and golf courses offer very affordable CN Future Links programming like Learn to Play, Girls’ Club and Junior Leagues.
The National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada Take a Kid to the Course Week sees more than 600 golf courses across Canada take part annually in the program that allows children to golf for free. Learn more about junior golf in Canada here.
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Enjoy
My child has an interest in pursuing more golf knowledge, how do I lead them down the proper pathway?
Driving ranges and golf courses—public, nine holes, executive, par-three—run by Canadian PGA professionals are perfectly suited for kids to learn more about the game; like etiquette, rules, handicaps and history of the game. Junior golfers should consider becoming a CN Future Links member, joining a Junior League, that allows junior golfers to participate with and against fellow competitors in different formants in a non-threatening golf environment. Girls’ Club is specifically designed for girls in the hopes they will develop the skills, attitudes, and positive images of themselves as athletes on and off the golf course. Properly fitted golf equipment gives juniors the best opportunity for success, enjoyment and improvement. Recently Golf Canada showed its support for the Tee it Forward initiative, which is at helping golfers have the best possible experience on the golf course by playing from a set of tees best suited to their abilities.
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Excel
My child possesses immense skills in the sport, where do we go from here?
Canada’s Junior Competitive Pathway—an interactive guide to junior competition options across Canada for golfers of all levels— and the Long Term Player Development (LTPD) Guide for Golf in Canada are invaluable for junior golfers and parents. Junior golfers at a competitive playing level can obtain a handicap through Golf Canada. Team Canada’s Development Squad’s aim is for players of junior age to be better prepared to become Canada’s best amateur golfers once they graduate from junior golf. The provincial associations also offer high performance programs giving juniors the opportunity to receive coaching, training and peer support. The CN Future Links Junior Order of Merit and National Order of Merit identify the top performing golfers in the country on a year-to-year basis based on provincial, national and international tournaments. Junior golfers entering Canadian post-secondary institutions are eligible for Golf Canada Foundation Scholarships.
