GP Junior (Jul-Aug 19) Junior (July-Aug 19) | Page 20

Instruction
W
ith the growth of junior golf
over the past several years,
more and more junior golf
schools are popping up all
over the country. There are
a few things to keep in mind when
choosing a camp that is right for your
child. Try to keep in mind the fi ve
“F”s of a junior golf school. These are
Facility, Faculty, Fun, Financials and
Future. The following article goes into
detail and discusses each of these critical
components.
Choosing a
GOLF CAMP
FACILITY:
Look to see where the school is
held. Proximity to your home is a
consideration but not always the #1
priority. If the school is out of town
determine how far of a drive it is to the
school and is it near a major city. Most
camps will pick up campers that fl y in at
a nearby airport. Most schools are held
on school campuses, be it a college or a
prep school. The better camps are held
at schools that have a PRIVATE golf
course and driving range on campus.
There are a couple of advantages to
going to a school with a golf course and
driving range at the facility. First of all,
the students get much more practice
time and time playing the golf course.
The less time the campers have to be
shuttled to the driving range and course,
the more instruction time they receive.
Secondly, if the camp has a golf course
right there students can spend their free
time practicing on their own. Spending
an hour of free time chipping and
putting with fellow campers is a great
way to practice what they just learned.
The second factor to consider is living
arrangements. This factor obviously
applies to overnight-campers, not day-
20
GolfPlus Junior July-August 2019
campers. Check to see where the junior
golfers will be staying and eating. Some
programs provide cabins, while others
provide air-conditioned dormitories.
This environment also gives the kids a
good feeling of what it’s like to live at
a prep school or college and hopefully
prepare them for the future. The last
thing to take into consideration is the
other activities the facility offers. As
much as a junior golfers loves the game,
they will eventually need a break and
do other activities. Most camps offer
some options in the afternoon after the
instruction is fi nished. Make sure the
camp facility has the capability to offer
options. A pool, tennis courts, basketball
courts, and fi tness room are just a few
things options that should be open to the
campers during down time. Don’t forget
to ask about indoor activity options as
well – in case of rain.
FACULTY:
First thing to look for is to see what the
ratio is of staff to campers. For a golf
camp, if the ratio is 4 to1, that’s very
strong. With this ratio you’ll know that
the juniors are getting good instruction
and the teaching environment is safe.
Next, look and see who makes up the
faculty. What is the staff’s background?
Do they have camp experience? Have
they worked with kids in the past? Do
they have junior golf experience? Are
there PGA/LPGA Professionals running
the program? Are the counsellors college
players? Quality camps will have people
with a lot of junior golf experience doing