Enticing young players to get involved with a club’s junior program can help create a lifelong involvement in the game and provide some additional revenue. But with so many distractions, it’s often difficult to get—and keep—a junior’s attention. That’s why one club has turned to a novel approach.
The staff at Fieldstone Golf Club in Greenville, Delaware, greets each junior golfer that enters the shop and tries to make them feel comfortable. This helps put the youngsters at ease and helps break down barriers. Before they leave, juniors are given a novelty golf ball, regardless of whether they’ve expressed any interest in golf.
“The kids are so surprised to be given something just for coming into the golf shop, we always get big smiles from them,” says head professional John Rudolph. “The balls are really a great item for the kids.”
The novelty balls come in a variety of colors and designs. There are golf balls that resemble soccer balls, tennis balls and basketballs, while others feature stars and stripes or animals. Youngsters get to choose one they like and are happy to receive a gift.
Partially because of the unique novelty gift, many juniors—even some who previously showed no interest in golf—will sign up for one of the club’s junior programs. As a result, the youth program at the club has grown more than 300 percent since 2012. The summer camps now have a waiting list that starts several months beforehand, and prompting the club to add a third summer camp last year to ensure it could serve all the members.
“Taking an interest in all children at your club, whether they’re currently a golfer or not, goes a long way toward developing a strong youth golf program,” Rudolph says.