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Golf 101
Basic Golf Tips for Family Fitness
By Kelly Burgess
Ready for a sport that requires not just physical ability, but brains, finesse, good manners and highly evolved social skills? Then you're ready for golf, a game where getting and staying fit is just part of the equation.
The benefits of golf are myriad: better fitness for everyone, family bonding and an opportunity to learn sportsmanship and proper etiquette. It's not considered an inexpensive game, but, in general, it costs about as much per person as a movie if you factor in popcorn, a drink and candy. And golf's a heck of a lot better for you. So wait for that movie to hit the video store and hit the links instead.
Golfing as a family is one of the hottest trends around. Many golf resorts in the United States and the Caribbean have revamped their courses in the last few years to offer family vacation packages that include training sessions for young golfers and courses specifically designed for family groups. This allows families to adapt the game to each player's abilities, regardless of age, gender or skill level.
Dan Van Horn, of U.S. Kids Golf, helps redesign golf courses to make them more family-friendly and has worked on 100 to 150 courses in recent years, up from 50 and 15 the years before. The roots of his organization are his own kids; they were ages 3 and 6 when he started taking them out to the course. He soon realized that traditional golf needed to evolve to reflect societal changes.
"Guys no longer have a free pass to take off for half a day or more, and golf can't be a separator of families," Van Horn says. "If anything, fathers want to take their child out to spend time together or to provide relief for Mom if she's the primary caretaker."