Team Golf

Last summer I wrote about how Connor had received his very first set of golf clubs from Grand Daddy and was really enjoying learning about the game of golf. Earlier this year, we asked Connor what springtime sports activity he'd like to pursue (because this Momma can only handle one sport per kid per season, and even that's pushing it) and he chose golf.

Starting in February, Connor began attending weekly golf sessions at our favorite local golf club, Cinco Ranch. The Golf Academy was doing a great job teaching Connor the fundamentals of golf and helping him advance his skills, but I decided I wanted to see if there was anything besides just group lessons that could teach Connor about the game of golf. (This strikes me as funny because I don't think I had ever even stepped foot on a golf course before! Ha!)

After I did a little digging, I learned that the Southern Texas Professional Golf Association (STPGA) has this awesome program called Team Golf that is designed for beginner junior golfers. They pair up each junior with a partner and then send them to tournament competitions together where they golf as a team in a scramble format (using each partner's "best" shots to complete each hole as a team). Then the partner scores are rolled into a larger group score to determine the tournament group winners. The scoring is very complicated (to me) but the goal of the program is to encourage beginner golfers, teaching them the love of the game without so much focus on individual scoring.

Connor has been attending multiple golf lessons all year for Team Golf, and we were so excited on April 26 when he finally got to put his skills to use at his very first golf tournament at the 2014 Team Golf Spring Preview at Lake Walden in Conroe. We decided to attend as a family to cheer Connor on.

My little golfer overlooking the scenery at the golf course.

We arrived at the golf club unsure of what to expect for the day. After getting signed in, Jeff got us a family golf cart and we all headed to the driving range and putting green so that Connor could get some practice strokes in. (Am I using the right golf lingo here? I have a lot to learn.)

Got our family cart and ready for the tournament.

Practicing on the putting green.

Driving range practice shots.

Jeff was Connor's caddy for the day. Love it!

Kaitlynn was happy to be along for the ride, although she needs a little work on her golf etiquette, ha!

After Connor's practice shots, we met back up near the clubhouse for the tournament announcements. We learned that Connor's Team Golf partner would be a boy named Lucas that Connor knew from practice. (They assign partners on the day of the tournament based on age and skill.) And then, it was time to get started!

Pic with my little golfer before the tournament.

Connor and Lucas started on Hole 2 for their 9 holes of golf. We carted over to the hole and met the other team that they'd be golfing with for each hole. We were all definitely feeling lots of nerves on that first hole. Connor and Lucas ended up having to take the maximum stroke count (10) on that hole, but it turned out to be the only one. After getting over their initial nervousness, they did GREAT! They made a few pars and had some great shots, getting a combined score of 55 for the 9 holes. We were so proud of their efforts!

Lined up for his very first hole.

Side note: this golf stuff is so new and foreign for me. I know NOTHING about golf. It cracked me up to listen to Jeff and Connor discuss which clubs to use for each shot, and Connor would rattle off various reasons for whichever club he preferred. And then the parents and friends that were accompanying the boys we were golfing with would say things like, "Who is out?" (translation: which team is farther away from the hole, because that determines who will be taking the next shot) and "Which direction is it breaking?" (translation: which way will the ball roll based on elevation, wind, etc.). And the other thing I found amusing...I was all prepared to take some photos from my "good" camera to capture the afternoon. But after taking one or two pictures on the first hole and realizing that the clicks from my camera shutter were kind of loud and disrupting the quiet for the golfers, I realized I was probably breaking the rules of golf etiquette so I went back to using my iPhone camera.

Connor about to putt with his partner, Lucas watching to the side.

Yep, he may have had a few shots from the sand traps!

Kaitlynn enjoying a snack in the golf cart.

Towards the end of the 9 holes, the boys were getting a little rambunctious and Kaitlynn was having a hard time keeping still and quiet. We were all tired and ready to be done! But it was such a great experience for all of us and a great introduction to competitive golf for Connor. On the last hole, Connor leaned over to me and said, "Mom, this is so much fun!" He had a big smile and just really enjoyed the entire afternoon.

When it was time for the competition scoring, Connor and Lucas were excited to learn that they had the 4th best partner score for their age (6-9) division, even beating out some of the teams in the older age (10-12) division. What a great start for Connor's golf "career", ha! Below are some highlights of Connor from the tournament, including a shot that ended up in the water (oops). The funny thing about that shot is that Connor managed to conveniently switch his golf ball, putting away his favorite orange ball BEFORE the water shot. Must've been a premonition and he didn't want to lose his best ball!





Connor will be participating in several more Team Golf tournaments this summer. On the days that Jeff is working, I guess the caddy duties will fall to Dear Old Mom. Now THAT should be interesting!