Welcome to "Golf with Your Kids"

Welcome to a new blog that will contain a collection of experience, tips and advice for enjoying the great game of golf with your children. My colleagues and friends all know my great enthusiasm for the game of golf. I've been playing for the past seven years, and along the way I've managed to teach both of my kids the sport.

Many years ago, my daughter and I had taken private lessons together from Mark Madayag at Palo Alto Muni. Along the way, we practiced together and played together at several 9-hole executive courses. Now, she has graduated to an adult set of women's clubs, and she can hit 'em straight and long. She can also play the game whenever she's in the mood. She's a teenager now, so you'll understand why it's hard to get her on the links. But when she does play, she has fun on the links. And there are plenty of birds, squirrels, and the occasional rabbit that add to the experience. Once, a flock of wild turkeys flew overhead when we played the short course at Santa Teresa.

I had introduced golf to my son at the age of 5, and now he's an 8-year old with a 34 handicap. When I started teaching my son, I was able to apply the lessons I had learned from my daughter's golf introduction. So, I've been my son's only swing coach, which is pretty cool for me and him. I had told him the story of how Sergio Garcia learned the game from his dad and how Sergio's dad is still his coach. My son was inspired by that story, and he has been a rather good student. In the past 18 months, my son and I play have played nearly every weekend. At the start of 2007, he "graduated" to 18-hole muni coures, where he now hits from the white tees.

In this blog, I plan to share advice on how to teach your kids the game. I will cover basic swing mechanics, and I will spend more time on how to teach your kids so that it's fun. (Remember, that's the reason you're out there playing golf-- to have fun.) All too often, I've seen kids and their dads on the driving range, and you can tell that no one is having fun. I will also share my experiences with local golf resources-- programs as well as family-friendly golf courses.

So, welcome aboard! I'm looking forward to help you golf with your kids...