Junior Golf in the UK — How to Get Your Child Into Golf

Junior golf in the UK is booming. The number of children taking up the game has risen sharply in recent years, driven by greater school-based programmes, the success of British professionals on the world stage, and a concerted effort by governing bodies to make golf more welcoming, accessible and affordable for younger players. If you are a parent wondering whether to encourage a child’s interest in golf — or a young person who wants to find out how to get started — this is the guide for you.

The good news, right from the start: golf has never been easier or cheaper to try. You do not need a club membership to begin. You do not need expensive equipment. You do not need a handicap certificate. You just need a few clubs, a willing child, and somewhere to hit balls.

What Age Can a Child Start?

There is no minimum age for golf. Seriously — none at all. Tiger Woods was famously putting on national television at age two, having been introduced to the game by his father almost before he could walk. Most golf coaches will tell you that from age five or six, a child can begin to learn the fundamental movements and enjoy hitting balls, even if formal lessons are not yet entirely productive.

From around eight to ten, most junior sections at golf clubs will admit children as junior members, and this is typically when formal coaching and competition become genuinely meaningful. From this age, children can develop real technique, enjoy matchplay and strokeplay competitions, and begin the process of obtaining a handicap.

Do not overthink the starting age. If a child is enthusiastic and physically capable of holding a club, they can start. If they are not interested, no amount of early intervention will manufacture a love of the game. When the spark is there, fan it.

England Golf’s Junior Golf Passport

One of the most valuable initiatives in junior golf in England is the Junior Golf Passport scheme, operated by England Golf. This is a free loyalty card available to any junior golfer that allows them to play participating golf courses across England at reduced — and sometimes free — green fees.

The Passport is designed to remove one of the biggest barriers to junior participation: the cost of getting out onto a golf course. With the scheme, juniors can visit a huge range of courses and play at rates that are genuinely affordable, building experience, confidence and a love of different venues in the process.

To get a Junior Golf Passport, simply register on the England Golf website. The scheme is free, the sign-up is quick, and the participating venues are displayed online. If you are introducing a junior golfer to the game in England, this should be one of your very first steps.

Club Junior Sections: How They Work

Most established golf clubs have a junior section, and the quality and character of that section will have a significant influence on whether a young golfer thrives at the club or drifts away. Here is what to look for.

Wednesday evening junior sessions are a staple at many clubs — typically two to three hours after school on a midweek evening during term time and summer. These sessions are usually run by the club’s PGA-qualified professional or a club coach, and they combine coaching with informal play, games, chipping competitions and the social side of junior golf. They are, for many juniors, the highlight of the week.

PGA-qualified coaches are the gold standard for junior instruction. When you are choosing a club for your child, it is worth asking specifically whether the junior coaching is delivered by a PGA pro or PGA-qualified coach. The professional qualification includes specialist junior coaching modules, and the difference in quality between a good PGA coach and an enthusiastic well-meaning volunteer is significant.

Junior competitions at club level typically run throughout the summer, covering strokeplay, stableford and matchplay formats. County associations also run inter-club junior competitions, which provide a step up in competitive experience. For children with genuine competitive ambitions, the pathway from club-level competition to county and national level is well-defined.

The Golf Foundation and Golf Roots

If you are looking for golf opportunities that do not require a club membership or any upfront cost, the Golf Foundation is the organisation to know. The Golf Foundation is a charitable body that promotes golf participation among young people, primarily through schools and community settings.

The Golf Foundation’s Golf Roots programme delivers golf sessions in primary and secondary schools across the country, introducing children to the sport in a familiar, low-pressure environment. Sessions are delivered by qualified coaches using adapted equipment and game formats designed specifically for younger players.

For the youngest children — roughly age four to nine — the Tri-Golf programme offers a specially designed introduction to golf that emphasises movement, coordination and fun rather than technique. Tri-Golf equipment is lightweight and colourful; the games bear only a passing resemblance to course golf; and the primary goal is enjoyment. It is a brilliant entry point, and many clubs use Tri-Golf as the first step in their junior development pathway.

If your child’s school does not currently offer golf activities, it is worth contacting the Golf Foundation or your county golf union to find out what is available locally.

Getting Started Without Joining a Club

Joining a golf club is not a prerequisite for enjoying golf. There are plenty of ways to introduce a child to the sport without committing to membership.

Driving ranges are the simplest starting point. You hire a bay, buy a bucket of balls, and hit. Most ranges have a selection of clubs available to borrow or hire, which means you need not invest in equipment until you are sure the interest is genuine. The atmosphere at driving ranges is relaxed and unpretentious — no dress codes, no rules about handicaps, no intimidating traditions.

TopGolf and Toptracer venues have transformed the driving range experience for a younger generation. These venues combine the driving range with technology that tracks your ball, games and targets to aim at, food and drinks, and a social atmosphere that appeals to young people who might find a traditional range daunting. They are genuinely fun for the whole family, and several children who initially visited a TopGolf purely as a social outing have gone on to become passionate golfers.

FootGolf — played with a football on a course-like layout with oversized holes — is an accessible entry point that combines the tactical thinking of golf with the familiarity of football. Many FootGolf courses are on the grounds of golf clubs, and several juniors who play FootGolf develop sufficient curiosity about the “real” game to pick up a club.

Adventure golf (crazy golf or mini golf at a more serious level) is not golf, strictly speaking, but it does develop spatial awareness, putting feel and basic concepts of the game in a very child-friendly format.

Pay-and-play golf courses are the next step: real courses, real rounds, no membership required. Most pay-and-play courses charge half the adult green fee or less for juniors under 18, and many are free for under-12s accompanied by a paying adult. This is the best way to play proper holes before committing to a membership.

Equipment: What a Junior Needs

One of the commonest mistakes parents make is investing heavily in equipment before a child’s interest is established. A junior who plays three rounds and decides golf is not for them has left you with a set of expensive clubs that no one will use.

Start with a starter set. A seven-piece junior starter set — typically containing a driver, fairway wood, a couple of irons, a wedge and a putter — is sufficient for a beginner. These sets are designed with lighter shafts and shorter club lengths appropriate for juniors, and they are widely available from high street retailers and online.

Buy second-hand. Second-hand junior sets in good condition are readily available on eBay, Facebook Marketplace and through golf clubs themselves. A quality second-hand set can be acquired for £50 to £100 — perfectly adequate for a child who is still finding their feet.

Sizing matters. Junior clubs should be sized to the child, not to age. The key measurement is height: a club that is too long will encourage poor technique; one that is too short will constrain the swing. Most junior sets come in three or four size ranges (typically: starter, small, medium, large) covering heights from about 90cm to 160cm. Many golf retailers will size a junior for free in store.

Do not buy expensive clubs until committed. Once a junior is playing regularly, taking lessons, and clearly passionate about the game, it makes sense to invest in better equipment. Until then, second-hand starter sets do the job perfectly well.

Golf Handicaps for Juniors

The World Handicap System (WHS), introduced in 2020 and adopted across the UK and Ireland, applies to golfers of all ages — including juniors. There is no minimum age to obtain an official handicap, though in practice most clubs issue handicaps from around age ten upwards, when juniors are playing full courses regularly enough for the system to work accurately.

To obtain a WHS handicap, a junior must be a member of an affiliated golf club (affiliated to England Golf, Scotland Golf, Wales Golf or Golf Ireland). They submit a specified number of scorecards — typically three to five — and the handicap is calculated from those scores. The process is straightforward and handled through the MyEG app (England Golf) or equivalent platforms in other home nations.

A handicap is not required to play pay-and-play courses, use a driving range, or participate in many junior club sessions. It becomes necessary when competing in strokeplay competitions at club, county or national level, and it is the key that unlocks access to many of the UK’s finer courses.

Junior County Golf and the Competitive Pathway

For juniors who develop genuine competitive ambitions, the pathway is clear and well-supported. Every county golf union in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland runs junior competitions, development squads and representative teams. County golf is the step between club competition and national level, and it provides a structured, ambitious environment that can accelerate development considerably.

The pathway in England runs from club competition to county (the county junior associations organise tournaments, inter-county matches and development programmes) to regional level (England Golf’s regional performance centres) to national level (England Golf’s national squads and elite development programmes). At the very top, young professionals emerge from these academies onto the European Tour, Challenge Tour and beyond.

You do not need to be aiming for professional golf to enjoy junior county golf. County competition is enormously beneficial for any serious junior golfer, providing matchplay experience, travel, team camaraderie and the motivation to improve that can be difficult to replicate in club competition alone.

Girls in Golf

The landscape for girls in golf has changed dramatically over the past decade, and it continues to change for the better. The Girls Golf Rocks programme, run by England Golf, specifically targets girls aged eight to twelve with coaching and social golf in a female-friendly environment, and it has been enormously successful in normalising the idea of golf as an activity for girls.

At club level, the best junior sections make a conscious effort to ensure that junior golf is welcoming to girls — that coaching groups include girls, that competition programmes are gender-balanced, and that the social side of junior golf is appealing to young female golfers.

At the professional level, British women’s golf is in a stronger position than at any point in history. Georgia Hall won the AIG Women’s British Open in 2018; Charley Hull is among the most entertaining and powerful players on the LET and LPGA; Lottie Woad and other emerging talents are coming through the England Golf pathway. These players are genuine role models for girls considering taking up the game, and their visibility on television has had a measurable positive impact on junior female participation.

The LET Academy provides a pathway for aspiring female professionals, and the GB&I women’s amateur programme has never been stronger. At every level, the message for girls in golf is the same: you belong here.

Courses Particularly Welcoming to Juniors

Not every golf course is equally welcoming to juniors, and it is worth doing a little research before choosing where to take a child for their first rounds.

Municipal courses — those owned and operated by local authorities — are typically the most accessible and junior-friendly venues. Green fees are low, dress code requirements are minimal, and the atmosphere is unpretentious. For a child’s first proper round of golf, a well-run municipal course is often the ideal setting.

Pay-and-play centres with nine-hole courses or par-three courses are excellent starting points. The shorter format is more appropriate for young or less experienced golfers, and the pay-as-you-go model means there is no pressure to play a full 18 holes if energy or concentration flags.

Clubs with active junior sections will typically be the best long-term environments. Look for clubs where juniors are visibly part of the membership — where junior competitions are listed on the noticeboard, where PGA coaching is on offer, and where junior members are welcomed in the clubhouse.

A Rough Guide to Costs

Golf does not need to be expensive, particularly at the junior level. Here is a realistic breakdown of what getting a child into golf might cost.

Junior membership at a club: This varies enormously by region and club type. Many clubs offer junior memberships at very affordable rates — typically £50 to £200 per year — recognising that investing in junior members pays dividends in the long term. Some clubs offer free junior membership for under-12s or under-16s. It is always worth asking.

Golf lessons with a PGA pro: Expect to pay approximately £25 to £40 for a 30-minute lesson with a PGA professional. Group lessons are typically cheaper — around £10 to £20 per session for a small-group junior clinic. Many clubs include group coaching as part of their junior membership fee.

Starter kit (second-hand): A decent second-hand junior starter set can be had for £50 to £150 depending on age, size and quality. Brand new starter sets from major retailers start at around £80 to £100 for younger juniors and rise to £150 to £200 for full-length junior sets.

Green fees at pay-and-play: Junior rates at pay-and-play courses typically run from free (for under-12s accompanied by an adult) to £15 to £25 for a full round. With a Junior Golf Passport in England, many of these fees are reduced further.

Common Questions From Parents

Does my child need a handicap to play golf? No — not for driving ranges, TopGolf venues, pay-and-play courses or most casual golf. A handicap is required for strokeplay competitions and for access to some private clubs, but it is not a barrier to enjoying the game.

What should they wear? The standard requirement at most golf clubs is “smart casual” — neat trousers or shorts (no jeans), a collared shirt, and golf shoes or clean trainers. Many clubs have relaxed dress codes for juniors on the driving range and practice areas. If in doubt, call ahead. The vast majority of clubs are very understanding about junior visitors who are clearly new to the game.

How long does a round of golf take? A full 18-hole round typically takes around three and a half to four hours for a junior playing with adults. A nine-hole round is more manageable at around one and a half to two hours. For a child’s first rounds, nine holes or a par-three course is the right starting point — maintaining concentration and enjoyment for a full 18-hole round is a skill that develops with experience.

Will they be welcome at a private club? As a general rule, yes — most private clubs welcome junior visitors, particularly when accompanied by members or when booking in advance. The key is to call ahead, explain that you have a junior beginner, and ask what is appropriate. Golf clubs are, by and large, much more welcoming than their traditional reputation suggests.

For more information on getting started in golf, explore our guides to golf courses for beginners in the UK, pay-and-play golf, top tips for golf beginners and how to get a golf handicap in the UK.