No Children Allowed on a Golf Course?

[Arb8889]

This title should say no infants allowed on the course, obv having an 18 mo old in a golf cart is a massive liability

[Sun Devil]

My wife and I started taking our son out when he was two years old. We had to sign a release, but they gave him a junior golfer hat, a gatorade, and a snickers bar.

 

That is an intelligent professional staff that cares about their customers. Love it.

 

I guarantee you, many more children have been hurt in their back yards than have ever been hurt on the golf course.

 

 

Totally agree. Unfortunately as has been mentioned. It comes down to the safety of the children and the inevitable liability to the course. It's all fine and dandy until an errant tee shot (FORE!!!!!) hits the 18 month old and causes a major injury. Now you have the personal injury sharks going after the course and the golfer (if he has money). Easier to keep young kids safe at home.

[KC4441]

I take my wife and 2 1/2 yr old daughter out with me at least once a month on either Saturday or Sunday morning...The thing that makes it work is the fact that I get the first tee time of the day...If someone is pair up with us I talk to them on the first tee or driving range and explain the situation and absolutely no one has had a problem with us taking off before them. The first few holes they stay in the cart until we make sure we are well out in front of everyone. The staff love seeing her out there running around on the greens, and she loves seeing the wildlife and being outside with us. She has her little club and hits a few "putts" once we reach the green. We are usually done in about 2.5 hours or less...

[Thug Hunter]

I bring my 2.5 year old to the range with me all the time and never had an issue. He hits balls better than some of the people there. I played a couple weeks ago and was asked where he was.

 

I don't know where the Big Sky Country is, but in Texas, we don't treat people like that.

 

Edit: I just read some of the other posts and it appears my comment reference Texas was more fitting than I assumed. Golf year round and deal with nice people. :beach:

[stdavis22]

I tend to agree with it..I mean imagine if by some chance somebody hit your baby with a golf ball...slim chance, but still

[crich88848]

I was chastised by a course starter last year for bringing my 7 year old on the course. He cited safety concerns. It was late fall and the course was dead. I only take my kids out on the course when it's dead or its a par 3 course. Honestly, I have to agree with the course when it comes to an infant. A busy golf course is not the place for an infant. A stray shot could be fatal. Not even close to worth the risk.

[MaccaRayDudley]

I've never personally heard of this - but in the last week I've been turned away from 2 different courses because I had my 18 month old daughter with me.

 

At the first course, I paid for 9 holes w/ a cart and paid for an extra rider - got about 4 holes in w/ my wife and daughter riding along (they both stayed in the cart the whole time) - and had the marshall drive up and ask that I leave the course. Because my daughter is under 8 years old. He also told me she can't be on the driving range, putting/chipping area, etc.

 

At the second course, I went to pay for 9 holes w/ a cart and I told them my wife and daughter would be riding along. They said "well is she 5 or older?" and here I am thinking they're gonna make me pay for an extra rider for her too. Instead they say "nope we don't allow anyone under 5 on the course at any time".

 

I get that it's a "safety concern" to have a young child on the course. But introducing children to golf at a young age, and grooming the next generation of golfers, seems a little more difficult when they're not allowed on these courses.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Am I the one being irrational by getting frustrated that I can't share my favorite hobby with my daughter?

 

I feel sorry for you. I think this is a reaction to some people failing to supervise their children properly at the golf course. A couple of weeks ago I was at the practice area at my club. I was chipping balls onto the chipping green, when a little boy appeared. I'd say he was 4 or 5. He was running over the green with a plastic golf club in his hand taking wild swipes at golf balls. I had to stop for a minute or two until finally his dad shouted from the 10th tee, "c'mon we're going buddy". The chipping green is between the 1st and 10th tee boxes. Most people would no better than to behave like that but the "golf police" are active on some courses to prevent this kind of thing. If everybody behaved properly and considered others, these kind of rules wouldn't be required. Unfortunately they are required.

[TheKclub]

If you wish to spend time with your wife and baby girl( and you should) there are many better things to do than have them watch you play golf.

If I were the op, I'd probably say :

Thank you for your valuable input. You clearly know my family situation and what's best for it, so please, even if I never ask for your advice on such personal matter, give me your personal phone number so that when in need of immediate counselling, I may reach out to you in timely manner.

but I'm not the op, so I'll just shut up.

[walter-sobchak]

I really despise the whole "golf course is for men trying to get away from their family" attitude. Whenever I see kids on the range or at the course, I enjoy it, as long as they pick up their ball and keep pace.

 

I got paired with a single this weekend who was an "escape from the family" kind of guy, it just made the round less fun for me.

[sigmapete1]

As a lawyer and father of multiple children who have been on the golf course from a very young age (weeks old, not years), the liability thing that people are mentioning is a cop out. Pools and many other places are much more dangerous for little kids and there are no issues taking your kids there. I've been golfing for a long time and have never been injured or even had anything remotely close to being injured happen. If the course is saying it is a liability issue, that is a polite way of saying we don't want kids on our course. Probably they had someone bring out their kids, who were crying or generally misbehaving, got some complaints, and decided to ban kids because they can be distracting, slow down play, and don't pay. The solution is to stop playing at that course and find a different course. Having introduced my kids young and taught them etiquette, I'm comfortable playing with my 9 year old and any other members we get paired with, and keeping pace of play at or under four hours.

 

For the course to kick you off I think is ridiculous. They should have told you at the beginning, or at the end, but asking you to go home in the middle of your round - I would never go back there again, even without kids.

 

@Eidolon - you must not be a father. Some of my best times with my family have been out on the golf course, watching them learn to play or explore the course when they were too young. Calling fathers selfish because they want to golf with their family, or assuming their wives and kids didn't ask or want to come to the golf course with dad even if just to watch, is, as you would say "wrong."

 

Also a lawyer here. I agree that pools are (or can be) more dangerous. But what if the course's insurance policy specifically disclaims injuries to minors under a certain age on the course. Perhaps it was a financial decision by the course to get a cheaper policy with that disclaimer. Perhaps the insurance company insisted on it.

 

If 18mo olds were not covered by their insurance, I wouldn't blame the course one bit because the risk of a multi million dollar lawsuit without insurance coverage (even if the chances are 1 in a million) is probably the loss of their entire business. Weighing that risk against keeping one customer happy is an easy decision to make.

 

Of course it could also be that the pro just hates kids on the course. Without all the info, it is a meaningless debate.

[Eidolon]

I have took a lot of hits on this topic, but lets go back to the original post. 1st, a child 18 months old is a baby. 2nd, the only one having fun playing golf is the Dad. Mom is bored watching Bobby Joe Cantplay going around hitting golf balls, and the baby has no concept of what is happening except she is outdoors hanging out with mom. My entire point was, Bobby, if you want to play golf, go with your golf buddies, if you want to spend time with your wife and baby, golf is not the thing to do. Dad is being a selfish jerk. If he thinks this is a good time for them,watching him play golf, he is in for a rude awakening.

Kids on the course is a great thing. Babies are not kids. It's not complicated.

[that0neguy]

Eidolon - do you have kids? Or married? I'm asking because your perspective is very different than mine but is similar to mine before I was married.

 

I remember back when I was single I saw a man playing golf with his third trimester pregnant wife in the cart who would come and pull the flag out of the cup for him when putting on the green. I remember in that moment I thought it was hilarious and I judged the guy to be a jerk. Now, being married, and having experienced that, I realize my wife would have enjoyed going out watching me golf when pregnant for some exercise and fresh air before we had our first kid.

 

You're assuming the mom doesn't enjoy being outdoors with her family and watching her husband do something he loves. I love doing things that I normally wouldn't because my wife gets pleasure out of them and I get satisfaction out of making her happy. There aren't many activities outside of the baby pool, zoo maybe, and the park that an 18 year old can do socially. The 18 month old would be just as happy on an empty golf course as he/she would be at the park. They just want to spend time playing with their mom and dad.

[Jaimeo]

Childrens golf helmets...   who wants to invest?  

[Carl Spackler3]

I’m trying to deal with constant music on the course, now I have to deal with babies crying?

[Shilgy]

On 5/22/2021 at 12:00 PM, Jaimeo said:

Childrens golf helmets...   who wants to invest?  

Did you join the forum to discuss children on the course? Nice thread resurrection!   Most new guys have no idea how to use the search feature.

 

 welcome to golfwrx.👏

[Mr. Bean]

1 hour ago, Carl Spackler3 said:

I’m trying to deal with constant music on the course, now I have to deal with babies crying?

 

Or dogs...

[betarhoalphadelta]

On 7/13/2016 at 2:44 AM, sigmapete1 said:

 

Also a lawyer here. I agree that pools are (or can be) more dangerous. But what if the course's insurance policy specifically disclaims injuries to minors under a certain age on the course. Perhaps it was a financial decision by the course to get a cheaper policy with that disclaimer. Perhaps the insurance company insisted on it.

 

 

My local 9 hole exec course and practice area would potentially support the idea of this being purely an insurance issue...

 

They have a sign saying no kids under 5 are allowed on the course. They have another sign saying no kids under 6 are allowed on the driving range. (It could be the other way around; my kids are older than that so I haven't paid close enough attention.)

 

The only reason that I think they would have two different age policies would have nothing to do with the decisions of the owner, it would have to do with their insurance company having different guidelines for the relative risks of a "driving range" vs a "golf course". If it was purely an ownership decision I'd assume they'd want a single consistent policy for all areas. 

[DZClark]

Wow, surprised to see this thread back.

 

By way of update, the 2.5 year old who was my golf buddy late in the afternoons is now my 7 year old nearly daily golf partner. Joining us almost daily is her 2.5 year old sister who loves to go out late in the day.

 

Little secret (don't tell anyone)....last year during Covid when the sand traps were not maintained and you could fix your lie, the youngest would sit on the edge of the trap and dangle her feet in the sand......

 

Also, we have a strong junior program at our club and there are ALOT of kids on the practice green and range late in the days on weekdays. It is so cool to see, but I suspect some of the members are unhappy with the noise level. However, for those in charge, the abundance of kids equals and abundance of parents at the club spending money. So overall, small price to pay for sharing the practice facilities.

 

 

[rp4golf]

On 5/25/2021 at 3:17 PM, DZClark said:

Wow, surprised to see this thread back.

 

By way of update, the 2.5 year old who was my golf buddy late in the afternoons is now my 7 year old nearly daily golf partner. Joining us almost daily is her 2.5 year old sister who loves to go out late in the day.

 

Little secret (don't tell anyone)....last year during Covid when the sand traps were not maintained and you could fix your lie, the youngest would sit on the edge of the trap and dangle her feet in the sand......

 

Also, we have a strong junior program at our club and there are ALOT of kids on the practice green and range late in the days on weekdays. It is so cool to see, but I suspect some of the members are unhappy with the noise level. However, for those in charge, the abundance of kids equals and abundance of parents at the club spending money. So overall, small price to pay for sharing the practice facilities.

 

 

Little secret (don't tell anyone)....it's been a long-proven theory that parents with children generally don't have the disposable income they would otherwise, and thus aren't spending money at the club that those without the expense of raising children would.

While it's cute your club has an active junior program - since you missed the memo, there are those amongst us that either: don't have kids and don't want to be around anyone else's, had kids and already lived through their childhood and aren't interested in doing it again, or have to deal with parents dragging their kids all over (including their place of employment) and allow them to run amuck ... and/or ultimately use the golf course as a place of solitude or to be with other humans their own age. So overall, a high price to pay for sharing the practice facilities.

Just saying, liability issues aside, there's always a flip side to everything - and if you don't consider others in your decisions, then, well, we're justifying a breakdown in societal norms and anarchy.

[DZClark]

2 minutes ago, rp4golf said:

Little secret (don't tell anyone)....it's been a long-proven theory that parents with children generally don't have the disposable income they would otherwise, and thus aren't spending money at the club that those without the expense of raising children would.

While it's cute your club has an active junior program - since you missed the memo, there are those amongst us that either: don't have kids and don't want to be around anyone else's, had kids and already lived through their childhood and aren't interested in doing it again, or have to deal with parents dragging their kids all over (including their place of employment) and allow them to run amuck ... and/or ultimately use the golf course as a place of solitude or to be with other humans their own age. So overall, a high price to pay for sharing the practice facilities.

Just saying, liability issues aside, there's always a flip side to everything - and if you don't consider others in your decisions, then, well, we're justifying a breakdown in societal norms and anarchy.

Pretty generalized statement. Our club does not seem to have many financially struggling parents (I know, looks can be deceiving and maybe they are mortgaged to the hilt, etc, etc).

 

Safe to say you and I would not enjoy playing a round of golf together. That's ok. 

 

It takes all sorts to make the world go round. I am certainly not saying your take is wrong or you should feel differently, but I know I am not going to do anything differently either. Our club has made the choice to be family friendly and we have events and programs that support that. Other clubs should be free to do what they deem most beneficial to them. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Yeah, I'd venture to say that most people who have a country club membership--kids or not--almost by definition have disposable income. Country club membership is a luxury good. 

[ChipNRun]

Lots of things involved here.

 

Is it a privately owned course open to the public, or is it a municipal course? In terms of liability, the insurance companies may be dictating the rules.

 

Also, @Bomber_11is suffering because of boneheaded behavior by other parents of toddlers. With his wife closely supervising the child, probably not a problem. But, other parents cause problems if they let toddlers loose on the course.

 

A few years back I was practicing chip shots on the practice green. A little girl ran out onto the green from my right just as I was on my backstroke. A split second later and I would have likely hit her with a ball. I waved to her and told her to be careful, and then rolled a couple of balls to her to play with. I switched to putting until her father arrived.

 

I told him what happened, and he got on my case for not liking children. I countered that I liked children just fine, and told him he should be ashamed of being a negligent parent and letting the child wander into danger. (My tact evaporates when I encounter bullies.) He said I had not heard the last of this, and he stormed off to the clubhouse. A minute later the pro came out in a heated argument with the guy, who gathered his daughter and left the course.

 

Any chance the course has weekend family time when the parents and kids can venture onto the course areas?  

[DZClark]

On 5/30/2021 at 11:17 PM, ChipNRun said:

Lots of things involved here.

 

Is it a privately owned course open to the public, or is it a municipal course? In terms of liability, the insurance companies may be dictating the rules.

 

Also, @Bomber_11is suffering because of boneheaded behavior by other parents of toddlers. With his wife closely supervising the child, probably not a problem. But, other parents cause problems if they let toddlers loose on the course.

 

A few years back I was practicing chip shots on the practice green. A little girl ran out onto the green from my right just as I was on my backstroke. A split second later and I would have likely hit her with a ball. I waved to her and told her to be careful, and then rolled a couple of balls to her to play with. I switched to putting until her father arrived.

 

I told him what happened, and he got on my case for not liking children. I countered that I liked children just fine, and told him he should be ashamed of being a negligent parent and letting the child wander into danger. (My tact evaporates when I encounter bullies.) He said I had not heard the last of this, and he stormed off to the clubhouse. A minute later the pro came out in a heated argument with the guy, who gathered his daughter and left the course.

 

Any chance the course has weekend family time when the parents and kids can venture onto the course areas?  

Seems like it is always the moron who ruins it for everyone. 

 

I agree there is a huge difference between a private, semi-private and mini course when it comes to allowing kids out.

 

Sorry you had your practice interrupted by an unsupervised little one. We have a outdoor dining patio and it is not uncommon to see kids venture out from eating to the practice green but it is rare to see anyone unsupervised outside of that. I can picture the dad just not understanding why his little darling should not be allowed to run whereever she wants and that you should be ashamed for not accommodating them. Good for the pro for doing the right thing.

 

 

 

 

[ChipNRun]

1 hour ago, DZClark said:

Sorry you had your practice interrupted by an unsupervised little one.

 

Not a problem. She rolled the ball back to me on a pretty good line. Future potential as lag putter??

[Krt22]

On 5/28/2021 at 10:51 AM, rp4golf said:

Little secret (don't tell anyone)....it's been a long-proven theory that parents with children generally don't have the disposable income they would otherwise, and thus aren't spending money at the club that those without the expense of raising children would.

While it's cute your club has an active junior program - since you missed the memo, there are those amongst us that either: don't have kids and don't want to be around anyone else's, had kids and already lived through their childhood and aren't interested in doing it again, or have to deal with parents dragging their kids all over (including their place of employment) and allow them to run amuck ... and/or ultimately use the golf course as a place of solitude or to be with other humans their own age. So overall, a high price to pay for sharing the practice facilities.

Just saying, liability issues aside, there's always a flip side to everything - and if you don't consider others in your decisions, then, well, we're justifying a breakdown in societal norms and anarchy.

lol what? My club has plenty of young families, as well as long established families who have maintained their membership as their children became adults (many of whom still stay/play). Realistically speaking if you are joining a club, you should have enough disposable income that child rearing isn't going to change that. Young families are literally the lifeblood and future of private clubs and junior programs help facilitate that long term commitment. They don't run amuck, they are only allowed on the course later in the day, and not once has one caused an issue for me. (I did have one idiot parent related issue at my friends club, but that is neither here nor there)

 

If you don't have and don't want kids, that is your own personal decision, but a club or a member with a family has zero duty to make your experience better. Most clubs are up front that they offer both individual and family memberships, if you want an adult only experience I am sure there are plenty of retirement communities that could cater to your needs.

 

 

[A.Princey]

Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Dude just wants to golf, and getting the whole family out there is sometimes the dealbreaker. This isn’t about growing the game, it’s about a guy who wants to play and involve his family to be part of the afternoon, vs 4hr away from them.  He’s involving them for their benefit, not his. I’ve been there, done that.

Edited June 1, 2021 by A.Princey

[DZClark]

14 hours ago, A.Princey said:

Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Dude just wants to golf, and getting the whole family out there is sometimes the dealbreaker. This isn’t about growing the game, it’s about a guy who wants to play and involve his family to be part of the afternoon, vs 4hr away from them.  He’s involving them for their benefit, not his. I’ve been there, done that.

I think this is one of the biggest changes from golf in the 60's, 70's and maybe 80's. 

 

I am not old enough and didn't have a dad who played golf, buy my impression is that golf used to be something Dad went and did on Saturday's. It was a nearly all day affair. 

 

Honestly, I love my family and spending time with them. If I am honest, I love them more than I love golf (they might be surprised to hear that). I love that my wife has started to get into golf. I love that my daughters love to be there. I do not have to choose between golf time or family time. I think more and more courses are starting to understand that and are adapting. 

 

There are courses that will cater to the "I don't want women and children around" people and there are courses that will cater to the family style. But I would bet in another 10-15 years, the non-family friendly courses are looking to add members while the family friendly courses are thriving. Just the way the world is moving.

 

[ChipNRun]

2 hours ago, DZClark said:

I am not old enough and didn't have a dad who played golf, buy my impression is that golf used to be something Dad went and did on Saturday's. It was a nearly all day affair. 

 

A current-day sportswriter who is only an occasional golfer wrote an interesting piece on this a few years back. (Sorry, I can't find the article...)

 

The gist: his dad was a manufacturing worker who played golf on Saturdays. Dad would head out to the public course in early AM, play 18, have a beer and burger, and play another 18. Then Dad would come home and mow the grass before supper. The writer had caddied for his dad a couple of times, and he said the rounds never lasted four hours because it was match play, and players would just pick up when out of the hole.

 

Golf aside, this ties into a larger phenomenon of the vanishing of adult time in USA middle class life. Once a child is born, the parents are tied up in a never-ending struggle of getting a slot in the best pre-school, soccer and travel teams, and posturings to ensure the kid gets into a good college. Plus, there's often corporate pressure to be a workaholic. Throw in the 2007 Recession and the current COVID pandemic, and lots of things are preventing the old normalcy from returning, if it ever will. As DZ aptly noted: 

 

2 hours ago, DZClark said:

But I would bet in another 10-15 years, the non-family friendly courses are looking to add members while the family friendly courses are thriving. Just the way the world is moving.

 

Grandparents struggle too. One guy I met through work said I needed to go play golf with him. We tried to set up some rounds, but he kept cancelling because of grandson's baseball game and granddaughter's softball game.

 

Again, my biggest concern for kids - especially toddlers - on the golf course area is potential for injury if they slip away from parents. I recall from my caddie days getting drilled at the ball washer. A player on a short par 4 from a perpendicular fairway snap-hooked a 3i tee shot that turned left and hit me full in the lower back rib cage. Breathing was painful for a week.

 

I just don't want to see the kids get hurt.