First AJGA Experience- Question/Feedback

[jigsaw1011]

My son played his first AJGA event last week and was wondering if his experience was typical of AJGA events.   The main concern was the amount of parent involvement.  Parents disregarded signs for no parents on the range, parents coaching, a father yelling at his son while my son was getting ready to tee off, parent transporting his son in a golf cart, etc.   Is this typical?  I was under the impression this sort of activity was kept in check at an AJGA tournament.

[tiger1873]

4 hours ago, jigsaw1011 said:

My son played his first AJGA event last week and was wondering if his experience was typical of AJGA events.   The main concern was the amount of parent involvement.  Parents disregarded signs for no parents on the range, parents coaching, a father yelling at his son while my son was getting ready to tee off, parent transporting his son in a golf cart, etc.   Is this typical?  I was under the impression this sort of activity was kept in check at an AJGA tournament.

 

I have seen what you talk about in a preview event but not in regular open events.  You also might see a bit of that in a Junior All star event but that only because there are younger kids. 

 

 Overall impression is AJGA is a well run event. I think since covid they have less volunteers but I sure wouldn't want to be a parent doing what you describe in the events we have been too.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by tiger1873

[jigsaw1011]

It was a Junior All Star Event so that may explain some of it.  It was a little disheartening when you talk to an official about a parent and they respond they know about him and are watching him. However, nothing was done.

[Abh159]

11 minutes ago, jigsaw1011 said:

It was a Junior All Star Event so that may explain some of it.  It was a little disheartening when you talk to an official about a parent and they respond they know about him and are watching him. However, nothing was done.

 

This is probably the main reason for your experience. The younger the kids the more involved (for better or worse) the parents tend to be. 

 

You'll always run into those terrible parents occasionally no matter where you are, but as you move up to regular AJGA events and invitationals the frequency of those occurrences should drastically decrease or disappear. 

[tiger1873]

44 minutes ago, jigsaw1011 said:

It was a Junior All Star Event so that may explain some of it.  It was a little disheartening when you talk to an official about a parent and they respond they know about him and are watching him. However, nothing was done.

 

Did you bring it up or did your kid playing bring it to an official. Something I learned is you have to train your kid to bring up problems.   At these events your just a spectator and really have no say in anything including complaining about other specators.

 

Now if your kid brings it up the official almost certainly will address it because they have too.  This keeps you out trouble and even better shakes up parents and kids who try to pull fast ones.  They do not even have to talk to the parent just call an official and complain.    

 

This how my kid now deal with all parent problems and it makes life so much easier.  Doesn't even have to be AJGA either.

 

 

 

[pccasstpro]

Back in the day when I was playing mid to late 1990's the helicopter parents getting out of control. My dad used to call them the "Academy" or "Live Through" parents. The best advice is to tell your kids to talk to officials if something is bothering them or something happens like tiger1873 said. 

 

The worst thing I can remember was one event down in PA that I was in the third to last group around the 14-15th hole of the round my playing partner having a bad stretch. His dad got in his face on the tee box of the 16th. After his dad left the tee the kid picked up his bag and threw it at him! My dad got in between the dad and the tee, as the kid just stormed off the course down the fairway. In talking after the round AJGA was watching this father and had warned him of the behavior, the kid was enrolled at IMG which he hated and was trying to do anything to get out....   

[DevilDog]

On 7/15/2021 at 12:21 PM, jigsaw1011 said:

My son played his first AJGA event last week and was wondering if his experience was typical of AJGA events.   The main concern was the amount of parent involvement.  Parents disregarded signs for no parents on the range, parents coaching, a father yelling at his son while my son was getting ready to tee off, parent transporting his son in a golf cart, etc.   Is this typical?  I was under the impression this sort of activity was kept in check at an AJGA tournament.

 

My son plays in a lot of the AJGA events and each one parent behavior is different and is dependent upon how well the AJGA officials police it.  Some tournaments are very well policed and some aren't.  Still, if caught, parents will be kicked off the course and told to wait at clubhouse.  I have seen this happen with a few parents coaching.  That being said, especially when hot, leaving drinks, food, etc, and telling your kid that it is there is ok.  Have been some exceptions made at certain courses for transporting players when it is a long way between certain holes but this is rare.  

 

I have seen more parental smackdowns at the state golf association tournaments.  They have more people on the course and don't tolerate it at all.  

 

One tip, take a bag with medicines, band-aids, spare rangefinder batteries, spare balls, spare gloves, etc.  Carry a small cooler, like a backpack cooler with drinks though most all tournaments have water coolers staged around the course for players.  I gave a spare battery to a competitor in my son's group his last AJGA event when his rangefinder conked out on the 10th hole.  Told him "I have a battery and will leave here on the cart path for you" and that was it.  He came and got it and was grateful for it.  Thanked me after the round.  The kids are great but some of the parents are total idiots