Full-Time Junior Golf Academies

A Discussion of the Merits

I have recently been getting some emails and other communications from parents about my opinion about full-time junior golf academies. I was involved in the opening and development of the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida in the mid-90s, consulted to the IJGA as it expanded its boarding academy in South Carolina in the last few years, and am involved with Gary Gilchrist as he expands his Florida academy to the Central Coast of California beginning this August. Given that I have been intimately involved in the three most successful academies in this country, I think it makes me uniquely qualified to discuss the merits of the full- time golf academy setting for aspiring junior golfers.

Let me answer some of the most-often asked questions here:

1. Is a full-time academy necessary to make my child a great player? In my opinion, no, it is not necessary to make young players great, but that environment has helped many achieve excellence. Golf academies are not a perfect fit for every student-athlete. There are many considerations to be sorted out before I would consider a golf student a good match for an academy. However, there is no substitute for daily, quality, supervised practice in a competitive environment. It is hard to create that outside of an academy environment.

2. Will my child become too dependent on the instructors at an academy? One of the points that differentiates the golf academy options in the marketplace is how much each chooses to emphasize helping the student become independent from their instructors vs. creating a dependency on one “method” or one “style” of play. Being a wary consumer and choosing wisely here is key to creating strong, independent young golfers.

3. At what age is a good time for my child to go to a golf academy? This depends more on maturity level than on age. There are many young people who are prepared emotionally to go to an academy and be successful at ages as young as 11 or 12. There are others who aren’t mature enough to handle the rigors of an academy and disciplined required until 14 or 15. It depends on the child.

4. Is a golf academy a good investment for me to make? If by “an investment” one means a good place to spend money expecting a return on their money, I would say no- simply because there is no guarantee that your son or daughter will become a professional and/or get a full-ride scholarship to college to recover the money that has been spent. If by “an investment” one means the opportunity to give your child the best chance to achieve their potential at something they are passionate about, then I believe it is an excellent “investment”.

5. Doesn’t the academy setting create too much pressure on the kid? Any setting can create “pressure” on the student if they are there for the wrong reasons. If the student is there because they love golf and are determined to pursue excellence and make some sacrifices to excel at the game, then they won’t feel pressure- they will feel excitement and enthusiasm. The kids who struggle and feel “pressure” are typically the kids who are at academies because the parents have their own agenda about them becoming golf superstars or the kids whose parents expect their kids to get full scholarships in order to justify the expense and time. While many students from academies go on to play college golf with scholarships and financial aid, the kids cannot feel as though they HAVE TO succeed in order to make the academy experience worthwhile. These kids can end up feeling tremendous pressure.

6. Would you (Jeff) recommend sending my child to a golf academy? As long as your child wants this, you can afford it without putting undue stress on your family, and the academy is one where there is quality instruction and a staff of nurturing, caring professionals, I would encourage you to look at an academy setting as an option. Being around like-minded young people, while they work on their physical, mental, mechanical, and course management growth can be an exciting time for a young person. Make sure the academy emphasizes quality education and social balance as well, as these are other important elements that will sustain the young person throughout their life-with or without golf!