A top teacher says this is the biggest mistake young golf parents make

Golf is a game you can play for a lifetime. When you enter the range, it is not unusual to see a small junior golfer swinging next to a retiree. That’s part of the beauty of it.

Playing from a young age is extremely beneficial for development. Learning the basics of the game early sets you up for long-term success. Like most things, learning as a child is much easier than learning as an adult.

But don’t let that fall into the trap of thinking that you (or your child) have to be a complete golfer as a teenager.

“The biggest mistake parents make is becoming obsessed with results too early,” says GOLF Top 100 teacher Jonathan Yarwood. “If you become obsessed with results early – winning tournaments early – you stifle development.”

As a junior golfer, you don’t have to worry too much about your position on the leaderboard. You will not lose your PGA Tour card or be demoted to the mini-tours based on how you placed in a junior event as a 12-year-old.

“In the beginning it’s about development, mastering skills, transferring skills and creating the player for later,” says Yarwood. “That’s really the key. Early success doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great player.” [later on].”

This mentality echoes a similar sentiment from the game’s best player, Scottie Scheffler. After winning the 2025 PGA Championship, he explained that patience was one of the best things his old swing coach Randy Smith taught him as a junior golfer.

“Randy was always very good at reminding me that it was a long journey to get good at golf,” Scheffler said. “I wasn’t always the best player. I felt like I could be the best player. But I was a good junior player, a good amateur player, and I did a good job moving up in professional golf. Randy was always by my side, helping me stay patient and teaching me little things along the way.”

If you really want to be great, it’s not about being the best golfer at age 12. At that age it is much more important to develop the basic principles and skills that you will rely on later.

If you are a junior golf parent, remember this advice. Practice patience and don’t become obsessed with results too early. If you do that, you can much better position your child for success later on.

View Product