U.S. Kids Golf Coaches Institute
The U.S. Kids Golf Coaches Institute was formed in 2014 to support golf professionals as they seek to help young players fall in love with the game. The Institute provides them with education, resources, and best practices to positively coach young players and improve their business. It has since become a thought leader in the industry on coaching young players and now consists of more than 1,600 golf professionals from over 40 countries.
Since its inception, the Institute has played a vital role in driving kids golf through better education of coaches, parents, and golf facilities. Among the many initiatives and programs of the Institute, the 10-level Player Pathway has made perhaps the most significant impact on kids golf. This curriculum combines expert knowledge on kids’ motor and cognitive development with the world’s foremost junior golf coaches to create a learning environment that leads to sustained success and enjoyment of the game. Many of today’s accepted kids golf norms come from that research and analysis, including proper equipment fitting, scaling courses for all levels of players based on how far they are able to hit the ball, and the games-based learning approach that now drives hundreds of junior programs.
Additionally, the Institute also provides a multi-tiered education platform consisting of five certificaiton levels, annually honors the world’s best coaches through the Top 50 Kids Coaches and Master Top 50 Kids Coaches awards, and develops unique technology with programming that furthers each coach’s ability to transform and grow their business.