versity of Texas psychology professor’s book is a deeply researched exploration into the developing adolescent brain, how it responds to challenges and stress, and why certain messages resonate with kids more than others. For a book that isn’t about golf, a lot of it feels like it’s about golf. “I am never playing again!” Among Yeager’s central tenets is that with kids, parents should adapt a “men- tor mindset,” which falls between two common extremes. Consider a familiar scenario, an 11-year-old unravelling in an early golf competition. The parent who only disciplines a child is setting too high a standard with insufficient
HANDLING COMMON FRUSTRATIONS BY SAM WEINMAN
When your kid loves golf, the toughest days are when they also kind of hate it. Water balls, tears, occasional sprints to the car park – there’s enough trauma available in golf for a parent to wish for something simpler. The best argument
for having your kid stick it out might be how the game can help kids navigate ev- erything else in life. David Yeager’s best-seller, 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young Peo- ple, isn’t specifically about golf. The Uni-
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE
Golf has a reputation for being expensive, but you can raise a kid who loves golf on a budget. My parents introduced me to golf at our country club, and I was one of those kids who loved it right away. Golf was a fun way to spend time with my dad, and I was pretty good at it. When we left the club due to financial reasons when I was 12, my parents kept my love of the game alive by figuring out how to get me access to golf without having to overspend. There was a Golf Galaxy in a shopping centre my mom would go to, so she’d drop me off there, and I’d hit balls and putt while she shopped. They found a public course with a chipping and putting green and would drop me off on their way to work in the summer and pick me up on the way home. They were creative and made sure I was surrounded by good people. Golf can be very affordable if you get a little creative in your approach. – KL
Ben Griffin, PGA Tour player
72 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JULY/AUGUST 2025
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