I don't like that. Do the kids pay some kind of dues to play there? If yes, then they have every right to compete. If not, then I can understand. I don't know, for some reason this doesn't sit well with me.

I know at my home course it's open to everyone who is a member and pays their dues.

We do not restrict that Jr members from playing in the Club Championship. That is the only event that they can play as Jr (non-full privilege) members though.

I play most of my rounds at public courses, I have never had an issue with the youngsters playing on city championships and such, I am very welcoming of someone young exploring golf, I have my 9-year-old play with me almost weekly, we are getting him lessons, so he does not have the same bad habits I have, and he should be able to join his school golf team at 12.
It is a shame that your club is restricting the younger players from participating.

I play most of my rounds at public courses, I have never had an issue with the youngsters playing on city championships and such, I am very welcoming of someone young exploring golf, I have my 9-year-old play with me almost weekly, we are getting him lessons, so he does not have the same bad habits I have, and he should be able to join his school golf team at 12.
It is a shame that your club is restricting the younger players from participating.

I have no problems with qualified players of any age playing in club championships.
Met a guy recently and his best friend won his club championship at a recent major site in his teens, 20's, 30's and 40's....that's an awesome streak and it all started as a teenager!

Cheers,
Dr.K

If they belong there as a qualified player or because they are a member they should have the opportunity to play. If there are set guidelines they must meet then so be it. But to not let them JUST BECAUSE doesn't work for me. I started at age 10 in Jr Golf at a public course, still play pubic courses, but have several friends who are members of various clubs around town & I have seen their kids & others out playing the course as well so if that's not an issue than playing in a championship at that course shouldn't be either once again provided they meet the requirements everyone else has to meet....

I don't have any issue with kids playing in any of the Championships at my Club, provided they are skilled enough to compete and will keep up with the pace of play. In fact, I am glad to see it - and I actually lost our Club Championship to a kid that was going to college on a D-1 golf scholarship while he was a senior in High School. Our Club's rule is the Boy's & Girl's Junior Club Champions are allowed to play in the Men's & Women's (respectively) Club Championships.

We actually had a 15 year-old boy play in the Men's Championship a few years back, that shot 3-under the 1st round and was the leader after Day 1 - which made things interesting, since he was going to get a parking spot and couldn't drive yet. I believe he ended up finishing 3rd overall and then went on to win the Junior PGA Championship the next year.

It gets a few of the older, full dues paying members a little butthurt getting beat by the kids, but the sons and daughters of members should be able to play. The better the competition, the more the title means, whatever the age. A few years ago we had 3 high school seniors competing in our club championship and one of them won. After the round, in the bar, there were only two of us old enough to consume alcohol sitting around to congratulate the champion. All three of those kids went on to play D-1 college golf and one of them is playing mini-tours out in Arizona now. I'll be 60 soon and it would mean one heck of a lot to me to win the championship, beating a group of scratch players, regardless of age, but maybe even more so to take down the young guns!

Rick, you must be my long lost twin. I've got the 3 high school kids next week. All off to different college programs in the Fall. All combined they don't reach my age, the same as you. 3 more back in the competition also who've already completed their first year at their college program, a couple on full ride, D 1 schools. This will be my third year of the same; the previous though were in the semis, while this is the first round. I asked them nicely, to watch Caddy Shack, Tin Cup, and read who Ken Venturi was. Most of my lines are from either of those movies, with an occasional "Venturism" thrown in......"Jimmy, with this shot he's going to bring 6 and 7 into the picture". The last few years the kids didn't get any of them. However, I wouldn't have it any other way. The competition brings out the best in everybody, and these kids are the future of the game, and our Clubs. Like you said, it would mean even more to win, getting through them. I'd rather never get it than not have earned it. It would never have been the same after 80+ years for the Red Sox to finally win The Series again if they didn't have to go through the Yankees to do it. Good luck to us all.

The only restriction we've had at a club I was a member in was that if anyone is or have a golf professional status, they're out. Although it made sense to the majority at the club, I didn't agree because there were a couple retired PGA pros who have established a handicap but worked part time as a club pro at another course.

The kids should all be encouraged to play in the club championship. As you mentioned, they're the future of the club, and golf. I also agree that if you get through those youngsters, the win would mean more.

I'm in that upper-middle-age bracket, and I think college or high school kids playing in the club championship is great. You're trying to identify the best players. I bet people were complaining about this back when Bobby Jones was winning the club championship at East Lake.

I am 25 myself. Picked up the game at 24.
There are discounts for players below 27 on our local courses. Recently membership fees are included in parents 2 kids a parent.

Juniors -18 can also join contests as long they have their handicap. The handicap system makes it fair, of course the elderly down hit it as fair but they are mostly straight as an arrow, while the youth myself included tends to lose it more in the rough/ hazards.

It is the same with women I think. There will always be a physiological reason why seniors and women don’t hit it as far as younger folks. But that’s what the handicap system and foward rees are for.
To make this a game to be enjoyed and competed by everyone. Only time this makes a problem is when go get in best ball games. Mixing long hitting youngsters with straight as an arrow seniors is a birdy fest sure to break many course records.

But at the end of the day, it’s a game. We play it to relax/ have fun.
If i’d like to be compensated i’d start training for the tour.

I remember when I was at Redding CC in CT, they had the "Bob Tway Rule". Tway's parents were members there when he was a kid before they moved to Atlanta. Tway won the Club Championship at age 13. The following year, you had to be 18 or older to compete in the Club Championship which then became known as "The Bob Tway Rule".

Well the kids have prevailed. Tomorrows 36 hole final between a couple of high school seniors for Club Championship. They beat a couple of College Sophmore students today in the semi's. I found out the hard way, that there is a very good reason, that fine institutions of higher learning give these kids significant sums of money to come play golf at their colleges. They may not be on the PGA Tour, BUT....These kids are good! Last week I lost to a division 2 "scholarship" winner who shot 69. I was in the 70's and just couldn't keep up with that. The other match in the group was won by a soon to be scholarship winner who shot 68, to the other college kids 71. I wouldn't have it any other way. A pleasure to compete with, and against these fine young golfers and watch them. Doing so makes the rest of us better. Good luck to everyone out there in the same boat.