Already scoring · 05
About 13–15
They learn how entry works (stars, qualifiers, previews) before anyone says the word recruiting.
A week on this rung
2–3 weeknights
They own 2 nights: a sim-9 plan or short game under a bit of pulse. High-school practice counts. You stay out of the sentence.
The weekend
Preview / All-Star / HJGT major if it’s on the sheet. High-school match the other week. Family still gets one round a month.
You, this week
Fitted. Junior elite (TS6 / epTOUR / Flynn) or adult with the right flex. This is the last moment a wrong shaft is cheap to fix.
Tournament simulation: 9 holes, one ball, no mulligans, write a number. Short-game is the stroke-saver, not a new driver.
The rest · 120 min · Course
One ball, tournament tees they can reach, a card, a time you will finish.
No coaching between shots. After: they mark three keeps and one change.
You may not re-hash hole 2 in the car. Ask about hole 8 instead.
The rest · 30 min · Range
Pick a target with a safe miss (bunker left? then the miss is right).
Every ball needs a spoken miss before the swing. If they cannot name it, they wait.
Twenty balls with a sentence attached.
Up & down · 20 min · Course
Wedge only. Eight balls from 20 yards, mixed lies including one bunker if you have one.
Get down in two. No putter until the ball is on the green. Score /8.
Eight. The bunker one counts even if they hate you.
Putting · 15 min · Course
3–4 footers, a line on the ball if they use one. Quiet.
Make 10 in a row. Miss and restart. Brad Faxon on short putts — not a swing thought, a roll.
Ten in a row or 15 minutes, whichever comes first.
AJGA is a membership plus Performance Based Entry stars, not a vibe. First star: join. Next stars: finishes. Read their PBE page once, together.
Do not skip high-school golf. It is free competition with friends, and college coaches still watch it.