Two sports · 01
About 4–8
Basketball, baseball, lacrosse, hockey, tennis — whatever they actually play — own the week and the dark months. Golf owns the Sundays you can keep. They still get a bag that fits.
A week on this rung
2–3 weeknights
The other sport gets the weeknights. Golf is 10–15 minutes on the carpet if they still have legs. If they don’t, sleep.
The weekend
One day is the other sport. The other day is 6 holes from a tee they reach — if the sun is still up.
You, this week
The UL7 band they are in. Don’t park the set in the garage until April. Ten minutes in the basement still counts.
Carpet putting after homework. A towel in the yard before the bus. How we practice — daylight is the whole game in October.
Putting · 8 min · House
A coin, a putter that is not taller than their chest, two pieces of tape as a gate.
Roll the ball through the gate so it stops on the coin. Five in a row, they pick the snack.
When the face gets serious. You already won.
Putting · 10 min · House
Same putter length as them. A mug or a tape cup. You go first — they copy your putt.
Miss and you get a letter. First to H-O-R-S-E carries the bag to the car. Make it, they have to make the same one.
One game. Do not play until somebody cries.
Putting · 10 min · Course
A bath towel covering the cup so they cannot ‘make’ it. Putter that fits.
Lag it onto the towel from 10–20 feet. Landing on the towel is a birdie. Missing the towel is a bogey. First to three birdies.
They will want the hole back. Not today. Speed first.
Up & down · 10 min · Backyard
A bath towel on the grass, foam balls, one short club.
Land it on the towel. Count loud. Race you.
Twenty balls, max. Leave them wanting the towel tomorrow.
Up & down · 10 min · Course
Just off the green. Putter only. A tee as the ‘hole’ if the green is busy.
Bump it through the fringe. Closest to the hole wins the hole. Play five holes around one green.
If they grab a wedge, the putter police take over. This shot exists so they don’t skull it.
The rest · 25 min · Course
A par-3 or the practice green as three made-up holes.
They tee it. You carry the bag. No swing tips. Ask which flag they want next.
Hole three, even if they beg for four — especially if they beg for four.
Separate the kids. The middle one needs their own hour with you, not the range behind the older one’s lesson.
Skip the local you can’t make. You skip a week, those kids are still there, and you can’t catch up in points. That’s fine. Don’t fake a 12-month golf calendar.