The Path
Don’t put them on the wrong calendar.
One kid wants 9s and a snack. One has practice tonight and a Sunday if you’re lucky. One started in the yard at four and already has a local tee time. Those are not the same year. Switch when the year changes.
9s and a snack
Play along
League. Cheap holes. High school if they want teammates. Nobody is keeping a ranking. That’s the point.
Practice tonight
Two sports
Basketball, baseball, lacrosse, hockey, tennis — whatever they actually play — owns the week. Golf gets the Sunday you can keep. Skip the local. That’s what regionals are for.
Bag since they could stand
Already scoring
Locals at 5 or 6. States and Under Armour by 7–10. You’re already in it. Don’t pretend this is still just Saturday with dad.
Already scoring
01
Early fire
Started ~3–6 · U.S. Kids by 5 or 6
They’ve been hitting since the yard. By 5 or 6 they are in U.S. Kids locals — age-group tees, a card, a Sunday. That is this map. Not a maybe.
See Early fire →
02
First scores
About 5–8 · locals as the season
A fitted set and a 9-hole card from a tee they reach. U.S. Kids locals are the season. State events start to show up. Friends still matter.
See First scores →
03
Local loop
About 7–10 · states, regionals, UA — the floor
U.S. Kids states and regionals. Under Armour on the calendar. That is the minimum on this map at 7, 8, 9, 10 — not a flex.
See Local loop →
04
Travel lite
About 9–13 · Worlds, UA regionals, first real travel
The weekends that travel. U.S. Kids majors / Worlds. UA regionals. A first HJGT Open if the local numbers say they belong. Not 20 starts.
See Travel lite →
05
National map
About 13–15
They learn how entry works (stars, qualifiers, previews) before anyone says the word recruiting.
See National map →
06
The card
About 15–18
A player who can post a number from the right tees, and a family that still likes each other.
See The card →
14 rungs on the site. You only walk the ones on this map. The other kid in the group might be on the other one. That’s fine.