What is Jr Team Golf?
Jr Team Golf was started in 2008 by Gregor Meyer – father of two and owner of Pine Creek Golf Center.
“I have been a competitive golfer all my life – both as a professional and as an amateur. I love the game of golf. But more importantly, I love teaching young people how to play golf. With golf, your child will experience the physical and mental struggle of taking on a challenging game. With golf, your kids will experience not only the agony of failure but hard earned moments of greatness and the joy of success. Experiences that are shared with friends. It is a great game they will enjoy their entire lives!”
Pete Snead. I was taught the game starting at age 9 by Pete Snead – older brother to Sam Snead of the famous Snead golfing family. Mr. Snead was the Head Professional at the Pittsburgh Field Club and loved to teach the game. At age 9, he took me and a bunch of other boys under his wing. There were about 10 of us and we competed with each other in fun matches every day. Mr. Snead was a wonderful man and a great teacher. He would help us with lessons and guidance. We all became excellent players and are great friends to this day. This is the type of environment I am trying to create with Jr Team Golf.
The Moment. In 2008, my girl was 9 and my boy was 7. I could not understand why they were not more excited about golf? I asked my friend one day about his son’s golf game. He replied, “He’s getting bored. He wants to play with kids his age, his friends-not with me all the time.” That’s the moment I realized how difficult golf was for parents and their kids. That’s the moment I decided to start Jr Team Golf.
Jr Team Golf is about giving boys and girls the opportunity to get excited about golf by playing the game with other kids while getting the professional guidance and training time they need to improve at a tough game.
1. At what age should I get my child started with Jr Team Golf?
Our program is designed for kids who are age 7 or older. At that age and with their experiences in 1st grade, most kids have developed the physical strength and attention span to benefit from the guidance and training we provide.
For kids who are younger, I encourage parents to get them at least one properly fitted club and let them have it…keep the details to a minimum – Grip it – Turn and rip it..show and tell. Praise and encouragement and fun! Make a game for them..see if they can hit it past a sign or onto a green.
2. My child has never played golf. Is Jr Team Golf a good place for them to start?
Yes. Jr Team Golf was created first and foremost to help boys and girls get excited about golf – they will experience the challenge of golf, the sense of accomplishment they will feel as they make progress with their game, and the joy of competing with other kids their age.
Our training sessions are conducted by Gregor Meyer and his staff who are exceptional teachers. The training sessions are very active, well planned, and designed to help each player learn and consistently refine their application of the fundamentals of the game. Each player receives professional guidance and the time and reps they need to develop their skills. In addition, we create fun skills tests and competitions to help each player stay focused and measure their progress.
Since we started in 2008, some of the players that started with us as beginners are now the leading players in their age groups in US Kids Golf, Tri-State PGA Tournament Golf, and WPIAL High School Golf and collegiate level golf.
For all our players, their journey with golf has begun.
Our weekly competitions allow each player to experience the joy of playing a challenging game with other kids their own age. We play team games so the kids get to know each other, learn from each other, and develop memorable friendships during the competitions.
Their experiences on the course help them value our weekly training themes which include – sportsmanship, perseverance, having fun, dealing with frustration, being athletic, the importance of honesty, what it means to be a competitor, and many others.
At the end of each season, we also have our “Individual JTG Championship by age group” and the winners pictures are posted on the JTG Wall of Fame inside the Clover Hill GC Clubhouse.
3. My child has some experience with golf and wants to take his/her game to an advanced level. Is this the right program?
Golf is a game that takes time to learn and the better a player becomes, the more difficult it is to improve. To excel requires motivation, setting goals, proper guidance, training time, and a competitive environment both on the golf course and during training. Jr Team Golf provides this environment to our players.
- Motivation. Comes from many different sources but one very valuable source is training and competing with other players who also enjoy the game and want to get better. Jr Team Golf provides this environment on a scheduled time frame.
- Professional Guidance. Professional instruction is an invaluable resource for each player. Golf is a game of peaks and valleys and it is easy to lose confidence and proper focus. It is important that over time the player and the teacher get to know each other and build a relationship of trust and confidence. Emerging from the valley’s of frustration is where a player learns the most about themselves and their game and builds the confidence and maturity to succeed.
- Training Time. A player needs training time and reps to develop their game. Jr Team Golf offers a variety of options for our players to schedule and make best use of their training time.
- Competitive Environment. I always ask our player what it means to be a competitor and I always get a variety of answers, usually along the lines of “playing to win”. However, I define the “Ultimate Competitor” as a person who is always striving to improve. It’s not about winning and losing. It’s about the battle with yourself to do the things necessary to improve. In our case, we focus on golf but I want each player to be an “ultimate competitor” in everything they do.
What programs does Jr Team Golf Offer?
Please click the links below for details about each program. The seasonal programs run for 4 weeks and include a variety of Training day options and number of Competitions.
Private Training is also offered by Gregor Meyer. To discuss the best program for your player contact gm@jrteamgolf.com
Which Program is best for my child?
The Seasonal Programs are the ones to start with. Each seasonal program combines training and competitions with lots of kids in a fun filled environment.
If your child is looking to excel and wants more training time and more instruction, then I would recommend they add private training.
If you have questions contact Gregor Meyer
gm@jrteamgolf.com
cell 412.725.1000