SPRING. IS. HERE! Sorry for shouting in all caps…but after the winter we just endured, I’m a tad excited for warmer temperatures and sunny skies. It’s time to get outside, soak in some vitamin D, and dream of all the outdoor fun to be had in the coming months. If golf is on your spring/summer fun list, look no further than Topgolf in Overland Park.
During spring break, my kids attended Topgolf’s Spring Golf Academy, which is a more condensed version of their popular Summer Academy. My 10 year-old son has taken a number of lessons in the past, and my 8 year-old daughter is still figuring out how to properly swing the club. Both of them had a fantastic time! The Academy is open for kids ages 6-12, and for all skill levels. Kids are grouped according to their golf ability. Clubs are provided if you don’t have your own. Yay!
Upon check-in on the first day, each student received a cinch backpack, water bottle and golf glove. That’s quite the swag bag! As soon as 9 a.m. rolled around, the 40 students gathered to hear about the day’s agenda from head coaches Jared and Jason. These guys are amazing! Their enthusiasm was contagious, and you could tell they were very excited to be working with these kids.
After stretching, each student was assigned to a bay. Each bay was assigned six kids per two tee boxes, and there was an assistant coach to supervise each bay. My daughter was thrilled that girls were together, and she didn’t have to be mixed in with some boys. She was a little nervous to begin with, and having a group of girls at her same ability eased her nerves.
What I loved about the small groups was that each kid had plenty of play time. They literally spent over two and a half hours in the hitting bays, rotating golfers every five shots. The assistant coaches were very involved – ensuring everyone hit their share of balls and giving advice about their grip and swing. And here is my favorite part – on Monday, the two head coaches videotaped every student’s swing. After reviewing the video with the kids and giving pointers, they emailed the video to the parents. On Wednesday, we got another video of the kids’ swing, so we could see the improvement. How cool is that? And I truly saw improvement! My husband is a high school golf coach, and he could see exactly what the kids were told to work on to improve their swing.
Lunch was included each day, which we selected for the kids when we registered. Lunch was served to the kids in the bays, so while one person was hitting, the others were eating. Again, no playing time lost – eat, hit, repeat. The lunches were regular items from their kids’ menu, and my kids absolutely raved!
At the end of the lesson, Coach Jason and Coach Jared gathered everyone together to review the skills they worked on, and to preview the skill for the next day. Each student had to be checked out by a parent or an designated adult, and the coaches were all there to make sure every child left with the right person.
Topgolf will soon be opening registration for the Summer Academy. Each session is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – noon. As with the Spring Academy, Coach Jared and Coach Jason will videotape each child’s swing at the beginning and end of the week, so parents can see the improvement. Again, the kids have menu items to choose from for lunch each day. Coach Jared said one day is always costume day, and the kids tour the facility, showing off their costumes. And of course there will be fun games with prizes and trick shots by the coaches. So fun! Learn more directly from Jared and Jason here.
So, if your kiddos are interested in learning about golf in a fun, energetic and encouraging environment, look no further than Topgolf’s Academies. My kids can’t wait for their week at Topgolf!
