Lots of parents, whose children start with golf, often imagine that it will be their offspring who will become a new star and conquer at least the domestic golf’s throne. And in the best case, he/she will turn into the new Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy. They imagine their children breaking through in the world of golf at least like David Carter, who has spent a successful fifteen years at the European Tour, during which he won the prestigious island tournament – the Irish Open.

Carter says that for such a success, a unique recipe, which is different for everyone, needs to be found. There is no universal wisdom.

“My father introduced me to golf. And this was my own recipe. He not only showed me but also gave me the opportunity to play. I was also in daily contact with golf – I helped at the driving range, worked with clubs, coached. I didn’t go to golf camps in Spain or stay in five-star hotels. No one used to spend a lot of money on me,” says the native of South Africa.

Carter says that he is not Tiger or Rory, but believes that there are plenty of boys who would like to experience golf as much as he did. “The key to my success was that I had my own recipe,” says Carter.

 Modest family circumstances and consistency

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy also found their own way. “Neither of them came from affluent families, on the contrary their family circumstances were rather modest. Tiger’s father was in the army; he instilled discipline, respect and willingness to work hard in his son. However, the most important thing was the fact that Tiger loved and enjoyed playing golf. He was devoted to a lot of other sports too – and this is the recipe I’m talking about here. It wasn’t money that made him reach his goal, you need more than this,” says David Carter.

Consistency was also important. Tiger was brought to the forefront by one coach and so was Rory. In their crucial years, neither of them changed coaches like socks when their golf future was formed.

Carter is also convinced that children should not face parents’ pressure to achieve quick results. “They must stay children, enjoy friends, family, various other sports. They don’t need to be champions at the age of twelve or fifteen,” says Carter and adds: “It’s true that Tiger and Rory were successful when young, but Vijay Singh succeeded later. Nick Price also played really well in his forties, as well as Jay Haas and Miguel Ángel Jiménez. Everyone is different and later success is no worse.”

The moral? Children can succeed, can be good, but it may not happen right away. And if they succeed soon, it does not guarantee success later in their adult life. There are plenty of examples of unsuccessful transitions from junior to senior categories.

“It’s a long way to go. At first, it’s necessary to create a good environment – children must not be afraid of making mistakes and playing badly. It’s perfectly alright. Parents should approach their children not from a position of authority, but as equal partners. This is a good basis on which to build and will ensure finding the good recipe, which will work for the child. And the results will definitely come,” concluded David Carter.