Top 10 reasons why young people should become junior golfers

10. Enjoy the outdoors: Young people should play golf because it is an opportunity to spend a few hours in the fresh air. While playing golf, kids and teens can experience all types of fauna and flora.

9. Develop lifelong friendships: You never know who you will meet on a golf course and interaction with others allow young people to develop social skills.

8. Practice personal responsibility: Sometimes the ball doesn’t always bounce your way, but regardless of the outcome, there is no blaming your teammates for what happens.

7. Have a safe place to play: The golf course is a safe place and facilitates mentoring relationships in a safe environment.

6. Manage your emotions: Golf closely parallels real life as one experiences the highs and lows of the game. This range of experience from birdies to triple bogeys rewards a young person’s ability to keep each shot in perspective, manage one’s emotions, maintain a positive outlook and focus on the shot at hand.

5. Appreciate diversity: Golf is a game that can be played for a lifetime by anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, size or skill level.

4. Prepare for business: Golf is a sport that helps prepare kids and teens for careers in business and other professional arenas.

3. Learn etiquette: Young people should play golf because it is based on characteristics that are missing in our society. Golf places an emphasis on etiquette. In golf there is no judge or referee; instead, players govern themselves and fellow competitors.

2. Spend time with family: Golf is a game that encourages family participation.

1. Wellness for life. With the youth obesity epidemic in our country, golf is a sport that helps young people get off the couch. When you play golf, walking the golf course and carrying your bag, a 150-pound person burns 350 calories and walks more than 10,000 steps.