The Ken Malnar Golf "KMG" Junior Improvement System
We created the hat system to give both our juniors and their parents a clear path to improvement like in martial arts. The hat system is based on having our juniors focus on the parts of the game they can master at their age & strength level. All players start at a White Hat level which is based on scoring from 100 yards and in from the hole. This is the most critical part of the game and what juniors can master and play to at a level far beyond the age and strength level. They are unable to hit the ball 250 yards physically but they can play to the equivalent level in their chipping and putting. If we want our juniors to love the game, they have to be able to see improvement, have success, and be on a path to mastery.
Junior Developmental Tour
For a junior to advance in our hat system, he or she has to play in our Junior Developmental Tour where they play 9 holes with their teammates on a Saturday evenings once a month with a parent or grandparent caddying. This gives them the opportunity to compete which unfortunately in the past was not an option for beginning golfers. Unlike other sports where you play matches, games, or scrummages right away (baseball, football etc), golf has been set up that you only play tournaments when you are a “good golfer." Well how are you meant to get good if you can’t play tournaments? This is why we created a junior tour where our players can learn how to play the game with their friends with very little pressure on a course they can succeed with lots of fun and prizes.
The KMG Hat System
Play a tournament – 1 Star Pin to add on junior’s "white hat" level
Shoot 49 or lower - 2 Stars Pins to add onto junior’s hat
Shoot 44 or lower – 3 star pins to add to junior’s hat
Shoot 39 or lower – Advance to Yellow Hat
The progression then follows to Yellow Hat once a player shoots 37 or less and continues to the blue hat level.
As your child advances through the KMG Hat system, they will also advance in our programming levels and receive additional coaching time, skill development, mentoring and more on course training.
Junior Tour Philosophy
At Ken Malnar Golf our goal is to give juniors the coaching, instruction, and positive support needed to improve their games and grow as individuals. We believe that golf gives juniors of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to learn valuable life skills and build character. We also believe that golf is learned from the green backward, not from the tee box forward.That is why we have developed a comprehensive testing system that teaches kids how to score first and hit for distance second.
The driving force behind this addition besides having fun and giving our players the opportunity for increased competition is to embrace the philosophy at KMG and gives each player incentive to apply the following to their game:
·Purposeful Practice
·Practicing outside of class
·Score lower to graduate to the next set of tees to get higher points
·Understanding how to score – golf is learned from the green back
·Distance doesn’t matter - in the early stages
·Course and game management
Junior Tour Description
The juniors play from a specific distance based on skill level and past tournament scores. There is a progression that they will go through to designate what set of tee markers they play from. In order to graduate to the next set of tees, they must shoot the required score:
Graduation "hat" Levels
41 or lower from 50 yards
39 or lower from 100 yards
38 or lower from 150 yards
37 or lower from 200 yards
32 or lower from Red Tees
32 or lower from White Tees
The tournaments will be held once a month at the location and juniors from all age levels can participate. They will be paired with others playing from the same set of tee markers with the maximum score of 8 for any given hole. The parents are able to caddy for the junior until they are playing from the red tees.
The Junior Tour Series will take place throughout the year during each of our Junior Tour tournaments. This is a yearlong points series that is structured similar to that of the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour. Points are accumulated from each tournament for each age division along with an overall winner. This addition to the tournaments will show the juniors that getting out and playing in as many tournaments as possible along with improving their games by graduating to new tees are keys to achieving their golfing goals.
KMG Golf Junior Tour
Here is what we ask of you:
1) Be supportive of your player and all others.We are all out here to learn and to have fun. Winning is not the end game.
2) Please check in at the registration table on the first tee at least 45 minutes before your scheduled tee time. This will allow 5 minutes for registration (please let us know what they would like to eat – either a Hot Dog, Hamburger or Cheese burger), 10-15 minutes for hitting, 10-15 minutes for putting and chipping and 5-10 minutes to get to the tee box. Range balls will be provided on the driving range once you have signed in.
3) We encourage you to walk along or caddie with your player and is required for all players 10 and under. However, once a player reaches the Jr. Tee’s they are not allowed a caddie. Caddies are allowed to help the players line up shots and with club selection but please do this in a way that it does not slow down the pace of play. Also, please review marking the ball, repairing ball marks, replacing divots, raking bunkers, and talk with them about etiquette (not walking in other players lines on the greens and such.We cover these topics constantly in class but it is always helpful to go over it). Also, after the round, each player should remove their hats and sunglasses and shake hands with all group members and caddies. It is required that either caddies or players have a ball mark repair tool, a ball mark, and a couple of extra tees in their pockets at all times. This ensures that the player is ready to hit when it is their turn. Please play READY GOLF!
4)**PACE OF PLAY** - We have to be aware that there will be public play on the golf course before and after us and we have to keep the pace moving. We need to play in 2 hours – 2:15.I f a group has fallen behind they will be asked to speed up and ultimately to pick up and move forward. If this happens they will receive an “8” for the hole.
5) For all players, if you get to 8 shots on a hole, you are required to pick up and proceed to the next tee box and you will get an “8” for that hole. PLEASE adhere to this as players that continue to hit shots just slow down the rest of the groups. If this becomes an issue or a group falls behind, the entire group will be asked to pick up and move forward to close the gap. Each person in the group will take an “8” for any missed holes. With this, please play ready golf. As long as no one is in danger of being hit, please keep hitting. In regards to putting, please continuously putt out whenever possible while trying to avoid stepping in other players lines and avoid marking short putts. With the little ones, most will not be wearing golf shoes so they will not be causing indentations to others lines. We want them to be aware of the etiquette rules but since they are so small it is often hard for them to straddle others' putting lines. Do the best you can to observe the rules but also keep the pace moving forward and not mark short putts.
6) Each player has been assigned a colored stake in the fairway or a particular set of tees from where to tee off. The reason being is that we want the kids to have success and they need to learn to score from close range. Until they can shoot 39 or under from their respective tees they should not move back to longer tees. As they grow and get bigger and stronger and can hit it further, their whole game will be played from 100 yards and in. If they learn to score from here now it will serve them so much better than struggling from the back tees. Once a player reaches the Jr. Tees we require them to shoot 34 or under in order to move back to the Red Tees.
7) We will be awarding prizes to the defined groups as they come in from the course.This will allow the kids and families to eat their food, receive their prizes, and then depart the course without having to wait until all other groups have finished.
8) We will be playing by USGA rules except where local rules apply. All players will be switching scorecards within their group and are expected to keep their partner's score as well as their own score at the bottom of the card. After the round the players need to go over each hole to make sure the score is accurate and added correctly. Once this is done both players sign the card verifying the accuracy. Also, on the first tee box, each player needs to identify their ball and its markings to all players in the group. If they lose or take that ball out of play they need to inform the other players of the change. All players need to be prepared to play. They must have a coin or a round flat object for a ball marker, tees, balls, and a ball mark repair tool in their pocket.
