Children's golf courses: the complete guide to choosing the right one in 2026

What is a children's golf course?

Unlike a typical weekly lesson, a children's golf camp combines several consecutive sessions (often four or five half-days) during a single week of school holidays. This intensive format allows children to progress quickly through the repetition of technical skills in a short period of time, while enjoying a fun and group environment with other children their age.

A typical golf course alternates between technical workshops (grip, posture, swing, putting, chipping) and game situations, first on the driving range and then on the course for more advanced children. Instruction is provided by a state-certified professional instructor, specifically trained in junior golf pedagogy.

At what age can you enroll your child in a golf camp?

Most French golf courses, including Golf du Belvédère in Annecy, accept children from 5-6 years old for introductory sessions, up to 17-18 years old for the most technically demanding training courses. Clubs generally organize these courses by age group (for example, 5-9 years and 10-17 years) to adapt the session length, teaching content, and training intensity to each group's motor skills and concentration capacity.

For younger children (5-9 years old), the focus is on playful discovery: skill games, introduction to the swing in small groups, and coordination exercises. For 10-17 year olds, the program is closer to structured training, with more time spent playing on the actual course.

How much does a children's golf course cost?

The price of a children's golf course generally ranges from €150 to €400 per week, depending on the daily session length, the age of the group, and whether or not there is additional playing time on the course beyond the driving range. The shortest courses (1 hour per morning, for 5-9 year olds) are at the lower end of the price range, while courses including 1.5 hours of technical golf instruction and 1.5 hours on the course for older children are naturally more expensive. The minimum number of participants (often 4) may also affect whether the course will run.

This price generally includes supervision by a qualified teacher, access to the practice area and sometimes the loan of equipment for beginners — a point to always check before booking.

What does a typical day of children's golf camp look like?

A day of children's golf training generally follows a similar structure from one club to another, with a different dosage depending on the age of the group.

Morning: technique and practice

The morning often begins with a fun warm-up, followed by technical workshops on the driving range: grip work, posture, the full swing, and then the short game (putting, chipping, bunker). The instructor alternates short explanations and practical exercises in small groups to maximize each child's swing time.

In the afternoon or later in the session: game

For more advanced groups, the end of the session is devoted to a supervised outing on the course (often on the first holes, in a reduced format), where the child applies in real conditions what he has worked on in the morning: trajectory management, club choice, counting strokes, respect for the rules and etiquette of golf.

What equipment is needed for a children's golf course?

To start, it's not necessary to buy a complete set of equipment. Most clubs offer a loan of equipment adapted to the child's size For the first introductory sessions, the essentials for the family to bring are: comfortable sportswear, flat shoes with good grip (sneakers are suitable for beginners), a cap and sunscreen, as well as a water bottle, since the course takes place largely outdoors.

If the child confirms their interest after an initial training session, the purchase of a small junior bag with a few clubs adapted to their size becomes relevant — a choice ideally made with the advice of the club's instructor, who knows the child's morphology and level.

What are the benefits of a golf camp for a child?

Golf is known to develop in children a range of qualities that go beyond the sporting realm: concentration and patience, necessary to repeat a technical movement until it is mastered; overall motor coordination, required by a complex movement involving the whole body; respect for rules and etiquette, golf being one of the few sports where self-officiating and honesty are central; emotional management, a missed shot must be overcome before the next; and sociability, through practice in small groups with other children.

Contrary to popular belief, junior golf is not a static sport: a morning of training involves several kilometers of walking and real physical exertion, especially on the long swing.

How to choose the right golf course for your child?

Before booking, a few criteria can help ensure that the course truly matches the child's profile:

• Check that the supervision is provided by a state-certified teacher, the only guarantee of golf teaching adapted to children.
• Confirm the age range of the group: a 6-year-old child does not have the same needs as a 15-year-old teenager.
• Ask about the supervisor/child ratio, ideally around 1 to 6-8 for real individual monitoring.
• Check if the course includes playing time on the course, and not just practice, from a certain level.
• Inquire about equipment loan options available for a first experience without investment.
• Consider the proximity and access to the club, a multi-day training course involving repeated travel.

Which school holiday periods should I choose for a children's golf course?

Children's golf camps are offered during every school holiday period, but each period has different advantages depending on the desired outcome. Spring and summer holidays benefit from milder weather and longer days, allowing for a smooth transition between practice and on-course play. The autumn and winter holidays are better suited to focused technical work on the indoor or covered driving range, with less time spent on the outdoor course depending on the weather.

Many families choose summer for their child's first introduction to sports, taking advantage of the long holidays to string together several courses over different weeks and consolidate skills from one session to the next. A child who repeats the experience over two or three weeks throughout the year generally progresses faster than with a single isolated session, as consistency, like in most technical sports, is the key factor in progress.

Children's golf courses: packages according to age at a glance

The table below summarizes the main differences between an introductory formula for younger children and an advanced formula for teenagers, such as those found in the majority of French golf schools.

Children's golf course at Golf du Belvédère in Annecy

Located in Saint-Martin-Bellevue in Haute-Savoie, the 9-hole course at Golf du Belvédère It offers a natural setting with views of Mont Blanc and the Aravis mountain range, particularly suitable for introducing young people to golf.’Belvedere Golf School offers courses during school holidays, supervised by state-certified teachers, with different formulas depending on age: a short and fun formula for children under 10, and a more complete formula combining technique and playing on the course for those over 10.

This small group format, on a human-sized course, allows children to progress at their own pace while fully enjoying the practice area and club facilities between technical workshops.

The Belvédère setting, with its open practice area and proximity to Lake Annecy, also allows for additional outings for the most advanced groups, alternating technical work and supervised rounds on the 9 holes, so that the child finishes their course having actually played in course conditions and not just on the practice area.