Golf course for an 8 year old

Our San Antonio vacation is rapidly approaching, and our 8 year old son wants to go golfing, REAL golfing.

Given that there are plenty of golf courses in SA, I would like to know which one would be most age appropriate, and whether we should go to a driving range? I don%26#39;t have a clue about golf, so any advise is appreciated.

Golf course for an 8 year old

This is just based on personal experience, and shouldn%26#39;t be taken as the end all be all. When my daughter was about 8 or 10 she wanted to go golfing with us. We first tried taking her with us to a golf course, but found she was bored by the waiting and fidgeted such that we were concerned she was bothering other people. We found the driving range much more appropriate. They were kind enough to give us spots at one end where we were able to enjoy playing around hitting a bucket of balls, and our daughter could swing to her heart%26#39;s content, or stop and sit back as she pleased without causing any bother to anyone. Certainly if your son hasn%26#39;t been golfing before, starting with the driving range would give him a chance to learn a few basics before hitting the course. :)

Golf course for an 8 year old

I would have to agree with above poster!!!!!

I thought TravelinGert was describing me on a golf course. I%26#39;ve been compared to an 8-yesr-old often.

Driving range sounds great. I might also suggest some par-3 courses but I%26#39;m not the least into golf and have no clue where one is. I check with some buddies and try to get back. The other thought would be a municipal golf course - less expensive. You might also check to see if they offer children%26#39;s lessons. Again I%26#39;m clueless but would think that someone offers them.

I certainly would schedule it during the off peak times - weekday, mid-day, to have the most freedom (less folks waiting , etc.)

I would opt for the driving range too. An actual round of golf for an 8 year old would get old for all of you very quickly, to say nothing of the golfers behind you. :%26gt; What about miniature golf? LOL...does that still exist??

Alamo Golf Course. Its a executive 18 hole, ie short Course plays fast, they have a 2 story driving range, putting green.

Thank you all for your fantastic responses. I can see where an 8 year old would get bored after a while on an actual course, and consequently annoy the golfers behind us.

Our little guy just wants to get the chance to hit the ball, but it has to be the real deal, not Minigolf, sorry OO. :) I do remember though that last time we went to SA, we played Minigolf next to Malibu on IH10. It%26#39;s actually very nice.

I checked out the website of the Alamo Golf Course. Besides the driving range they offer individual lessons for juniors (pricey) as well as clinics (great price) twice a week. Our plan is to have him attend the clinic to get same basic skills, and then proceed to the driving range. He%26#39;s a pretty athletic little guy, and who know, may be we got a real talent on our hand. :)

Again, thanks for the wonderful responses.

Sorry for replying so late (been on vacation!), but there are a couple of other options...

Joe Caruso specializes in training kids, and if the timing is right, you could catch a day camp.

For courses, there are a couple of courses that kids handle a bit better, but they aren%26#39;t great -- Oak Valley on the far west side, and Blossom Golf Center just north of the airport. They%26#39;re both par-3, so the pace is fairly steady, even with kids...

Thanks Mike in TX. I checked out the Joe Caruso%26#39;s website. It really sounds great though they don%26#39;t offer any camps when we are in S.A.. I will keep it in mind though for future trips.