The 32nd season of the Winter Tour is off to a solid start. 

This family recreational program featured parents caddying for their children late on Sunday afternoon. The mission statement for this program has remained constant for more than three decades: “Families spending recreational time together on a golf course.”

Chase Butler has been Winter Tour director since 2007 and gave some details:

 “The Winter Tour is for all skill levels boys and girls ages 5-18. We have 16 courses in the Midlands on our tour rotation. Each week close to 100 families will visit 6 different golf courses. Parents and volunteers serve as Safety & Etiquette Golf Tour guides. The developmental theme is very, very simple, It’s called ‘learn through play.’” 

The golf educational principles are also rudimentary. Have fun swinging while you walk around the golf course chasing the ball, with family and friends. 

In 1996, Dr Morris Pickens, a Sports psychologist began consulting for this program. He led and collaborated with a team of golf experts. 

This team established conceptual principles that both players and parents could abide by during play. He gave specific principles to parents about being caddies, spectators, or core guides while offering the players ideas on what to think about on the golf course. 

The principles are so simple that they can be hard to follow. It boils down to this; parents who either Caddy, guide or spectate, simply provide a safe environment, encourage and support while helping players traverse the course swiftly, meeting the tour time objectives. 

Playing fast can be a learned skill but comes instinctually to children. Too much thinking slows golfers down, increases tension and inhibits or negatively influences performance. Tension also stymies or suppresses natural motor golf swing instincts. 

Therefore, the faster players learn to play, the better they learn to play. So they learn to play better, faster! 

The pace of play and golf development is the main reason the tour has been teeing off at 3 p.m. since 1992. For everyone to finish before dark, play must be fast!

Most, if not all of the players on the opening day of the 24th season, completed their round this past week! Out of the 16 courses on the Winter Tour rotation, the six this past week included Newberry Country Club, Camden Country Club, Fort Jackson Golf Club, LinRick Golf Club and Charwood Golf Club.

It should be mentioned that each course hosts the Winter Tour families as their guests on Sunday afternoon, which makes it possible for the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission, the Richland County Recreation Commission and the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission. 

These three local recreational entities operate together to present this organic golf growth initiative. 

One more fact about the Winter Tour: It just so happens that local golf experts, “E” Rutherford, Billy Dillon, both at LinRick, and Chris Miller of Country Club of  Lexington were in the original admin staff when the program seeded in 1992. 

While families spending time together is No. 1, having fun is tied for first! 

Kyle Nathe, dad of two Winter Tour players had this to say; “I thoroughly enjoyed being at Charwood With my boys, (Kyle, 7 and Carter, 5.) It was so cool. We made it through all nine holes walking and we all had fun. I wasn’t sure how it could work for Carter but he had a blast. Walking is also great exercise.”

“GJ”, Collins Fore’s grandma had this to say about her 7-year-old granddaughter; “She tried gymnastics and dance, but she fell in love with golf. She loves it and we are going to keep letting her play. She is very happy when she’s on the golf course.”

Stay tuned for there will be more soon and between now and then if you wanna play better, try playing faster. Playing without thinking can be way more fun!