Junior Golf in Tampa
Junior.Golf
Cestone Golf Academy will be using the Junior.Golf platform for all youth golf updates and communication. This digital platform will make scheduling, planning and organizing your youth golf calendar as easy as possible.
To create your free Junior.Golf account visit www.junior.golf/register
Player Development Pathway
The player pathway is designed to assist parents with each step of the golf journey - from the beginner just learning the game to the elite player honing their skill set. The pathway begins with parent-child engagement, with the parent introducing the child to the game in a fun and engaging manner. As the child begins to play, they will be introduced to a golf professional to learn the fundamentals for putting, chipping, pitching and swinging. With continued instruction and practice, the player will soon have an opportunity to play in golf events, competitions and tournaments.
The development of junior golfers is heavily reliant on appropriate instruction and proper group assignment. It is essential for a junior golfer to be properly classified. This will ensure their placement in the proper group based on skill level. This allows our coaches to guide players through the phases of development using an objective criteria and developmental mind-set. The Cestone Golf Academy junior golf program has been broken up into five levels, or hats. A hat will be earned at each level.
Red Hat Player Development Benchmarks
SWING FUNDAMENTALS
Demonstrate 10 finger grip (hands together and thumbs down)
Demonstrate a “Y” setup with athletic posture
Demonstrate ability to align body with different targets
Make five rehearsal swings (holding finish position for five seconds)
Demonstrate ability to take putting stroke back and follow through properly
FULL SWING SKILLS
Iron: Hit off a tee, flying ball 15 yards (3 of 5 shots)
Wood: Hit off a tee, flying ball 25 yards (3 of 5 shots)
SHORT GAME SKILLS
Putting: Hole 2-foot putts (3 of 5 shots)
Putting: 2-putt from 10 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Putting: Hit 20-foot putts within 6 feet (2 of 5 shots)
Chipping: Hit 20-foot within 8 feet (2 of 5 shots)
SCORING SKILLS
Be able to hole out from 150 yards in 10 shots or less
RULES, ETIQUETTE AND HISTORY
Demonstrate knowledge of rules, etiquette, equipment and sportsmanship
Blue Hat Player Development Benchmarks
SWING FUNDAMENTALS
Demonstrate ability to grip the club with top of the thumb covered by the palm of the bottom hand
Demonstrate proper ball position with an iron and a wood
Demonstrate a full weight shift from back leg to front leg with proper finish
FULL SWING SKILLS
Iron: Hit off a tee, flying ball 25 yards (3 of 5 shots)
Wood: Hit off a tee, flying ball 50 yards (3 of 5 shots)
SHORT GAME SKILLS
Putting: Hole 2-foot putts (4 of 5 shots)
Putting: Hole 4-foot putts (3 of 5 shots)
Putting: 2-putt from 10 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Putting: 2-putt from 15 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Putting: 3-putt from 30 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Chipping: Hit 20-foot within 6 feet (2 of 5 shots)
Chipping: Hit 40-foot within 10 feet (2 of 5 shots)
Sand: Hit out of bunker (2 of 5 shots)
SCORING SKILLS
Be able to hole out from 150 yards in 6 shots or less
RULES, ETIQUETTE AND HISTORY
Demonstrate knowledge of rules, etiquette, equipment and sportsmanship
Orange Hat Player Development Benchmarks
SWING FUNDAMENTALS
Demonstrate rotation of spine and pelvis without excessive lateral movement
Demonstrate varied stance width and ball position based on the shot being played
Demonstrate wrist motion compatible with the swing style
FULL SWING SKILLS
Iron: Hit onto a green from 75+ yards (3 of 5 shots)
Wood: Hit off a tee, flying ball 100 yards (3 of 5 shots)
Other: Demonstrate ability to hit high shots or low shots
SHORT GAME SKILLS
Putting: Hole 2-foot putts (5 of 5 shots)
Putting: Hole 4-foot putts (4 of 5 shots)
Putting: 2-putt from 20 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Putting: 2-putt from 40 feet (2 of 5 shots)
Putting: 3-putt from 30 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Chipping: Hit 20-foot within 6 feet (2 of 5 shots)
Chipping: Hit 60-foot within 18 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Pitching: Hit 20-yard shot on to green (4 of 5 shots)
Sand: Hit out of bunker (3 of 5 shots)
SCORING SKILLS
Shoot 60 or better on 9 holes
RULES, ETIQUETTE AND HISTORY
Demonstrate knowledge of rules, etiquette, equipment and sportsmanship
Green Hat Player Development Benchmarks
SWING FUNDAMENTALS
Demonstrate all swing fundamentals
Complete stable dynamic posture
Demonstrate good release and impact position
FULL SWING SKILLS
Iron: Hit onto a green from 75+ yards (3 of 5 shots)
Wood: Hit off a tee, flying ball 150 yards (4 of 5 shots)
Other: Demonstrate ability to hit draw and fade shot
SHORT GAME SKILLS
Putting: Hole 4-foot putts (9 of 12 shots)
Putting: Hole 8-foot putts (5 of 12 shots)
Putting: 2-putt from 20 feet (5 of 5 shots)
Putting: 2-putt from 50 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Chipping: Hit from 10 yards within 15 feet (3 of 5 shots)
Chippin: Hit from 25 yards within 15 feet (2 of 5 shots)
Pitching: Hit 40-yard shot on to green (5 of 5 shots)
Pitching: Hit 60-yard shot on to green (4 of 5 shots)
Sand: Hit out of bunker on to green (3 of 5 shots)
SCORING SKILLS
Shoot 79 or better on 18 holes
RULES, ETIQUETTE AND HISTORY
Demonstrate knowledge of rules, etiquette, equipment and sportsmanship
Teaching
Be able to teach other juniors putting and chipping.