Family friendly golf vacations

Jasmine Wade,12, watches the flight of her ball as she practices on the driving range at Pinehurst, N.C. (CHUCK LIDDY, ASSOCIATED PRESS / May 2, 2008)

When you bring children to a golf course, be prepared for a few glares from fellow golfers.

Golf has always been a buddy sport. On most courses I see groups of men or women, sometimes couples, but hardly ever any children. Golfers, as a group, are polite and friendly. However, most prefer the quiet of the game. Like most of us, they expect children to be noisy.

But it's amazing when you put children on a professional golf course. It's as if something magical happens to them. They settle down and behave beautifully. At least, that's what my husband, Steven, and I observed while playing the nine-hole course at Minerals Golf Club in Vernon, N.J., last fall with our 7-year-old, Jordon.

Minerals, designed by Robert Trent Jones, the late and legendary golf course architect, is one of seven courses run by Crystal Springs, a family-friendly resort in northwestern New Jersey.

(The resort's award-winning public course, Ballyowen, is quite different from Minerals. It has been rated tops in the Garden State by several golf magazines. It is designed after famous courses in Scotland and comes complete with sheep, which are fenced safely away from flying golf balls, but can be seen by holes 10 and 11.)

At the Minerals pro shop, you'll see equipment designed for children as young as 3. Kiddie clubs can be rented for a reasonable price - $1. (Adult club rentals cost $15.)

Here, the golf carts are designed to seat four, with adjustable seats so medium-size kids can reach the gas pedal. The holes on this course are oversized, too, making it easier for little ones to sink a putt.

During our round, we shared the course with a few other families. At one hole, there was a family with three children ranging in age from 3 to 7 who each waited patiently for their turn to tee off without any bickering.

Later, a professional golf instructor drove a cart over to a group of kids - not to scold, but to offer free on-the-spot instruction. Curiously enough, children often accept corrections from strangers - especially when they look official. So when a golf pro came our way to adjust Jordon's stance, he eagerly listened.

After a round of family-style golf, we headed to the reasonably priced Kites Restaurant next to the pro shop, which has a menu kids will like. Our son was delighted to order macaroni and cheese, his favorite meal.

Crystal Springs guests can stay at the family-friendly Minerals Resort & Spa - which has standard rooms as well as two- and three-bedroom condos with kitchens - or the newly built Grand Cascades Lodge.

For a mere $10, we put our son in the Kids' Craze minicamp for the afternoon, which offers supervised swimming, basketball, tennis, crafts and other activities geared to kids under 12. The program is offered only on Fridays and Saturdays and includes a boxed lunch.

For teenagers, there's a video game room, tennis, racquetball, basketball and swimming in the oversized indoor and outdoor pools.

TIPS TO GO

1. INTO THE SWING

Planning a vacation centered on golf is great for the golf enthusiast. But remember, kids have shorter attention spans. That's why it's a good idea to look for a resort that has a wide range of activities, says Jay Rein, president of travelworm.com, an online travel agency. That means game rooms, swimming pools, a kids' club or other diversions. "You don't want to be stuck at a destination with five courses around you and no other alternatives," Rein says.

2. TAKE A TRIAL RUN

Take your child to a driving range close to home before you plan your trip. "I did this with my daughter, who was 8 at the time," says Rein. "She was hitting balls and really developed an interest in the sport."

3. RESEARCH KID-FRIENDLY RESORTS

Before you book, scan the resort's dining menus

online to make sure your child will have plenty of options at mealtime. Check whether the resort has dedicated golf lessons and programs for kids or special tee times and courses for families.

4. SET A SLOWER PACE

Playing a full course may be overwhelming for kids of any age. "My brother-in-law and his son went to a course with

18 holes. Before the game, he told my nephew that they were only going to play 9," says Rein. "He was having a great game - so much so that when they got to hole 9 [and] my brother-in-law told him this was the last hole, my nephew asked to play the next 9. He wanted his son to leave the course feeling happy, which they did."

5. KEEP THE CLAN HAPPY

Indeed, content kids make for happy parents. "Unless you are raising a Tiger Woods, you should never push," says Rein. "Don't spend the entire part of the day on the golf course, and plan to spend a day away from the course."

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