From Day One to Year Three: KC Junior Golf’s Growth
The 2026 season marks the third year of KC Junior Golf.
The last three years have been full of memories, lessons, and incredibly stories. There have been hard days (cancelled tee times, weather delays, and forgotten snacks), but there have also been really good days (extra range balls, rainbows on the course, and ice cream parties to celebrate the year). We don’t know what 2026 has in store, but we do know how it all started. So here’s the story of how KC Junior Golf started and where we are today.
KC Junior Golf has grown from its first season into a year-round junior golf program serving Kansas City families in Kansas and Missouri.
Before KC Junior Golf
When I was still in college, my coach asked if anyone was interested in a summer job. He didn’t give us many details, just that it had to do with golf and was at a local course. I almost turned it down because I already had a job and didn’t want to spend my whole summer working, but I ended up taking it at the last minute.
That job was a coaching position with the First Tee of Kansas City.
Over those six weeks, I learned more than I expected. I learned how to explain golf to eight year olds, structure practice so everyone stays engaged, and build relationships with everyone at the course (kids, parents, other golfers, and golf course employees).
But the biggest lesson was that I wanted to continue coaching golf.
I returned to the First Tee the next summer and accepted the Lead Coach position for the programs in the Northland. Over the next two and a half years, I coached over 30 kids every season - spring, summer, and fall - and fell in love with coaching junior golf.
The Idea
At the end of the 2023 season, several parents approached me and asked for more advanced lessons. Some of these parents had kids who had outgrown the First Tee’s programs, others were stuck on the waiting list, and others just happened to be at the course and saw me coaching. Regardless of how we met, I gave them my contact information and ran a few trial lessons.
By February 2024, I had a solid list of people who wanted regular lessons. I started KC Junior Golf and set aside a few days for individual lessons. Word continued to spread, and I ended up adding more sessions and reaching out to other people who might be interested in golf. I had reached full capacity within three weeks and had a full schedule before the spring season even started.
Of course, I was still coaching at the First Tee. I thought about just focusing on KC Junior Golf, but several of the kids on the First Tee’s roster had been as last year’s season, and I wasn’t ready to walk away yet. KC Junior Golf was also scheduled to start five weeks before the First Tee, so I had some time to find a balance between both programs.
The Decision
The first five weeks of actual lessons with KC Junior Golf flew by, and I learned a lot really quickly. It was honestly one of the most defining moments for myself as a coach and KC Junior Golf as a whole. I don’t say it enough, but I am incredibly grateful for the families who took a chance on me. I know you guys weren’t there for the weather, and those weeks will always have a special place in my heart.
And then the First Tee started.
At first, it was manageable. A couple days at the First Tee, a couple days with KC Junior Golf, and then a couple days off before doing it all again.
But then KC Junior Golf started gaining traction again. Parents told their friends, people at the golf course started asking for information and sharing it with their friends and family, and website traffic skyrocketed overnight.
About halfway through the spring season at the First Tee, I realized that I couldn’t do both. I will forever be grateful for the First Tee for letting me be a part of their team for three years and inspiring me to coach. Without them, I never would have found my passion, and none of us would be here, reading about KC Junior Golf’s three year journey.
In April 2024, I officially left the First Tee and focused on KC Junior Golf. I finished the Spring Season in May and offered a summer program that ran from June to August in the Northland.
A Small Break
I fully intended to offer a fall season in 2024, but I was offered a coaching position with a local college at the last minute. I accepted the position and quickly realized I couldn’t do both (at the moment).
The previous coach had left the program in April, when the last season ended, and the future of the program was already uncertain. When I took over the program, we were only three weeks away from our first tournament and we didn’t have a tournament schedule, several athletes were actively trying to transfer, and our practice schedule had been denied by both the course and the athletic department. It was a real mess, and I knew I had to fix that before I could run both programs.
Over the next four months, I slowly rebuilt the college program and started planning the 2025 season with KC Junior Golf. By the end of the semester, I was confident that both programs could co-exist in the spring, and I opened registration again.
The Spring of Golf
My spring season was full of golf. The college team travelled most weeks (Sunday - Tuesday), and junior golf happened every week (Wednesday-Saturday). It was a lot of golf, both programs flourished.
The College Program
By this point in time, both the men and women were able to have split practices - team practices twice a week and independent practices twice a week. They knew what needed to be done, and they did it. At the end of the year, two members on the women’s team qualified for the National Championship and one of the member of the men’s team finished in the top 5 at the District Championship.
KC Junior Golf
In the spring of 2025, we offered programs in the Northland and in Lee’s Summit. All lessons were held at Golf Ranch and mostly focused on the full swing. Occasionally, we visited the putting green (or mini golf course in Lee’s Summit).
These lessons filled up quicker than expected, and we were able to build a consistent routine. Here are some highlights from the spring season at both locations:
Top Game: Go Fish
Most Caught Item: Tin Can
Ice Cream Flavor: Neapolitan
Most Used Word: Crash Out
Favorite Animal: Geese
Most Worn Outfit: Winter Coats
Once again, the weather was unpredictable, but the season was still full of joy.
Summer 2025
Summer golf is always unpredictable in Kansas City. We always start the season with sweatshirts and rain jackets and end with 100 degree days that end up cancelling golf. The 2025 season was no different.
Despite the inconsistencies, we still had several weeks of golf and were able to transition to the golf course. Our practices were split between the driving range and the practice green, which helped us work on all aspects of our game.
Fall 2025
Our full programming returned in August and ran all the way through October. These lessons were offered at Paradise Pointe and filled up almost immediately. We continued to alternate between the putting green and the driving range. Here are the highlights from this season:
Top Game: This or That
Best Game Prompt: Only ever listen to Benson Boone the rest of your life or live underground forever
Most Used Word: Six Seven
Our Most Developed Skill: Creative Interpretation of the Rules
These eight weeks were full of some of greatest shots, lots of laughs, and a lot of crazy prompts none of us saw coming.
Ending the Year
For the first time ever, KC Junior Golf offered winter golf. We wrapped up 2025 with three weeks of golf in November and December. These lessons were offered at Topgolf in Overland Park and T-Shotz in the Northland. We exclusively worked on our full-swing, and we also have some highlight from this season:
Favorite Game: Angry Birds
Favorite Club: Driver
Most Used Phrase: “One more, please.”
Favorite Warm-Up: Hitting the picker on the range
Altogether, over 70 different kids participated in a KC Junior Golf program in 2025, with 95% of them attending more than one session. We know this wouldn’t be possible without your support, so we are incredibly grateful to everyone who golfed with us in 2025. You all will always have a special place in our hearts.
Year Three - 2026
The 2026 season is our third year in Kansas City, and our goal is to make it our biggest year yet.
Our goal for this year is to make junior golf fun and accessible in Kansas City. We want to create a safe environment for kids to learn new skills, explore the game, and make new friends. To do this, we are offering a variety of programs throughout the Kansas City area that take place at the driving range, the golf course, and local parks. The goal is to simplify the game by lowering the barrier to entry, offering alternative versions of golf, and focusing on fun.
Our season starts with eight weeks of winter golf at Topgolf and T-Shotz, and we hope you’ll join us. You can view our full schedule here or contact us with any questions. As usual, these classes are open to ages 4-18 and all skill levels. Clubs are not required - we have extras, if you don’t have any!