Peter says: Little girls and sports

credit: Axel Buhrmann

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here (or if Lisa has complained about it here), but I'm a serious golf fan. I play, I watch, I collect golf stuff. The other night I was at Golf Town with my two girls and while we were in the store, I let Addy and Peyton go over and check out the kids' clubs. They have a very cute little three-piece set with a golf bag (all in pink, of course — I liked it because the main colours on my clubs are pink and baby blue). I think the set was around $120, which anyone who plays golf knows is not a lot of money, but to spend that on a set for a three-year-old...I’m not sure. How do you know to buy a left or right set? Odds are she will be a righty, but I’m a lefty! Seems like a lot of money for something that might get touched a few times then end up collecting dust in the basement (where a ton of toys go to die in our house).

The cutest thing was watching the kids try different clubs — looking like a couple of little golfers. I mentioned to the guy next to me at the checkout that if Addy starts golfing now she'll probably be able to beat me by next summer. "She can probably beat me now," he said. 
 
Addy has shown interest in playing soccer, which Lisa is looking into signing her up for this spring and summer. She knows I play hockey and that Lisa used to figure skate when she was a kid, she and her sister will probably go for skating lessons at some point. As for golf, Addy knows I'm a big fan and she even likes watching it on TV with me. (Which Lisa thinks is extremely bizarre.) 

So I'm wondering: When is the right time to start kids in sports? To the golfers (or spouses of golfers) out there: When did your little Phil Mickelson start playing? How much did you money would you invest at this stage of the game (pun intended) — is $120 too much to spend on equipment for a preschooler?