Equipment Guides · Accessories
Junior golf accessories,
assessed honestly.
2026.
Five gloves and five golf balls assessed editorially, plus straight-talking guidance on bags, trolleys, GPS, lake balls and practice aids — what to buy, when to buy it, and what can safely wait.
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JuniorCaddie Editorial
Editorial assessments from manufacturer specifications, retailer information and the Rules of Golf · Updated October 2026
Which hand does the glove go on?
A golf glove is worn on the lead hand — the hand closest to the target at address. For a right-handed golfer, that's the left hand; for a left-handed golfer, it's the right hand. This is the opposite of what some parents expect, so double-check before buying — a glove ordered for the wrong hand can't easily be swapped once it's been tried on.
Phase 1 · Live now
Junior Golf Gloves
Five gloves worth knowing, from the industry-standard leather glove to the cheapest genuinely decent option. Scores are editorial assessments, not lab or on-course tests. And like everything else in junior golf: sized by measurement, not age.
Measure the hand, not the age
Measure from the crease at the base of the palm to the tip of the middle finger, then match it against the specific brand's chart — glove sizes aren't consistent between brands, and any ages printed on the packaging are a rough guide only.
X-Small14cm
Small14.5cm
Medium15.5cm
Large16.5cm
X-Large17.5cm
Example: U.S. Kids Golf junior glove chart. Other brands differ — always check the chart for the glove you're buying.
How it should fit
Snug, like a second skin — no loose material at the fingertips or wrinkling across the palm. A loose glove slips during the swing, which defeats the point of wearing one. Leather gloves loosen slightly with wear, so don't size up "to grow into". Gloves are cheap enough to replace when outgrown — re-measure at the start of each season.
Unsurprisingly, given how much thought US Kids puts into everything else, the Good-Grip glove has a genuinely useful teaching feature: a printed knuckle arrow and hand-placement guide that helps a young beginner learn the correct grip position every single time they put the glove on. For a Stage 1 junior still building their fundamentals, that's a small detail that pays off every practice session.
The palm uses premium cabretta leather — the same material found on premium adult gloves — paired with a synthetic back for durability in the wet. It sits at a similar price to FootJoy, so the choice between the two often comes down to whether the grip-guide feature matters to your child's stage of learning.
The grip-guide detail is the kind of thing you don't know you need until a coach points it out — then you can't unsee how many kids are gripping the club wrong.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
The best choice for a true beginner still learning correct hand placement. Cabretta leather feel at a fair price. A strong alternative to FootJoy, particularly at Stage 1.
£9.99
Cabretta leather palm · uskidsgolf.com
MKids brings the same sensible, UK-focused approach to gloves that it brings to its junior club sets: four clear colour-coded sizes (Orange 6–8, Red 7–9, Green 9–11, Blue 10–12) that take the guesswork out of ordering online, built from a water-resistant fabric with Lycra inserts for stretch across the knuckles.
It won't match the leather feel of FootJoy or US Kids, but for a family kitting out a young beginner who's likely to outgrow the glove within a season regardless, that's a reasonable trade for a lower price and simpler sizing.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
A sensible budget pick with the clearest sizing system of any brand here. Fine for a Stage 1 beginner; upgrade to leather once your child is playing regularly.
from £8.99
4 colour-coded sizes · thegolfshoponline.co.uk
Where the other gloves on this list prioritise a natural leather feel, the Weather Spann takes a different approach: a durable synthetic leather built specifically to perform in the wet, which matters more than it sounds for a junior playing UK club competitions through autumn and winter. Grip doesn't disappear the moment the glove gets damp, which a standard leather glove can struggle with.
It's priced a little higher than FootJoy or US Kids, and the trade-off is a slightly less premium dry-weather feel — but for a junior who plays through the wetter months rather than just fair-weather practice, that trade is worth making.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
The right choice for a junior competing through a full UK season rather than fine weather only. A genuine all-weather performer, at a small premium over the leather options.
from £10.99
Synthetic all-weather leather · callawaygolf.com
Under Armour's Iso-Chill fabric is built to feel noticeably cooler against the skin, which is a genuine comfort win for a junior playing a long summer round or a full day at a camp or tournament. It's the glove we'd point a parent towards if their child specifically complains about a glove feeling hot and sweaty rather than uncomfortable in fit.
It's the least leather-like glove on this list in terms of grip feel, so a junior transitioning towards more serious competition may eventually prefer FootJoy or US Kids — but as a summer-specific comfort upgrade, it does exactly what it promises.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
A genuine comfort upgrade for hot-weather rounds. Worth it if your child specifically struggles with a sweaty hand in summer; not the first glove to reach for otherwise.
from £11.99
Iso-Chill cooling fabric · underarmour.co.uk
Phase 1 · Live now
Golf Balls for Junior Golfers
There's no such thing as a "junior" golf ball — juniors play standard balls, matched to swing speed rather than age. Lower compression suits slower, developing swings; here's how the five most relevant options compare.
Compression, in plain English
Compression measures how much a ball deforms on impact. A slower swing speed can't compress a firm ball — the energy is wasted and distance suffers. A junior with a developing swing almost always benefits from a lower-compression ball (under ~60), which springs off the face more easily even at modest clubhead speed. As swing speed increases through Stage 4–5, a firmer, more premium ball starts to make more sense.
At roughly 35 compression, the Duo Soft+ is about as low as compression gets on the UK market — which makes it the correct starting ball for the youngest, slowest-swinging juniors on this list. Even a modest Stage 1 swing speed compresses this ball properly, converting effort into distance rather than a dead, clicky feeling off the face.
It also comes in high-visibility colour options, which is a genuinely practical detail for young beginners who lose balls in the rough more often than they'd like to admit.
If your child's drives feel like they're going nowhere no matter how hard they swing, the ball is very often the problem, not the swing.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
The right ball for the youngest, slowest-swinging juniors. Softest feel here, genuinely low price, and colour options that help with lost balls. Start here at Stage 1.
from £18.99
Per dozen · ~35 compression · wilsongolf.com
The Supersoft has been a mainstream favourite for years, and it earns that reputation honestly. At a low compression that still sits a touch firmer than the Wilson Duo Soft, it launches easily and forgives off-centre contact — exactly the shot pattern a developing Stage 2–4 junior produces most often — while lasting noticeably longer in play than the very softest balls on this list.
It's the sensible middle-ground recommendation: soft enough to help a moderate swing speed, durable enough that a junior isn't churning through a sleeve every round.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
The safe, sensible default for most juniors from Stage 2 onward. Soft, forgiving, holds up well, and widely available. If in doubt, buy this one.
from £21.99
Per dozen · ~38 compression · callawaygolf.com
Srixon's FastLayer core construction — soft at the centre, firmer towards the outer layer — gives the Soft Feel a slightly different character to a straightforward low-compression ball: still easy to launch, but with a bit more feedback and control on and around the greens than the very softest options on this list.
It's a sensible next step for a Stage 3–4 junior who's started to care about short-game spin and control, not just distance off the tee.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
A good in-between choice for a junior whose short game is starting to matter as much as their driving. More feedback than the Supersoft, without stepping up to premium pricing.
from £20.99
Per dozen · ~58 compression · srixon.com
Bridgestone's e6 range has always been built around one specific promise — reducing side-spin to straighten out a wayward shot — and that's just as useful for a junior still developing consistent contact as it is for the higher-handicap adult golfers it was originally designed for. The result is a ball that keeps mishits playable rather than compounding a bad swing into a bad hole.
It's slightly firmer than the Supersoft or Duo Soft, so it suits a junior whose swing speed has picked up a little, typically Stage 3 and beyond.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
Worth choosing specifically for a junior who struggles with a consistent strike — the anti-slice construction genuinely helps keep mishits in play.
from £22.99
Per dozen · ~45 compression · bridgestonegolf.com
Titleist's TruFeel is the softest ball the brand makes, but it's worth being honest that it's firmer than every other ball on this list — a deliberate design choice that makes it the sensible bridge for an older Stage 4–5 junior heading towards a proper premium ball like the Pro V1 as their swing speed and competitive level increase.
You're paying a premium for the Titleist name here relative to the performance-for-price of the Supersoft or Duo Soft, and for most juniors still at Stage 1–3 that premium isn't worth it yet. But for a competitive older junior who wants to start getting used to how a proper tour-style ball behaves, it's the right introduction.
JuniorCaddie Verdict
Not the best value on this list, and not the softest — but the right choice for an older, competitive junior easing towards premium tour balls. Save it for Stage 4 and above.
from £28.99
Per dozen · ~70 compression · titleist.co.uk
Guidance · The budget option
Lake Balls: The Honest Money-Saver
Juniors lose a lot of golf balls. Lake balls — recovered from course water hazards, cleaned, graded and resold — are the obvious way to stop that costing a fortune.
The grade is what you're paying for, and the top grades play essentially like new. High-grade lake balls typically sell for roughly £10–£30 a dozen depending on the model — a fraction of the price of new.
Lake ball grades, in plain English
Pearl / MintNear-new · fine for competition
Grade ALight cosmetic marks · plays the same
Grade BScuffs and ink marks · fine for beginners
PracticeHeavily used · practice and short game only
RefinishedStripped and repainted · not the same thing
The junior-specific catch: mixed lake ball packs are often full of firm, premium tour balls — exactly the high-compression balls a developing swing can't compress properly. A bag of second-hand tour balls looks like a bargain but can cost a junior distance. Buy lake balls by model, choosing the same low-compression balls reviewed above, rather than by brand mix or price alone.
Our guidance
At Stage 1–2, when balls disappear into hedges every round, Grade B or practice-grade lake balls are perfectly sensible. Once your child is competing, buy Pearl or Grade A lake balls of a named low-compression model — same performance, much lower price. Avoid mixed packs of tour balls until swing speed genuinely suits them.
Guidance · Sized by height
Junior Golf Bags
Like clubs, junior bags are sized by height — and the same trap applies. A bag bought "to grow into" makes today's clubs hard to reach and the straps awkward to carry.
A lightweight stand bag is the right first bag for almost every junior: legs that keep it upright on the course, a double strap that spreads the weight, and light enough to carry nine holes. Many packaged junior sets come with a matching bag — if yours did, use it. If you're buying separately, match the bag to the height band of the clubs your child has now, not to their age.
Example: U.S. Kids Golf stand bags by player height
Player 130–137cm (51–54in)26in bag
Player 137–145cm (54–57in)27.5in bag
Player 145–152cm (57–60in)29in bag
Player 152–160cm (60–63in)30.5in bag
Player 160–168cm (63–66in)32in bag
U.S. Kids Golf measure player height with shoes on. Other brands size differently — use this as an illustration of the principle, not a universal chart.
Four checks before you buy
Reach — can your child pull out both the longest club and the putter without help? Straps — do they adjust down to fit your child now, not next year? Weight — can they lift the full bag comfortably? Trolley fit — if a trolley is coming later, check the bag base will sit in its bracket (see trolleys, below).
Bags are almost always outgrown long before they wear out, which makes them one of the best second-hand buys in junior golf. Check that the stand legs open and lock properly, the zips work and the straps aren't frayed — and when your child moves up a size, list the old one on the marketplace.
Our guidance
Buy the bag that fits the clubs your child has today. A stand bag does the job from Stage 1 through to competition golf — even on a trolley. Leave larger cart bags until your child is in adult-length clubs and using a trolley every round.
Guidance · Full scored reviews next
Junior Push Trolleys
Trolleys aren't sized by junior age or stage the way clubs are — it's really about an adjustable bag bracket, a trolley your child can lift and fold themselves, and a sensible fold-down size for the car boot. Here's what's actually on the UK market, with honest buying guidance while we get proper hands-on time with units for full scored reviews.
A trolley isn't essential at Stage 1–2 — a lightweight stand bag with a UL7 or Cleveland set is easy enough to carry. It starts earning its place once your child is playing full rounds regularly, usually from Stage 2–3, and becomes genuinely worthwhile once they're playing 18 holes in competition and carrying a fuller bag.
Junior-specific trolleys on the UK market
US Kids 2-Wheel Push Trolleyfrom £54.99 · fits UL 45-s bags and up
US Kids 3-Wheel Push Trolleyfrom £99.99 · fits UL 42-s to 63-s (21"–32" bags)
MKids / Masters 3-Wheel Junior Trolleyfrom £99.99 · height-adjustable, ages 7–14, 5.7kg
The US Kids trolleys are sized to their own bag range, so match the trolley to the UL7 or TS6 size your child already has. The MKids/Masters trolley takes a different approach — one fully height-adjustable frame with a foot brake and accessory console, built to grow with your child rather than being swapped out — a sensible pick if you'd rather buy once.
Once your child transitions to an adult-length bag — usually around Stage 4–5, when they move into adult-length clubs — a junior-specific trolley won't fit any more. At that point, look at compact adult trolleys rather than full-size ones — models like the Clicgear 3.5/4.0 (folds to roughly 60×38×33cm) or Big Max IQ+ (folds to roughly 58×37×42cm) are genuinely small and light enough for a teenager to manage unassisted, without paying for cart-bag-sized features they don't need yet.
Our guidance
Don't buy a trolley before it's needed — Stage 1–2 juniors are better off carrying a light stand bag. When the time comes, match the trolley to your child's current bag size rather than buying the most feature-packed model available; the adjustable bag bracket and a weight your child can fold and lift themselves matter far more than accessory consoles or wheel count.
Guidance · Full scored reviews next
GPS & Rangefinders
There's no junior-specific device market here — juniors use the same GPS units and laser rangefinders as adults. The important part is understanding what's actually legal in competition, so your child isn't buying features they can't use on competition day.
There are two categories. A GPS device (handheld or a talking clip-on unit) uses preloaded course maps to give front/centre/back distances to the green without needing to see the flag — simple to use and a good starting point for a junior still learning course management. A laser rangefinder is pointed directly at the flag or another target and gives an exact distance, which most players move to once they want precision on approach shots.
A genuinely useful starting point
GolfBuddy Voice 2 GPSfrom £59.99 · voice-announced distances, no laser needed
For lasers, established names like Callaway, Bushnell and Nikon all sell models with a physical slope on/off switch — prices move around more than clubs do, so always check current UK retail pricing before buying rather than relying on a figure quoted here.
What's actually legal in junior competition
Distance-measuring devices are permitted in the vast majority of junior competitions under the Rules of Golf — but slope-adjusted or "plays like" distance must be switched off, along with wind or club-recommendation features. This isn't a device ban; it's a mode. Look for a rangefinder with a visible physical slope on/off switch, so the same unit is legal for both practice (slope on) and competition (slope off) — no need to buy two devices. Always check the specific competition's local rules before relying on this, since a committee can restrict distance-measuring devices entirely under Model Local Rule G-5.
Our guidance
Start with a simple GPS device rather than a laser — it's cheaper, easier for a junior to use unsupervised, and teaches course management without the learning curve of aiming a laser at a flag. Move to a laser rangefinder once your child is competing seriously and wants precision on approach shots, and pick one with a physical slope switch so it works for both practice and competition.
Guidance · Competition rules
Practice Aids: Home, Not the Course
Alignment sticks, putting gates and swing trainers are genuinely useful from Stage 3 onwards. But using one during a competition round is one of the easiest penalties a junior can pick up — usually from habit, not intent.
For practice, a pair of alignment sticks is the best-value training aid in golf — cheap, versatile and used by players at every level. A simple putting gate or a mat at home does more for a developing short game than most gadgets costing ten times as much.
What's actually allowed on competition day
Carrying alignment sticks or a training aid in the bag is fine — the Rules restrict how equipment is used, not what's carried. Using one during the round to check aim or alignment, or to rehearse a swing, is not allowed under Rule 4.3. That applies even if the stick is picked up again before the shot is played. The penalty is two strokes in stroke play (loss of hole in match play) for the first breach, and disqualification for a second. Using a stick purely to stretch between shots is fine — and to check aim legally, a player can hold a club across their body at address.
One more to watch: the small reflective stickers some launch monitors use on the clubface. A club with a sticker on its face doesn't conform to the Rules, and playing a shot with it in competition means disqualification. Peel them off after every practice session, not on the first tee.
Our guidance
The simplest habit: on competition days, leave the alignment sticks in the car. If they must stay in the bag, make sure your child knows they stay zipped away until the round is over. It's a rule worth explaining before a first competition, not after a two-shot penalty.
Next phases
Still to come in this guide
We'd rather tell you honestly that a section isn't built yet than publish something rushed. These are next in line.
Junior Push Trolleys — full scored reviews
In development
Buying guidance is live above. Full scored reviews will only follow once real units have been tried hands-on with juniors — we won't put a number on a trolley nobody has pushed.
GPS & Rangefinders — full scored reviews
In development
Buying guidance and the competition-legal rules are live above. Full scored reviews — accuracy, ease of use for a junior, value — will only follow once real units have been tried on the course.
A note on independence: JuniorCaddie has no commercial relationships with any brand featured in this guide. No affiliate commissions. No sponsored placements. Scores and verdicts on this page are editorial assessments — based on manufacturer specifications, retailer information, established junior coaching guidance and the Rules of Golf — not hands-on lab or on-course testing. Where we haven't tried something ourselves, we say so. Prices quoted are approximate UK RRP as of August 2026 — always verify current pricing with retailers, as golf ball and glove pricing moves with retailer promotions more than club pricing does.
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