Welcome to The Fairway Diary

We are the Nickens family - a family of four living in Moore County where golf has always been part of the landscape. We homeschool our two girls, which gives us the flexibility to embrace unexpected adventures and discover that some of life’s greatest lessons happen beyond the walls of our schoolroom.

One of the biggest surprises wasn't learning how to play golf—it was realizing just how much there was to learn about junior golf itself.

From the beginning, we’ve been figuring things out as we go. Just when we start to feel like we understand one part of junior golf, we seem to find ourselves at the beginning of something new. Right now, that something is tournament golf, and it has brought a whole new set of questions and opportunities with it.

That’s a big part of why The Fairway Diary exists. We wanted a place to share our experiences—the things we wish we had known when we started, the resources we’ve found helpful, and what we discover along the way.

Clara doesn’t have many tournaments under her belt, but she can officially say she has played in her first one. As she plays in more, we’ll celebrate the milestones, learn from the hard days, share what has worked (and what hasn’t), and document the journey as honestly as we can.

We’re so grateful you’ve chosen to follow along. Whether your family is picking up a golf club for the first time, beginning to explore tournament golf like us, or has been walking the fairways for a few years, welcome to The Fairway Diary. We’re so glad you’re here.