Watch The Short Game on Netflix

Every year, North Carolina’s exclusive golf resort, Pinehurst, hosts the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship.

THE SHORT GAME follows the stories of eight competitors ages 8 and under who are vying to be the best in the world.

The kids cross cultural, racial, and class lines. There’s the affluent Allan Kournikova (tennis champ Anna’s baby brother), who plays at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach; his best friend, Alexa Pano, who never loses; Parisian Augustin Valery, the great-grandson of French poet Paul Valery; and Texas belle Sky Sudberry.

Then there’s working class Amari “Tigress” Avery, who fancies herself the second coming of Tiger Woods, self-taught Kuang Yang from China, serious Filipino prodigy Jed Dy, and happy-go-lucky South African Zama Nxasana.

No matter where these kids come from, one thing’s for sure: They all want to take home the top prize at Pinehurst.

This show follows very good, young golfers who play in Junior Golf Tournaments and just happen to have one of their parents as their caddy.

The parents are also “coaches” and they enthusiastically fill the stereotypical role of “stage” parents.

These young children play golf at extraordinarily high levels, but perfection, or the pursuit of perfection, is the “Moby Dick” that drives the passionate golfer – and it drives these fanatically passionate caddies/coaches/parents to take somewhat extreme measures in order to “help” their child improve at the game of golf.

Parents need to know that The Short Game is a documentary about the world’s best golfers … ages 8 and under.

The filmmakers followed eight 7- and 8-year-old golfers from around the globe who gather yearly at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

The elite young golfers include a range of kids — crossing cultural, racial, and class lines — and they’re all presented as worthy role models with supportive parents.

The documentary is extremely kid/family-friendly overall, though one dad does say “goddamn it!” and another says “kick ass.” 

The Short Game will teach kids both the basics of golf and what it takes to be a world-class athlete at such a young age.

Watch The Short Game on Netflix – The Key Players

Amari Avery, 8, of Riverside, California, wants to be like Tiger Woods. She was also featured in the 2013 documentary Trophy Kids.

She is a strong golfer, but her father is overbearing and she struggles with allowing her emotions to get the best of her when she does poorly. She comes in first in her category.

Jed Dy, 8, of Manila, Philippines, is autistic and does not enjoy the attention he receives for his golfing.

After a mix-up in which he loses points because his family did not understand how long the tournament would be delayed for weather, he comes in ninth in his category.

If not for the penalty, he would have come in first, as he had the best score in the entire tournament.

Allan Kournikova, 7, of West Palm Beach, Florida, is the younger brother of Anna Kournikova and considered the best male golfer in his age group.

He lives in Florida with his mother and is good friends with Alexa.

He is very opinionated and occasionally comes off as arrogant, such as when a trainer must reprimand him for showing excitement at his opponent doing poorly.

He comes in first in his category.

Zamokuhle “Zama” Nxasana, 8, of Johannesburg, South Africa, is at Pinehurst for the second time.

In 2011 he came in 43rd.

He is the most exuberant of the cast—while the other children seem most focused on winning first place, he is pleased to come in 18th in his category and win the most improved award.

His father is concerned with teaching him the history of South Africa.

Alexa Pano, 7, of Lake Worth Beach, Florida, is considered the best female golfer in her age group.

She is good friends with Allan. She comes in first in her category.

Sky Sudberry, 8, of The Woodlands, Texas, explains golf terms to the audience.

Like Augustin, she is small and needs to build more muscle.

She comes in 8th in her category.

Augustin Valery, 8, of Paris, France, is the great-grandson of the poet Paul Valéry.

He is very intellectual but is concerned with building up his physique.

He is slight enough that Zama, who befriends him, thinks that he is a girl.

He comes in 40th in his category.

Yang Kuang, 7, of Shenzhen, China, taught himself golf from an instructional video he picked up at the store. He comes in 14th in his category.