That’s the way Lachie’s father, Jason Jones, looks at the development of his 10-year-old.

However, at this stage of his career he seems to be going pretty well, as he showed in the New South Wales Primary Schools Golf Championships played at Forster and then on the top-grade Bankstown course in Sydney during the inter-state teams titles.

“There was a big difference from the course at Forster to Bankstown but he seemed to handle it fairly well,” Jason said.

First stop for Lachie, a year 5 student at St Mary’s Catholic School in Dubbo, was Foster playing for Polding in the NSW championships.

For Polding Lachie put together two rounds of 82 and was only four worse that the overall winner who shot 78-72.

That quality golf earned Lachie a place in the NSW PSSA team for the inter-state championships at Bankstown, recognised as one of the top courses in Sydney.

“Fortunately we were able to go down during the week prior to the championships and have a round. That experience was really helpful,” Jason Jones said.

“It was a wonderful performance from the New South Wales team that took the overall championships title off Queensland which had dominated for the past few years.

“At the finish and after 24 rounds of golf there was just one shot that separated New South Wales and Queensland, which was quite amazing.”

Lachie shot 84-86 in the opening two matches but let it get away from him in the final round and shot 90. But the conditions at that stage were tough, the greens were rock hard and the windy didn’t help.

But it was just another learning experience for Lachie, who is now down to 13 handicap - the lowest he’s played off.

“It was all very interesting playing at the nationals and very different for the boys and girls playing,” Jason Jones said.

“The players weren’t allowed to have any caddies and no parents were permitted within range of the boys and girls to give advice.

“So there was a lot of course management needed and Lachie will be a better player for the experience having to make his own decisions.

“There were some very good players down there and it was interesting that one of the past winners of the individual event was Jake Higginbottom who recently won the New Zealand Open as an amateur and then turned professional.”

And while Lachie is only a little guy and does have trouble getting to the greens in regulation, sometimes it does work out for him.

On the par-5 first hole on his home course just recently he wrote down a three for his first eagle in competition.

He’s a young man who, despite being only 10, is already a seven-year veteran of golf.

Happy new year Lachlan Jones and good golfing in 2013.