Playing with the pros

Last week, the Philippine Golf Tour headed to Laguna’s hidden gem — Caliraya Springs Golf Club, for the 2025 ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship.

As someone who is based in that part of Laguna, it was a treat to have our local professionals over. Even better than seeing the country’s best professionals battle it out, I got invited to join the pro-am on the Monday of the tournament.

Pro-ams are a great opportunity to watch and learn from professionals. While golf is mostly just a fun day out for us regular folks, watching the pros strategize and think their way around the course is something you don’t see every day. For the pro-am, the format consisted of three amateurs paired with a professional. The team score would be the best net score on each hole, handicaps applied. We had a good mix on our flight.

It was my normal threesome in Caliraya, with friends Ron Obligacion (15 hcp), Elson Lim (18 hcp), myself (6 hcp), and our pro, Sean Jean Ramos (0). With the handicap holes marked, we were off.

Sean Ramos, at just 21 years old, has been a professional for 3 years. While he plays on the local circuit, he is also a member of the Asian Tour. We got to chat a little bit, since we were paired together in the golf cart. I got to ask him about life as a pro, his equipment, even his girlfriend, fellow golf professional Laurea Duque.

Sean started golfing early, and by the age of 8 or 9, he already knew he was meant for life on the greens. He candidly shared that he decided early on, since school wasn’t his thing. He still went on to attend La Salle Greenhills for grade school and De La Salle Zobel for high school.

Sean is a very nice and polite young man, always respectful and fun to play alongside. I informed him at the start of our round that he should focus on his preparation and not mind us weekend hackers. We wanted him to be able to work with his caddy in noting down carry distances and shot shapes from the tee, ideal approach shots, and take notes on the greens. Watching how Sean and his caddy manage the course is something we can learn from.

Every golfer has strong and weak points, each with its tendencies. Being disciplined in analysis, strategy, and execution all help in avoiding big numbers. That’s one of the main differences between amateurs and professionals. Taking out unnecessary risks off the tee, getting in positions where pins can be attacked, knowing when not to go for risky targets and just play for par, or even bogey, all combine for a decent score even on a bad day.

Sean admittedly was not on his A-game the day we played. But even in his off game, he was still getting around in even par, with a few birdies sprinkled in. The amateurs in our team didn’t play too badly either. Our team finished at 14-under par, with some birdies and net eagles thrown in. It was already a fun day with friends, with a bonus professional in our group. Finishing the Pro-Am in third place with trophies and special awards for the amateurs (longest drive and nearest the pin) was the icing on the cake.

As an equipment junkie, getting to try out Sean’s clubs was also a nice experience. Sean was kind enough to let me hit a couple of his irons and his driver. He’s a Callaway Golf staff professional, so his bag is filled with Tour Van goodies. I got to try his Callaway Apex irons on Project X 6.0 shafts. He also uses Opus wedges and an Odyssey Ai-One putter.

For his driver, Sean plays the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond on Diamana Whiteboard 6TX. We got to chat a bit about how Tour Van-issued clubs differ from off-the-rack clubs. He told me that the differences are minor, but that spin rates are more accurate, and the ability to customize clubs to fit your specific needs and preferences is why tour-issued clubs are better. Even feel and sound can be adjusted, specific lofts, weights, grinds, etc.

So, how did I fare hitting his driver? First of all, I was surprised by how light his driver felt, which let me swing freely without extra effort. The Diamana 6TX felt light but very stiff. I can’t swing like Sean, so my tee shot with his driver went straight but low-ish. I was probably 50 yards behind Sean’s ball, even on a decent hit. His irons, since they were fitted with a stiff flex (6.0) instead of an X flex (6.5), were a little easier on my swing. The irons felt amazing, mid-flight and piercing. If I didn’t like my Srixons so much, I would’ve been tempted by those Apex irons.

All in all, it was a fun day with golf buddies, with the bonus of playing with a pro. Getting to hit what the pros hit was also a unique experience. Try getting yourselves into a pro-am, and see and experience golf on another level. Don’t feel conscious one bit — the pros are used to seeing bad swings and high scores.

Just have fun and learn.