Every kid needs a coach first

Every kid needs a coach first | Daily Tribune

Talent runs deep in the provinces. In Davao, kids line up at driving ranges, hitting hundreds of balls every day. Many are self-taught, studying swings they admire and spending hours trying to perfect their shots.

Some get tips from a caddie or a father eager to help. Others rely entirely on trial and error, observation, and sheer determination. It’s raw talent and grit — and often just the beginning of something much bigger.

Access to proper coaching would make progress easier. But certified mentors are still rare. No matter how much buzz there is about new tours, bigger prize money, or world junior events, the future of Philippine golf ultimately depends on the person standing next to a kid with an alignment stick.

Golf is thriving at the professional and junior levels. But at the grassroots, the lack of quality coaching remains the real ceiling.

To tackle this, the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) launched its “Ready, Set, Golf” program.

The initiative is designed to make golf fun, accessible, and not intimidating for beginners. It teaches fundamentals in a simple, structured way, so young players can develop their skills without feeling overwhelmed.

The program also aims to expand beyond Metro Manila, reaching kids in the provinces who show potential but lack access to proper training. Beginner clinics are already running at South Pacific Golf Club in Davao and Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro City.

A key part of the program is producing more, better-qualified instructors who can teach fundamentals consistently and engagingly. One can hold weekly junior tournaments, but if the kid in Davao, Baguio, or General Santos is still learning with outdated methods or no structure, the pipeline stalls.

The Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) is where future champions take root. But even the strongest seeds need more than sunlight — they need gardeners: mentors, coaches, and guides to nurture talent, correct swings, and instill discipline. Without this care, potential can go untapped, no matter how promising the young players are. JGFP provides the platform, but it’s the hands-on guidance from dedicated coaches that truly helps juniors grow into champions.

That brings up the next question: how many certified community instructors does each region actually need to make a difference? And just as important — are they being paid well enough to stay in coaching, or will they be lured overseas or into higher-paying club jobs, leaving grassroots programs under-resourced?

Coordination is another challenge.

Are the JGFP, private academies, and golf clubs talking to NGAP to ensure young players experience a continuous development pathway?

Without alignment, a kid might train under one philosophy at a local academy, then switch to a completely different approach at a club or tournament — creating confusion and slowing progress.

For Philippine golf to thrive, programs must be connected, consistent and sustainable.

We may never know if a kid becomes the next Miguel Tabuena or Rianne Malixi. But we can control whether they get real coaching, close to home, early enough, from someone who’s trained, not just handed a whistle.

Before we dream of more Asian Tour stops or the next Pinoy major winner, we need to make sure every child who picks up a club meets a proper coach first.