There are golf clubs that stand out for the number of exceptional players that have been trained in their schools or academies. The Real Club de Golf Guadalmina is undoubtedly one of them. It was 1994 when, under the leadership of the professional Francisco Hernández Núñez, the foundations of the club’s Golf School were laid.
Thanks in large part to their time at the school, the first students have become responsible adults, good sportsmen and women, and a good number of them are even making a living as golf professionals.
In fact, at the initiative of the current director of the School, Castor Gómez, every December since 2010 a Pro-Am is held with the young people of the School of Golf which has the particularity that the professionals are former students of the School, such as Azahara Muñoz, Manuel Quirós, Daniel and Juan Carlos Osorio, Sergio and Nacho Gutiérrez Oneto, Ángel Ibáñez, Francisco Hernández, Manuel Araujo, Rubén Holgado, Salva Ruiz, David Mencía, Ricardo and Patrick Simard, Laura Cabanillas…
After the retirement of Francisco Hernández, Castor Gómez took over, who together with his team of professionals Rubén Holgado, Salva Ruiz and David Mencía, are responsible for developing and teaching the activities for the more than 120 children members of the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina.
Activities such as classes for all students, which are held on Saturdays, technification classes on Wednesdays and Fridays, camps during vacations, monthly championships, teaching of rules, physical and psychological preparation, trips organized and coordinated by the teaching staff to championships and fellowship activities, such as the annual excursion to the water park.
The high level of teaching is reflected in the fact that every year the club’s students are among the first in Andalusia and Spain in the championships and rankings.
This year alone the sporting results have been truly spectacular: the British Boys champion, five national champions (three from Spain and two from Austria), one runner-up of Spain, seven Andalusian champions, of which three in the Absolute category, and in team competitions Guadalmina has been proclaimed in June champion and runner-up of Andalusia in the Interclub Absolute Men in Granada and at the beginning of September again champions and runners-up of Andalusia Interclub Cadete and Infantil in Lauro Golf.
What is the secret of this success, we asked Marc Mueller-Baumgart, member of the Board of Directors and head of the Children’s Section.
-There is no secret formula. There are many years of organizational work by former and current club leaders, many hours on the practice court by students and much dedication by parents to bring their children to classes and championships.
Thanks to all this, the Guadalmina School now has many strengths, such as the large number of students of all ages who motivate each other, Titleist Performance Institute TPI-trained professionals who follow a very advanced teaching method, and modern teaching technology such as the Flightscope.
Like all members, it also has the fantastic facilities of the club, two 18-hole courses and a pitch & putt course, practice areas, gymnasium, swimming pool and soon a children’s room.
-What are the objectives of the School?
-The objectives are very simple. On the one hand, to transmit to teenagers the values of competitive sport. Values such as the importance of continuous effort and patience, humility in victories and learning from defeats, respect for the rules and the other players. Values that increase their self-esteem and help in their development as respectful and respected people in all aspects of their lives.
And, on the other hand, we also want to increase the popularity of golf among young people in general and particularly among our neighbors in San Pedro Alcántara, Marbella and the entire Costa del Sol.
-And what do you do to achieve it?
The basis are the weekly Saturday classes and the monthly competitions of the School. Then, the competitions and events that are organized throughout the year, such as the summer open tournaments -the already famous Paco Open or the Nina Digsmed Trophy at the Pitch & Putt-, the School’s Pro-Am, the Annual Parents vs. Children Match in Ryder format or the Three Kings Trophy, which is a tournament of adult couples of the club and students of the School with gifts for all the children.
For children who already compete at regional or national level, the club supports travel, food and registration for participation in events of the various circuits, both provincial, regional and national. For the most important championships for children who are too young to travel alone, the club even organizes the entire trip and appoints a professional to accompany, train and advise the children during the trip and the tournament.
-How many competitions make up the School’s calendar?
-In addition to the aforementioned competitions, we have organized almost 50 championships for our students in our 2015 calendar.
-With these successes, we can understand that many parents are interested in having their children come to participate in the Real Club de Golf Guadalmina School, what are the requirements to access?
-To participate and benefit from all these advantages, all you have to do is become a member of the club. Because the shares are family shares, a husband and wife and all their children can become members with one share. In addition, the youth and school dues are very attractive.
-What do students at the School do when they reach the age of majority?
-That is as diverse as life itself. I believe and hope that everyone will benefit from the experience and from the values of fellowship and competitiveness that they have been able to acquire.
The most outstanding students are given the opportunity to continue their athletic and academic training with scholarships at prestigious universities around the world.
Especially in the United States many scholarships are offered to young athletes. Right now we have six alumni of the School studying there: Casto and Laura Gómez, Antonio Cruz-Conde, Calvin Greschner, Andrés Tamayo and Lucía Jiménez. And Azahara Muñoz, Noemí Jiménez and Patrick Simard, to name a few, have already done so.
And a few choose golf as their profession, both to play on the professional tours and to share their teaching experience.
-Finally, what is the reason that drives Real Club de Golf Guadalmina to make all these efforts?
-It is to attract young families with children to the club, to ensure continuity and social life between the generations. And also to encourage young people to practice sports, as our parents did with us in their day.
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