The Importance of Investing Golf in Our Next Generation  02:00, 06/06/2022

Vu Nguyen - Deputy General Secretary of Vietnam Golf Association (VGA)

Do you plan to let your child learn golf early?

For my family, children in general and Fio in particular, if you have the conditions and opportunities, you should let your children approach golf early, maybe just by watching parents, grandparents practice golf or let them practice holding cotton clubs and hitting the cotton balls. However, I will only introduce my children to golf with the priority goal of experiencing, enjoying, and then learning life skills from this sport rather than aiming for a professional golf path.

From now until Fio is 7 years old, my family will focus on letting him play something golf-related, practice swinging and if he likes it, he can follow Finn (Fio’s cousin) to the golf course. During this period, the most important thing is to arouse passion and promote fun - entertainment - love for golf. At the age of 7 years old, depending on his talent and interest, me and my family will direct him to practice seriously or maintain golf as a family sport activity every weekend.

How do you evaluate the importance of children learning golf from an early age?

Currently, golf is developing very rapidly in Vietnam and is gradually becoming a necessary life skill. And for children, it is a very interesting method of education. Not only practicing swing, children can also practice communication skills, decision-making skills, psychological control, patience, concern for others, and most importantly know how to overcome themselves. That’s why both Fio and Finn have been introduced to golf since a very young age. We hope that they will learn life skills from golf, as well as experience all the wonderful things that golf brings.

For families with young children, how should they introduce their children to golf?

In my opinion, the best way to start is to give your children the opportunity to approach golf through watching parents and grandparents play as well as directly holding plastic and cotton clubs to ignite their own passion for golf. In addition, parents should aim to let their children themselves play, experience and interact with friends instead of forcing them to follow adults or placing a heavy emphasis on achievement.

Can you share your golf learning experience and process while abroad so that other families can guide their children in the future?

For me, most of the training and competition time came from passion, following my parents to play golf every week, and I personally like to study golf techniques and skills, and from there study deeply about this sport. I was facilitated by my family to study PGA IGI in Australia, and was then trained professionally and advanced. In my opinion, just let your children be passionate, do their own research and have the desire to go methodically about golf first, and then we can choose a school, choose a teacher so that they can improve their level. Parents should not force their children if they do not like it. This will create achievement pressure, our child will feel afraid of golf, and the consequences will be counterproductive to our desired goals.

According to you, what role does the family play in guiding children's golf?

For me, family is always the foundation, the rear and the launching pad for young golf talents. Parents and grandparents will be the first teachers to bring their children to golf, arouse their passion so that they can love practice and pursue their golf dreams.

I will only guide children to practice and get used to golf with the first goal of experiencing, loving and then learning life skills from this sport rather than aiming for a professional golf path.

Parents should aim to let their children play, experience and interact with friends more through golf instead of forcing them to follow adults or placing a heavy emphasis on achievements on children when they are just starting out with this sport. 

PGA Pham Minh Duc

As a well-trained golfer, did you have a family oriented to learn golf from a young age?

I myself have been fortunate to be introduced to golf since I was 13 years old through a random chance, and my family at that time did not have any specific orientation. I played golf for 5 years before I went to Australia to study and found myself unsuitable for competing in tournaments, so I wasn't interested in developing professionally. The time studying and working in Australia then helped me realize my passion for golf teaching and professional research, and now I see it as the right and right direction.

In my opinion, early orientation with a late-formed sport like golf does not always bring the best results. Golf is a sport that takes many years to reach the top, even when children show talent from an early age. Passion, maturity in thought, calculation ability, psychology and competitive experience are also important factors in determining the direction of development to become a professional competitive athlete, not simply just a nice swing. Therefore, I think parents should create the best conditions for their children to access golf regularly, but also need to be skillful to build passion, not impose. Heavy pressure does not always forge a junior.

What qualifications and certifications does a golf PGA need?

Each PGA is an independent organization despite the same name. They have different operating regulations and management apparatus, so the training and certification methods are also different. There are PGAs that are strict in both content and output quality and there are also PGAs that develop shorter training programs. However, any PGA member has undergone certain training programs, so although they will teach golf with different methods, they are still people with a wealth of knowledge and skills to play golf and pedagogical ability for golf training.

What are the requirements to become a PGA golfer?

An individual who is passionate about golf who wants to become a golf professional or a professional golfer needs to have good golf skills, so it is always a priority to practice to improve skills and experience through highly specialized tournaments. The essential factors then will be building a rigorous training program with high intensity, choosing the right coach in terms of technique, psychology, and physical strength, along with the selection of tournaments suitable for your needs. level to gain more experience for themselves.

Meanwhile, another direction is to develop personal expertise in a professional way. This concept is quite broad when it includes golf teaching, management and operation, construction and maintenance, etc., and of course each direction is considered as a separate specialty that each individual needs to spend time studying. The expertise for each of these sections also needs to be accompanied by practical experience to bring valuable experience, so an environment that is as close as possible to each field will be the destination for each passion.

Do you have an orientation for two children to learn to play golf at an early age? And how do you let your children approach golf?

I want my kids to play golf, but not professionally. I'm not too close in terms of technique with my children, but will improve gradually as they get older. I want my kids to come to the training ground to have fun and enjoy being there. That is more important than adjusting the swing to look good. If the children are passionate enough, I will create the best conditions to nurture that passion, but it certainly won't be forced.

The professional golf path is hard and rigorous, besides the financial costs. The most important in my opinion is the desire. Professional orientation is good, and even if you don't get to the finish line, that experience is enough to build good character in your children. It is still very early for me to give direction to the children, but until then if you still want to play with your parents, it is also a success for me!

Early orientation with a late-formed sport like golf does not always bring the best results. Heavy pressure does not always forge a young age. I want my kids to come to the training ground to have fun and enjoy being there. That is more important than adjusting the swing to look good. Professional orientation is good, and even if you don't get to the finish line, that experience is enough to build good character in children.

Pro golfer Ngo Bao Nghi

How do you orient your children to golf?

I will let my two children play golf soon so that they can hold and swing the club according to their instincts. Although me and my husband have not yet oriented professional golf for the two children, we both agree that we will let our children play golf to get a scholarship in the U.S., following the path that I have taken. If the two children have the ability and dream to go further with golf, me and my husband will fully support and support their pursuit.

According to you, how can children not get bored when they first practice golf?

Golf is actually a game which is very difficult to get bored with, but this problem also depends a lot on who leads the children in the early practice sessions. The way I work with young children who are starting to come to golf is to let them instinctively hit the ball, feel and enjoy the feeling of hitting their own ball, not forcing them to follow a pattern. In addition, children should start practicing in groups from 2 friends to have the motivation to learn golf. However, I will still follow closely to discipline the children according to the correct technique, and respect the friends in their study group.

How long does it take to teach golf to young children?

For children over 5 years old, it usually takes about 20 training sessions to be able to play 18 holes, but they still need to maintain practice with me 1 or 2 times a week or 5-6 times a month to adjust the technique. Golf is a sport that requires perfection, so parents should still prepare for a long road for their children to perfect their technique, experience and psychology if they decide to invest in professional golf for their children. 

How were you trained in the golf path? What golf scholarships Vietnamese people can get?

After playing golf for 2 years, my parents sent me to Thailand. In this country, they have a monthly youth golf system, so I have the opportunity to compete with friends of the same age and gradually improve my level. Then I was instructed by friends to apply for a college scholarship in the US to compete in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association of America). I have won many awards, also ranked in the world, so I also received many scholarships. I ended up choosing a Division I school in Texas, and attended the school for four years of college. In my time, I was the leader in this program, then there were other Vietnamese golfers like Chi Quan, Thao My,...

In developed countries such as Singapore, Thailand, it is a great honor to have a scholarship in the NCAA system, because not only are you awarded the most prestigious award in the world, but you also hold a university degree. after 4 years of playing. This system has 3 divisions. To be able to compete in NCAA division I and II, you must have world amateur rank and experience participating in major tournaments, not necessarily in the US but can be close to where you live like Thailand. Lan or Singapore. Furthermore, you must still maintain a high school diploma and corresponding SAT scores to be eligible to apply. With the current development of Vietnamese golf, this is a very good educational option that parents should learn and orientate. If parents are determined to let their children follow this path, they must start from the time they are in elementary school, so that in addition to the orientation of golfing, parents also need to learn to select an educational program that is compatible with the orientation.