Educating Children Through Golf

The emergence of schools or special golf courses for children shows that this sport is no longer attractive to adults. One of them is Pondok Indah Golf Academy (PIGA) under the management of Pondok Indah Golf (PIG), Jakarta.

This academy was initiated by eight people who like to play golf at PIG. Starting from the idea that their children were brought to the field to fill the void while waiting for their father to play golf, a training program was formed for the children. It was first named the Eight Aspiration Foundation around the 2000s.

Over time, the academy was in great demand. Parents want to get their children to practice. In 2006, the Aspiration Eight Foundation was acquired and then PIG, then renamed PIGA. Since then, PIGA has been very popular with parents. Not only those who like golf, parents want their children to exercise regularly to avoid useless activities, such as playing with gadgets.

On Thursday (23/1) afternoon, HARIAN NASIONAL visited PIGA, when the children were busy practicing following the coach’s directions. The training is grouped by age category, namely ages 4-6 years, 7-9 years, 10-12 years, and 13-17 years.

Each category trains at different hours. Every day, training starts from the lowest age at 14.30, followed by the next age. The training lasts one hour. On weekends, they practice in the morning and evening.

Before entering the field, the children gathered in the living room of the PIGA office. Their golf club bags propped against chairs and walls. Some of them came accompanied by a private driver or household assistant. “Most of the children enrolled, schools are close from here. So, only at the beginning, their parents brought them,” said PIGA management staff Yessy Yovita.

PIGA opens training every three months of the year. The total number of members every three months is an average of 140 people for all age categories. The demand from year to year continues to increase, so that some applicants are put on a waiting list if the quota is met.

Golf is considered suitable for children, because it does not use too much physical. You need calm and balance. This sport can also help the development of children’s motor nerves. “In fact, most of our members now are not golfers at all. They are just looking for positive activities for their children,” said Yessy.

There are also parents who register their children for future educational purposes. The ability to play golf can support children to study abroad. In addition to athlete pathway scholarship opportunities, some golf communities in certain countries can provide a great social environment if you wish to live abroad.

“At first, I didn’t like playing golf, but now I’m starting to like it. I don’t aspire to be a golfer. This is just what my parents told me to do,” said Davis.

It is different with Nathan. His father didn’t like playing golf either, but he was registered with PIGA so he could take his time away from his smartphone when he came home from school. The first time he joined the practice, he admitted that he was very unmotivated and lazy. After following a few weeks of training, he finally liked the sport. In fact, he dreams of becoming a professional golfer. “I started to be happy and serious about participating in training,” he said.

To provide the best training, PIGA brings in certified junior golf coaches from golf academies abroad such as England, Australia, Vietnam, and several other countries. One of them is Christopher Chamberlain. This British international coach admitted that the biggest challenge was making the children not feel bored following golf practice. “We are trying to find the best and suitable way for children to enjoy playing golf,” he said.

In the exercise, participants follow three stages in three different arenas in each training session. The first stage is to warm up in the room before going to the field. The second stage, the short game area, where participants are trained in the basics of hitting the ball at close range and doing several techniques to hit the ball in a field arena. The last stage, the driving range, in a wider field. Participants are trained to hit the ball to a longer distance.

“The idea is to give them a task and a little pressure, because the game of golf requires concentration and the ability to resist pressure, both from within and from outside. However, keep it relaxed and let them enjoy it,” said Chris.

PIGA also provides special programs for participants who wish to participate in junior level national tournaments. With the approval of parents, children who are considered talented accompanied by a coach join the tournament. Unfortunately, golf tournaments in Indonesia are still empty of spectators.

Head of the Development Division of the Indonesian Golf Association (PB PGI) Ari Hidrijantoro assessed that amateur level matches were only witnessed by the parents of the participants. “The golf audience in Indonesia is probably the largest at the Asian Games. There are more international tournaments,” he said. “In Asia, the audience for the Asian Tour Indonesia tournament is the least.”

The lack of spectators was due to the absence of Indonesian stars in the tournament. They prefer to watch football, badminton, and basketball matches. Currently, Merah Putih does not have a player ranked in the world’s top 100. “People tend to prefer watching matches that are won by local players,” said Ari.

The complexity of the golf rules also affects the enthusiasm of the audience. The game of golf is difficult to understand and the playing area is wide. “If you don’t play golf, people get confused when watching because the game is not one-on-one. Golf rules can reach more than one book,” said Ari.

The World Golf Tour continues to strive to increase the enthusiasm of the world’s golf audience. Most recently, they are reportedly putting together a new tournament that only the top players will participate in. Matches will also be shortened so fans don’t get bored.

Source: harnas