The Range Marbella International Golf Academy has become one of the most visited golf schools on the Costa del Sol. The school’s philosophy is the passion for golf knows no gender, age or skill level. With that in mind, The Range aims to bring this wonderful game to all lovers of the sport, no matter who they are, but especially to future generations.
With personalised attention and extensive golfing experience, the instructors ensure that all students learn effectively and have a good time in the process. We spoke to Ángel Jiménez about the children’s experience at the school.
First, could you tell us about teaching children?
The Municipal School has a clear objective: to foster the talent of young golfers. In Marbella we have many good courses, The Range itself is in what is known as the ‘Golf Valley’, where some of the most renowned courses are located. For this reason, I believe there had to be a Municipal School to channel all that potential, in a city where golf is not only a sport, but also a first-class tourist industry.
The junior players have a very special role in The Range International School, thanks to the agreement signed with the Marbella Town Hall and the Andalusian Golf Federation. What does it consist of?
Basically, the facilities of the school can be used free of charge by the junior players of the Andalusian Golf Federation and the children of the town. Marbella is one of the cities that contributes the most players to the national circuits and the use of such high-quality facilities as The Range is a great opportunity for them.
The school is a public property and is managed under concession by owner Michael Meeus, who had the vision to create a place where golf is not only played, but also a meeting point to share the passion for the sport.
From what age can children start learning golf here?
The best age to start is six years old, although there are some students as young as five years old. The classes are for children from 5 to 17 years old, which take place in the afternoon so as not to interfere with the school timetable, from Monday to Thursday.
What are the benefits of golf for children?
I think the most important ones are concentration and discipline. Many of them find it difficult to concentrate on their studies and this helps them to focus on their homework.
What is a children’s class like?
Our routine starts with a warm-up and then we rotate through different aspects of the game: approach, long game, intermediate game, hybrids, pitch and putt, so every day is a new dynamic. Most of the students have started with golf from scratch and to make it more fun we have a day where we train with Trackman so that they can learn with the new technologies.
Do the children need to have previous experience or their own equipment?
They don’t need anything, we provide everything they need, except gloves. As I said before, most of the students have started with us from scratch, but there are also those who come from other schools. Everyone is welcome here.
Are there any competitions or special events for children?
Not yet, but we are working on it. We would like to make a high competition team, and we have a future project of building a pitch and putt.
Finally, what message would you say to parents who want their children to start playing golf?
I would tell them that golf is a sport that, at an early age, provides concentration and discipline, two very valuable skills. Moreover, it is a sport in which you compete against yourself and where the aim is to improve your own result. In golf, the spirit of self-improvement is always present.
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