By BETH ANN BALDRY
Senior WriterGUADALAJARA, Mexico – Lorena Ochoa might be recognized in some circles as Mexico’s finest athlete. But her game is far from being Mexico’s biggest sport.
“It’s not popular,” said Rafael Alarcón, Ochoa’s golf instructor since she was 10. “We’re just scratching the beginning of it.”
In a country of 108 million people, there are about 250 golf courses and roughly 100,000 participants. Standalone ranges in Mexico are a relatively new concept.
To help bring the game to the masses, the pair created the Ochoa Golf Academy by Rafael Alarcón, the first of its kind. One year ago, Ochoa and Alarcón attached a golf school to Guadalajara’s first practice range, and 80 youngsters now are enrolled in their instructional program.
Because there hadn’t been a PGA certification program in the past, most of Mexico’s instructors rose out of the caddie ranks with no formal training. Alarcón, who played for Mike Holder at Oklahoma State and eventually earned his PGA Tour card, is hoping to fill that void by developing a curriculum for aspiring teaching professionals.
Anyone looking to work at Ochoa’s academies in Guadalajara and Mexico City must complete a minimum of 60 hours of study. Eventually, Alarcón would like to open more than a dozen academies across Mexico and see every teaching professional go through his program.
In Guadalajara, the triple-decker range is open until 11 p.m., and players are advised to make reservations at night when traffic picks up. Ochoa doesn’t spend too much time here, but she looks forward to the day when she can pass on her knowledge to Mexico’s youth in person.
“When she retires from golf, this is what she wants to do, spend more time (at the academy),” Alarcón said as several youngsters swiped balls behind him. “This is something that we like to take care of for her. It’s up to us to make it work.”
• • •
Beth Ann Baldry is a
Golfweek senior writer. To reach her e-mail
bbaldry@golfweek.com.
Posted: 2/6/2008
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