Junior National Drive Challenge Circuit

In 2025, the Espiche Golf Academies progression continues, marking its third consecutive year in the National Drive Challenge Circuit. As the only training academy in the western Algarve to participate, what started as a humble experience has transformed into a true testament to our athletes’ growth and skill. Today, they’re not just participants—they are competitors, capable of contending for top positions.

Espiche now enters direct competition with renowned teams such as Vila Sol and Vilamoura Junior Academy, both with over 15 years of history in youth golf training. This growth reflects the continuous work of our academy in preparing young talents and strengthening junior golf in Portugal.

Our professional, João Tomáz, emphasizes that golf is more than just a sport—it is a tool to support young people’s development, helping them cultivate essential skills and become better individuals to face the future as adults. However, he does not hide his pride in seeing them excel on the course, proving that hard work and dedication are paying off.

Although Espiche does not yet have all the necessary tools for top-tier training, we work tirelessly, and it is precisely this effort that has been leading us to victories. Focus, dedication, and team spirit continue to be the foundation of our success.

The words of one of our academy’s young players highlight the work we are doing:
“It’s amazing to see my golf improving; I would love to become a professional one day, and our coach makes us believe it’s possible. We even have a kind of punishment when we say ‘I can’t’ during a golf lesson. Golf is taught to us as an individual sport, but Coach João encourages us to work as a team.” – Xavier

These words reflect not only the technical growth of our young players but also the impact our approach has on developing values such as perseverance, confidence, and teamwork.

João Tomáz further adds:
“On my part, I make a commitment to parents to provide all the necessary tools, ensuring the best moments of fun, camaraderie, and friendship, while upholding the key principle of this sport: we must have integrity to be golfers. I believe that in the near future, we will have children taking on the course and competition very seriously, but that is not our goal at this moment.”

The current objective is to promote the healthy and balanced growth of young players, where golf is just one of the tools to shape better individuals and responsible citizens.