Following the desire and commitment of the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) to create training and development programs for its National Team players and formulate a ‘pathway to success’ for their junior National Team, the VGA has formerly entered into an agreement and partnership with The Els Performance Golf Academy (EPGA) in Vietnam to become the National Training Centre for golfing excellence.

Accordingly, the skill-enhancing programs for VGA team members will be held at EPGA, located in the Ecopark community. “We are very happy to have an outstanding golf academy partner like EPGA providing training and supporting our National Golf Team,” commented the VGA’s Mr Vu Nguyen. “As a result we hope that there will be many Vietnamese world-class golfers to emerge from this partnership.”

When it opens later this summer, EPGA will become the country’s most prestigious golf coaching facility, not only aimed at the National Team players but also in developing the instructional skill-set for potential Vietnamese golf trainers in the future. Indeed, EPGA will be actively involved with the golf education and training of local golf teachers to refine and hone their teaching skills.

Wayne Johnson, Senior Director of Operations at EPGA, commented: “I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach many elite players and collegiate golf athletes. Also, working alongside the world’s foremost golf coach Butch Harmon allowed me to be inside the ropes with many of the games finest players, working closely with Butch in many of his coaching sessions with Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Jose Maria Olazabal. The key to coaching a Tour professional or amateur golfer is to develop their belief in your guidance, knowledge and to maximise their ability to perform at the highest level. They need to trust that the coach is guiding them, following the right direction to develop the very best from their ability, improving their skills in golf”.

EPGA will also bring opportunities and access for younger players to experience golf with the most modern training facilities in Vietnam, including an extensive grassed practice tee and practice fairway, nine-hole academy course, swing studios with video analysis, putting lab, dedicated short game practice areas, large contoured putting green, gymnasium and sports massage treatment room. These ‘tour standard’ facilities will offer golfers of all abilities the ingredients needed to improve and play better golf. In addition, EPGA will collaborate with the VGA to develop golf programs that will help introduce youngsters to the game of golf through local schools.

“We recognise the great effort that EPGA has put into growing the game of golf in Vietnam, especially helping new junior golfers through their SNAG (Starting New At Golf) programs and developing higher golf education for the elite players,” commented Vu Nguyen of the VGA. “Even though still under construction, we can see how Wayne Johnson and his team are going to do an excellent job at EPGA to create one of the best golfing facilities in the Southeast Asia region. They are bringing to Vietnam the newest technologies of the golf industry and providing the best golfing programs for our golfers.”

In the recent Vietnam Junior Golf Championship 2016, winning players were given a 3-month scholarship from the “Golf Performance Package Programs” at EPGA. The tournament is recognised as an attractive and prestigious competition for the Vietnamese junior players and a measure to scout new golf talent in the country.

About Els Performance Golf Academy (EPGA)
EPGA forms part of the ambitious Ecopark development on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam. It represents the first of many such facilities designed to redefine the art of practice and raise the bar for what’s available to golfers, not just in Vietnam but ultimately with EPGAs right across Asia and at other handpicked sites around the world. A second EPGA is already scheduled to open later this year at The Els Club Malaysia.

“We’re really excited about partnering once again with our friends at Troon, alongside Chairman Ha and the team at Ecopark, to create our first ever Els Performance Golf Academy,” comments Ernie. “We believe this is the start of something really incredible. I’ve already been on site and the whole concept of EPGA excites me. It’s about giving golfers an opportunity to work on their games in an inspiring environment, somewhere they can improve their golf and also have a bit of fun with friends and family.”

For more information please contact the Ernie Els Design offices in Florida +1 561-625-8676 or visit the website: http://elsperformancegolfacademy.com.