In a new feature for 2019, the European Challenge Tour will speak to someone with a close connection to every club we visit during the season to get the keys to the course from the person who knows it best.
Next up, it is Nacho Onzain, Head Professional of Golf Sempach, the venue for this week’s Swiss Challenge Presented by Swiss Golf.
The Spaniard is now into his eighth year of teaching at the picturesque Swiss venue, so if anyone knows the ins and outs of Golf Sempach, it is Onzain.
Despite not picking up a club until he turned 15, Onzain always loved the game and honed his skills in America before earning his PGA credentials back in his home country.
“I went to the States when I was 17 and that’s where I learned the game,” he said.
“I did my PGA apprenticeship in Spain, in Madrid, and I thought that it is difficult to become a good teacher in your own country, so I thought it would be better if I moved elsewhere.
“I always loved Switzerland because my parents would bring me here in the summer when I was younger, so I thought why not? I tried it and it worked. I spent two years in a club on the other side of the valley and now I’ve been here for eight years.”
Although Golf Sempach is a long test for amateurs, Onzain believes Challenge Tour players will have no problem with the length, with remaining straight off the tee being the key to success.
“This is a long course for amateurs but not for professionals,” he said. “You don’t need to be long but you do need to be straight.
“The greens are not very fast but they do have a lot of movement so they can become fast because of the movement they have. They are not huge greens either. Someone who drives consistently and is a good wedge player will do well round here.
“If you are not straight, I call it ‘the jungle’. The Swiss Cow Grass is incredibly thick so even in the semi-rough you can lose the ball. It is a good job it’s dry conditions because if it’s wet, forget it.
“These guys are some of the best players in the world but some of the rough is one metre tall and is impossible to get out of. The course is wide enough but the rough can be a killer.”
