NCS
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Federico Alba leads the great life.
An expert golfer from Sicily, Italy, he has cast a career that mixes his love of the game together with his ardour for the meals and wine from the island the place he was born.
The 32-year-old Alba loves the place of his start and needs to be sure you really feel the identical – in order summer season drew to an in depth in Europe, NCS joined him on a golfing and gastronomic journey that introduced collectively these two worlds
No particulars are left to probability. If a resort is troublesome to search out, exact instructions – “Don’t turn left when the sat nav tells you to” – based mostly on native information are despatched or he’ll tackle the position of chief of convoy.
Note to self: Don’t try to sustain with a younger Italian man as he drives by Sicily’s slim streets.
While he loves golf, he believes that to correctly benefit from the sport you have to have entry to excellence off the course as nicely.
“We should see everything on a very holistic approach,” he explains to NCS.
“Why only teach how to grip, how to hit the ball, how to putt, how to chip a ball when you can give the chance to your clients to experience such a beautiful island at the highest level ever.”
Before turning to golf, Alba regarded set for a profession as a footballer. He represented Italy at Under-18 stage and performed for Palermo, which was on the time a number one Serie A crew.
For varied causes – together with niggling accidents and a want for correct tutorial {qualifications} – he turned his again on soccer and determined to as an alternative deal with golf.
He received a job on the Rocco Forte owned Verdura Resort on the south-west coast of the island the place he hit 1000’s of balls every single day as he taught himself to turn out to be one of the very best.
He calls Verdura a “very special place.”
“It’s the place where everything started for me. I used to spend more time here on the golf course than home with my parents. The mix between beautiful courses linked to a beautiful hotel that’s what makes this place famous around the world.”
Having honed his abilities in Sicily, Alba relocated to the UAE the place he’s the senior skilled on the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club – take a look at his Instagram web page if you wish to get an concept of the calibre of individuals he coaches – however in the summertime months he at all times returns to Europe, and if in any respect attainable, Sicily.
Just just lately, he coached Manchester City supervisor Pep Guardiola throughout a go to from the Spaniard within the UAE.
“Coaching becomes even more interesting when you get the chance to coach visionary minds like Pep Guardiola,” Alba wrote on Instagram.
“I always get so much fascinated on the way people like him are approaching the game I love. Dedication, passion and perseverance are for sure the three aspects I will bring with me during this magnificent experience.”
There’s a powerful affiliation between golf and soccer.
A favourite pastime of gamers, it’s maybe no shock they’ve leant on the information of coaches to enhance.
Former Premier League striker and Nigeria worldwide Peter Odemwingie has sought the experience of Richard O’Hanlon – who additionally coached Manchester United nice Peter Schmeichel – and Jak Hamblett as he begins his journey to incomes his golf teaching badges.
Our tour of the island concerned some really unimaginable locations; farms that had been transformed into spectacular accommodations, vineyards that are producing some of the world’s most sought-after wines and restaurant after restaurant serving domestically sourced high-quality meals.
Marrying the golf expertise to the gastronomic one is essential to Alba’s philosophy.
He explains that for him the golf is necessary nevertheless it’s additionally about “all you find around it.”
“What I want to show to people who are traveling with me is a different kind of Island. I want to show them places that can leave really good memories. Here you are visiting amazing places but at the same time I’m introducing you to my friends.”
One place, maybe greater than another, the place it’s attainable to see his philosophy delivered to life is Noto, a metropolis in south-eastern Sicily, which is legendary for its baroque structure.
On the night we arrived, one of Alba’s pals, the inside designer Samuele Mazza, had organized a dinner in a single of the various stunning eating places. There was a heat of welcome that appeared heartfelt and real. The individuals have been happy, greater than happy, that one of their very own had made a lot of his life and was eager to speak up the position that Sicily had performed.
A brief drive from Noto is the Monasteri Golf Resort. It’s a stupendous course created round an outdated Benedictine monastery. Olive bushes, lemon bushes, orange bushes and Sicilian cactus line the course.
Here we see Alba in motion. He’s joined on the course by Mazza, a {golfing} novice. The two of them are there for enjoyable however Alba’s ability as a coach is evident. He desires Mazza to succeed and when he holes a monster 20-meter putt, the delight each exhibit is real.
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As our journey got here to an finish Alba was additionally packing his baggage, heading to the mainland the place extra golf teaching and wine tasting have been on the agenda. After that it was again to the UAE for the winter months. He says he’s very completely happy there, however you possibly can’t assist however suspect that his coronary heart is in Sicily.
As we left he mentioned to us: “They say if you arrive to Sicily you cry twice. Once when you arrive and once when you go away.”