The 21/22 generation of Blume golfers is already growing at its traditional centers in Madrid and León. With the same ambition as always—to develop good players and good people—the leading golf institution in Spain in terms of instruction is counting on the eagerness to learn and improve of sixteen golfers, ten of them new. They have the opportunity to take a great leap forward, both athletically and personally. Welcome to the Blume National Golf School.

Golf training takes place in Madrid and León.

Blume maintains its two sports and academic training centers, the original one in Madrid and the later one in León. Both locations boast elite facilities, perfect for players to develop their full potential. Let's take a look. The nine boys and girls on scholarship at the Madrid location train at the National Golf Center—yes, the same one where Jon Rahm won the first of his Spanish Opens—with all that entails. This popular Madrid course houses what is arguably the best elite golf facility in Europe: the Center of Excellence, which this year has been renovated and features new amenities available primarily to professional golfers, members of the National Teams and regional federation teams, and, yes, the Blume students.

Seven new faces in Madrid

Among the golfers using this cutting-edge equipment this 21/22 season, there are only two veterans—if you can call youngsters who have barely completed a year at the Academy veterans. They are Paula Balanzategui and Ángel Ayora, who have gone from receiving advice to giving it in a very short time. “Now it’s our turn to be the bosses!” the Basque player jokes, whose role as a role model was further solidified this summer by her contribution to Spain’s victory in the European Under-18 Team Championship.

Ángel Ayora, from Málaga, is also well-suited to the role of team leader; after all, he's one of the key players for the Andalusian team that won the Spanish Under-18 Men's Armed Forces Championship. Now he faces the task of putting everything he learned last season into practice and translating that learning into consistent performance on the field. He's on the right track.

This September, Paula and Ángel met seven newcomers, but not seven complete strangers. All of them have demonstrated the sporting merits necessary to earn a place at what is possibly the largest golf training center in Europe. From Andalusia came Luis de Miñón—Ayora's partner in the aforementioned victory in Norba—José Manuel Berenguel, Julia Sánchez, and Violeta Fernández-Tagle. From La Rioja came Pablo Pérez, from Gipuzkoa, Martina López-Lanchares, and from Valencia, Natalia Fiel.

All of them have shone brightly in the Regional Qualifying Tournaments and possess golfing skills that have impressed the coaches at the National School, but this is just the beginning. Ahead of them lie at least nine months of hard work in morning sessions dedicated to golf and afternoon sessions focused on physical conditioning. Without neglecting, of course, their academic side, which receives as much emphasis as their athletic development.

These boys and girls have taken over from seven other players who have left a deep mark on the School: Daniel Robles, Eduardo de los Ríos, Juan Luis de Bethencourt, Ana Pina, Julia López, Marta López and Lucía López.

A couple of facts to illustrate the group's growth: in the 201/21 season alone, Lucía López won the Celia Barquín Memorial and contributed to Spain's success at the European Under-18 Championship alongside Paula Balanzategui. Among the boys, special mention goes to Juan Luis de Bethencourt's second-place finish at the Spanish National Championship. These results only serve to confirm the growth these young golfers have experienced at a crucial stage of their careers.

Partial renovation in León

The roster overhaul at the Blume National School in León this year isn't as extensive as the one in Madrid. Only three new faces—David Dávila from Extremadura, Sara Moreno from Ciudad Real, and María Bastarrica from Gipuzkoa—join veterans Ángel Soria, Ángel Pérez, José María Rozas, and Rebeca Fernández. Ignacio Cervera, Pablo Rebolleda, Álvaro Ruiz de Huidobro, and Mar García have left the school.

At this venue in León, which is celebrating its eighth anniversary this season, an ideal setting has been created to continue the growth of the selected youngsters, who receive sports training at the facilities of the High Performance Center of León and the León Golf Club - which in addition to a good course provides a practice field and a large putting green - and academic training at the Colegio Leonés, a center with more than one hundred years of history.

It should be noted that the aforementioned High Performance Center allows for indoor training on days with adverse weather conditions, something that is appreciated during the winter months.

In their case, they also have the technological advances of the Golf Centre of Excellence at their complete disposal.

Salva Luna, leading the technical team

Once again, Salva Luna is in charge of directing the Blume National Schools. He does so from his position as a leading figure in golf instruction in Spain; not surprisingly, the PGA of Europe awarded him The John Jacobs Award for Teaching and Coaching in 2014, a title that recognized him as the best golf coach on the continent.

The strategic guidelines that govern everything in Madrid and León are theirs. Kiko Luna, Álvaro Salto, and Jorge García are the technical directors who work alongside Salva in the players' daily routines. Off-field coordination is handled by Laura Moreno in Madrid and Alberto Díaz in León. Thanks to them, the boys and girls can confidently tackle the demanding, yet exciting, schedules of study and sport that characterize the Academy.

At both locations, the psychological aspect is handled by a highly experienced professional like Óscar del Río, while Paco Fernández and Álvaro Gil are responsible for providing students with the necessary tools to achieve optimal physical fitness. Overall coordination is the responsibility of Ignacio Gervás, Sports Director of the RFEG (Royal Spanish Golf Federation).

All this human capital works in a single direction: to do everything possible to facilitate the personal and sporting development of the players, who are the present and future of our sport.

Explore the Blume program at its Madrid and León locations, as well as its objectives, past generations of the School, and galleries.

photos below, in the Related Links section.