“What Can You Offer the World?”: Golf Coach Curtis Robinson Fosters Personal Growth Through Sports

October 07, 2024

• Campus News

For Curtis Robinson, head coach of the men's and women's golf teams at SUA, helping young athletes succeed has always felt like his calling in life.

"I really feel like this is what I was born to do," Robinson said. "I love giving back. I love helping young adults achieve something that they don't think they can achieve."

Robinson assumed the role of head golf coach at the start of this academic year, bringing a vision that aligns perfectly with SUA's mission. He first joined SUA as an assistant coach in the fall of 2023, working with the women's team and helping develop the men's program. His approach to coaching emphasizes not just athletic excellence, but also personal growth and a broader worldview - elements crucial to SUA's goal of nurturing global citizens. This holistic philosophy comes at an exciting time, as this year marks the first time SUA will compete in men's golf in the California Pacific Conference as a full team rather than as individual competitors.

Robinson's own path to becoming a skilled golfer began later in life than one might expect. He was starting quarterback for the Chapman University football team from 1994 to 1996. He first picked up a golf club when his now wife, Juliet, introduced him to the sport around the time he completed his psychology degree at Chapman. He immediately fell in love with golf, despite - or perhaps because of - the sport's unique challenges. Though he miss-hit many balls that first day at the driving range, he left determined to excel.

"I'd go to the range every day," he said, describing the work that enabled him to quickly improve. "I bought a great book by Nick Faldo called A Swing For Life, and I'd read a chapter of that book at a time."

He would work on mastering each of the techniques covered in a chapter before moving on to the skills in the next chapter. Robinson credits his athletic training as a football player for instilling the dedication necessary to hone his golf abilities.

"Golf is a really hard sport," he said. "It's really hard to have the mental capacity to fail over and over again, and not give up… And I think playing football really helped me with that."

Robinson's journey to becoming a coach, however, began before he even started playing golf. His career choice was largely inspired by his football coach at Pomona High School, Kenny Robinson (no relation), who served as an unforgettable role model.

"Coach Robinson…was everything I ever needed in a coach, support-wise," he said. "Because it was never about sports. It was about how we're going to use sports to make you a better person, how we're going to use sports to make you a better student, how we're going to use sports to get you to the next step of your life."

Ken Visser, Robinson's coach at Chapman, also played a formative role. Much like his high school football coach, Visser influenced Robinson's professional path and his approach to coaching young athletes.

"It was never about how talented you were," he said of Visser's coaching. "It was about, how good of a person are you? What can you offer not only to this team, but what can you offer the world beyond your talents?"

After graduating from Chapman, Robinson coached freshman and junior varsity baseball at Servite High School, where he later coached freshman football. He also coached basketball for a short time. Robinson was determined to absorb knowledge from every sport he encountered. "And my coaching career really grew from that," he said. "Being able to coach several sports made me the coach I am today."

Robinson's career in golf spanned over 20 years before he came to to SUA. During this period, he served as a teaching professional at Rancho San Joaquin and Strawberry Farms golf courses in Irvine. A notable highlight from this time was leading the boys' golf team at Mater Dei High School to a CIF Southern Section title in 2016. All five athletes on the team posted scores in the 70s in winning the Southern Section Western Regional. Robinson was named Orange County Boys' Golf High School Coach of the Year by the Orange County Register.

Robinson describes his coaching style as firm but fair, defining athletic success in terms of improvement rather than wins.

"He always believes in coaching around a player's strengths," said Leo Takaku '25, a Social and Behavioral Sciences concentrator from Aliso Viejo who plays for the men's team, "and consistently puts emphasis on trusting the tools each player has."

Robinson stresses that the humility to be coachable is essential to growing as an athlete, as are continual hard work and dedication.

"I encourage every athlete to outwork the next person, even their own teammate," he said. "Because most times, hard work trumps talent. And if you have both, you're magical."

Above all, however, he strives to impart to young athletes the lessons that coaches Robinson and Visser taught him.

"The number one goal for me is that you're a good human being, a good citizen," he said. "I try to convey to [players] that your sport is what you do. It's not who you are. Who you are as a person is really important."

For Robinson, family has been integral to shaping his character. When asked to name a few of his heroes, his mother, his wife Juliet, and his children were at the top of the list. Both his children inherited their father's passion for sports: Ciera, his daughter, is a golf professional at Aliso Viejo Country Club, and his son, also named Curtis, currently plays linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. Robinson attributes his coaching career to the unwavering support of his family, especially Juliet.

"Not only was she the reason that I was introduced to golf, she has been very instrumental in me being a coach," he said. "Without her support, without her allowing me to work my way through this process, it wouldn't be possible."

Robinson's primary goals for the SUA men's and women's teams - other than, of course, winning a conference championship - are for athletes to continue to improve at golf, grow as human beings, and find joy in their sport. That final aim touches on something he considers crucial to athletic success - and something that defined one of the greatest examples of player growth he has seen in his career.

"I came on board to a great program," he said about joining the coaching staff at SUA last year. "But I don't think any of the players knew how good they were, how special they were at the sport they were playing. There weren't a lot of smiles, at times, even in practice. To see their growth from one season to the next, the smiles and the fun to come back to the sport for them, is probably one of the biggest milestones I was able to accomplish."

Kalen Yamamoto '25, a Social and Behavioral Sciences concentrator from Cypress, California, experienced this transformation first hand and expressed deep appreciation for Robinson's guidance and support.

"Coach Curtis has helped me find my passion and love for golf again," she said. "He has instilled a strong sense of trust in my abilities and potential, both on the course and in my academic pursuits."

This year, Robinson is especially looking forward to the Menlo College Invitational, which will take place October 27-29 at the Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside, California. He is also excited for the Cal Pac showcase in the spring and is confident that the SUA teams have a good shot at earning top places in the conference.

Robinson sees SUA students' success on the golf course as going hand in hand with their academic success and their cultivation as global citizens. Sometimes, athletes he coached in the past reach out to update him on where they are playing now and say thank you.

"For me, those are the things that help me understand that the journey is really just beginning," Robinson said. "It's a never-ending journey to pursue perfection in coaching and helping young adults."