From building China’s largest golf academy to launching a fresh concept in Mallorca, British golf professional Andy Griffiths has swapped Shanghai skyscrapers for Mediterranean fairways. After 11 years coaching elite players and wealthy amateurs in China, he arrived on the Island with a new approach to the game - one focused less on perfect swings and more on enjoying golf where it is actually played: on the course.
“Nobody in my family played golf. I used to play academy football to a decent level, but I simply stopped growing. As a small ten-year-old, I was not quite small enough to run through people’s legs, but not big enough to stay in the team. I left the academy before I was pushed.
“While deciding what to do next, a friend - who now plays on the DP World Tour – was already playing golf for England, and he wasn’t much bigger than me. Me being super competitive, he became my inspiration to catch up. I started playing around 11 or 12. That counts as late in China, but it was a good age.
“I studied Applied Golf Management Studies at the University of Birmingham. After graduating, I coached at Évian Resort in France, Pebble Beach in California and Doral in Miami, before teaching aboard cruise ships for a year. The highlight was a 110-day world cruise on the Costa Deliziosa. The ship featured a hi-tech golf simulator, a putting green and incredible on-land excursions. The cruise experience made me realise you could package everything you enjoy - travel, meeting people and golf - into a career.
Building a Coaching Career Around the World
“I had plenty of options, but I wanted somewhere to put down roots. PGA Pro Michael Dickie had been in China 14 years, so I chose it as a place to achieve stability. When I arrived in 2014 aged 24, Michael was working with the Chinese national team while starting his own venture. Together, we built an academy in Shanghai from zero. It grew to seven locations and 35 coaches, becoming the biggest golf academy in China.
“The Chinese government has a complicated relationship with golf. It is viewed as elitist and criticised for issues surrounding corruption, land use and water consumption. Although the sport has shifted from effectively ‘banned’ to heavily restricted, authorities still shut down 111 courses between 2016 and 2017. Shanghai went from around 20 courses in 2014 to only 11 by the time I left. Yet the sport still grew massively. Golf’s return to the Olympics in 2016, and China’s first medal, sparked huge interest.
“I arrived with no Chinese, so I started with a translator. But British humour, translation and expensive golf lessons do not mix. I would say, “Oh, another great day of weather,” just as it started raining. It would be translated literally, leaving the client thinking I was stupid.
Learning Chinese — and Letting Go of the Translator
“I needed to get rid of the translator quickly and took lessons. Golf has strange vocabulary - like ‘open’ clubfaces and ‘front’ nines - so I ended up spending Chinese classes explaining golf terminology to the teacher. It was easier to learn directly from academy coaches and students.
“China is very accommodating for language learners. Say one word and they tell you your Chinese is amazing. My students wanted to understand me, so they accommodated me with body language and guesswork. I dropped the translator after nine months and improved rapidly.
“My students were 95% Chinese, and lesson prices were just under €500 an hour when I left. For that, clients demanded measurable improvement, and expectations were higher than anywhere I have worked.
“Initially, I trained new golfers, then got to elite juniors winning national competitions. Later, I gravitated towards adults with weekday flexibility, giving me my weekends and evenings back.
“I met my wife, Yina, after three years in China. Italian-born to Chinese parents, she had moved back to learn Chinese. We met at a Halloween party where a pirate bumped into me, smashing a bottle into my tooth. Worried it was chipped, I asked the nearest person to look. That was Yina. We started talking and the rest is history.
Why Mallorca: A Family Decision and a Golfing Upgrade
“After 11 years, with one daughter born in 2023 and tentative plans for another, we needed to be closer to our parents in the UK and Italy. We wanted somewhere to watch the children grow up, attend good schools and buy a home - none of which was going to happen in China.
“We ruled out both the UK and Italy. Yina’s cousin is an architect in Ibiza, so we visited and found a house. We made an offer, but delays dragged on for months. Then our lawyer - based in Mallorca but working in Ibiza - suggested we consider Mallorca instead. My pride immediately said ‘no’, but we looked that afternoon and realised we had almost made the wrong move. Ibiza has one golf course, Mallorca has 24. It felt like a major upgrade, with better services and year-round UK connections. It became a no-brainer.
“We relocated in February 2025, first to Santa Catalina before buying a home in Santa Ponsa - conveniently home to Golf Santa Ponsa I, II and III. We quickly realised we made a good call and keep meeting families who could live anywhere but choose Mallorca for long stretches. Yet, as a golf destination, I still don’t think Mallorca gets enough international credit.
“At first, I took a year off. I settled in, learned some Spanish and adapted to local life. Initially, whenever I mentioned I was a golf coach, everyone wanted a traditional lesson. That is an easy routine to fall into but a difficult one to break, so I was determined to avoid it.
‘Mr Mallorca Golf’ and a New Style of Golf Experience
“Eventually, I came up with the name ‘Mr Mallorca Golf’ and created my ‘Play with a Pro’ service. I now work with hotels and concierges to offer guests a complete one-day golf experience on the course.
“Most coaches teach almost exclusively on the driving range due to back-to-back hourly bookings. In China, I met golfers who took lessons for years without their coach ever seeing them play a proper round. I have spoken to amateurs who bought 20 lessons, never left the range, and still feel they are terrible golfers. They become obsessed with perfecting their swing, even though ball-striking is only one part of the game. Golf is unusual that way. If you take up tennis or snooker, you start immediately on the court or at the table.
“All my Chinese students wanted to see me play on the course, but it was a rare event. In Mallorca, I want that to be the norm. I want players to see that even professionals make mistakes. Amateurs place huge pressure on themselves, but playing with me shows them that I accept bad shots. I have a far bigger impact when we can discuss course management, strategy, and uneven lies, rather than just technique. Many think playing with a pro is only for advanced players, but it is valuable much earlier. It is like learning a language. People think they must master every word before speaking. My three-year-old daughter shows a better way: she started communicating with bare-minimum vocabulary, and now she naturally speaks four languages.
Building a Golf Brand and Digital Platform
“Currently, I am personally playing every course on the Island, writing reviews and creating content for mrmallorcagolf.com. I have been meeting local golf clubs to understand how they operate and where I can add value, without joining a traditional coaching staff.
“Since launching the website, I have received numerous enquiries from golfers needing help planning trips - which courses, order of play, and so on. I built simple digital tools to smooth the process. While some of our clients from the US, China, and Europe add a round with me, others prefer to stick to custom curation.
“The difference in service levels and technology between Mallorca and what I knew in China has made me more entrepreneurial than I expected. I see vast opportunities to improve the overall golf experience on the Island. As I become known as Mr Mallorca Golf, I think plenty of projects will follow – charity events, corporate partnerships, trips abroad - and I will enjoy that variety.
“We ran the largest academy in Shanghai, and the expectations of Chinese parents meant everything was well-documented and highly structured, almost like a school curriculum. Could I imagine creating a golf academy in Mallorca? Maybe. In China, major international schools often partner with sports academies. Here, parents focus heavily on education but less on structured extracurricular sport. I could see myself consulting on that in future, but I have no desire to build another massive academy.
“Mallorca’s golf scene is excellent. Writing my course guides, I keep discovering superb venues and hidden gems. After years spent mostly coaching, it has been great fun. My handicap was plus one when I turned professional, and I am thoroughly enjoying rediscovering my own game.
“In truth, many do not really want traditional lessons. I have worked with wealthy adults who have endless time and motivation to improve. You can write them the perfect six-month plan, but most do not want it. They want the low-hanging fruit - to appreciate the course and improve, without standing on a driving range for three hours smashing balls.
“Local residents are one side of the business, but then there is the holiday market and the yacht community, which makes this a genuine year-round opportunity. If you are open to it, golf is a brilliant world for making fascinating connections, and I can be far more open here than I ever could in China.”
mrmallorcagolf.com