The Long Game
As he teaches golf, Josh Alpert imparts life lessons.
Ever since his grandfather introduced him to golf, Josh Alpert has relished the sport. He was about 8 years old when he started spending a week each summer with his grandfather, who was in a group of other older players. “I loved the games, the challenges, the camaraderie and everything about it,” Alpert shares.
Today he shares his passion for golf through teaching in several capacities. He ran youth golf programs at The Lakes at El Segundo for 20 years. He founded Good Swings Happen Junior Golf Academy in 2009 and currently leads the program at Westdrift hotel’s golf course in Manhattan Beach. The year-round golf program teaches children ages 5 to 14 “the proper skills and a healthy mindset needed to play to one’s full potential.”
While his specialty is working with elite juniors, Alpert describes the academy as emphasizing experience, exploration and fun. “It’s a safe space for everyone to learn and enjoy the game of golf,” he says.
Alpert teaches his students fundamental techniques while emphasizing enjoyment of the game. He conveys lessons through memorable experiences, stories and analogies. For example, students learn the importance of safety via a demonstration where Alpert hits a golf ball through a watermelon, which explodes upon impact. The lesson sticks, says Alpert, who reports previous students approaching him over a decade later to reminisce about the demonstration.
Alpert incorporates seven “mental mantras” into his teaching, all of which apply beyond golf. “Breath Equals Calm” involves taking a deep breath to relax and oxygenate the body before doing something challenging. “Visualize Success” teaches golfers to picture themselves succeeding, which Alpert says helps the body align with the goal.
His favorite mantra is “Persistence Pays.” He points to the Wright Brothers as an example, noting how they crashed many planes but learned each time how to improve the process and ultimately succeed.
Alpert’s concepts get applied beyond the green. A young student’s mother reported being harried and rushing to drive her daughter and another child to their next destination. The child tapped her mother on the shoulder and said, “Mommy, Mommy! It’s OK. ‘Breath Equals Calm.’ Take a deep breath!” At that point, the mom realized she needed to calm down and focus on driving safely.
In addition to his work at Good Swings Happen, Alpert is junior director of FlowCode Golf Academy, which offers performance-based and elite mental training for serious golfers. The academy’s director, Rick Sessinghaus, is the lifelong coach of six-time PGA winner Collin Morikawa.
FlowCode coaches teach how to achieve a state of flow in golf through factors including motivation, focus, confidence and emotional control. The emphasis on the mental aspect of the game affirms what golf great Arnold Palmer said of the sport: “The most important part of golf is the 6 inches between your ears.”
Alpert also gives private and small-group instruction to golfers of all ages and skill levels. In 2023 he was awarded the Teacher & Coach of the Year award by the Southern California section of PGA of America (Southern California PGA), and he was inducted into the California Teaching & Coaching Hall of Fame this year. He plans to open a new indoor facility in the spring of 2025.
Alpert most enjoys the social aspect of golf. In addition to playing with his grandfather, he plays with his father, brothers, wife and children. “I also play with my best friends and with colleagues and business acquaintances,” he says. “Golf is a game for a lifetime when it is nurtured as such.”
