Tania Elósegui was born and raised in San Sebastián in the Basque Country, represented Spain in international golf from the age of sixteen, and spent ten years as a professional player. Today, she lives in Crans-Montana, Valais, and is training to become a Swiss PGA Professional — proof that even a decade on tour can be just the beginning.

A Childhood at the Club

Tania discovered golf early. Her parents were members of the San Sebastián Golf Club, and she spent much of her childhood at the club — though initially playing tennis, football and any other sport rather than golf. It wasn’t until the age of sixteen, when she began representing Spain in international tournaments and travelling regularly with the national team, that golf moved to the centre of her life.

Even then, despite a very successful amateur career, full of victories and medals, the decision to turn professional didn’t come overnight. It was only towards the end of her business degree in Finance at the University of the Basque Country that Tania knew what she wanted to do after graduation: play golf for a living.

Ten Years on Tour — and Then What?

Tania’s playing career spanned a full decade — and it was far more than just making cuts. In 2009, she won the ABN AMRO Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour. That same season, she was selected for the European Solheim Cup team, one of the highest honours in women’s golf, where she competed against the United States and won a fourball match alongside Helen Alfredsson. Tania finished the year fifth on the LET money list and went on to compete on the LPGA Tour and at Major Championships. She also represented Spain at the Women’s World Cup of Golf in 2007 and 2008.

After stepping away from competitive golf, her path was anything but linear. She worked in the mountain tourism sector during the winter seasons and took on various roles within the golf industry in summer — a diverse, restless period that reflects someone always searching for the right fit.

The turning point came when Tania had the opportunity to coach two young talents for a season. That experience unlocked something new. “It sparked my interest in going deeper into coaching,” she says, “in broadening my knowledge, sharing the experience I gained during my career, and passing the message on to the next generation.”

A Programme That Opens Doors

Tania enrolled in the Swiss PGA training programme, drawn not just by the coaching dimension but by the breadth of the entire curriculum. For someone with her curiosity, the programme’s diversity was the deciding factor — exploring club fitting, greenkeeping, course design, business management and interpersonal skills alongside teaching methodology.

Several elements surprised her: the comprehensive youth coaching programme (J+S), the opportunity to specialise according to personal interests, and the access to continued education well beyond the core curriculum. “Every session has brought moments of reflection,” she says, “questioning what and how things can be improved — and that keeps the motivation alive.”

The biggest challenge? The same one many apprentices face: finding the right balance between the demands of the programme, work and personal life. For Tania, organisation and time management are essential — skills she honed during years of tournament travel, now applied to a very different kind of schedule.

Clear, Personal, Player-Oriented

Tania describes her teaching style in three words: clear, personal and player oriented. This approach comes naturally to her, allowing to connect effortlessly with players and guide them with genuine patience.

Her current focus is on developing young golfers, where her background as a former international player gives her a rare credibility and depth. She’s not teaching from textbooks — she’s teaching from lived experience.

Climbing Walls and Snowy Mountains

Off the course, Tania is drawn to nature. In winter, she’s ski touring. The rest of the year, she’s rock climbing. Broadening her horizons, expanding her knowledge and exercise are daily constants. It’s a portrait of someone who needs challenge and movement in every part of her life.

As for Plan B? Tania’s answer is characteristically direct: there has never been one. “I’ve never followed an established plan or had alternatives in mind,” she says. “Since there’s no plan, there are no alternatives either.”

Committed to the Present

When asked where she sees herself in five years, Tania resists the temptation to project. Instead, she focuses on the professional she wants to be right now: committed. Finishing the programme, gaining experience in youth development, improving her service to clients, and seizing every opportunity to deepen her knowledge.

Tania’s wish for Swiss golf is both protective and progressive: “May the essence of the game and the respect for it — as well as for the players and professionals — be preserved. This is something that defines the game, and I hope it is never lost. May dynamism and youth be promoted and may the game not become merely a business venture.”

It’s a message that carries the weight of someone who has lived the game at the highest level — a Solheim Cup player, a Ladies European Tour winner — and is now choosing to give back.