On a recent Sunday morning, 10-year-old Raymond Wang was out at the golf course and competing at 8 a.m. after leaving home at 5:30.
This wasn’t unusual for Raymond, an already-accomplished young golfer from Bothell who practices almost daily and is sometimes up early for the sport he loves.
What was different this time was that he played the first five holes with minimal assistance.
(Image courtesy Wang family)
Usually, his dad caddies for him, helping choose clubs and plan shots. That morning, though, their car had hit an object and punctured a tire on the long drive to Gig Harbor. The only way for Raymond to make his tee time was to catch a ride with a fellow golfer’s family, while his dad stayed behind to handle the car.
On this day, he proceeded to play his best golf of the year to that point, earning first place and scoring 3 under par for the 9-hole youth round — a feat that should help earn him an invite to next year’s youth world championship.
“It was by himself, and that’s why I feel like he’s really improving,” said his father, Vince. “That’s a tremendous skill — to turn an unfortunate event into great results. And this couldn’t have happened without the golf community.”
(Image courtesy U.S. Kids Golf World Champions / Wang family)
That community is part of what Raymond and his family love about the sport, which he has now played for about five years, since he was 5 years old.
“The good thing about golf is, after you hit the ball, it’s pretty far to walk,” Raymond explained. “So you talk to the other people in your group and make friends with them.”
Those friends include players from around the world, as Raymond has earned an invitation in each of the past five years to represent Washington state in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship (one time even earning 10th place). Held in Pinehurst, North Carolina, this premier annual youth event invites golfers from all 50 states in the U.S. and from more than 50 countries. It features a parade with golfers, and families carrying their nations’ flags.
(Image courtesy Wang family)
When asked for his strongest impressions of the tournament, Raymond mentioned the excitement and the size of the competition — but also the tasty food. This is still, after all, an event built for kids.
“We eat pizza,” Raymond said, breaking into a big smile. “And we drink sweet tea!”
The trophy case at Raymond’s house is loaded with prizes and trophies from various events — along with Lego constructions and Pokémon figures. And for all his success, Raymond is philosophical about his achievements so far.
(Image courtesy the Wang family)
“I have tons of awards,” he said. “But I think the thing I’m most proud of is learning from golf. You hit, and then you have to be patient and respectful of the player who’s hitting […] You can’t just be running around having a party with other kids.”
The parties and pizzas — and sweet tea in the South — come afterward.
One of the awards that Raymond and his family prize highly is a third-place trophy from a tournament held annually for a Chinese golf association in Portland, Oregon, near where the family used to live. They treasure this trophy because three generations of family members won it by playing together — Raymond, Vince, and Raymond’s grandfather, who visits from China.
(Image courtesy the Wang family)
The bond between Raymond and his granddad, Rongkun, stretches back to Raymond’s beginnings in golf.
Grandpa was supposed to come for a short visit in 2020 when COVID shut down travel back to China. His two-week trip turned into a six-month stay. During the pandemic, one of the activities that stayed fairly accessible was golf, so Raymond played with his grandfather — a retired administrator who was also a pro water polo player and an athletic coach.
He enjoyed playing with Grandpa, and continued to get better. That was when the family realized he could compete locally, then regionally, then nationally and internationally.
(Image courtesy the Wang family)
Grandpa continues to help from afar, with Vince recording videos of Raymond playing and sending them. Rongkun uses an app to analyze the videos and send tips. He keeps golfing himself as a hobby.
“That’s something that has bound us together,” Vince said. “There are very few sports in the world that you can have three generations play.”
Looking ahead for Raymond, he’s preparing for another major competition, opting to participate in July in the Uswing Mojing Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego. It’s touted online as being “unique for its international representation and cultural diversity.”
(Image courtesy Wang family)
And Raymond is even taking on coaching responsibilities himself. His sister, Evelyn, who is 6, took up competitive golf about a year ago. Sometimes, Raymond says, his mom and dad are busy, and he gives his sister pointers.
Raymond’s thoughts on this reflect the broader lessons he has learned building connections through golf — with friends as well as family, in competition and back at home.
“Golf helped me have a better relationship with my sister,” Raymond said. “I’m nicer to her, and she’s nicer to me.”
Not on Raymond’s level yet? That’s ok. Luckily, our area has some incredible mini golf courses as well. You gotta start somewhere!
