It's impossible not to notice her if you encounter her at the driving range or on the course. Ji-Hee Shin's passion for golf is evident in her swing. A teacher of great versatility, she inspires others with her motivation to make more golfers around her. Here, Ji-Hee invites us into her world and explains her recent return to the game.
When and how did you discover golf?
I grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand. When my brother was seven years old, he broke his arm rollerblading a half-pipe he had no business going down. That meant he couldn’t take the golf lessons my parents had signed him up for. As a curious five-year-old, I excitedly volunteered myself as tribute to go to his lesson for him, and that’s how my childhood golf journey got started.
When did you decide to make it your sport? Who encouraged (or discouraged) you?
My childhood golf journey ended abruptly when my family immigrated from New Zealand to Canada, and by the time I was in my early teens, golf had quickly faded from my interests and priorities. It wasn’t until 2022, as I was meandering through the first year of my thirties and after being laid off for the second time since the pandemic, that I rediscovered the sports thanks to my husband Ben. I was wiping the tennis court with him one afternoon, and he suggested I consider professional sports as a prospective career. To me, a professional athlete was a dream for kids. It was something I’d thought about as a kid during my golfing days, but that was over 15 years ago. I thought I was way past my prime. But I supposed that if I could be a professional in any sport, golf would be my best chance. All my years of practicing and playing as a kid, all my golf memories, they all came flooding back. I saw a new path forward. It’s one I never would have considered in a million years if it wasn’t for Ben seeing something in me—something I’m still trying to see in myself. Without his support and encouragement, I wouldn’t be on the trajectory I’m on now in golf or in life. And when I told my parents, they were so excited! I’m so grateful for their support and the support of my brother, my in-laws and all my friends these past two years.
How do you prioritize the aspects of your game you want to work on?
First, I like to set some broad goals, like play a bogey-free round or drive 300 yards. Then I break those goals down into milestones to achieve them. For example, to play a bogey-free round, I’ll create a checklist of items that must be going well for me prior to the round and during, like rarely or never missing a fairway off a drive, getting as many greens in regulation (GIR) as possible, eliminating 3-putts, etc. With that type of breakdown, I can better plan my practice sessions. If I’m trying to avoid missing GIR or fairways, my ball striking and shot shaping from my driver to my wedges would have to be extremely reliable with little to no unforced errors. If I want to avoid 3-putting, I’m going to have to spend a lot of hours putting at various distances, speeds, reads and drills. Like with anything, the biggest factor determining whether you achieve the change you want is the effort you put in. Put in the reps, the drills and the knowledge and let your brain and body build the connections so the changes you’re making become your new normal.
What do you dislike most about it? (i.e., what would you want to change?)
The inaccessibility and inequity of it all. It’s historically been a sport with major barriers to entry for many people and still is today. The prices, the locations, the rules, the culture and the many -isms have long been set in ways to exclude. I’ve been feeling the Korean han feminine rage to upend it all since I’ve come back into the space that’s the golf world, and my priorities here are to create an actual space for everyone and anyone because we all know there’s plenty to go around.
How do your practice and your personal values intersect?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to help and care for others. Even when I was competing in golf tournaments as a kid, I was happy to fix a pitch mark for someone or pass them their divot. My parents see that as inferiority or a lack of concentration on my own game, but, to me, it was innate. It is of the utmost importance for me that golf be an experience that highlights people’s kindness and humour and one of encouragement and respect for oneself and for others. In golf, your only real competitor is yourself.
Do you see the values that are most important to you reflected on the golf course?
Almost always. Although there will always be people who direct their competitiveness outward rather than inward, most of the interactions and experiences I’ve had and seen on the golf course and in the golf community have been overwhelmingly uplifting and positive. People have a special kind of love for golf, and, as a sport, it has the unique ability to instantly build connections, compassion and appreciation for others.
How did teaching become part of your practice? What do you enjoy about it?
It was really second nature. Teaching others means I get a chance to help them enjoy the game as much as I do. At least, I hope so! I think showing others how capable they are and helping them develop their confidence entering a space that may seem intimidating to them is the best way to grow more love for the sport.
Take us through a golfer’s very first lesson with you. What do you like to focus on?
During our lesson, we’ll work on the typical mechanisms of a golf swing and the structure, but what’s most important to me is that my student comes out of the lesson feeling capable and confident. A golf lesson can often be overwhelming with new information and uncomfortable new feels. I try my best to explain everything in all the ways that best fit the learner and give them time to progress and practice at their own speed. Towards the end of the session or after certain drills, I encourage my students to turn their brains off and just let their bodies figure out how to hit the ball. The point of a lesson is to get all the thoughts in and then out through the body, but if there are too many thoughts, the body becomes stressed and rigid. By ending the session with a no thoughts, just swings mantra, my students immediately see how the work and reps they put in during the lesson are working and being assimilated. By the end, they’ll have a heightened sense of self-efficacy they can bring with them the next time they golf.
Tell us about Nakhjavani Golf.
Nakhjavani Golf Performance Studio is THE spot for golfers to develop their game and their love of the sport. Open year-round, the studio is well-equipped with three Trackman bays, a practice net, a putting area and a personal training gym. The simulator bays have over 250 courses all over the world and a variety of practice modes so golfers can play a virtual round or work on their skills. The coaching staff are genuine and knowledgeable and ready to guide individuals of all levels and abilities on their fitness and golf journeys. Nakhjavani Golf creates a welcoming and comfortable place for all its patrons, and the high-quality offerings and services are indisputable!
Tell us about your most memorable round of golf.
My most memorable round of golf is one of my first after my family immigrated to Vancouver, BC, from Christchurch, NZ. My dad, brother and I went to Eighteen Pastures in Mission, a public golf course not far from where we lived. It was a sunny, peak hot summer kind of day. Everyone else was riding around in carts to play their round, but that wasn’t in the budget for us. I remember the pro shop staff raising their eyebrows at us when we said we’d be walking, and it quickly became evident as to why. The course was all hills. It was absolutely grueling to push our carts up the hills. But as skinny little 11- and 12-year-old kids, we had a blast going down because our push carts had seats on them, so we could ride them down like tricycles. I know that isn’t a typical recollection of a memorable round, but, for me, the experiences are more memorable than specifics like how I scored or how well I played. Especially as a kid, golf should be fun, and during that particular round, because the terrain and weather made things so tough, it mattered less about how well we played and more about being out on the course and enjoying our time together. Golfing with my dad always had a serious air of pressure, stress and expectations, so playing a round that was just for fun was a rare treat.
A few quick-fire questions:
What are your favourite golf brands?
For equipment, Callaway Golf. And Odyssey is legendary.
For apparel, my preference is anything that isn’t the traditional golf cuts, styles and patterns, like Reigning Champ.
What’s on your ultimate golf playlist?
K-pop all day! Mainly songs by BTS, Twice, (G)I-dle and Le Sserafim.
When was the last time you thought to yourself, “Wait, I'm good at this!”?
With as much imposter syndrome as I have, that kind of thought is incredibly rare for me. But the closest I’ve been to feeling competent was during a couple of the tournament rounds I played in 2023 alongside actual tour golfers and the highest-ranking amateurs in Canada and managed to keep up. My game wasn’t there, but the experience of watching and playing with such incredibly skilled golfers so up close and personal was inspiring and motivated me to keep at it.
After taking such a long hiatus from golf, being able to come back and play better golf than ever showed me that it wasn’t too late. At 30-something, I’m making a comeback, baby! And it’s a combat, baby!
What’s next for you?
I’ve got dreams of playing more competitive golf and leading more clinics and camps for golfers of different ages, backgrounds and abilities. I want to become a pillar of knowledge and solace golfers come to rely on for tips, lessons and fun. I also want to see golf evolve out of its outdated traditions and grow the game for the future by exposing the sport to broader audiences. I want to empower others to take up space and encourage more representation in the game by women and people of global majority. So, in short, what’s next for me? A lot!
What’s the best golf advice you want to share with Hiatus golfers?
Always play with kindness—towards others but most importantly towards yourself. Don’t forget that what we see of the pros on TV and online is mostly highlights. They make mistakes just like us regular people, so let yourself miss, learn and move forward.
And also play with intention, not avoidance. Before your shot, tell your ball: “You’re going in the fairway” and not “Don’t go in the water”. Focus on the result you want rather than avoiding what you don’t want. That’s something I think is just as true in life as it is in golf.
Finally, have fun! If you find you’re not having fun anymore, take a break and come back another day. When you stop having fun, your brain hits a wall that will inevitably prevent you from making any progress and seeing the results you want. If that fun stops mid-round, then just enjoy walking or driving around the course and only hit shots from easy lies like in the fairway. Or don’t hit any shots and just putt from different distances and lies on the greens. Golf is YOUR game, so play it on your own terms. Just keep it safe and yell fore when you need to!
