Nicola and Gian Andri, how long have you been playing golf?
Gian Andri: This summer will be my third season.
Nicola: I only got my course license in summer 2025. Before that, I’d maybe been on a course five times in the U.S. So I only really started playing seriously last year.
What does your role as ambassadors for the Engadine Golf Club involve?
Nicola: We represent the club on social media and in personal interactions. We play, post content, and take our community into the world of golf in the Engadine. Our goal is to inspire young people from the Engadine to start playing at the club – and also to encourage guests from outside the region to spend a few days here and experience these unique courses.
Freestyle and golf – total opposites or do they share similarities?
Gian Andri: At first glance, they seem very different. Just because freeskiing takes place in winter and golf in summer. But I think they actually have a lot in common. Creativity helps in both sports. Just like in freeskiing, there are often several ways in golf to reach your goal and achieve a good result.
Nicola: For me, the parallels are mainly mental. Focus, body control, and patience are extremely important. Golf really helps us with concentration – and also with switching off from competition stress.
What message do you want to convey as ambassadors?
Nicola: Golf is for everyone. Not just for a certain age group or a specific image. It can be relaxed, athletic, and genuinely cool.
Gian Andri: I’d also like to encourage people to go outside and enjoy our beautiful golf courses. It’s not something you can take for granted – being able to do sports outdoors in nature.
Which golf cliché would you like to dispel?
Gian Andri: That golf is a sport for older people. I honestly used to think that too. But it’s absolutely not true. It’s a sport for anyone – no matter their age.
Nicola: Many people also think golf is boring. But once you really play it, you quickly realize how challenging and exciting it is.
Freestyle is considered cool. How would you describe golf?
Gian Andri (laughs): I’d definitely call golf cool as well. We always have a great time, and by now many people from our team play too. A great drive or a long putt that drops feels just as good as landing a clean triple. For me, “cool” is the feeling a sport gives me – and both give me that feeling.
Tradition and etiquette are important in golf. How do you feel about that?
Gian Andri: At the beginning, it took some getting used to (laughs). But now I actually think it’s cool to dress accordingly. It’s part of the golf feeling and makes the sport unique.
Nicola: I know golf has a long tradition, and I fully respect that. It doesn’t bother me at all.
Are you often playing on the courses in the Engadine?
Nicola: As soon as I got my course license and became a member, we were out on the course in almost any weather – except during thunderstorms or when we were training abroad.
Gian Andri: We play a bit more often in Zuoz because I live there, but we also play in Samedan.
In freeskiing, you regularly compete – for example at the World Cup on Corvatsch in March. Do you also take part in golf tournaments?
Nicola: Not yet. I think I’d get too frustrated with myself if I had to write down 110 or more strokes at the end (laughs). So I want to improve my game a bit more before entering a tournament.
Gian Andri: I’ve played a few tournaments already, but I’m still not really satisfied with my level. There’s definitely room for improvement – I need to keep practicing.
