Each Sunday morning, Golf Practice coach Caleb Nilsen can be found high-fiving young golfers as they cheerfully enter the Highland Park facility.
“At that age they haven’t seen any of the wrong in the world. They come in and are just excited to hit golf shots and be with their friends, get in their groups and hang out with the coaches,” said Nilsen, who has been with the Golf Practice since 2023. “They just come in excited and ready to go.”
Nilsen is the director of introductory programming and a lead coach at The Golf Practice. He focuses on young golfers just getting into the game, finding joy in seeing their growth and development.
“The face they make when they come in or the face they make when they hit a good shot … or a 20-foot putt. It just gives you joy,” he said.
He strives for both his youth and adult students to learn adaptability and self-reliance, especially when things are not going well on the golf course.
“I’m not going to be with them on the 9th hole or the 11th hole or the 14th hole,” he said. “The less they can rely on me and think about me, the better.”
Nilsen grew up in Palatine and played varsity golf at Palatine High School. He played golf at North Park University, where he was captain of the team.
Nilsen’s favorite club is his putter and would rather play in the morning than any other time of the day. He favors the PGA over LIV and hits a draw rather than a fade. His favorite player is Jordan Spieth.
In addition to the juniors, Nilsen enjoys collaborating with his fellow Golf Practice coaches during a lesson, group class or even a staff trip.
“The Golf Practice represents a sense of community and growth. The growth comes from the caring about each other, about our students,” he said. Caring “about each other’s personal life…life at home, life at work and how those intermingle.”
In addition to private lessons, Nilsen will run half-day camps for young golfers in Highland Park over the summer.
