By Lindsay Stevenson
IJGA Communications Intern
For most 11 year olds, the start of summer signifies a time to rest, spend time at home, and take a break from constant responsibility.
But when you have plans to become the number one golfer in the world, relaxation can wait.
Like many of the IJGA’s dedicated young golfers, incoming sixth grader Chase Perez is committing a huge amount of his summer vacation time to hitting balls, rolling putts, and playing in tournaments. However, a major change in Perez’s life during the past year is making his story unique.
“We actually moved to Orlando eight months ago,” said Chase’s dad, Mark Perez.
After moving to Orlando, Mark Perez asked his son if he wanted to use the summer to get to know the Orlando golf community.
“When I asked, Chase told me that he wanted to come back to Chicago for one season, finish out his Boys 10-11 division as the older kid in the division, and show everyone how much he’s grown as a golfer,” said Mark.
As a result, Chase hopped on a plane by himself and flew to Chicago for the summer, where he takes turns staying with both of his grandmas and lives away from his parents for the first time.
“It is very hard,” Chase said. “For the first week when I was back, it was just so hard not seeing my parents.”
However, his passion for the game has helped him settle in.
“You pretty much just have to get used to it. Once you do that, you can start playing great golf,” Chase said.
Chase’s whole-hearted willingness to commit to golf in this way has been a lifelong passion. He stepped onto his first mini golf course at age two, started out on the driving range at age four, and began playing actual golf courses at just five years old.
Mark Perez attributes Chase’s love of golf to the independence it has given him.
“Chase had always wanted to be in my arms. We always had to carry him everywhere until we introduced him to mini golf,” said Mark.
“I golf on occasion but I don’t golf that much. On a whim we took [Chase] to a mini golf course and that was the first time he actually would not want to be carried. He would walk the entire course, all 18 holes. He didn’t require any type of supervision or direction. He just knew what to do at a young age,” he said.
After starting out on real golf courses at age five, Chase realized that golf was his sport. Mark noticed how he took to being in the driver’s seat.
“We put him in other sports – tee ball, soccer – a lot of team sports. What we realized is that he doesn’t like team sports. He likes to be the one in control. In golf if you win it’s all on you. If you lose it’s all on you. It’s all on your shoulders. I think that’s why he likes golf,” said Mark.
When he was eight, Chase began his journey playing tournament golf in the IJGA. Success didn’t come right away.
“My first time, I still remember how bad I did. At that time I still had to get a feel for it. That was my first time playing tournaments,” Chase said.
Now in his fourth year in the IJGA, Chase has seen his hard work pay off. This season alone, he has placed first or tied for first at seven different IJGA events as of June 26th, including the two-day Junior Elite at Glenview Park.
He says that his time in Orlando has been a key part of his prosperity this season.
“I’ve been able to play a lot recently here in Orlando, so I think my success has come from all that practice,” Chase said.
 Chase Perez putts during a tournament at Pincrest Golf Course. Perez has been playing or practicing golf as many as six or seven times a week year-round since his move to Florida. Photo by Lindsay Stevenson |
Due to the warm weather in Orlando, Chase has adopted a new routine of year round play. Unlike many midwestern kids, he is no longer forced to condense his season into one summer. Throughout this past winter, he has been playing golf as many as six or seven days per week. “Chase used to have to play simulators during the winter or take the winter completely off. This winter, Chase never took a break. When he came back for IJGA play, he had played for six months straight. I think that all it is is just consistent practice, and playing year round gives him so much more time on the course,” Mark said. Even prior to his newfound ability to play year-round, Chase was seldom found taking a break. Mark recalled what one summer day looked like for his son at Itasca Country Club, where he and his family had a family membership. “I dropped him off in the morning, he played 18 holes, he came back into the clubhouse for lunch. I was working from the clubhouse. We had lunch together, then he went out for another 18 holes, and then he came back and we had an early dinner. Then he went back out for another nine holes before it got dark,” he said. “That’s his record. He’s played 45 holes in one day.” |
“I can’t think of [another junior golfer] that has done that,” Chase said.
Although he spends most days on the links, Chase does find a few free moments to make time for other things he loves.
“I love Disney. I love going to the parks, and I love to travel. I also love to go to the pool as well. I do all three of those and when I’m not golfing that’s pretty much a fun day,” said Chase.
Additionally, Chase enjoys spending time with his friends in the Chicagoland area, who also play in IJGA tournaments with him. In fact, Chase’s family has watched him grow up with fellow junior golfers for the past four years.
“We’ve made such good friends. The golf families within the IJGA, these are all Chase’s friends,” Mark said. “I feel like Chase is at essentially summer camp, this intense golf summer camp where he’s playing with all his friends and hanging out for the summer.”
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For Mark and his wife Nerissa, the comradery also provides a sense of comfort and allows them to remain connected even while Chase is away for the summer. At every tournament, moms and dads of other junior golfers often send updates via text. “When Chase competed at Glenview Park and he ended up winning the entire competition, I was sitting here in Orlando and my phone blew up with a bunch of golf parents from Illinois saying ‘Oh my gosh Chase did it!’” said Mark. “It’s crazy how the relationships and the families have come together and it’s all due to the IJGA. We wouldn’t have been able to send him back [to Chicago] being comfortable being away from us if we didn’t know all those families would take care of him.” For Chase, the people are what makes the long trek from Florida, the hard work, and the summer away from home worthwhile. “It’s worth it because at these tournaments I always get to see my golf friends. To just see them this summer and play with them, it’s just worth it to come back,” said Chase. Beyond the friends it holds, the golf course provides a sense of confidence for Chase. As a young child, he had to see speech therapists because he suffered from a speech delay, which gave him a shy personality. But on the golf course, something changed. |
 Chase Perez plays a round of golf with golf friends Beau Gancarz and Carter Waichulis. For Perez, playing with friends is an important part of golf. Photo by Lindsay Stevenson |
“The golf course was the one place where [Chase] could go into a group of people and just start talking and just start really feeling comfortable with himself because he was in his element,” Mark said. “In other aspects of his life, he is a pretty shy kid normally. The version that you see at the IJGA, that is the best version I’ve ever seen of him and that’s all due to his passion and how comfortable he feels with golf.”
His sense of confidence on the golf course and his love of the game has set Chase’s mind on some pretty big goals. This year, after traveling to Pinehurst for the US Kids Golf World Championships, he plans to try and come out on top at Randall Oaks and win YDP player of the year, a contest only open to the top 12 boys in points in the IJGA’s 10-11 age group. Long-term, he plans to reach even higher.
“Ever since I started playing, my dream was to be a professional golfer,” said Chase. “I want to be number one in the world, I want to play the majors- The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, The Open – and while doing that I want to get my way to getting a career grand slam.”
Despite only being 11, Chase has already shown great promise in reaching those goals, winning numerous tournaments, practicing daily, and even making a hole in one at his new home course in Orlando, an accomplishment most rising middle schoolers can’t boast.
As Chase moves forward in his golf career, he can rest assured that he has unwavering support from those around him, especially his grandmas who drive him to and from the courses, his coaches in both Illinois and Florida who help him become a better golfer, his friends on the golf course and their families who cheer him on at tournaments, and his parents, who signed him up for the IJGA early on, craft his busy schedule of events, and fully support their son’s unwavering passion for golf.
Mark described the pride he and his wife share in everything that Chase is accomplishing.
“I am not an avid golfer so I think that part of the reason why he’s successful is that every time he does something I am in awe. I could never get angry. I could never get frustrated. Whatever he’s doing is something that is amazing. He’s amazing no matter what. I think he kind of feeds off that where he’s never really searching for our approval because he always has it,” said Mark. “He’s inspiring.”
