First coach of Tiger Woods leaves legacy in Atascadero, inspiring young golfers through fun, inclusivity, and innovation

ATASCADERO — This summer, Chalk Mountain Golf Course unveiled its newly improved driving range, honoring one of its most influential figures: Rudy Duran, a coach whose impact on the game of golf reaches far beyond Atascadero.

Duran is best known as the first golf coach of a young Tiger Woods, beginning in 1980 at Heartwell Golf Course in Long Beach. At the time, Tiger was only 4 years old, but Duran’s teaching philosophy — making golf fun while still building skill — helped nurture a talent that would one day become one of the greatest golfers in history. Nearly five decades later, Duran continues to apply that same approach with junior golfers, still inspiring new generations to love the game.

When Duran moved to North County in the early 1980s, he became instrumental in the development of Chalk Mountain.

Chalk Mountain’s Director of Golf Evan Lucado told Atascadero News, “Rudy [Duran] pretty much helped open up this place in 1980 … after Rudy moved up here and kind of opened up this place, Tiger would still come up here with his dad and take lessons with Rudy. [He’s] done so much for the game of golf in general. He’s a big, big fan of getting kids out on the golf course.”

The new driving range, named the Rudy Duran Golf Center, features modern technology that makes practice both engaging and accessible. Players can track ball flight with shot-tracing graphics similar to what is seen on televised tournaments. Beyond training, families and friends can enjoy virtual golf games, making the range a destination for all ages.

“The technology itself isn’t necessarily brand new, but having people utilize it on the driving range is kind of a newer thing in the last few years that has taken over … from a coaching standpoint myself, it’s very nice to have this as little extra feedback to really show the golfer that they are improving. The ball is going farther, that kind of stuff,” Lucado explained.

Planning for the project began nearly two years ago, with construction officially breaking ground in February. The upgrades include covered bays, new equipment, and the advanced shot-tracing system, making Chalk Mountain’s range one of the most modern in the region. Already, it’s drawing in families, with parents and kids often stopping by after school to practice together.

For Chalk Mountain, dedicating the new facility to Rudy Duran was never in question. His decades-long commitment to growing the game and his influence on players young and old made him the clear choice.

“It was probably always in the back of our minds,” Lucado said. “Everything [Rudy] has done for golf and for the community of Atascadero — getting kids out here at such a young age, it’s cool to be a part of and it changes your mindset as a coach and working in the golf industry … making it inclusive instead of exclusive. That’s really the takeaway.”

Today, Duran splits his time between Arizona and Atascadero, typically spending half the year on the Central Coast. Even now, he remains actively involved in coaching, carrying on the same mission he started with Tiger Woods: making golf fun, approachable, and open to everyone.

With the new Rudy Duran Driving Range, Chalk Mountain not only upgrades its facilities but also cements the legacy of a coach whose passion for the game continues to shape lives both locally and globally.