Your golfing beacon(s)?

[John Crowley]

In a current post TD mentioned Archie Baird.


It brought me back to my rounds with Archie. His daily walks on Kilspinie, Muirfield and the Gullanes were inspirational.


Another of my beacons passed recently at age 97, Bud Chapman, the legendary Minneapolis Golf Club artist/golfer. He walked the course(s) as long as he could and shot his age thousands of times, starting about age 66. Up until the very end he was making notes on his scorecards regarding his swing - so as to improve.


And there is my St. Andrews friend Duncan L. who demonstrated that you only need 8 or so clubs to shoot 72 on TOC at about age 78.


They all possess(ed) great optimism and enthusiasm!


And now there is the 9 year old son of a friend who plays with great joy and very well for his age.

[Jason Thurman]

I just learned that the great Bob Harrison, Clovernook's longtime head pro and Head Pro Emeritus after retirement, died last month. He was a fabulous teacher of the game from the pre-video era - his ability to just watch you hit a few balls and notice the littlest things was incredible. I never took a formal lesson from him, but he'd have a thought to share every time he watched me hit and I probably hear his voice more than any other teacher's when I'm working on my swing. The best thing about his advice was how feel-based rather than technical it always was - he knew how to help a student find a flowing, consistent move.


He especially wanted me to reduce the tension in my swing. I hadn't seen him in a few years, but I thought of him a lot last week when I was preparing for a tournament and found a much more relaxed turn on my backswing - I felt like I had finally figured out HOW to intentionally reduce that tension in my move. I carried it with me into the tournament, and was having a drink with a few fellow competitors after round 2 when one of them mentioned that he had passed. He was a great teacher, a great man, and a wonderful golfer, and I'm grateful for the conversations we had and the rounds we played and all of the practical advice he offered.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Here in Canada Ed Ervasti was such a person.  Here's a story by Rube from 2007:


https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/ervasti-shows-heart-of-the-game/article1081291/

[John Crowley]

Bud Chapman posthumous profile.

https://www.mngolf.org/News/Loyal_Bud_Chapman_19232020

[Tom_Doak]

John:


I have lost a few of these beacons in recent years, which is not surprising since many of them were 20-30-40 years older than me and I met them when I was in my early twenties.  Archie Baird was certainly one of them.  Jim Finegan from Philadelphia, Woody Millen from Palmetto, Roy Vomastek from Crystal Downs, and Tom Ramsey from Australia were a couple of others now gone.


Your comment about how optimistic they were really hit home for me, because you are so right about that.  I always noted their enthusiasm but never really focused much on the optimism.  They were not guys who saw the game as going to hell, even though it had changed so much during their lifetimes . . . or maybe BECAUSE it had changed so much during their lifetimes, but it didn't affect their enjoyment.


I do have a few more beacons but will not list them here as I do not wish to jinx them.  May they retain their optimism for many years to come!  Golf needs it.

[John Kavanaugh]

It's not a coincidence that the so called game going to hell coincides with the rise of social media.  Back in the day the only people with a voice were those who truly loved the game and committed their lives and resources to its betterment. The only haters that I recall from the late 60's and early 70's were the ladies that we tormented every opportunity that was presented to us. Thank God that boys could be boys in the Golden Age of youth.

[JC Urbina]

John,

For me the Beacon was Jim Langley.  In my early years trying to learn all I could about golf architecture and especially Alister Mackenzie I would stop by unannounced at Cypress Point while working at Pasatiempo and even before that. I have said this before on this forum several times, Jim was always welcoming, no matter the time of day or what he may have been doing in the front of the shop, when he was done helping a member he would spend time with me looking over old photos of Cypress Point and talking about all things Mackenzie.

My first trip to the Monterey Peninsula occurred while working for the Dye family, even back then I was impressed by the  Cypress Point look, way more than Pebble Beach for some reason.

He always made time for me, you have to remember this as well, It wasn't like I was dressed in full Iconic Golf Garb. Just a punk wanting to learn more about golf architecture and he was always willing to share what he knew.  Not one shred of EGO, kind and upbeat, always a smile.

That is a Golf Beacon

We need more of them

[David Wuthrich]

Beacons are a wonderful gift!
I have a few beacons, who I will not name.
They are always there for me to visit about golf courses and architecture.
They have forgotten more golf courses they have played than I have actually played!!
They are always honest and direct in their opinions, and I with them.  And we both know that our comments will be kept private, so the conversations are that much better!
I have tried to follow their example with others who might need a beacon of their own.  I hope that oneday I am half the beacon to someone that they are to me!
Thanks guys, you know who you are!!!!