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With a decade and a half invested in the golf business, and nine seasons of full-time instruction behind me, I have accumulated a lot of memories of the amazing people who have showed up at the driving range at Lakeview. I am fortunate to have a job that almost daily brings me new clients and friends; and as challenging (and often frustrating) as the game of golf can be, it tends to open people up, exposing their strengths and weaknesses, their dreams and their fears—which means I am sometimes entrusted with more than just sharing golf techniques. It is a trust I take seriously and, in the end, I am not only thankful for all of the people who make my livelihood possible, I am thankful for all the unique personalities and relationships that emerge from my days as a teaching professional.

Here are just some of the stories from 2009:

The “Lost His Entire Mind” award this year would have to go to Kevin Sullivan; he started with Fit to a Tee in the winter, continued with private instruction, got completely re-fitted for clubs, played a lot of golf in all kinds of weather conditions—and started hitting the ball much longer and straighter. Congrats on a great year, Kevin….Doing all the same things, plus joining the Ladies’ Association at the Country Club makes Judith Rose a great candidate for the “Lost Her Entire Mind” award; and her almost weekly messages and updates about on-course achievements are a highlight for her coach.

Ward Anderson made the most of his fourth season in the game, with extra emphasis on chipping, and even when he and his coach haggled over ball position, Ward was a highly valued client and friend….Work on his neck, and work on his house tried to slow down Rob Frakes in 2009, but he was having none of it; love the dedication and energy, Rob!....This was the second time that Dan Gallagher and I broke his swing down (finally got you in that "seat", right Dan?); this time I think we got the job done. It's great to see you enjoying the golf! Short game in 2010?….. The first year I met Barbara Wunder, she gave me one of the great works by one of the greatest philosophers—Dr. Seuss. “Oh, the Places You'll Go". This year it was her turn to go—off to a new life in Colorado. I will miss our Tuesday matches and deep conversations, and I look forward to resuming the Freedom Cup!….Sterling Herbst had the patience to keep his game moving forward, especially when work did not get in the way…The many counter-intuitive aspects of this game became more clear to always-friendly Jayson Lane—relaxation and easy tempo get that ball moving very well!

Norman Monk came in from the Tidewater with a little hesitancy about getting the clubs out of retirement—but he showed he has still got it….Similarly, Gary Norman came back to this difficult game after many years. I hope you stick it out, Gary!....John Constable and I had more in common than golf and living in New Market, and I was glad to have him join me at the range….Devon Pence found in a year of change and travel that his newly improved game could travel too….Once again, Rod Plowman impressed me with his passion for golf and his tenacity in the face of physical challenges.

Aaron Hewitt started the year with Fit to a Tee, and closed the year by adding another golfer to the family. Congrats!....Dwight Dart has always had a sneaky passion for the game, but this year he let it loose. Here’s to an even better 2010!....Rachel Rose and Allison Dugan: with highly technical terms like “hut thingy” and “dorky stork”, they changed the language of golf and possibly revolutionized the game. Enjoyed it very much….Likewise it was great having Louisette back from Canada, and this year she brought Martine too. Hope to see you again in the spring!.....The coach was also thankful for dinner at the Hite residence; after all, being a “head caddie” is hard work! That will soon be the best swing in the family, Dawn!...Barbara Conway and Libby Swingle came over from Sunnyside to learn the game, and brought the kind of dedication a coach loves to see. Thanks for the poem, Libby!

Accepting sign-ups now at the RMH Wellness Center for Fit to a Tee, a golf and fitness program starting in January. For more info, please click here.

Among my beginners in 2009, there were some fun and entertaining people: Vita Goryuk took a break from something like twelve jobs (and school) to hit the guys in the driving range cart….Heather Berriochoa and Anna Shackleton also managed to squeeze in some golf with all of the other responsibilities in life, and they seemed to hit the ball better coming straight from Jack Brown’s….Good-spirited Janelle Jordan did much better than she realized and got in a few rounds with RC and Barb before the season ended. Welcome aboard!.....It took us a while to get rid of those “lateral pitchouts”, but Bryan Morel has gotten his game ready for the world of corporate accounting….Anna Sommerfeldt had two coaches with Shawn’s help, and she’ll be ready for the showdown with Susan and Michael in the spring (right?)….And my Wellness Center Crew: Melinda, Alli, Kia, and Deric, you are a prime example of why I love my job.

Doc Smith got a new driver, and a swing to go with it, while his son-in-law Jim Watson split time improving his backswing and learning to fly a plane….Ray Shifflett seemed dubious that he could learn the new balance, but then he put in the practice time to do it….Doug Adams bit the bullet too, with mixed results through the middle of the season, but his buddies reported a strong game by late in the year….Going for the “overhaul” can be a tough choice, but Phil Smith broke it down in the second half of 2009, and he seems to be getting more out of his play and practice time….Harold Knicely finally got enough work done to return to Lakeview this year, and he learned to strike the ball even better than the old days….If only he could figure out how to make the daylight last longer after the school day, Michael Eye would conquer his swing even sooner….Ann Bird was a pleasant addition to my late-season roster, and she is motivated enough to continue in the winter with Fit to a Tee.

Bob Knott was a new client in 2009, and once the thunderstorm blew through, we made serious progress in just our first half-hour. Let’s conquer that driver in 2010, Bob!.....Ray Alexander’s new Pings and swing had him hitting shots like the days gone by….I’m not sure we got the swing planes exactly where we wanted them, but Ed Price seemed to be hitting the ball straighter and more solidly….Alan Landes hit some great shots while sharing time with son Nathan….Whether it’s on the Pinehurst trip, the driving range, or Facebook, Jim Noel has proven to be a good friend. Hopefully the wife will join him on the course in the new year!....Bill Fisher is always easy to get along with, and I think we got rid of those weak pushes….I welcomed Lynn Lambert to my teaching area for the first time in 2009, and he took some steps in the right direction before his fall golf trip with Larry Conell, who took his chipping to a new level even while he tested out the latest version of his swing. Thanks, Docs!

Among my husband/wife tandems this year, I really enjoyed taking Imad & Betty Hannoun on the course. Hopefully we will see much more of that in the future…..Skip & Brenda Williams have been great friends as well as clients for many years now. I appreciate you, and wish the best during life’s challenges…..Jim & Rebecca Newcity brought energy to my winter program, chocolate & peanut butter to my belly, and framed cartoons to my office wall. Thanks very much!....Tom & Becky Schaeffer got back to golf this year, and I hope they build on it in 2010!....Lee & June Williams, along with son Scott when he’s in town, continue to be great supporters and members at Lakeview.

Grady Ruckman had three top-10 finishes on the Carolina Series of the Hooters Tour in 2009.

I also had the honor of working with some high-level competitors this year. Timmy Driver wrapped up his JMU career, but not before winning a collegiate event in the spring. Timmy has become a great golfer and friend in the decade since he first showed up at my range, and I know great things will come after graduation….Grady Ruckman continued playing professionally, dropping more shots from his average and making more cuts in 2009. He is hitting the ball better and longer than ever, so it’s going to be a lot of fun when a few more putts fall in 2010. His coach is ready for another roadtrip to Florida, or at least Charlotte!….After caddying for him at a PGA Tour Qualifyer in August I got to spend some time on the range in Greensboro with Jay Woodson where we worked on slightly steepening his shoulder turn, and quieting down a his hip action through the ball. Jay narrowly missed making it to the PGA Q-School in December, and my sponsor group (Tour Golf Investment Group) hopes to help him get there next fall!.....Jhonny Montano said he wanted to make the most of his senior season at JMU, so we slightly flattened and relaxed his arm-swing which earned him a stronger release. Glad you qualified for the tourney in Hawaii, Jhonny!....I’m sure I never saw anybody hit a 185-yard 9-iron, until I saw Andy Miller do it several times. If he can stay healthy, it will be interesting how far he can take his game….And in 2009 I continued working with the players on the Bridgewater College team. Coach Williams has done an excellent job building up his program, and it’s great to see the players make progress through the years.

John Rogers lines up a putt with Ian Frazier at the Fall Championships of the Special Olympics. Ian led the way to a Silver Medal at Virginia Beach National in November.

There aren’t many stories of my own time on the course these days, but there were a few highlights from 2009. In July I got to see golf the way it’s supposed to be played, in a match with Timmy, Grady, and former tour player Nick Biesecker (sorry you drew the coach as your partner, Timmy!). All for of us were under par at the turn, and those other three guys were a cumulative 11 under par by the end of the round. That was fun to watch!….In October, Grady and Jay put on an exhibition for potential sponsors—both shooting 66….It was the fifth year I got to play in the Member-Member at Spotswood with David Broad—we were not able to successfully defend our Championship this year, but it’s worth it just to see Pee Wee dance! It’s especially entertaining if the band plays Rocky Top…..I really enjoyed playing in the two-man events at Shenvalee this year with my newest partner, David Diaz. We gave each other hell, missed too many putts, suffered from a distinct lack of talent—and yet we finished in front of many of the big-name teams, and won a few skins along the way…..I did manage to take down Grady and assistant Shawn Harper one time in April by shooting a couple under, and resorting to Jedi mind tricks. I probably should have put the clubs away after that….I always look forward to the Pinehurst, Mt. Mitchell, and Charlotte trips to get away and play some golf with the members and friends. We’ll hope for less rain in the coming year, and hopefully I’ll get to join the Slowinski clan again in Greenville….While caddying I got to see Cannon Ridge with Timmy, who hit every fairway but one; saw Wintergreen with Grady, who stuck it to two feet in a playoff to advance to the Tarheel Tour event at Spring Creek; and saw Bryan Park with Jay, who repeatedly hit the tee-ball 300 yards—with a 3-wood!....And for the fourth year in a row, the most impressive feat I saw on a golf course was the performance of Ian Frazier who continues to conquer life and golf despite the challenges of cerebral palsy. We only made it to two Special Olympics tourneys in 2009, but my partner is a champion every day, and his friendship is a true gift.