Series: Diary of A Golf College Student
Article 11: Club Commitments

by Jonathan Gibbins

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Spring break has arrived and while most students are going to the beach or laying-in till noon everyday, the golf team is slogging away on the practice ground preparing for a tournament. However, for all this sacrifice, there is some payoff.

I have the opportunity to earn some money by teaching some kids involved in a programme called The Tiger Foundation. The Tiger in the name is no coincidence because it was founded by Mr Woods three years ago, in order to get more inner city kids involved in the game. The goal is to expose golf to kids that would normally never get the chance to pick up a club. The programme is run all over the country in over 300 locations and is being funded by the PGA of America. This is just one big influence that Tiger is having on the game and I have realised that if you are involved in the game of golf, there no way you can escape the impact that he is making.

Even the negative aspects of Tiger’s influence get overshadowed. The biggest thing that comes to mind is the way Tiger slams his clubs around after bad shots and uses profanity. On the US Tour, he has been fined five times for swearing out loud after shots, which is more than any other player. It is obvious that kids should not copy this part of Woods’ demeanour and get annoyed like he does. However, America is very good at focusing on the positives, and that is the way it should be.

After an enjoyable week teaching the kids in the mornings and playing in the afternoons, the club announces that Greg Norman is coming to play in a pro-am event that will be held the week before the Masters. Although it is exciting to think of meeting him, and watching him play, they also announce that it is VIP only and that the course will be off-limits to us during the event.

When the day arrived for Norman’s visit, I was hitting balls in a quiet spot of the range with some team-mates. He arrived, as they say, in style. A loud roar filled the air as a black helicopter with a shark logo on the side soared over us. Over the next couple of windswept minutes, Greg touched down, donned his trademark black hat and was rushed into the clubhouse with his clubs and caddy. The whole thing reminded me of Treasure Hunt with Annika Rice.

With the helicopter now dominating the practice ground, we are forced to abandon practice by the tournament officials. I didn’t leave however, without doing some awe-struck close-up inspections of Greg flying machine.

Come back to the site next week and read the next installation of life on a golf scholarship!