GOLF

Charwood Country Club hosted the Irmo-Chapin Winter Youth Golf Tour’s season-ending gathering.

Close to 150 people and close to 50 families participated this past Sunday afternoon. This was purely a community gathering and a chance to recognize player performance. Be sure to tune in next week for we will recognize youth golfers for Effort, Loyalty and Commitment, Sportsmanship, Performance and Stroke Average.

This week, I want to continue with the article that was started last week for one of our locals earned a very prestigious golf award. Bobby Howard, 87, long time, golf professional and owner of several local golf courses over the years, was inducted into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame last week in Greensboro, N.C.

“I was thrilled to be able to attend and I think this was overdue,” Foster said. “Bobby, Melvin Hemphill and Norman Flynn were my mentors growing up.”

Howard change my life. I was a “Mill Hill” boy with no money. I came down to attend USC on athletic golf scholarship, but had a rough first semester and was about to flunk out of school.

I was put on academic probation and was about to lose my scholarship when Howard pulled me aside and told me this.

“If you don’t go back, you will never get your degree and you won’t amount to anything,” he said.

He then gave me a job as an assistant pro while I worked on my grades. He let me drive his wife’s car back-and-forth to school. I took extra classes to become eligible for the team. He paid me $50 a week to be the assistant and to me back then, this weekly salary was a lot of money.

“He encouraged me, believed in me, and I went on to get my degree,” commented another local Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame member Norman Flynn.

Be sure to follow next week when I hopefully speak in person with Howard, then recognize local youth golfers for their winter golf season.