My First Time - personal account of golfing milestones - Brief Article

Golf Digest, Jan, 2000

Editor's note: Few things in golf are better than the first time you break a scoring barrier. Every month, as inspiration, we'll print stories of such "First Times." This month we hear from Tom Kite and a reader, Dr. Christopher C. Baker.

A first lesson

My education as a golfer didn't really kick into high gear until we moved to Austin and joined the Austin Country Club, where Harvey Penick was the pro with a reputation as a fine teacher.

I remember the first lesson I took from him. I was 13 and scared to death. As we were going out to the practice tee, he talked with me about what I'd been doing and the scores I'd been shooting. Then he said, "We have a good junior high program, and I think our No. 1 goal right now should be to make the junior high golf team. After that, maybe we can make the high school team, and after that we can make the college team. I think those ought to be our goals right now."

That kind of shocked me. I knew I was going to be on the tour, and I never had any thoughts about not making the junior high or high school or college teams.

As it turned out, that first lesson from Mr. Penick gave me the philosophy on which I've based my life and career. He was telling me to take things as they come and not get ahead of myself. It's a lesson everyone should learn. Most good things, especially golf, take time and patience to develop. Take it one step at a time and realize that every small improvement gets you closer to your goal.

Tom Kite,
from How to Play Consistent Golf

Hearing aid

My "first time" occurred when I was 16. That particular day I was paired with a 78-year-old gentleman who unplugged his hearing aid while he was on the golf course so he wouldn't have to listen to his wife.

He could hit the ball only about 130 yards, but he was a master strategist. The best example occurred on the 16th hole, a 225-yard par 3 over a creek to an elevated green surrounded by bunkers. I was aiming for the pin when he stopped me and said, "You've been fading the ball a bit lately. Why don't you aim to the left and fade it into the green?" Being an upstart 16-year-old, I responded, "But if

I hit it straight, I'll be in the trap." But he simply replied, "If that happens, you'll have an interesting shot; if not, you'll be on the green."

Logic prevailed, I followed his advice, and the ball faded beautifully onto the green, just as he had predicted. When we got to the green, I had a 10-inch putt, which I tapped in for birdie!

The rest, as they say, is history. I parred the last two holes, and when I totaled my scorecard, I had shot a 79, not too bad for someone who had never broken 90 before. Although my profession keeps me too busy to be anything but a recreational duffer, I can still remember that magical day in 1964.

Dr. Christopher C. Baker
Chapel Hill, N.C.

YOUR FIRST TIME

Do you remember your first time? Whether it was breaking 100, 90 or 80, we'd like to hear about it. Fax us at 203-371-2162 or send e-mail to: editor@golfdigest.com.