Golf

I have been so busy speaking with interesting folks and writing about a wide range of topics for this column since it launched earlier this year that I have honestly not had much of a chance to learn the game myself. One of my original intentions for launching the weekly series was to chronicle my efforts to pick up the game, so I hope you’ll enjoy as I recount my latest lesson with another good friend of mine, Corbin’s own Brad Harris. For those of you who don’t know Brad, he served as a golf coach at Corbin High School between 1999-2014. After his coaching days were over he obtained...

A few weeks ago, we discussed the “strategic restructuring” of the Golf House Kentucky (GHK) organization. If you missed that entry, please check it out online, and then continue on here as we discuss some of the specifics of these ongoing efforts with Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) Executive Director Connie Saner. Saner has been with GHK for eight years. In that time, she said that she has held a variety of different roles. Before being named as the executive director of the KGA, she was the senior director of membership and operations. Speaking about her newest role within the organization, she recently said, “I am super excited to take on this...

In the previous installment of Par for the Course we met Donnie Caldwell, the resident golf pro overseeing operations at the Wasioto Winds Golf Course in Pineville. This week, we meet Caldwell’s brother, Ronnie, and his nephew, Braxton, both of whom are tasked with keeping the course not only functional, but looking great as well. With about four decades of on-the-job experience, Ronnie Caldwell was there when Wasioto Winds was first being developed. He has served as course superintendent since the very beginning, and he is now passing his extensive knowledge down to his son, Braxton, who recently completed a turf management certification program at the Southeast Kentucky Community and...

In 2025, the national First Tee organization is celebrating the many years that have been dedicated to positively impacting young people through the game of golf. In a press release that was sent out last November, First Tee announced several different initiatives that it would be focused on throughout the coming months. Top items on the to-do list included prioritizing teen and alumni engagement, as well as ongoing education for adults in the network. The inaugural First Tee Week is being planned for May 19-25, and will celebrate the valuable contributions of youth sports coaches. Finally, the organization is launching the First Tee Alumni Network and First Tee University, which...

Aaron Watkins is the head coach for both the men’s and women’s golf teams at the University of the Cumberlands. In his sixth year coaching at the university, the Harlan native says that he is optimistic about the upcoming spring 2025 season. Watkins said recently that he expects another strong showing from the women’s team, which finished among the top ten in the country one year ago. Despite losing some key senior players, he said that the team currently features a lot of capable young talent. On the men’s side, Watkins said that he is hoping to build on some of the positive developments from the fall season and be a...

According to its website, www.kygolf.org, Golf House Kentucky “is the umbrella organization for Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations: Kentucky Golf Association, Kentucky PGA and Kentucky Golf Foundation.” In the fall of 2024, an announcement was made concerning a “strategic reorganization” at Golf House Kentucky. This included the introduction of some new executives who are being tasked with more effectively managing and promoting the many exciting initiatives that are ongoing within the organization. Before we look at the who’s who, however, let’s take just a moment to consider what each individual organization under the Golf House Kentucky umbrella is all about. Again, these descriptions are all taken directly from kygolf.org… Kentucky Golf Association...

With many athletic activities, opportunities to remain involved and engaged can dwindle as participants age. Not so with golf. Not only can able-bodied enthusiasts continue playing the game regardless of what stage of life they happen to be in, but there are also many different career paths that allow a person to have a hands-on role in making sure that both themselves and others can keep learning about, competing in, and watching golf. Case in point, Corbin’s own Zack Ingle. Ingle was a football standout at CHS during the early 2010’s. He went on to play for a year at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., but soon found himself back in...

It’s golf... I can appreciate the fact that there is a certain level of skill that must be obtained in order to compete in the game. I understand that these skills aren’t developed overnight, and that, just like anything else, only dedication to practice will get you to where you want to be. I get that golfing requires things like balance, posture, hand-eye coordination and mental toughness. But it’s golf! At the end of the day, you are using clubs to smack a ball long distances before eventually using different types of clubs to knock it shorter distances into a hole. Again, I know this is an oversimplification, and...

Will Freeman and Ethan Mott are the two outgoing senior players on this year’s Corbin High School boys golf team. They both say that have enjoyed their time as Redhound golfers, but now that that chapter of their lives is coming to a close, they are looking ahead to what the future could hold for them in the sport. “It has been really fun,” said Freeman, who has played golf at CHS since his sophomore year. “You get to come out and play free golf. That is the best thing. This is a sport that you can play your whole life, so to be able to come out and do...

Makena Myatt is no stranger when it comes to golfing in high-pressure situations. She managed to turn heads last year, as a seventh grader, by competing at the state level and this year has been more of the same. Earlier this fall, Myatt won the Kentucky 2A regional at Wasioto Winds in Pineville, and she and her teammates – Kalyn Watkins, Hannah Perry, Addison Bonham and Mackenzie Hutton – qualified to play in the 2A state championship meet in Owensboro. Just a few weeks ago, Myatt played well enough in the “big” regional meet at London Country Club to advance to this year’s Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championships....