Golf

Ethan Mott has been one of Corbin High School’s top golfers in recent years, and last week he realized a personal dream of his when he signed his letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Union Commonwealth University in Barbourville. “This gives me the opportunity to break into college golf, and to really start to understand the game at a higher level,” Mott said. “Coach Sisson has been gracious enough to assist me in getting to this level. So has Donnie Caldwell, from my First Tee years at Wasioto Winds.” If you have been reading Par for the Course regularly, you will likely recognize Caldwell’s name....

In the past four months, we have tackled many different topics in this column. From golf course management, to competition, to my own experiences learning the game, the goal has been to make everything as accessible as possible to anyone who might pick up the paper and decide to check out the sports page. With this entry, however, we’re going to have to get down into the weeds just a little bit – both literally and figuratively. I came across a Facebook post by the Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) recently that shared some photos of a group of individuals who were out providing course rating services. I thought that enquiring...

“I used to think farming was hard work, but that was before I had a golf course.” That is how Clara Sexton, owner of The Golf Course in Williamsburg, described the work that it has taken to keep Whitley County’s only functioning golf course up-and-running since she took over operations back in the early eighties. “It was a mess,” Sexton said of the state of the course when she stepped in as owner. “It really was. You couldn’t even find the greens.” Sexton explained that the course was originally built sometime in the late-fifties to early-sixties. It changed hands a few times over the years before she took over, and, as...

The University of the Cumberlands men’s and women’s golf teams are gearing up for Mid-South Conference Tournament play at the end of this month. It has been a successful year for the Patriots so far this spring. Let’s review their progress ahead of this year’s MSC Tournament… The UC men got the season started off right last month with a trip to Alabama and a victory in the Lawrence Tech Spring Invitational at Grand National. The Patriots were crowned champions of the event after shooting 891 (+27) over 54 holes played across three days. Freshman Saran Jantratit finished runner-up at the tournament, shooting 216 (-1), including three eagles and ten...

If you get off of I-75 Exit 11 and begin heading toward downtown Williamsburg, you will likely notice a sign on the side of the road announcing that this is the home of Becky Sharpe, the 2015 women’s state amateur golf champion. That sign has stood in place for the past decade to let people know that, among the many great athletes that have come out of Williamsburg over the years, Sharpe, now Becky Sharpe-Mitchell, is among the most accomplished. “It feels like a blur,” Sharpe-Mitchell said when reflecting on everything that has transpired since she won her state amateur title at the Danville Country Club in the summer of...

As this column series continues, I am presented with new and exciting opportunities to speak to individuals in-and-around the local community who are doing great things when it comes to promoting the sport of golf among younger players. The most recent opportunity came just last week, when I met with Bill Moore, a golf pro who helped build Crooked Creek (now the Oaks of London) and created the Southeast Kentucky Junior Golf Tour (SEKJGT) back in 1995. Moore was kind enough to take the time to speak to me recently about the SEKJGT, including how the event has evolved over the past 30 years, and his hopes for what lies...

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...