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Golf
Professional of the Month
Name:
Ray Fielder
Age:
46
How
long have you been a Golf
Professional? 26
years
Where
are you currently a Golf
Professional? Legacy Ridge
and The Heritage...PGA recognized
as Director of Golf. For the City
of Westminster, Head Golf
Professional over 2
facilities
How
long have you been here?
Since May of 1994
What
attracted you to this profession
and how did you get into it?
My dad Barney was and still is a
very good player and introduced
me to the game when I was 12. My
brother Bill became a Golf Course
Superintendent and another
brother , John, played the tour
for 2 years and later became Head
Professional at Grand Lake Golf
Course.
Who
were some of the influential
people involved with getting you
into this profession? Aside
from my immediate family, I have
Marv Mazone to thank for giving
me my start in the business as
his second assistant at Woodmoor
Country Club in 1994. Most of my
apprenticeship was under Marv at
various locations and also would
like to credit Jim Bailey for his
stern drive to set goals and help
me become the teacher that I am
today.
What
is your favorite aspect of the
game? This game impresses me
with what morals and good
upbringing it brings to our kids
today. I have yet to see a
youngster who became involved in
golf that did not go out and
succeed in life in one way or
another.
If
you could change anything about
the game what would that be?
Golf is becoming an expensive
game to become involved with and
I would like to see more programs
that enable kids to play for next
to nothing, but piggy-back a
program that involves the parents
and at least you are going to
reap some revenues while
discounting the junior. When that
junior becomes older, you have a
customer for life.
If
you could give one piece of
advice to a high handicapper what
would that be? There is too
much importance on hitting the
ball farther and I am a strong
believer of improving your short
game to enhance your long game. A
strong short game can turn a bad
day from tee to green into a
decent round, and then when you
are "stripping" it, your short
game will help you turn in some
great scores. The thing about
working on your short game, you
are not faced with not being able
to practice at certain times,
because most of your putting
greens and chipping greens are
always available and aren't
subject to range hours,
etc..
What's
in your bag? Ball: Titleist
Tour Prestige - Irons: Ping -
Woods: Ping - Putter:
Ping
What
is your most memorable or
gratifying experience in the game
(anything)? When I was
working at a course in Phoenix
called Papago Park for a great
man and teacher, Arch Watkins.
This was back in 1977 and at that
time we had a club-maker on staff
that was real good at finding
persimmon wood clubs,
re-finishing them and then
selling them for new. The Phoenix
Open was in town and word on the
Tour had gotten out about Danny
Lane and his collection of
persimmon. One evening when I was
closing, in walks Chi Chi
Rodriquez to test a few drivers
out. I was so excited that a
real-live tour player was in our
shop. He met with Danny and
selected a few drivers that
appealed to him, grabbed some new
Titleist Balatas and proceed to
the first tee to try them out.
When he stepped up and started
banging those drives, I could not
believe how far he was hitting
the ball for a man of his size.
He was hitting it farther than
many of the college "studs" that
played at Papago in those days.
That experience was very special
for me since I was fairly green
in the business. He was such a
nice man and very much a
gentleman. Those memories will
always be with me.
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