Dedicated golf professionals, the teaching kind, are a unique breed. They are entrusted with a game that holds seemingly magical powers to create obsessions and stir up revelations.
Golf pros set the tone that begins to shape the culture of the golf courses where they work. What separates the great golf professionals from the good ones is the commitment they have to striking the match to ignite a player’s interest in the game — and then adding the fuel to create an obsession.
Great teaching pros can be found at any course, large or small, private or public. The very best ones tend to be where the love of the game is the strongest and where the culture of the club is inviting. John Alan “Al” Foster was the golf pro at Nob North Golf Course in Cohutta when it opened in 1978. I was 11 years old.
As one of the great golf professionals, Al made sure the culture at Nob North was inviting for players of every age and every ability level. He built a culture where the love for the game of golf thrived.
I am now 57 and after playing a round at Nob North on a recent trip home I was reminded of the impact Al had on my life. Over many years, he became more than my golf pro; Al became a mentor and friend. Suspecting that my experience is like that of many who learned this great game at a young age, I decided to write down my thoughts to thank Al publicly and, hopefully, prompt others to acknowledge the impact that their local golf pro had on their life.
As young kids in the1970s, my brother Mike and I would be dropped off at Nob North by our parents to spend the day playing golf all day for just a few bucks. Mom would send us off with a cooler packed full of sandwiches, cookies and drinks. Al let us leave the cooler in the pro shop while we played.
Looking back, Al would often be nearby when Mike and I headed to the pro shop after a morning of dragging our clubs across grass wet with dew. As the cool air of the pro shop hit our faces it never failed that our lunch cooler was not where we had left it. For the next few minutes we searched while Al and his staff laughed and sent us in every direction. Eventually, we would find our lunch in perfect condition.
Looking back, I see now that Al was helping two young boys see that the golf course and the pro shop was a place where we were welcome.
As I got a little older, Al would occasionally play a round of golf with my friends and me. He taught us how to fix ball marks, to read putts and to play the game by the rules with proper etiquette. We felt like we were getting special treatment.
We always thought we would beat him. We rarely did. It seems like we usually had to chip in a quarter to buy him a soft drink after the round. He taught us early on to wager something on the round, to welcome the pressure and to always pay our bets as soon as the round was over. Never, ever say “I will pay you next time.”
When I was old enough I got a job at Nob North, and during the next several years worked in a variety of roles. For much of that time, Al was my boss — directly or indirectly. Al held high expectations for his employees. His tone was different while working, always expecting professionalism and customer service. Many evenings before I clocked out, I was required to clean the pro shop restrooms. I did it knowing that Al would inspect them the next morning. If they didn’t pass inspection you cleaned them again. Work ethic was important to him — in golf and in life.
Once a year Al would close the golf course for the annual Nob North Employee Golf Tournament. Everyone played. Some had to borrow clubs. Teams were chosen and trash talk ensued. Tubs were filled with shrimp on ice. Steaks were grilled. Beverages flowed, and stories were told. Time stood still on those special days, like something out of a movie. It was just another example of a golf professional creating a golf culture for others to enjoy.
Looking back, Al never charged me for a lesson, but he often seemed to find his way to the practice range when I was hitting balls. I still remember some of it, and in my mind, I can visualize the drills he taught me. I wish I could go back, pay better attention and practice more.
Al was in my wedding. I think that says it all — a local golf pro helping an 11-year-old kid learn the game and then becoming a lifelong friend and mentor.
Al has retired and no longer works at Nob North, but he frequently stops by the pro shop to hang out and tell stories. I have to think he is still hanging around partly because he never knows when the next kid may show up with a lunch cooler, and he wants to make sure it is properly hidden.
Thanks to Al and to all the local golf professionals who invest in others, leaving them with an obsession for the game of golf and with lots of great memories along the way.
Steve Barker is a 1986 graduate of Northwest Whitfield High School. He retired in 2020 as superintendent of the Coweta County School System in Newnan, and is now director of strategic planning for the Georgia School Boards Association.