28 Nov Parents of Patrick Martin
“Eleven years ago in May 2006, I contacted Kim Wilcox, junior tour director of the BGA at the time, to ask if my 9-year-old son Patrick could participate on the BGA Tour. The “rules” stated the golfer needed to be at least 10 years old. Kim asked if Patrick could shoot a score of 60 or better on nine holes to which I confirmed he could. She explained that the age limit was only to prevent kids from getting stuck on the golf course all day trying to complete their round. She allowed Patrick to start playing the next week at Heatherwood Country Club. This is where we got our start in competitive golf. Patrick was not happy with his performance that day, but immediately starting learning how to manage his golf game, manage his emotions, learn the Rules of Golf and how to interact with the other golfers in a competitive environment. These early BGA Junior Golf experiences are what helped build Patrick into the competitive golfer he is today at Vanderbilt University. Throughout the years on the BGA Junior Tour, as Patrick’s game improved, he was able win several events and compete in the season-ending championship. This final tournament is typically held at one of our best courses in the Birmingham area which makes the event all the more special for the kids. Competing on a signature golf course for the championship allows excitement to build throughout the season as the players work hard toqualify for that finale.
“You have done a great job of building this tour and developing relationships with the local clubs to include them in this important initiative of developing young golfers. I’m a firm believer that players of all skill levels should be able to play together allowing the newer, less experienced golfers to be able to learn from the more experienced players who learned from others in the same manner. I also believe that learning to WIN is invaluable. Attempting play competitively at the regional, or even national level, before understanding how to be able to actually win can be a mistake. The Birmingham Golf Association provides our local young golfers the stage to build their game, their character, and cultivate lifelong friendships starting at an early age. We are proud to have been a part of such a great program over the years. We wish you all the luck in the future and am confident the BGA Junior Tour will continue to build our next generation of local golfers.”
– Christine and Greg Martin