“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER ED SMOOT

By Ed Smoot

For a number of years, I was actively teaching and coaching golf. I was very involved in junior golf and spent a lot of my effort there but did spend a good amount of time with adults also. When I discovered the availability of the USGTF and the certification that was offered, I was most anxious to pursue it. I enrolled in the very next available session.

Shortly after graduating, I was contacted by a pro by the name of Russell Taylor. He discussed his plans for a golf program for inner-city children to give them an exposure to golf, and even arranged to give them access to golf courses. I was most excited to get on board with him and help promote this worthwhile project.

The late Lee Elder was also very interested in the idea and offered his name to endorse the program. We now had the Lee Elder Junior Golf Program and Tour with both swing training and tournaments. Russell traveled throughout the country to set up chapters in most major cities and I stayed in Indianapolis working with the students from that city with the instruction. Tiger Woods then found out about the program (I think through Elder, who was his friend) and generously came out, did an exhibition for fundraising and gave us a donation to help us early on.

Although there are a huge amount of entertaining stories about this, I will just mention one that has had a lasting effect on me. At one of the year-end championship tournaments, Elder came and was truly impressed with our kids, their golf swings particularly, and how well they played. He asked me, “Where do you find all of these kids with such good swings?” My answer to him was that you don’t find them, you create them. We had a good laugh about that, but that idea has stuck with me through the years and to this day is still my goal.

When you reach 80 years old, like me, you have a strong tendency to reminisce. I have so many wonderful memories of the students expressing the pleasure of achieving their goals, improving their game, or the look on their face when they hit that great shot. This still motivates me today, and my hopes are that I have a few more years to enjoy this. I’m indebted to the USGTF for providing a platform to help this be possible for me. Obviously, there are financial rewards for this, but the real blessing for all of this is remembering and continuing to see those happy faces when they succeed.