Spheres of Influence - Fathers Providing the Gift of Golf

By: Elisa Gaudet

Many golfers are quick to tell you they learned golf from their father, grandfather or father in law. Golf has a long tradition of being introduced in family circles and being passed down from one generation to another.

Fathers and father figures prove to continue to be an influential component in learning golf for many people. As Father's Day is upon us and most people are looking for a gift for Dad it is apparent that Dads around the world have been giving the gift of golf for centuries. Fifteen of the 32 CEO's interviewed for my book, "Two Good Rounds TITANS- Leaders in Industry & Golf," cited their father as introducing them to the game.

Michael Pascucci started Oxford Resources and amassed a fortune large enough to build Sebonack Golf Club in Long Island, N.Y. Pascucci credits his father as giving him his first introduction to golf. "My first memory of golf is when I was six years old and seeing my Dad get up at 4 a.m. and leave by 5 a.m. to play golf at a public course on his only day off from work" says Pascucci. His father, Ralph, was a landscape contractor for Levitt & Sons, caddied at the Engineers Club on Long Island and became a scratch golfer.

"We only played once together because I did not take to golf right away I was playing football at the time. He did teach me the basics like how to hold the club, grip and alignment and ball position in relationship to your body."

The younger Pascucci is himself a father of four (three boys and one girl) and grandfather of 11, all of whom have been introduced to golf. There is an annual family grudge match for family bragging rights and Pascucci is quick to note while he and his son Ralph lost to his son in law, TEB and other son Chris this year, they won the year prior.

Jack Nicklaus has always said he was encouraged by his father to play golf, but was never pushed. When asked who introduced his father to the game, Nicklaus replied "You know in all these years no one has ever asked me that question. I don't know as both my grandfathers worked on the railroad and it would not have been through them." Jack Grout, his longtime golf coach, was like a second father to him and had a very strong influence in his Hall of Fame career.

Although Peter Ueberroth caddied a Burlingham CC and Los Altos CC in California he actually learned to play golf from his father in law when he was in his mid-20s. "He used to take me out regularly to play at the Recreation Park Golf Club in Long Beach." Ueberroth is credited with brokering the purchase of Pebble Beach from a Japanese company, and said of his greatest business achievement, "We structured it so it can never be sold. Future generations will have the same experience."

The purchase of 5,300 acres, a famed roadway known as 17 Mile Drive, four golf courses, three hotels by the Pebble Beach Company, which includes partners Arnold Palmer, Richard Ferris, Clint Eastwood, William Perocchi and GE Pension, offered limited partnership interests with the understanding that the plan was to never again sell Pebble Beach Company to another ownership group. Had fate been different and Ueberroth not been introduced to golf there is no telling how things would have turned out.

Gregg Tryhus of Grayhawk Development remembers when he was eight years old watching his father win the North Dakota State Amateur champion. "I snuck over to the course as my parents originally determined I was too young to be out there" says Tryhus. He credits his father with teaching him how to play the game, particularly how to score by focusing on his short game.

As most of us know the lessons we learn from our parents extend far beyond the practical and spill into philosophy and a larger sense of self. Tryhus is no exception. He notes, "The life lesson I learned from my father was that the game is a reflection of who you are. Accept the consequences, good or bad, and move on. Don't let your emotions go too high and certainly don't accept defeat by letting them go too low."

And while Tryhus taught his two sons to play golf he notes it wasn't until they met some of his more famous friends that they determined it was actually cool to play golf.

One of the great advantages of golf is the ability to truly spend time and interact with others. Recalling some of his fondest memories of golfing with his children, Tryhus adds, "Letting them drive the cart sitting on my lap, take an occasional swing, then run over to roll down slopes on the sides of several fairways. Playing together in father-son events and walking the fairways near sunset while on vacation in Hawaii with my wife and boys when they were 10 and 12 years old."

A heartfelt "thank you" to every father or father figure who has introduced their child or other children to golf. The results are the backbone of the game and industry, which any participant believes is far greater than golf.

Speaking at the opening of the Jack Nicklaus room at the USGA Museum, Nicklaus said he could have won as many as 25 major championships but it would have meant sacrificing his close relationship with his family. "The importance of my legacy is not on the golf course. It's what my life has been," Nicklaus said. "Golf was a game. My family was my life. I always treated golf as a game, never anything else. To have a family that is close is really special."

Elisa Gaudet brings a wealth of entertainment and golf experience to Cybergolf. Elisa has spent the past several years in the golf industry in the U.S., Latin America and Spain. She worked for the PGA Tour and the Tour de las Americas before founding Executive Golf International, a marketing company that works with clients to develop strategies using golf to develop and implement golf-related programs. Elisa worked in the entertainment industry for over 10 years as a model and SAG and AFTRA actress. She has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs and has been a guest speaker on a variety of golf topics. Elisa published her first book, "Two Good Rounds" (Skyhorse Publishing) in 2011. The second book, "Two Good Rounds Superstars," was published in late 2013 and her most recent, "Two Good Rounds TITANS," was released in late 2014. Her story for Cybergolf, "Golf a Romantic Affair at Cabin Bluff," won first prize in ING's 2012 Travel Writing category, and that same year she won the ING's Outstanding Achievement award for the Op/Ed Writing Category for her Cybergolf article, "I Want to Fall in Love with Tiger Again." For more information about Elisa, visit her websites at www.twogoodrounds.com or Executive Golf International www.execgolfintl.com. She splits her time between New York City and Florida.

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