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1 Sep 2023 admin

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER JAMES O’NEIL

By Jim O’Neil

My golf story is a long one; I’ll give everyone a break with some highlights. At 10 years old, I had my first golf lesson at Eagle Haven Golf Course with head pro Lefty on Little Creek Amphibious Base in Virginia. Yep, very close to Seal Team Six training quarters.

My journey in golf is actually a very humbling one, so please understand this is my story. I’m not at all bragging about my accomplishments in this wonderful game of golf. In 1980, I made the Kempsville High School golf team, mainly because of head pro Jack Harvey at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach (Aeropines Golf Course). My father would buy me two lessons a year, and then both my father and Jack told me to practice. I practiced so much I ended up on a college NAIA golf team and won player of the year twice.

In 1986, I took my first PGA apprenticeship job under the then-active president of The Middle Atlantic PGA section, Don Saylor, at River Bend Country Club in Great Falls, Virginia. In 1990, I moved home to Virginia Beach and took a job under, again, an active president of the MAPGA, Gene Mattare.

After three years of soul-searching, wondering if I was a player or a businessman in the PGA, I decided to get away from the game completely and focus on my new love. Mrs. Mia O’Neil entered my life, and we started our family under the wonderful global company Stihl Incorporated in Virginia Beach. Team Stihl allowed us to raise our three children Lashar, Brenden and Tameria for 28 years.

Currently, the United States Golf Teachers Federation has given me a rebirth in golf. I’m currently a Stihl retiree who plays in our company golf league on Thursdays. Now – praise God – I’m the full-time golf instructor at NAS Oceana and I’m in training to win again on what I call the teachers tour.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – COOPER FISCHER

By Sean Moore, USGTF, Alexandria-Virginia

Throughout my career in athletics and golf, I have had the privilege of working with numerous talents of all ages and genders. One of my first students when taking over as director of golf at Rudy’s Golf and Sports Bar in Alexandria, Virginia, was a young man named Cooper Fischer. He was an 11-year-old that was very new to golf but had tremendous experience in soccer. He wanted to give golf a try and was incredibly shy and unsure of what the future held for him in the sport.

We began our journey together once a week and truly started from scratch. We wanted him to eventually gain enough skill sets and confidence that he could play with his uncle and father. Cooper quickly began to show improvement, but more importantly, he started to get that sparkle in his eye when we worked together as you could see he was beginning to love the sport. Cooper was persistent in his pursuit to not only improve his swing, but he thrived on learning about course management, terminology, history and the people that have paved the way for golfers of all ages. With the support of his entire family, Cooper developed a tremendous swing and has built his confidence as a young man. He hits the range two or three times a week, including his structured lessons, and now reports back to me weekly regarding his strengths and weaknesses from his previous sessions.

Cooper and I have built a tremendous friendship as instructor and student. We grind on the range together while sharing a bag of sour gummies or a basket of fries. His post-lesson tradition: to sit with his family and have the famous grilled cheese from Rudy’s Golf. The Fischer family has not only supported their son and his drive to be a better golfer, but they have embraced the lifestyle. Cooper’s dad has also found a new spark as well and is excited about sharing the game again with his son. Cooper and I will continue to work together, and he may choose to try competition at some point.

However, in my eyes he has already won. He discovered the sport we all love so much. He’s improved his swing, his knowledge and his confidence. He is a tremendous example of hard work and commitment. He reminds me every week of why I choose to teach golf for a living, and I can’t wait to see the things Cooper is able to accomplish on and off the course.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – CHRISTINA GLADNEY

Dr. Christina Gladney is not your typical golfer. Gladney, a student of USGTF professional John Rosenthall, is a college professor, fitness expert, and higher education administrator with a passion for helping African Americans live healthy lives and excel in their professions. “I am new to the game of golf and see this game as a way of sharing tips for a healthy lifestyle while having fun,” is something Gladney says on a regular basis. She is the director of assessment at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a visiting professor at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

Golf is new to Gladney. She has taken a very aggressive approach to learning the game and creating opportunities for her friends and colleagues to be introduced to the game of golf. For those who are already golfers, she loves to create opportunities for them to network while partaking in the sport. As a public health instructor, the very same traits she expects and demands from her students are the ones she brings to her golf lessons. Those traits are to listen carefully, pay close attention to your environment, watch how others perfect their skills, and mimic what you see in others you would like to emulate.

Although new to the game, Gladney has taken her enthusiasm and interest to the next level. While sharpening her skills, she has decided to expand the game by introducing golf to African-American women and girls by combining golf with healthy living aspects and professional development. The new program she is leading is The Essence of Golf. The program supports participants through empowerment initiatives related to holistic wellness and professional networking.

A typical Essence of Golf event includes a weekend of golf lessons, rounds of golf, and facilitated discussions designed to strengthen individuals spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, socially, and professionally. Professional networking is an essential element of the weekend. Participants leave the weekend with a renewed spirit, new relationships, and new approaches to self-improvement.

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