MEMBER PROFILE – CHARLES LARRY HUNTER

Membership growth in the USGTF exploded with the start of the new millennium, but one of the “old guard” who has proudly maintained his membership since 1998 is Charles Larry Hunter from Fort Washington, Maryland. Hunter is known to all by his middle name, and has been a mainstay in the DC-area golf teaching scene for over two decades. Hunter, 74, started playing golf at the age of 13 in his hometown of Mount Holly, North Carolina, a suburban community which is just northwest of Charlotte. He later joined the US Navy, where he won two golf tournaments in the early 1960s. He also worked for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), driving a bus for 10 years and then the train for 23 more. All this time, golf was not far from Hunter’s heart. He was giving lessons at a community college during the 1990s when someone said it would be a good idea to get licensed to teach, so he sought out the USGTF.  Upon earning his certification, he returned home and taught at several locations. He eventually found a home at the Fort Washington Driving Range, where he is the head teaching professional (website www.LarryHunterGolfInstructions.com). Hunter estimates he has taught almost 4,000 people since he began his teaching career. He starts out with new students by explaining what each golf club does, and then moves onto the short game before progressing to the full swing. He is still a fine player, shooting in the 70s when he has the time to play.