The Larrimac Golf & Tennis Club (LGTC) interviewed two of its junior Larrimac golfers – Jeremy Voorneveld and Alex Skyba – to get their thoughts on the game and other things.
LGTC:
Tell us about yourself. What’s your backstory?
Jeremy:
I’m 15 years old and go to Philemon Wright High School. I’ve been playing golf at the Larrimac Golf & Tennis Club ever since I can remember. This summer I’m either golfing or working in the pro shop here.
Alex:
I come from a family of golfers starting with my great grandfather. I play the lovely sport as often as possible when the school year is finally over. I participate in numerous activities that the Junior program offers such as lessons from the club pros every Tuesday, drive, chip and putt contests, and the Junior Intersectional Tournament.
LGTC:
Great stuff. So…imagine you’re giving an elevator pitch for ‘golf’ – what do you say?
Jeremy:
“Golf is an awesome sport to play and really fun to learn. It’s a sport that most people pick up late, so why not get a head start on everyone else and start now!”
Alex:
I’d say “Golf is a sport that you can play for your whole life. If you take up golf at a young age, then stop playing as you get older when life gets busy, you can pick up the game again from where you left off.”
LGTC:
Good golf pitches.
How would you describe Larrimac, in just 3 words?
Jeremy:
Community. Unique. Enjoyable.
Alex:
Beautiful. Fun. Challenging.
Toughest hole at Larrimac and why?
Jeremy:
Probably hole 3. It’s a really long par 3 that rolls to the left, and since I’m a lefty and prefer to put a fade on the ball to give myself a better view of the pin on most of the holes, putting a fade on the ball will only make the ball roll further to the left. But… I can’t play a draw on the ball either because there are trees all along the right hand side of the hole, and chipping is almost impossible from that side because the green is sloped to the left with a very challenging sand trap on the left of the green.
LGTC:
Whew!
Alex:
I agree for sure. Hole 3 is the toughest – the long, slanted fairway and a challenging green surrounded by bunkers.
LGTC:
No wonder no one’s ever aced that hole.
Let’s talk about food.
Best food before, during and after golf.
Jeremy:
A protein bar before playing. During, I really enjoy a bag of sunflower seeds. After – the best thing is the fried chicken prepared by our chef Janice and sous-chef Christoph on men’s night.
Alex:
Before, a good breakfast. During, an egg salad sandwich and after, chicken fingers.
LGTC:
No hesitation in answering a food question!
So, finish this sentence “Golf is like…..”
Alex:
“a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.”
LGTC:
Good one.
How are you both playing this season and what’s your goal?
Jeremy:
I’m playing pretty well but I’m still pushing myself to play even better. I’d like to get my handicap down to a single digit number.
Alex:
I’ve seen a big improvement in the way I play, but my goal for this year is to improve my drives.
LGTC:
If you could golf with anyone, who would that be and why?
Jeremy:
John Daly – he seems like a really fun guy and I think it’d be really cool.
Alex:
My grandfather – he’s been golfing for a long time and he could give me tips as we play.
LGTC:
What’s one of the strangest things that’s happened on the Larrimac golf course?
Jeremy:
I was out playing one morning after it rained, out on hole number 6, and all of a sudden I see a deer jump over the green. Then I see a coywolf jump the green chasing the deer. So I start running and look back and see the coywolf now seems to be chasing me! Anyway, I ran back to the clubhouse.
LGTC:
Sounds a bit wild. Glad you’re here to tell the tale.
One last thing before we let you go. Imagine you’re 49 years old. What advice do you give a kid about the game of golf?
Alex:
Golf is a very enjoyable game but also frustrating, and sometimes you will hit good shots and sometimes you will hit bad shots. But don’t let the bad shots get into your head.
JEREMY:
I would probably tell them that the only way to actually become good at golf is to take the game seriously, and that working hard will only get you so far. Golf is really more about working smart, learning, and developing your swing.
LGTC:
Great advice for sure. Thanks for doing this interview and see you out on the course.
Larrimac wishes to thank all the volunteers who mentor our junior golfers to support learning and love of the game.