How did you
get involved in golf?
I have been playing golf since I could walk.
I have pictures when I was three or four years old carrying clubs and playing
golf with my dad in our yard in Greensboro. My fondest memories of my childhood
are playing golf every Sunday after church with my dad and his friends at a
local course.
Why is it
important that golf is played at Woodberry?
Golf is one
of the oldest sports here at Woodberry. The current routing of the WFS golf
course dates back to 1924-25 and was designed by Donald Ross. The golf team
started shortly afterwards.
What are some
important events in the history of golf at Woodberry Forest?
The William
H. White Golf Trophy was first awarded in 1930 to the Woodberry golfer with the
lowest score in the Woodberry Invitational, a high school tournament hosted
here at the school. Local legend says that a talented high school golfer from
Hot Springs, VA once played in the Invitational. He later went on to become one
of the most stories professionals ever -- Sam Snead.
Woodberry
participated in the inaugural Virginia Preparatory League golf championship in
1976 and has been dominant, winning twenty-eight titles, including thirteen in
a row from 1992-2004.
With the help
of Tom Bond and Coach Caughron, I coached the first JV golf team in 1989. Tom
then funded the construction of the Graves Practice Area in honor of R. Preston
Graves, WFS math teacher and golf course manager, in 1991. The school added a B
Varsity golf team in 1995.
In 2006, we
received a gift from Mitch Hull '77 to create an indoor teaching studio,
complete with software and video cameras to capture golf swings. We also
contracted with Ron Gring, PGA teaching professional, to come yearly to work
with our varsity players. We now work with Andrew Rice, PGA teaching
professional based in Bluffton, SC.
Beginning in
2008, Woodberry has competed in every VISAA state golf championship and has won
twice (2013-2014).
What experiences
stand out for you when you played golf?
I played in
middle school and high school, but was never very good. I didn't play that
often in college (UVA), but was thrilled to pick up the game again when I
started teaching here at Woodberry. I have won the WFS club championship five
times, the most recent being in 2011, when I set the competitive course record
(64). Last year I qualified for the Virginia Senior Amateur championship.
As I varsity
coach, I believe I have to be current with what's going on in golf instruction.
In 2001, I received a golf teaching certificate from the USGTF, and in 2006 I
was certified as a golf fitness trainer by the Titleist Performance Institute.
This past year, we received a gift from Ed and Hallie Pettegrew, parents of Bo
Pettegrew '16, for a TrackMan launch monitor. We have benefited from this gift,
and I have been learning how to use its data to improve my teaching.
What life
lessons do boys learn from golf?
Golf teaches
what my former colleague Chuck Straley used to say about tennis: how to deal
with frustration. Golfers never feel comfortable; we are only one swing or one
shot away from disaster. Successful golfers learn not to let disappointments
haunt them. Successful golfers are also eternal optimists. There's always
another hole to play, another shot to hit, and we can always get better with
just a little more practice.
The entire
first section of the Rules of Golf is on etiquette; how to behavior towards
others and towards the course is an integral part of the game. There are no
referees in golf. Golfers are responsible for enforcing the rules on
themselves. So honesty is another key component to the game and this aligns
with the school's Honor System.
Tell me about
an experience you had as a coach when a boy or group learned one of those
lessons.
Sometimes you
get lucky and say the right thing at the right time. When he was a senior and
captain, Thomas Walter '10 was unbelievably hard on himself whenever he had a
bad round or a bad shot. I told him that he would never speak to his teammates,
or even his brothers James '11 and Timothy '13, this way if they shot a bad
score. I told Thomas to let up on himself and be more positive and encouraging.
Thomas went on to have a great year, leading us to a Prep League championship
and earning All-Prep and All-State honors for himself. After graduation, Thomas
wrote me: "Mr. Hogan, I couldn't tell you the number of times I thought
about your words on the course, and the number of times it helped me."
Thomas went on to play golf at Bucknell, and he worked this past year as an
intern at the Golf Channel in Orlando.
Tell me about
a moment that made you proud to be a part of Woodberry Forest School.
I always get
compliments about our players both on and off the course. In 2003, Woodberry
began playing St. Paul's School in Baltimore in the Disharoon Cup. We would
travel to Baltimore, spend Friday night with a St. Paul's family, and play the
following day. One parents told me it must be Heaven to work with our golfers.
She was impressed with our manners and conduct. I am always ready to travel
with the golfers because I believe they represent the best of Woodberry Forest
School.
Why is
athletic participation so important at Woodberry?
First, golf
gives the kids a chance to decompress. The academic work is challenging, so the
golfers need time to unwind. We structure practice so that we have free time
where team members can challenge each other informally to putting/chipping
contests, or just hit range balls without a specified goal. This time builds
camaraderie as well.
Second, golf
on a team gives the students a chance to be part of something greater than
themselves. One of my veteran players told me that as a junior this past year,
he finally realized that when he was playing in a match, he was playing as part
of a team. He felt like this gave him more focus at certain times over certain
shots.
Finally, golf
gives students a sense of achievement. Not everyone can play in a varsity
match, but everyone who swings a club can hit a perfect shot. And there's no
better feeling in the world when that happens.
What
challenges (aside from day-to-day challenges with opponents) does your sport
face at Woodberry?
This spring
we had fifty-three golfers, a record. In addition to the twenty-three varsity
players, we had nine JV players. Our developmental team, the Bengals, had
eight, and there were thirteen seniors on the recreation team. Without outside
coaches, we would not be able to offer golf to this many students.
We cannot
accommodate all the competitive golfers on the practice area at one time, so I
hope that we can expand this facility to include more space and an up-to-date
practice facility with target greens. We also have a complete video studio that
needs a permanent home, so I hope that we can build a teaching structure at the
practice area complete with indoor hitting bays.
One of my
goals is to introduce golf to every WFS student. It's a lifetime sport. And
because of golf at Woodberry, I have been fortunate to travel all over the
world and meet some wonderful people. I want all Woodberry students to have the
same opportunities that I have had.
Do you have
anything else to share of interest to our readers?
I tell everyone
I have the best job in the world: I get to teach books in the mornings and golf
in the afternoons. I get to work with motivated, highly skilled players who
embody the ideals of the game. It is an honor to be part of the golf program
here.
