In the golf pro shop at Ridgemark Golf and Country Club, Becky
Vaca waited patiently for her coach. It’s her Tuesday evening
routine. This time though, she had a special surprise for her
coach.
In the golf pro shop at Ridgemark Golf and Country Club, Becky Vaca waited patiently for her coach. It’s her Tuesday evening routine. This time though, she had a special surprise for her coach.
“I got some golf clubs,” she said.
Holding her golf bag and four clubs with a tight grip, she explained she bought them for only $10 and she wanted to show her coach. They are the first group of golf clubs she has ever bought, and she couldn’t be more proud.
Vaca, a 59-year-old athlete for the regional Special Olympics, just started playing golf less than three weeks ago. She chose it as her new Special Olympics sport.
This is the first year golf was offered as a Special Olympic sport in this area, and 11 athletes from Hollister, Morgan Hill and Gilroy took advantage of the opportunity.
Volunteer and coach Jeff Luttrell, a casual golfer, decided to teach and bring the sport to the region to help “do his part.” Luttrell, a Hollister resident, was motivated to volunteer after watching his son Joseph, who is a member of the Special Olympic golf team, play basketball in a previous Special Olympics.
“His team won the gold medal, and it made me want to do this,” he said.
Luttrell’s job isn’t easy.
As the supervisor for 11 special needs athletes – even for an hour – it can get hectic. His main job is to motivate and teach the athletes the basics of chipping, putting and driving the ball.
All of the athletes need to be ready before Aug. 29, when the Special Olympics golf event starts.
Each athlete goes through a training session where Luttrell will mark how they hit the ball and the distance from the cup. The closer the ball is to the cup, the better the score and placement in Special Olympic divisions.
If the players are good enough, some might play a full 9-hole round of golf during the Special Olympics Luttrell said.
“Some of them will,” he said. “A few of them are better than I am.”
But most will take part in six skills competitions, including putting 2 meters and 8 meters from the hole, chipping the ball onto the green from 14 meters away and driving the ball from the tee with irons and woods.
To help, Ridgemark Golf and Country Club has opened up the range to the athletes for one hour each Tuesday Luttrell receives free tokens and balls to teach the players, he said.
“What can you say?” Luttrell said. “Ridgemark has been great.”
Without the cooperation of the golf course Luttrell wouldn’t be able to teach the athletes the game, he said.
“They’ve been working with us,” he said.
Luttrell has four more Tuesday practices scheduled before the event in late August. Until then, the athletes will enjoy the practices with scoring a distant afterthought. All that matters is having fun and meeting new people.
“My favorite part is having fun with the rest of my friends,” Vaca said.
After putting on Tuesday, Vaca stayed close to the green and cheered her fellow teammates on.
Teammate Eva Dalton couldn’t stop laughing as she set up to putt – she was having too much fun. Her laughter was infectious for the group.
Once she made three puts in a row, her smile wouldn’t whip away.
“This is the first time I’ve played,” she said. “I’m not good at hitting the ball.”
Regardless she enjoyed being out on the green.
“It’s different to play than bocce ball,” she said. “It’s very different.”
Others like Guy Smith wanted to play golf to become closer to family members – and even one day play with them.
“I want to play with my brother some day – that would be nice,” Smith said. “I’m learning on my own right now.”
On the golf course the team roots for each other and helps each other out. When one athlete struggles hitting the ball, his or her teammates are quick to help them out.
All 11 athletes have different reasons for playing the sport, but the reasons why they stay is the same – for each other.
“It’s nice to be with my friends,” Joseph Luttrell said. “It feels good.”
