Wise Old Man's Golf Pages

About The Author - Dave Thomson, a.k.a Wise Old Man.

MY BACKGROUND

I was born in 1931, the last of three boys. My two brother were a great influence in my life, especially in my younger years. My older brother, Tom, who is now deceased, was four years older than me and I tried very hard to be like him, especially in high school. Tom was a State Of Michigan All-State Basketball center his senior year. I might add that he was only 6'1" but in those years (1942-1945), 6' was tall.
My brother Jim and I 'hung around' together until we were in junior high when we each were involved with our own friends. Like Tom, Jim played basketball and was a darn good guard & forward. I might add that there was a Thomson on the East Lansing High School varsity basketball team from 1943 - 1950.
I played three years of varsity basketball as a forward. Unfortunately, our team never made it past the first round of a State Tournament but we did win our League championship at least once. My senior year I averaged about 18 points per game and this was when the normal team score was about 50-60 points per game.
I also played football (place kicker & end), basketball (forward), baseball (out fielder), track (miler), and golf (4-5 man). Basketball was my game and I continued on with it as a walk-on to the Michigan State University freshman team. Of the over 100 try outs, I was the only one to make the freshman team, which included 15 scholarship players. I did play a bit in some games and did continue on to the Junior Varsity team in my sophomore year but since I didn't get to play very much, I decided to play for my fraternity, Sigma Nu, the following two years.
I was not a good student in High School. I was, fortunately, able to get passing grades with little effort. Our school normally sent 94-96% of all graduates on to college. Again I was extremely lucky that I lived in East Lansing which is the home of Michigan State University so going to college was not expensive. When I started college in 1950 the tuition for a 'full load' was $45!
College was like High School for me, I didn't really have to study to get passing grades. I did, however, had to attend summer term my last year in order to take two more classes, one of which I almost had to beg the instructor for a passing grade so I could graduate with a 2.0 average. Actually, looking back at my grades I find that I was just below a 2.0 average (out of 4.0) so perhaps MSU felt sorry for me and want to get rid of me.
Immediately upon graduation I volunteered for the Army. Why? Because at that time (1954) the draft was still in effect and I didn't want to wait to be called up. My two years in the army were interesting as I was stationed in Puerto Rico, Panama and Ft. Leavenworth, KS. While in Panama I was a 'volunteer' (required) worker restoring a history fort near our base. We worked on weekends cleaning up the site, which was no easy task as the site was over 300 years old and the jungle took over. I remember be tied to a rope and lowered down a steep bank to clear the jungle. Fun!
After the Army I worked in the Food Service business in both industrial and hospitals. This was due to two things: (1) my brother Tom was in the field and (2) my college degree was in Institutional Management. I can tell you that the food service business is pretty boring. I establish a four week cycle menu in the last operation I managed and it worked so effectively that there was hardly anything for me to do other than count and deposit the daily receipts.
About this time I decide I needed to find something else to do and so I started back to college at night taking mathematics. Why math? Because I was fairly good in in. After taking three course, in which I got all A's, I decided to return full time to college and get a degree in Mathematics. Fortunately, due to circumstances, I was able to go to school full time and not work.
After one year in the undergraduate program for Mathematics I was approached by the Mathematics faculty as they thought I should just skip the under graduate degree and go directly into the graduate school. Much to my amazement I was able to pass the graduate record examination for Mathematics and so to graduate school I went.
Most graduate student at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, where I was living at that time, worked as graduate assistants, i.e. we taught classes for the under graduates. This allowed me to assist in my financial needs for graduate school. Some friends of mine encouraged me to take a sample test for Mensa, the world-wide organization of people with high IQs. So, figuring it would be fun to see what the sample test was like I took it and to my surprise I got a high enough score that it was recommended that I take the real Mensa test. I did and again to my surprise I got a high enough scorer (just barely I think) that I was invited to join which I did. I stayed with the organization for several years and then gradually drifted away.
I taught both remedial mathematics and calculus during my graduate school days. At one time I was the assistant to another graduate student who was teaching over 2,000 under graduates in remedial math over TV. Each TV session was taped and shown to eight classes, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which were attended by about 300 students in a large halls with 10 or more monitors. Tuesday and Thursdays the student went to small classes (20 or so students) to work on the homework and get answers to question.
My grades in both the mathematics undergraduate and graduate courses were good enough to receive and invitation to join Pi Mu Epsilon, the National Mathematics Fraternity.
Graduate school was fun, lots of fun. The courses were hard but interesting. And if you tried hard you generally got a B and for really good work you could get an A. The two year program went by very fast and I graduated with a Master's Degree. Unfortunately, I really didn't have the ability to continue on for a Ph.d so I continued working as a graduate assistant in the Math Department and started to take under graduate courses in Physics.
After one year of under graduate Physics courses, the Physics Department found out I had a Master's in Mathematics and suggested I enter their graduate program as Physics is mainly mathematics. So I applied and was accepted and found, much to my surprise, that they were correct, physics is mostly math. Unfortunately, although I had no trouble in the graduate classes I could not continue on in Physics as I lack the basic background in under graduate physics. But my grades in physics were high enough that I was invited and join the Sigma Pi Sigma, the national Physics Honor Society.
About this time I worked one summer for the Columbia Gas System Research Department as a computer programmer which, again, was great fun. The following summer I went back and was hired for the summer to do similar work. Before the summer was up Columbia "made me an offer I couldn't refuse" so I went to work full time with them as a Research Engineer.
I spent 23 years with the Research Department doing fantastic things like:

Developing a Linear Programming (mathematical) model to determining the cheapest way to ordering pipe, ship the pipe to a coating factory, coat the pipe with one of many coating, and then ship the pipe to the final destination. The model showed that the subsidiary company could save about $38,000 annually by follow the result of my model.

Worked with and modified a government computer program to determine the least cost method of building offshore rigs to produce gas and pump it on shore.

Developed two Expert Systems (programs that respond to question as an expert would) for Glycol Dehydration Plant repair and the design of regulator stations.

Developed and implemented a computer program to monitor 50 plus variables on a jet engine used to pump gas along Columbia's long line transmission system. The variable were then analyzed to determine which variable were precursors to engine failure. My method involved a simple logging of about 10 variable three times a day. It was estimated that my method could have saved Columbia millions of dollars if implemented.

I retired from Columbia in 1991 and my wife, Jeanne, and our cat, Sam, set out in our 27' Travelmaster Motor Home to see the USA. See our scrapbook ON THE ROAD FOR A YEAR, for details. Now I play golf and enjoy living in South Carolina.

MY GOLF GAME

My Dad taught me the game of golf when I was less then 10 years old, just before World War Two started. Although he was handicapped and had to wear a leg brace, he could still play golf and he taught me the basics. Then it was up to me to refine my game.
In high school I played golf one year as I really didn't have the skill to be playing but the our school needed more golfers. I remember going to a sports store with my Dad and buying a set of clubs, drive, 3 wood, 3,5,7,9, PW and putter and a golf bag. The price was about $70 or so but remember this was in the late 40s. I rarely scores in the low 80s during my year on the team and was always the 4th member. But I did, however, rise to the occasion during the regional qualifying tournament and shot an 83, which was low round for our team.
During my working years I played golf for my company and was director of our league. There were several good players but most were just average but all were great fun to play with. I could score in the upper 30s for nine hole most of the time and in the upper 70s for 18 at least 1/2 of the time.
I love to play golf and since I retired in 1991 and started living in SC in 1992 I have really worked on my golf game. And the results show it. I was the Senior Champion of the Southern Oaks Golf Course, Easley, SC from 1994 through 1997, a four year run that remains a record for consecutive titles.
In 1998, however, I was unable to defend by title due to a back injury. And in 1999 I was able to play but played poorly and failed to regain my title.
Southern Oaks holds their club championship each fall. It is two days of stroke play. We have three champions, Men's, Women's, and Senior. The Men's championship is determined in a unique way - after the 36 holes of stroke play the four men with the lowest scores play another nine holes for the championship. Our pro, Wayne Myers, wants the rest of the members to be able to watch the best players play. So, the best four play nine more holes of stroke play. Naturally, the 36 hole stroke scores are carried over to the nine hole playoff.
In 1995-1997 I was in the top four players and participated in the extra nine holes. Each time I have played worse in the extra nine holes. In 1996 ago I hooked my tee shot on the 1st extra hole OB and took an 8 on the hole. I hardly ever hook a ball let alone my driver.
In 1997 I had the low 36 hole score by three strokes and was four stroke up after the 6th extra hole. Then DISASTER! Our 7th hole is a 585 yard par 5 dogleg right slightly uphill off the tee and then slightly downhill to the green which has a lake on the right side. Well, I managed to take a 10! on the hole and bring the 2nd place guy back into the game. Then, on the 8th hole I made bogey while my opponent made his par. So, there we were in the 9th fairway with me one stroke behind. We both got on the green in regulation but about 40' away. My opponent lagged up to about 3' but he is a fantastic putter so I was sure he would make the putt. My 40' was slightly uphill and a break to the left. I just wanted to get it close and not three putt in front of all the other members watching me, especially after I threw away the Men's Championship on the 7th hole.
So I stroked the putt (notice I didn't say "hit it", which I normally do) and it went in the cup for a birdie and now I was tied for the Championship. The members went wild! Me? Well, all I could do was raise my putter in response to there cheers.
Now it was sudden death! Our 10th hole is the toughest hole on the course. A 415 yards dogleg right 90 degrees with a creek and woods along the right side of the tee shot. Then uphill about 160-210 yards to a front sloping green that has no traps - it doesn't need any with it length and hazard severities. I generally get a bogey on this hole but that day I had a perfect iron to the green and pin high about 15' away. But the slope of the green meant that I had a big breaking putt to the right and naturally, I missed it for the Championship. My opponent made par also.
On to the 11th, a beautiful 172 yard par 3 that plays downhill, over a creek, with trees on both sides short of the green and OB left! Our pro set the tee box that day all the way back. And I mean all the way back at 197 yards. And it just so happened that the wind was directly into our faces. My 5 wood found the green just left and 10' above the pin while my opponent was left of the green in the rough and above the pin. His chip shot was a thing of beauty and ended up 8" away. My birdie putt was short so no Championship.
The 12th hole is a downhill, dogleg right 362 yard par 4 with a hazard guarding the dogleg so you have to be careful with your tee shot. No problem for either of us and we were both on the green in regulation. Me about 12' and my opponent about 10'. For some reason I decided to hit the putt (not "stroke it") up the slight hill and went 5' past. Three putts and I lost the Championship right there. But my opponent is a good friend who I play with often. It was nice for him as he lost the Championship several years ago by making bogey on the 9th extra hole and was so discouraged he lost his game for two years.
June 27-28, 1998, Pendleton, SC - Boscobel Golf Course held their annual Club Championships over the weekend and I tied for 2nd in the men's division. There were approximately 48 men entered in the two day, 36 hole tournament. At the completion of the 36 holes the men with the four lowest score or within five strokes of the lowest played nine more holes for the men's championship. At the completion of 36 holes I was 2nd with a score of 148 (par 142) and 1st place was at 146. Unfortunately, like the Southern Oaks Championships, I played poorly over the extra 9 holes and lost by five strokes to the 1st place winner but still tied for 2nd. In 1999, my back was causing problems again and I failed to complete the 1st round and had to withdraw from the tournament.
Oh, yes. Did I mention that I was born in 1931! No? Well, it's true. And when I play golf I did it the old fashion way, I walk and use a pull cart or an electric push cart during my 60s-70s(right-side photo - at Boscobel Golf Club's 1st tee box).

Unfortunately, my golf game has gone "south" for the past two years. I use to play to a 3-4 handicap index but during the last two years it has risen to 6-7 handicap index. I am not sure why but probably like most golfers I must be experimenting too much and lost my touch. It seems to be coming back bit by bit but only for about 11-12 holes per round. The other 6-7 holes I made at least one mistake that costs me a shot or two. Hopefully, these errors will reduce down to the 2-3 that I always expected prior to last 1999.
But 2003 saw my golf game really go bad, mostly due to a bad back I have had for about 40 years. It has progressively got worse the older I get. In the first halve of 2003, all I could do was play 1/2 the year and then only 9-12 holes at a time. But then I got my doctor to send me to Columbus, GA to see a back specialist at the Hughston Clinic.
The doctor there found no structural damage so he sent me to see Tom Boers at the Human Performance and Rehiabiliation Center, which is located about a 4 par away. Tom is the world renown physical therpist for golfers who has helped many PGA players who have had back problems, e.g. Freddy Couple, Davis Love III, Ernie Els, Greg Norman, etc.
Over a two month period, every other weeks or so, I drove the 3.5 hours each way from Anderson, SC to Columbus, Ga.. Tom got my back so that it was 95% better and I could again play golf. But it was slow going. Sometimes it seemed as if there was no progress. Basically he had me some simple exercises at least two times a day taught me how to sit and stand correctly. It was amazing! At the end of the two month period I could again play golf with little concern about hurting my back.
It did take several weeks of playing and swinging at about 80% or so before I felt conformable enough to begin to play "all out". But I did and gradually started to regain the form and distance I once had.
In December, 2003, I only had a bit of back pain, which my morning exercises and a heating pad on my back while reading the morning page reduce to a bare minimum. I always know that my back is there, i.e. it still hurts a bit, but I can play golf just about any time I wish.
Unfortunately, beginning about September, 2004, my back began to get worse, i.e. I was having more difficulty in making a golf swing and my back would stay really sore longer and longer. Finally, by January, 2005, I simply couldn't make a decent golf swing and even by spring, when warm weather generally helps my game, I couldn't play at all.
By September I have resigned myself to never being able to play golf again. But in the early part of October I was fooling around my a club and found, much to my surprise, that I could swing left-handed with no pain whatsoever! This was amazing, unable to swing right-handed due to pain but able to swing left-handed with no pain.
So I purchased a left-handed pitching wedge and began to practice hitting from the left-side.Naturally, having never played left-handed, the balls were going very short and no where near straight. But after several months of practicing several times a week I was able to start the develop a "some-what-swing".
Things were looking up by November so I ordered and put together a left-handed 5, 7, and 9 irons to go with my pitching wedge. I also purchased an inexpensive driver, which I immediately discovered was not that easy to hit. But practice improved and by January, 2006, I was hitting the irons quite nicely, i.e. 100 yards was a good distance (carry & roll) and the balls were starting to end up within a 20-30 yard circle.
In 2014 I broke down and bought a set of left handed Taylormade irons, 4-PW. Shortly after that I also bought a Taylormaked Driver, 3-Metal, and 5-Metal. All have worked just fine and I still using them in 2022 when I was 90 years old and played (by myself) almost any day it was above 45 F, the wind was not blowing, and it was not raining.
I could play anytime I wanted and use a golf cart, which was my payment for writing Boscobel's Dogfight Manager program. A golf cart would "rent" for about $17 and I was playing 300 times a year (on average), this was worth about $5,100. And I completed development of Dogfight Manage in 2005!
Unfortunately, in the fall of 2024, when I turned 93, I had to give up my membership at Boscobel Golf Club after being a member for 27 years. I began to experience health problems, specifically dehydration. This would make my blood pressure drop below 120 and I could not have any physical activities without becoming short of breath and exhausted, i.e. I would have to stop what I was doing and sit down and rest for several minutes. I was able to play 1-3 holes due to my having the free use of a golf cart but it was no longer "FUN" to play golf anymore.