The TEN Junior
My late husband, Tim Nettles, was born in Johnstown, PA. He grew up in the small town of New Florence, which is about 13 miles away from Johnstown. Tim’s family lived in a duplex down the street from the VFW hall.
His mother was one of nine children, and the nearby family farm was where most of his aunts, uncles, and cousins lived and gathered. Money was tight, but no one ever went hungry, because everyone took care of each other.
His family left New Florence and moved to Tampa when Tim was about 13. After high school and college, Tim was determined to make a name for himself. He graduated from college, and began working for Enterprise Rent-a-Car as a rental agent. Thirty-six years later, he retired from Enterprise as a Vice-President/General Manager, after opening and managing the cities of Baltimore and Pittsburgh for the company.
During all of those years, Tim became known for his leadership, his generosity, and his ability to lift up others.
Tim didn’t play golf --- or any sport --- in high school or college. Yet he loved the game. So why did a guy from New Florence, PA become interested in golf?
The first reason lies in this statement written by P.G. Wodehouse: “To find a man’s true character, play golf with him” (2012, p. 86). Indeed, Tim recognized that golf teaches so many life skills that people need in this world --- things such as integrity and inner strength. These were attributes important to him. He began playing as an adult, but he didn’t play very well. Thus, he was thrilled when his sons began playing golf. At that point, he quit. He said he’d rather watch really good golf than play really terrible golf. He was happy to put his own clubs away and follow Chuck and Tommy as they played on their junior tours, in high school, and in college.
Another reason might be Tim’s father, the late, legendary Don Nettles. Supposedly (and I believe there’s some record to prove this) Don worked as a bartender at Laurel Valley Golf Club in the late 1950s. Laurel Valley is about 15 miles from New Florence, that town where Tim grew up.
Don Nettles was also a self-proclaimed friend of Arnold Palmer, who served as the touring professional at Laurel Valley. Tim’s dad often told stories about Arnie, which may or may not have actually happened.
Regardless, Tim grew up near one of the most famous courses in the world, and many times heard stories about Arnold Palmer.
When we lived in Baltimore, in the late 1980s, we often drove up to visit the family farm. And every time we passed by the turn on Route 711 that leads to Laurel Valley Golf Club, Tim remarked that he would love to play golf there one day.
So I think it’s pretty cool that the first stroke play junior tournament ever to be held at Laurel Valley has Tim Nettles’ name on it.
In May of this year, with the help of lots of friends --- many of whom never even met Tim ----we hosted the first annual TEN Junior Invitational Golf Tournament at Laurel Valley.
The TEN Junior has become a nationally ranked junior golf tournament. Sixty student athletes were selected from more than 200 applicants, based on their ability to play golf, but also on their grades in school and their leadership potential. They played for two days, with caddies, mentors, professional photo shots, local media coverage, and a fireside chat with professional athletes and leaders.
Humorist Dave Barry said, “You can only be young once. But you can always be immature” (1990, p. 82). We didn’t see that at the TEN Jr. Golf Tournament. It was gratifying to witness 60 very mature young people show up on time, dressed appropriately, interact with adults, and tackle a difficult course with determination and positivity.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future” (1940).
I like to think we are helping in that endeavor with the TEN Jr. golf tournament. In my opinion, the most unique part of that tournament is its mentorship program. In the interest of helping young people see their potential as leaders, we matched our student athletes with a mentor. Sixty adults who are leaders in their own right joined us on Saturday of the TEN Jr. tournament and voluntarily carried the golf bag for their student athlete for the day. They helped to provide a day of competition on the golf course. But more importantly, they served as role models for our student athletes, sharing conversation, insights, advice, and laughter, at the beginning of what we hope might become a lifetime friendship.
Tim believed in providing mentorship to young people. When we were first married, Tim was a member of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, matched to a young boy named Jimmy. They met weekly for several years. Tim occasionally took Jimmy to fun places, like Disney World and Busch Gardens. But more often, he took Jimmy to the hardware store and the grocery store. Tim and Jimmy played catch in the backyard but they also cut the grass and washed the car. Tim felt that it was important for Jimmy, who had no father figure at home, to experience normal family types of stuff.
Even though I was the educator in the family, that guy in the bow tie was the one committed to helping a young person become stronger --- outside the classroom. I hope we are following his lead with the Timothy E. Nettles Junior Golf Invitational Tournament.
References
Barry, D. (1990). Dave Barry turns forty. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.
Roosevelt, F. D. (1940, September 20). Address at the University of Pennsylvania bicentennial celebration. In S. I. Rosenman (Ed.), The public papers and addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt: War --- and aid to democracies (p. 544). New York, NY: Harper & Brothers.
Wodehouse, P. G. (2012). The clicking of Cuthbert. New York, NY: Start Publishing.
