Webb Simpson

I remember my first set of clubs. My mom and dad had a place in Wilmington adjacent to the Country Club of Landfall putting green. Drew Pearson, a local club-maker was really knowledgeable about clubs and shafts. My dad told Drew about his eight-year-old son who he had just introduced to the game. My dad didn’t want to give me heavy clubs that were too big, so Drew handmade me a full set of clubs that he thought would be perfect for an eight-year-old. I remember when dad gave them to me; my first set of irons, Kinetic Roll Sole. My favorite club was the 7-wood, a Cobra Baffler wooden head. That’s my first memory of golf.

During the summer, when I was 10 years old, I would set my alarm for 5:20am, tee off before dark and make the turn at 7am as the bag boys were driving in. I would play all day, then the bag boys would let me help them clean clubs for 5 bucks. I thought I was a rich man!

At 9 years old, I broke 90 for the first time.

At 10 years old, I broke 80.

At 11, I broke 70.

….and at 16, I broke 60. I shot a 58 at my home course, Carolina Country Club. You had to be 19 years old to go into the 19th Hole Lounge, so I sat outside, waiting for my dad to come out. I remember how excited I was to tell him, and how proud he was.

Introducing Douglas Rose Portraits: a portrait series sharing one story at a time from people with a story to tell. (That’s all of us, by the way.) Want to share yours? Email us for a chance to be featured.