Leslie still enjoying pro life in Dundalk
MUCH has changed in the sport and within his club of terms of facilities and the course, but the decision was right for him to come to Dundalk. His love for golf remains undimmed and, strangely, scoring is much the same despite advances in technology and equipment.
In a nutshell these are the observations of Leslie Walker on his 20 years at Dundalk Golf Club, the anniversary of which passed in November.
Time causes change and in his own case it is no different. Leslie succeeded Jimmy Cassidy who, with his father Jimmy senior, served in the position for a combined total of 72 years.
Leslie was living in the middle of Dublin at the time and it was a move essentially to the country as he married and settled for rural life with wife Aoife and their two daughters.
He was vying for a card on the European Tour and looking to combine playing professionally with the role of resident professional. As it transpired he competed highly successfully on the Irish PGA circuit, winning 55 events before cutting back on playing in 2009 and starting to devote more time to coaching.
‘I love teaching. I really especially enjoy teaching young golfers,’ Leslie enthuses. He was coach with Leinster and coached the junior and senior panel, with current British Open champion Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne among his star pupils.
In the last couple of years he has ‘dabbled’ in playing again and feels: ‘I can compete again. I’d like to play as many senior events as possible and I’d love to get a win on the tour and try and qualify for the British Seniors Championship.’
Golf was a family thing when he was growing up and it was natural for Leslie to take up the sport. His father played a bit and his uncle a lot, while older brother David is a fine player and is the professional at the Foxrock club.
Leslie ‘always loved golf’ and showed his potential to play it from when he started as a nine-year-old. By 11 he was playing off the same handicap as his age, and plunged rapidly from there to be playing off three when he was 13 - going by the old handicap system. He started to shine on the boys circuit, culminating in winning the British Boys Championship at Seatown Carew in the North East of England in 1986.
He spent five years at Trinity College, gaining a degree in Mathematics. However, golf was the path he followed as a career in which those of his era like Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington went on to become top names in the sport, with very distinguished playing careers.
Harrington was the trailblazer on the European Tour and indeed in Irish golf, winning the Open twice in a row, and set the lead for his fellow countrymen Graeme McDowell and Clarke who also landed majors, followed by Rory McIlroy. Harrington now is set to follow his peers Clarke and McGinley in captaining the European Ryder Cup team, all three having enjoyed great success as players in the event.
Leslie settled for pastures nearer home. He had knowledge of the Dundalk club from his amateur playing days, competing in the club Senior Scratch Cup, and was aware of the quality of the golf course and the reputation of the club, and so when offered the opportunity to fill the vacancy of club professional, he knew it was a ‘good fit’.
When he arrived the clubhouse, shop and course were somewhat different and there was no driving range like today or chipping area. The driving range - then little more than an open field - was developed with a covered shelter, and the short game area for members for the club’s centenary five years later. The clubhouse was renovated and extended to mark the milestone, and the professional shop was also extended. It was less than half the size of today.
The club and members came highly recommended by his predecessor Jimmy Cassidy and the course was rated in the top 35 in the country. ‘It still is a great course,’ he says. Since his arrival considerable improvements and alterations to the course have been implemented, as the level of golfers’ expectations has grown through watching the sport on television.
There is now more competitive golf and social golf has virtually vanished.
‘When I first came, in January and February I don’t think there were any competitions really,’ Leslie reflected. ‘There was a lot of friendly fourballs. They were big on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. They have disappeared.
‘We had no tee booking system. After I arrived at 9.15 on a Saturday morning there might be a few people about and at 9.30 there would be 24 on the first tee box waiting to hit off. It was mad when you think about it.’
Leslie also recalls that the club hosted societies on Saturdays, and the members would go out before and after the visitors. The playing membership was probably not as active as today.
‘We try to get as professional as possible with more structure and do as much for the members as we can,’ he said.
The greenkeeper then was Ollie English - son Damien now holds the post - the secretary/manager was Terry Sloane, who is now managing the restaurant, and the caterer was Tommy Livingstone.
The turnover in staff also applied to Leslie’s shop. His first assistant was Ciaran Smyth and others to fill the post were Craig Lumsden from Scotland, Brian Kerley - now the resident professional in Ardee - Conor Thornton and Enda Maguire who is Academy Professional at County Louth. Aaron Grant also held the position before reverting to amateur status and helps out in the shop nowadays.
‘The business has changed,’ Leslie stated. ‘The retail industry has changed. The internet obviously has had a big effect on it, but a self-respecting professional has to have a well equipped, stocked shop. You try to put in as much stock as you can for every member.’
The seniors tour is the playing challenge Leslie wants to pursue, pitting himself hopefully against big names like Miguel Angel Jimenez, as well as soon-to-be-eligible Padraig Harrington, with Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke already competing at over-50 level.
‘I still have a game and a lot of my power,’ he observes. Leslie was renowned as one of the longer hitters of his generation, but he avers that length alone - on which there is a big emphasis - is not sufficient to make you a winner.
‘It will get you to the line but doesn’t get you across. I think the game has gone too much for power and distance.’
Leslie put forward as examples to beat that trend Lee Westwood ‘who can compete at 47’ and won his third Race to Dubai title, and Bernhard Langer who outscored the king of the long hitters Bryson DeChambeau in the final of the Masters. Furthermore he opines that DeChambeau, for all his booming of the ball, ‘is still very much a feel player who without knowing yardage can hit a wedge to exactly where he wants’.
Leslie believes you need to play with imagination and rhythm, and have the ability to manoeuvre the ball round the course and be in control of yourself and your swing. The combination of technology and equipment is ‘fantastic if used correctly. Sometimes players can become too reliant on technology.’
As a teacher Leslie focuses on people’s rhythm and repeating their swing. ‘All the best players in the world have rhythm,’he notes.
Strangely, with the massive improvements over the last 30 years in technology and equipment, ‘scoring is pretty much the same’.
He is of the view that ‘to be a good golfer you’ve got to learn how to play the game.
‘The best lessons I give are on the course because I was a player. I enjoy teaching people how to play the course.’