Senior Speech. PDF.

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Will Stancil
Mrs. Tillery
AP Literature
9 April 2012
Saving Par
Tiger Woods. Phil Mickleson. Jack Nicholas. These are all names that coalesce
the face of golf. Golf professionals have weathered years upon years of training and
exercise while battling mental and physical obstacles trying to be the best that they can
be. Since I was four years old, I have been hitting golf shots into my field, trying
desperately at that age to achieve what people- two decades my age- are doing. More to
the point, like the professionals-that I confess that I idolize- I have played in golf
tournaments. My senior project was to help coordinate and understand the elements that
coagulate into being a golf tournament.
To truly begin, I have to address the first problem that plagued me, for it was
fundamental because it eventually directed me into producing my product. At first, I had
the longing to create a set of golf clubs. Since I was a young child, I have always had a
golf club in my hands, enjoying the contact of a club and a golf ball. I began researching
the necessities behind creating a golf club set. It quickly became apparent that my wish
was fantastical because the process, which required a unique piece of machinery that was
not found in nearby states, would set me back thousands of dollars. After little
consideration, I dropped the idea and considered a more realist product.
In the beginning phase of producing my product, I had a provincial view of what
actually came into play when organizing a golf tournament. I had a slight problem

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finding a golf club that would help support me. However, my problem was solved when I
remembered that Crystal Falls in Dawsonville, GA was my best choice. Crystal Falls is a
very popular golf course that borders Lake Lanier that is headed by Dirk Dill, my future
project facilitator. Mr. Dill is a veteran golfing professional that has twenty-three years
under his belt and the head golf professional that manages golfing operations. Mr. Dirk
Dill, as my project facilitator, was a tremendous help, providing help whenever he could
manage. But before I get into my experience in producing my project, it would be best if
I clarified what all entailed the set up.
With my research, I knew that for a golf tournament to succeed, it necessitated a
distinct purpose. No matter the sporting event, a purpose drives the entire operation and
keeps the goal in mind. However, I knew that the golf tournament “season” was over, due
to the weather in late fall and beginning to winter, and decided that the best time for
helping coordinate a golf tournament was the kickoff of the season. There was a distinct
purpose behind the event: helping introduce and welcome players back into the
community. Even more, I needed to understand the tournament itself.
I knew from first-hand knowledge and my research that there are numerous types
of golf tournaments that are available, such as match play, stroke, skins, foursome,
scramble and many others. To truly understand the fundamentals of a golf tournament, I
needed to be familiar with what type we were choosing. Collaborating with Mr. Dill, we
concurred that a scramble would be the best available option for the season opener. A
scramble can be best described as a tournament that consists of two to four players that
each hit their shot and whoever has the best ball, plays that ball, as well as the other

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players. There was one final centerpiece that needs to be addressed because it provides
the structure of the tournament itself.
Because of my research paper, I discovered that managing players’ handicaps is a
necessity when competitive play is involved. Previously, I have a misconception that a
“handicap” dealt only with a player’s average score compared to par. However, I found
that handicap actually applied to competitive play for players, and for a player to record
and compare his or her game on different courses. Even more, there are two fundamentals
behind a handicap: course rating and slope rating; while a course rating is described as
how difficult the course is to an expert golfer, a slope rating is how difficult it is for a
“bogey” golfer.
Moving on, Mr. Dirk and I thought that we should use the handicaps of the
players to heighten the competition. That being said, I learned-through Dirk and my
research- that players that group together, such as a two person team, average their
handicap that will be used in the final scoring, that could make or break a team. This
handicap system would be paramount for teams who might have a chance at winning
prizes. Pushing forward, with all that has been said, the tournament was ready to begin.
On March 17, 2012, Crystal Falls held the tournament that I helped coordinate.
The day began as ominous and depressing, for there was passing showers. However, it
cleared and my job quickly became apparent. I first had to manage the players with their
carts, which were specified with their member number and their start on a certain hole. I
was overwhelmed at first; however, Dirk and the other employees were a relief and gave
me a repetitive pattern that I just had to follow. After that, it was a simple transition into
experiencing a golf tournament.

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However, I still had to contend with making sure that the driving range
was kept tidy and there were plenty of range balls for the players to hit. It might seem
trivial, as it did to me at first, but satisfaction is key in drawing in new and stationary
members at Crystal Falls. I had a slight learning curve in using the contraption that
picked up the range balls then had to go to the basement of the clubhouse to wash the
balls and return to the bin. I occasionally had to help some players who needed direction
and asked questions. At this point, the tournament was in full swing and at the moment,
my work was done.
Afterwards of five hours, I helped Dirk and other members to tally the
scores of the players; these scores were represented by a white sheet that clarified who
won certain events and the entire tournament outcomes. Finally, my work here was done
and all that I could of done was accomplished. Even with all of the work that I put in, my
senior project would have been hampered if not for Mr. Dirk Dill. His ability to multi-
task a golf tournament and the institution itself, while dealing with me and giving all that
he could, truly make me appreciate and respect him.
In finale, I have to clarify that I hold much respect and love for the game
of golf. The game requires finesse and a strong mentality to overcome obstacles. As the
game itself, managing a golf tournament is parallel. While coordinating and gaining
knowledge what managing a golf tournament actually requires, I gained much more
respect for the people behind the curtain, per say. This senior project broadened my
horizon of what I actually relish accomplishing; beforehand, I held a provincial view that
only playing the game holds excitement. Now, I see that building upon an idea or an
imagining of a golf tournament, providing prizes, bringing people together, holds as

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much merit as playing and then some. Through and through, I hold that I would
absolutely enjoy having a career in the golf profession and would not mind following in
Mr. Dirk Dill’s footsteps. As I have said before, I hold Mr. Dill and others like him in
great regard for managing a golf club and managing tournaments because of love for the
game of golf. With all that has been said, I sincerely recommend that others follow the
same path as myself and throw yourself out into an environment that is foreign to you but
still relates to something you love; because of what I have done, I believe that you will
love it an entirely different way and gained a different perspective entirely. Thank you for
your time and patience. As of now, do you have any questions?