The first question I ask myself, and asked the client…. Why did you choose me? The answer was clear and simple…. “I love your artistic photography which has a very unique edge to it.” Awesome, someone noticed I am artistic.
Just a brief note on my own golf history:
I played golf since I was 12 years old. I played on the golf team in Arvada Colorado. I never had a great swing… self taught. My swing was never good. I never knew this until I took golf lessons in my 30’s. I have have been fortunate to caddy for men and women golf professionals, and was an A rated caddy. We had a caddy shack just like the movie. My handicap was as low as 7 and averaged between 9-12 most of my adult life. I actually won a gaggle of local golf tournaments and club tournaments. I threw away a couple boxes of trophies because no one cared. My oldest son Eric was my golf prodigy. I mentored him and taught him to be a 2-3 handicap golfer. When I lost him first to paranoid schizophrenia at age 19 and then he died over 6 years ago, I gave up my passion to play. We donated proceeds from his funeral to a golf program called “The First Tee”.
Enough of me….. sorry for that. Some people want to know my history and are curious why I say I have a golf heritage in the first place.
So who did I have the honor of photographing yesterday? Her name is Jan Bel Jan ASGCA. Her golf resume is longer than the book of Genesis in the bible. Sports Illustrated Plus: "Top Ten Most Influential Women in the Game of Golf" twice; American Society of Golf Course Architects: "Design Excellence Award" twice. For a more complete bio visit her web site at:
https://www.janbeljan.com/about .
There was urgency to get the pictures done because the magazine needed them right away. Rain or shine, we decided to chance it at her place of work, doing what she does. She is redesigning a course in Boca Raton Florida called Boca Lago CC. Many courses are designed with only the best courses in mind. Her objective is to create courses that are designed not only for the professional golfer (long hitter) but also for those with slower swing speeds. She has coined the word, “Scouring Tees” to encourage all golfers to be challenged by and to enjoy a "course within a course" So she is the architect, boss, head honcho, of the project happening at this course. When I arrived shapers on bulldozers and other earth movers were hard at work creating her new design.
We had a blast photographing her between two major rain storms on the John Deere tractor against the backdrop of storm cloudsand the newly plowed earth.
I already have some incredible pictures, but will only be able to release them when I am authorized.
PGA of America….. Here I come!
Thomas Schmuki Photography