BaBaBouy
Well-known member
- May 6, 2021
- 1,105
- 1,994
I started working for Canyon Crest County Club at 13. At first it was full time during the summer and was mostly focused on taking care of the driving range.
The job morphed into a full time gig as a junior in high school where I had 3 periods of “work experience” and was now working in the pro-shop / bag room where member’s golf clubs were stored.
I didn’t get paid much ($2.35 - $3.15 an hour) but made a bunch of money hustling golf clubs. Members would bring guests in and I’d check out their clubs, if they had old valuable clubs I’d trade them newer shinier clubs I’d refinished then refinish the classic clubs (usually McGregor persimmon woods and occasionally Tommy Armour putters). I’d then sell the refinished classic clubs to collectors. My biggest score was a McGregor 2 wood that I got $1,350 for and used some of to purchase a pound of hippy lettuce and branch off into another industry.
My “new industry” blended just fine with my existing job at the golf course, one of my primary duties was taking the member’s bags from storage and loading it up on a cart. Some of the members would tell me to put a “quarter bucket, half bucket or full bucket of range balls” on their cart which was code for the amount of herb to put in their golf bag pocket. After golf they’d come in and I’d unload, clean their clubs and re-store them with my “tip” in the golf bag pocket.
We were also members of the club, it was so cool playing with my father and having one or two of my “special clients” in the group with us (my dad had no clue), being 16 and treated like a peer by successful 50 year old business owners was a bit of a mind-eff though, it became difficult to relate to my age group as a senior in high school later on.
I was pretty good at golf (5 handicap) and played in numerous tournaments (money games where team scores count) in surrounding states where adults from the club would pay my way (sometimes three day tournaments where entry fee, hotel and meals / drinks were covered). Most of the tournaments were at private clubs, more often than not I was allowed to drink in the clubhouse after the round
For years that was the longest job I’d have, 8 years.
The job morphed into a full time gig as a junior in high school where I had 3 periods of “work experience” and was now working in the pro-shop / bag room where member’s golf clubs were stored.
I didn’t get paid much ($2.35 - $3.15 an hour) but made a bunch of money hustling golf clubs. Members would bring guests in and I’d check out their clubs, if they had old valuable clubs I’d trade them newer shinier clubs I’d refinished then refinish the classic clubs (usually McGregor persimmon woods and occasionally Tommy Armour putters). I’d then sell the refinished classic clubs to collectors. My biggest score was a McGregor 2 wood that I got $1,350 for and used some of to purchase a pound of hippy lettuce and branch off into another industry.
My “new industry” blended just fine with my existing job at the golf course, one of my primary duties was taking the member’s bags from storage and loading it up on a cart. Some of the members would tell me to put a “quarter bucket, half bucket or full bucket of range balls” on their cart which was code for the amount of herb to put in their golf bag pocket. After golf they’d come in and I’d unload, clean their clubs and re-store them with my “tip” in the golf bag pocket.
We were also members of the club, it was so cool playing with my father and having one or two of my “special clients” in the group with us (my dad had no clue), being 16 and treated like a peer by successful 50 year old business owners was a bit of a mind-eff though, it became difficult to relate to my age group as a senior in high school later on.
I was pretty good at golf (5 handicap) and played in numerous tournaments (money games where team scores count) in surrounding states where adults from the club would pay my way (sometimes three day tournaments where entry fee, hotel and meals / drinks were covered). Most of the tournaments were at private clubs, more often than not I was allowed to drink in the clubhouse after the round
For years that was the longest job I’d have, 8 years.
