MY INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR OF GOLF- RANDY SMITH 

I MET WITH RANDY SMITH, JUST AFTER A ROUND OF GOLF, AT THE OLD BRICKYARD GOLF COURSE, IN FERRIS, TEXAS, ON A HOT JUNE AFTERNOON.

RANDY AND I SAT DOWN AND DISCUSSED HIS LIFE AND CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL GOLFER.

RANDY IS 63 AND IS MARRIED TO HIS WIFE OF 38 YEARS, SHARON, AND THEY HAVE 2 BOYS.

RANDY WAS BORN IN DALLAS, TEXAS AND WENT TO HILLCREST HIGH SCHOOL, IN DALLAS, TEXAS.  GOLF HAPPENED BY ACCIDENT, WHEN HE WAS A PROLIFIC BASEBALL PLAYER AND WAS INJURED, WHEN A PLAYER ROLLED HIM AT SECOND BASE AND HURT HIS KNEES. THE VERY NEXT DAY DURING A GAME, A PLAYER ON HIS TEAM, THREW HIS BAT AND IT WENT IN RANDY'S DIRECTION AND HIT HIS RIGHT WRIST. THE INJURY IS CALLED A GAINGLION CYST, WHICH ENDED HIS BASEBALL CAREER, BECAUSE HE WASN'T ABLE TO THROW OR HIT ANYMORE,BEING A RIGHTHANDER, BUT, IT STARTED HIS GOLF CAREER AS A JUNIOR.

HE WAS HONING HIS GOLF GAME AT A PLACE CALLED, BOB-O-LINK AND THE PRO THERE SAW RANDY HAD SOME EXCEPTIONAL TALENT FOR GOLF AND HE TOOK HIM UNDER HIS WING AND HELPED RANDY ACHIEVE THAT GREAT GAME HE HAS.

HE GOT A SCHOLARSHIP TO MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY, BUT RANDY DIDN'T LIKE THE ATMOSPHERE, SO, HE DROVE WITH A FRIEND TO SOUTHWEST TEXAS STATE, IN SAN MARCOS, TEXAS. HE JOINED THE TEAM AS A WALK ON AND MADE THE TEAM AS THE 5TH PLAYER. HE GOT HIS SCHOLARSHIP AND WON HIS FIRST TOURNAMENT.

HE HAD ISSUES WITH HIS COURSES AT SWTS AND HAD TO TAKE CLASSES IN THE SUMMER AT EL CENTRO COLLEGE IN DALLAS, TEXAS, TO CATCH UP.

IN 1969, RANDY'S DAD CALLED HIM AND TOLD HIM HE WAS DRAFTED INTO VIET NAM WAR AND HAD 10 DAYS TO GET READY. HE SPENT 2 YEARS IN VIET NAM.

WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE STATES HE WAS ALLOWED TO RETAIN HIS GOLF SCHOLARSHIP BECAUSE OF THE BREAK IN HIS COLLEGE DUTIES. SO RANDY CALLS UP SOUTHWEST TEXAS STATE TO GET BACK ON THE TEAM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME WHILE RANDY WAS IN VIET NAM, A NEW COACH WAS AT SWTS AND HE WAS SKEPTICAL OF RANDY'S REQUEST TO GET HIS SCHOLARSHIP BACK. SO, THE COACH SAID OK COME ON DOWN, I SEE BY YOUR PAST RECORD HERE YOU DID WELL.

THE COACH WANTED RANDY TO PLAY A ROUND WITH HIM TO SEE WHAT KIND OF A GAME HE HAD AND RANDY HAD ONE OF THE BEST ROUNDS OF GOLF EVER. THEY WERE AT QUAIL HOLLOW GOLF COURSE, WHERE RANDY SHOT A 67, WHICH TIED THE COURSE RECORD. THE QUAIL HOLLOW COURSE WAS ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD AT THE TIME.

COACH WAS EXCITED ABOUT RANDY'S PERFORMANCE AND SINCE THERE WAS ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE REGISTRATION FOR COLLEGE TO OPEN, THE COACH SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO STAY IN THE DORMS AND FOLLOW CURFEW HOURS AND OTHER REGULATIONS. THE COACH TOLD RANDY HE HAD 24 HOURS OF F'S ON HIS SCHOOL COURSES AND THAT WAS ANOTHER REASON RANDY SAYS THEY DRAFTED HIM BASED ON HIS GRADES IN COLLEGE. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE GRADES BELONGED TO ANOTHER RANDY SMITH AND CAUSED A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR RANDY

RANDY AND HIS DAD WENT TO EL CENTRO TO STRAIGHTEN OUT HIS MESS BUT TIME WAS RUNNING OUT FOR REGISTRATION INTO COLLEGE. THEY TOLD HIM HE WOULD HAVE TO FIND THOSE TWO TEACHERS WHO COULD CLEAR UP HIS PROBLEM.

RANDY FOUND ONE TEACHER WHO HAD FOUND HIS TRANSCRIPT AN CLEARED

HIS OTHER TEACHER, COACH LEE GRAUPMAN, HAD BECOME ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT EASTFIELD COLLEGE IN MESQUITE TEXAS. HE REMEMBERED RANDY AND LOVED HIM AND HEARD ABOUT RANDY'S PROBLEM AND ASKED RANDY TO START A GOLF TEAM AT EASTFIELD COLLEGE, THEIR FIRST GOLF TEAM IN HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE. HAVE YOU GOT 4 BUDDIES WHO YOU KNOW AND PLAY GOOD AND RANDY SAID, YES I DO.

RANDY HAD USED 3 OF HIS 4 YEARS OF COLLEGE ELIGIBILITY.

THEY PLAYED IN A TOURNAMENT IN HOUSTON AT THE EL DORADO GOLF COURSE, PUT ON BY FAMED COACH DAVE WILLIAMS. WHEN WILLIAMS SAW RANDY PLAY, HE OFFERED HIM A SCHOLARSHIP TO HOUSTON UNIVERSITY. BUT AFTER FINDING OUT RANDY'S BACKGROUND AND HIS AGE, HE TOLD RANDY, I'M NOT SURE YOU WOULD FIT THE PROGRAM BECAUSE I REQUIRE A CURFEW AND STAY IN THE DORMS AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS ON MY PLAYERS AND I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD WANT TO DO AND RANDY AGREED.

SO, RANDY JUST DECIDED TO START PLAYING THE TOP AMATEUR GOLF TOURNAMENTS AND HE WAS GOOD.

SO, IN JULY 15,1973, RANDY AND HIS DAD, DECIDED THAT RANDY WAS READY TO TURN PRO. THIS WAS THE TIME RANDY MET HIS WIFE SHARON AND THEY WERE ENGAGED.

IN THE 70S TO PLAY ON TOUR, YOU HAD TO QUALIFY ON WHAT WAS CALLED "RABBITS". EVERY MONDAY MORNING SOME 90 PLAYERS WOULD TRY TO QUALIFY AND THE TOP 30-40 PLAYERS YOU HAD TO BE REGISTERED WITH THE PROFESSIONAL GOLF ASSOCIATION AND HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE.

IF YOU MADE THE CUT YOU WERE EXEMPT FOR THAT NEXT WEEK BUT IF YOU MISSED THE CUT YOU HAD TO GO BACK TO MONDAY MORNING QUALIFYING. IF YOU KEPT MAKING THE CUTS THEN YOU WERE IN GREAT SHAPE TO PLAY THE TOUR.

THIS IS WHAT RANDY SAYS, MADE LEE TREVINO FAMOUS ON TOUR BECAUSE HE MADE SO MANY CUTS AND WHEN HE WON THE US OPEN, HE HAD IT MADE AND HAD EXEMPTIONS.

RABBIT'S WERE THOSE WHO WERE NOT EXEMPT.

TODAY THEY HAVE QUALIFYING FOR EXAMPLE THE NELSON TOURNAMENT AND 100 GUYS MAY BE TRYING TO GET IN AND ONLY 2 GET EXEMPT TO PLAY.

RANDY'S FIRST MAJOR TOURNAMENT WAS THE HOUSTON OPEN, THOUGH HE DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT THERE.

RANDY'S DAD WAS SUPPORTING HIM FINANCIALLY ON TOUR BUT IN THE NEXT YEAR, HIS DAD PASSED AWAY AND HIS FINANCES WENT DOWN THE DRAIN, MAINLY BECAUSE HIS DAD WAS SO YOUNG THERE WAS NO WILL AND IT WENT INTO PROBATE.

RANDY RAN OUT OF MONEY IN SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA AND HAD TO WIRE HOME FOR MONEY TO COME HOME.

THE LAST MAJOR TOURNAMENT RANDY PLAYED IN WAS "THE COCA COLA INVITATIONAL IN GUADALARRA, MEXICO.

RANDY THE WENT TO WORK FOR UPS FOR 7 YEARS AND GOT HIS AMATEUR STATUS BACK AND COULDN'T BE IN COMPETITIVE GOLF COMPETITION FOR A YEAR.

RANDY ALSO QUIT GOLF FOR 5 YEARS TO HELP RAISE AND SUPPORT HIS 2 BOYS, WHO WERE HEAVY INTO BASEBALL AND RANDY AND HIS WIFE FOLLOWED EACH ONE IN THEIR CAREERS.

RANDY EVENTUALLY BECAME A BOARD MEMBER OF THE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION.

AT 50 YEARS OF AGE, RANDY DECIDED TO TRY THE SENIOR GOLF TOUR. THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE FOR RANDY.

HE LATER OWNED A NEWSPAPER CALLED "THE YOUTH SPORTS REPORT".

ONE OF RANDY'S SON GOT HIT BY A CAR AND RANDY EVENTUALLY HAD TO SELL HIS BUSINESS AND HIS HOME, TO COVER MEDICAL BILLS.

RANDY AND SHARON WERE ABLE TO MAKE A DEAL TO SELL THE HOUSE TO A REALTOR AND MADE A DEAL TO LET THEM RENT THEIR OWN HOUSE, THAT THEY SOLD.

RANDY'S NEXT JOBS CAME AS A DIRECTOR OF GOLF AT VARIOUS GOLF COURSES. THE FIRST ONE WAS COUNTRY VIEW, THEN AT TWIN WELLS, THEN IN 2000 WHEN THE OLD BRICKYARD OPENED, HE WORKED THERE FOR 2 1/2 YEARS, AFTER THAT HE WORKED AT COUNTRY VIEW AGAIN, AND THEN HE RETURNED TO THE TOLD BRICKYARD FOR 1 YEAR AND THEN ON TO ENNIS COUNTRY CLUB AND FINALLY BACK AT THE OLD BRICKYARD, AS DIRECTOR OF GOLF, SINCE 2007.

RANDY GIVES LESSONS FOR $50 AN HOUR.

SOME SIDE STORIES I ASKED RANDY TO TELL US WAS ABOUT HIS DAYS IN VIET NAM. THERE WAS ONLY ONE GOLF COURSE IN ALL OF VIET NAM, SAIGON COUNTRY CLUB AND THEIR FINEST PLAYER WAS NAMED ZANG AND HIS COLONEL, WHO HAD PLAYED WITH RANDY AND SAW HOW GOOD HE WAS, PUT UP A BET FOR RANDY TO PLAY SAIGON'S COUNTRY CLUBS BEST PLAYER, ZANG. FOR 3 DAYS THEY PLAYED AND RANDY WON THE 3 DAY MATCH, 1UP. $1500 WAS THE PAYOFF FOR THE WINNER.

THE SWEET THING ABOUT THE SAIGON COUNTRY CLUB WAS THAT, EVERY THURSDAY MORNING BEFORE 8AM, 8 PLAYERS FROM THE SERVICES WERE ALLOWED TO PLAY FOR FREE.

RANDY PLAYED WITH LEE TREVINO MANY TIMES AT TENNISON GOLF COURSE IN DALLAS, TEXAS. I ASKED RANDY ABOUT LEE AND RANDY SAID LEE WAS A GREAT GUY AND WOULD CHALLENGE ANYONE WHO THOUGHT THEY HAD A GAME TO CHALLENGE LEE.

SO I ASKED RANDY WAS LEE THEN A HUSTLER AND RANDY SAID NO, HE JUST TOLD THE GUY, YOU GOT GAME, SO DO I, LETS GET IT ON.

RANDY THEN TOLD ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HUSTLER AND A PLAYER. A HUSTLER WILL TRY TO SAND BAG AND THEN WIN, WHERE A GOLFER WITH A GAME WILL JUST CHALLENGE YOU.

I WENT ON TO ASK RANDY ABOUT GOLF IN GENERAL. RANDY SAYS HIS PET PEEVES ON THE COURSE IS WHEN GOLFERS WITH GOOD LEGS AND AREN'T HANDICAPPED, WILL DRIVE RIGHT NEXT TO THE GREENS.

ANOTHER IS THAT A FOURSOME HAS ALL THE PRIVILEGES ON THE GOLF COURSE AND DON'T HAVE TO ALLOW ANYONE WITH LESS PLAYERS TO GO THROUGH.

A SINGLE GOLFER HAS NO RIGHTS.

A TWOSOME CAN'T GO THROUGH A THREESOME.

THIS IS CALLED GOLF ETIQUETTE.

HIS OTHER PET PEEVE IS GOLFERS WHO MAKE A TEE TIME AND IF THEY COME EARLY WANT TO GO BEFORE THEIR TEE TIMES, WHICH SCREWS THINGS UP.

ANOTHER IS TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROUP YOU ARE IN AND DON'T HOLD THINGS UP, BE READY TO PLAY WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN.

PLAY IN A TIMELY FASHION.

RANDY LOOKS AT GOLF AS A GAME WHERE PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER AND ENJOY PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER.

REMEMBER THE GOLF COURSE HATES YOU, IT HAS ITS PARS AND IT DOESN'T LIKE GIVING UP BIRDIES, OR EAGLES, OR ESPECIALLY HOLE IN ONES.

I ASKED RANDY WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF IRONS TO PLAY WITH, STEEL OR GRAPHITE SHAFTS? HE SAYS, THE BEST FOR OUR AREA IS STEEL SHAFT, BECAUSE THE GROUND IS GENERALLY HARD AND HARD TO GET DOWN AND THROUGH WITH GRAPHITE AND POSSIBLY BREAKING THE HEAD OFF.

RANDY LIKES THE CAVITY BACK IRONS, GRAPHITE WOODS.

FINALLY I ASKED HIM ABOUT SOME FINAL THINGS.

DON'T HIT SHOTS YOU CAN'T EXECUTE!

THE GREATEST PLAYERS IN THE GAME HAVE BEEN FADE SHOT MAKERS, EXCEPT FOR BEN HOGAN.

RANDY'S LOWEST ROUNDS HE HAS SHOT WERE AT COUNTRY VIEW, WHERE HE SHOT RECORD ROUNDS OF 62 AND 63.

RANDY HAS HAD 6 HOLES IN ONE AND TWO DOUBLE EAGLES AND HAS PLAYED SOME 100 DIFFERENT COURSE IN HIS LIFETIME.

WELL, I THANK RANDY SMITH FOR LETTING ME INTERVIEW HIM AND GETTING TO KNOW HIM MORE PERSONALLY AND I HOPE YOU TOO, WILL KNOW AND RESPECT RANDY AND HIS GOLF GAME.

 

 PICTURE OF A JUNE STORMY DAY AT THE OLD BRICKYARD