‘Just Something To Do’ Ends Up Being Career
It’s business as usual for Mike Elmore, the assistant pro at the Coeur d’Alene Golf Club.
He arrives early, sneaks in a round, practices his putting stroke in the clubhouse and perhaps hits a bucket or two at the driving range. At the end of the day, it’s a few brews with the boys at the 19th hole and off for home where his Stepford wife greets him at the door with a martini and an offer of a foot rub.
“Yeah, right,” laughed Elmore. “That is what a lot of people think we do. But in truth, we are so busy, we are lucky if we get to play 18 holes in a week.”
Elmore, a 1987 Coeur d’Alene High School graduate, is finding the game of golf is more business than he expected and a lot more fun than he dreamed. He never imagined it would be a career when he picked up a driver 21 years ago.
“I started playing with a bunch of friends just to have something to do,” he said. “I never really took it seriously.”
In high school, he lettered in links four times, but he was far from being the team’s ace in the hole.
“When I graduated, I was the No. 3 player,” he said. “But at North Idaho College, I took the game more seriously.”
After classes, Elmore did his homework on the putting greens and driving ranges, fine tuning his craft. NIC didn’t offer a golf team and Elmore had ambitions of playing at the collegiate level.
“I practiced on my own,” he said. At the time he was shooting in the mid-70s. “I felt if I could get some tournament experience, I might be able to get my education paid for.”
Elmore entered a few regional tournaments, including the Oregon and Washington opens. He didn’t win but felt the schooling he got in those contests was invaluable.
“It really took my game up a notch,” said Elmore. “There is a lot of differences between playing a relaxing round with some buddies and going head-to-head in a tournament. It’s just you against everyone.”
His play got him some looks, especially by a few prestigious colleges like the University of California at Berkeley. But Elmore studied more greens than books.
“I sent some feelers out, but my grades weren’t there,” he said, laughing. “I contacted Ben Campbell at Boise State University and ended up staying there for three years.”
Elmore graduated with a degree in business administration and finance with a minor in economics. He considered taking his degree and making a living as a banker or financial adviser…for about three seconds.
“After five years of school, I decided I didn’t want to do what I went to school for,” he said. “I spent summers working here. I decided I liked the business of golf and wanted to make a living at it.”
For the next five years, Elmore went through the PGA’s training program to meet the professional qualifications. He earned his certificate in February.
“It isn’t all about playing the game and scoring well, although that is a major factor,” he said. “They teach you how to run a program, a clubhouse, accounting, everything. They want you to represent the PGA well.”
Elmore gave up the idea of being a touring pro a long time ago, although he still competes to fill his competitive cup. He is more excited about the youth programs he runs and the explosion in popularity since the arrival of Tiger Woods.
“Five years ago we would have maybe 50 kids come through our junior program in the summer,” he said. “Now it’s around 250.”
The program is designed to teach young hackers more about the game than picking up a club and swinging it. It emphasizes etiquette and rules so when they start playing, they know how to play.
“They may not be any better when they leave, but they will have an understanding of golf when they are done,” said Elmore.
The Kootenai County Golf Association program starts June 21, with sessions every Wednesday and Thursday lasting three weeks. He also runs a beginning ladies class and a junior camp for younger players.
“Trust me,” he said. “I am at the course a lot but there isn’t much playing. Usually, I am slammed with lessons.”
That schedule even extended to the winter. For the past two years, Elmore journeyed to a warmer climate where the greens stay green year round - Phoenix.
“There isn’t a lot to do here in the winter as a golf pro,” he said. “I have been working with a very exciting golf organization called The Shamrock Golf Co. They own three courses and are looking to have 50 more before long,” he said. “They are rapidly growing and I am excited to be a part of it.”
One of the things he is exploring with Shamrock is course development, an area he hopes to look deeper into in the near future. For now, he is content with his duties at the course, and at home with his wife, Jennifer, their 5-year old son and 3-week-old baby boy.
“I’m pretty busy,” he said. “There isn’t much time to play, but believe me, if I get a few spare moments, I’ll take them.”
This sidebar appeared with the story:
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