Billy on Golf

1 - Tell me 3 things about yourself aside from being a golfer.

I pee a lot, especially when I drink. I love to sing loud ballads while I do the dishes. I am crazy about my girlfriend Meagan Bartel. 

2 - How long have you been golfing?

I can give you a ballpark figure, I’m 26 now and I started around 11 I think so let’s call it 15 years.

3 - How did you get started?

I knew my cousin Jon was an avid golfer and both my brother Tom and Dad golfed some so I guess I got the idea from them. 

4 - What does golf mean to you?

Golf is my playground, my therapy session, my idea of the perfect day. 

5 - What’s your favorite course to play regularly? How come?

I love playing carman. It’s tough but not too tough and it’s always in good shape. Also it used to be 30 bucks to play with cart after 3:00 pm which was a crazy deal…I think it’s more like 44 now, but still a great deal.

6 - What’s the best course you’ve ever played? 

Tower Ranch in Kelowna.

7 - On a scale of can’t-hit-the-ball to professional, how good are you?

I am about a 10 handicap. Handicap is your average amount above or below par. Pros are usually on or below par on courses WAY tougher than I usually play… so basically any given pro would beat me by about 15 strokes on any given day.

8 - What’s a common misconception non-golfers have about golf?

Just how difficult it really is.

9 - Is golf for everyone?

Nooooooooononononono. I talked to a teaching pro this summer in Abbotsford. He told me a story about trying to teach a large woman who wanted to learn so she could golf with her husband. He had to tell her that physically it just wasn’t doable.

10 - Describe the perfect golf game.

I’ve dreamed about that many times…pretty much it means I hit every ball on the screws and drain every putt. But coming back to reality…the perfect golf game starts with good buddies on a cool fall day with almost no wind, nobody holding us up, and beer.

11 - Tell me about a surprising moment you’ve had on the green.

My Uncle James took me golfing with Trevor Kidd last year for my birthday. Kidd hit a couple really bad shots and then followed it up by chunking a chip onto the green, he then proceeded to pick his ball up and not finish the hole. A bit of a baby move for a professional athlete.

12 - Tell me about an emotional moment you’ve had on the green.

Winning the Jon Heinrichs Memorial Texas Scramble in Roland. I was around 14 years old and we won with a convincing 14 under par. I know my uncle Don was on my team but I can't remember who else.

13 - Tell me about a funny time you’ve had while golfing.

It’s funny now but the tale of Barb and Alex and Falcon Lake Golf and Country I will not soon forget. Last year my family went camping at west hawk. I finally convinced my dad to go golfing with me. It was all set up for an early morning tee time at falcon. We were at the club house at the break of dawn for breakfast and had enough time to hit a few putts and warm up before the round, perfect. We only had a tee time for the 2 of us so it’s not uncommon to be paired up with a single or another 2 some. We get to the first tee box and there they were, Barb and her son Alex. Let’s just say their combined weight was about a hundred and six pounds and their maximum shot capacity if all the stars aligned was about 30 yards. The round was like a never ending nightmare of watch Barb instruct Alex, watch Alex hit it 15 yards. Then watch Barb hit it 15 yards and repeat. My Dad and I are both really nice people, especially my Dad. By hole 11 there were no goodbyes, there were no thanks for the game, there was just cloud of dust and 2 muttering Heinrichs men who just wanted to play some golf already. The final seven holes was a game of who can swing out their frusterations the hardest. It was the fastest seven holes of our lives. 

14 - What role does alcohol play in the game of golf?

Alcohol makes playing with Barb and Alex almost bearable…almost. No alcohol’s role is varied depending on who you are. It can be the one or two drinks that loosens you up to play a little better, or a messy beer a hole work golf tourney that gets way out of hand.

15 - Is there a lot of business schmoozing that goes on out there?

There is but most of the important schmoozing is done on private courses, where I rarely get a chance to play.

16 - Explain what people mean when they say that golfing is a stress-reliever.

It’s only a stress-reliever when you let it be. It can be so maddening to not be able to get that damn ball into the air or in the cup or out of the friggen sand or whatever, but if you can control your emotions and focus on the task at hand and clear your mind of everything else it can set you free.

17 - Tell me some thoughts on Tiger Woods, including his scandalous past.

he is the most exciting player to play the game. he should have never gotten married.

18 - Who’s your favorite person to golf with and why?

My Dad. I love showing him what I can do with a golf ball.

19 - Say something about the role golf has played in your life as you’ve gone through hard times.

It’s given me something to focus on other than the grief of losing my mom and brother.

20 - At the end of your life, what difference might having been a golfer have made for

you?

Maybe all the difference. Or maybe I just will have spent a hell of a lot more money..and a lot more time outdoors.