The leaves are starting to turn and soon they will begin to fall on Chicago’s golf courses. The season is winding down and so is the career of Joliet Country Club golf professional John Walsh.
Walsh is retiring at the close of his 38th season at the club. In the days of private clubs changing pros with great regularity, Walsh is a product of another era. Like contemporaries Bill Ogden, who has recently retired at North Shore Country Club, Riverside Golf Club’s Bill Heald, Old Elm’s Don Wegryzn and Onwenstia Club’s Hubby Habjan, Walsh has seen the club professional’s role change.
“I grew and the club grew,” said Walsh, a South Sider who graduated from Leo and De Paul. “We grew together. I’ve had a lot of nice relationships here.
“You wear so many hats today. With the advent of high tech, teaching has become more sophisticated. I think we’re better teachers today because of what is availible to us. Clubs are more active today with more women, more juniors and seniors playing. When I started we didn’t have much merchandise in the shop, mostly clubs, a few shirts and socks. We didn’t sell many shoes when I first started. Now everybody travels to different clubs and you have to improve the quality of your shop. There have been a lot of changes.”
Walsh, 64, has been able to adapt to the changes, and retirement isn’t going to stop that. He will continue to teach on a smaller scale, play more golf and travel with his wife, Mary.
Joliet Country Club is in the process of finding his successor.
“They are looking for someone to replace me who will be part of the community,” Walsh said. “They don’t want a one-year guy.”
In the genes: Marla Jemsek of Burr Ridge claimed her second Greater Chicago Golf Media Association Player of the Year honor with her recent runner-up finish in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Tacoma Golf and Country Club in Tacoma, Wash. Jemsek moved past Kerry Postillion, also of Burr Ridge, by reaching the finals where she lost to defending champion Sarah LaBrun Ingram of Nashville.
“I had been close all summer, and my game finally came together,” said Jemsek. “The golf course was really tight and club selection was important. By the end of the week I had a lot of confidence. I was hoping my game would come around sooner, but this was a good way to end the season and look forward to next year.”
Her Mid-Am success hasn’t changed her mind about not trying the LPGA tour. She’s going to continue to play amateur golf.
“I really enjoy playing, and I don’t want to make it my job,” said Jemsek, daughter of Cog Hill’s Frank Jemsek and granddaughter of legend Joe Jemsek. “It’s tempting. You’d like to see how you’d do out there. I like taking trips and playing in tournaments, but if I did it every week I think I’d end up hating golf. I don’t think I’d be happy out there.”
Honoring Upchurch: The Women’s Western Golf Association will honor long-time rules chairman Ann Upchurch at its annual meeting Sept. 28 at Glen View Club. Upchurch, of Birmingham, Ala., has been the WWGA’s rules chairman for 21 years and is retiring after the season. Golf Hall of Famer Patty Berg will speak at the annual meeting.
Look at those dimples: Chicago-based Wilson has taken the lead in the golf ball dimple wars. The Wilson Ultra 500 Series was introduced last month at the PGA International Golf Show in California. The new series, which includes five different balls, features 500 dimples of three different sizes arranged in a patter of six spherical triangles. The old Ultra series balls had 425 dimples and most top balls have at least 400. The pattern, according to Wilson, allows the Ultra 500 to sustain initial velocity longer and produces a more stable ball flight.
“It’s not just the 500 dimples, but the pattern,” said Lew Sherr, Wilson Golf Ball business manager. “There are three different sized dimples arranged in an icosahedral pattern.”
The balls will be available next month.
Junior champs: Frank Wincek and Mike Williamson were the winners late last month in the 22nd Annual Chicago City Junior at Jackson Park Golf Course. Wincek, 15, a sophomore at Hubbard, won the 15-17-year-old bracket with an 81. Williamson, a 14-year-old sophomore at Hales Franciscan, shot a 3-over-par 39 to win the nine-hole 11-14 age group.
