Cliff Cheathon loves the game of golf, but what makes him
more exuberant is seeing young people play the game.
One can see Cheathon often manning the pro shop at Wildhawk
Golf Club, but he seems to light up with a teen walks in asking for a tee time
or to buy a bucket of balls for the driving range.
He knows the game needs more young Tiger Woods and Jack
Nicklaus types, so when he spots a young person hitting a drive or practicing
their putting he’s quick to ask what school they attend. Once he has that
information he usually follows with this query: “Are you playing golf for your high
school?”
Cheathon has spend hours with young people, the last few
springs at Monterey Trail High School, coaching some of golf’s future players.
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| Cliff Cheathon, EGHS Golf Coach |
He’s proud of the work he’s done at Wildhawk with recent local
high school golfers such as James Reede from Monterey Trail and Chris McKnight
from Cosumnes Oaks. They are now playing golf collegiately.
“As a teaching pro here at Wildhawk I can help them get
access, give them some lessons through the year and that will help them get
ahead because they get to play more and more,” Cheathon said.
His advice for the average high schooler is pretty simple:
“After you’re done with your homework, get out here hit about a hundred balls
on the range, get in a couple holes, but at least get in your putting and your
ball striking.”
Cheathon says he likes to not only help the young men on the
driving range, but also take them out on the course and teach them how to hit
in special situations.
“I also work on their on-course attitudes which help to
mature those young men,” he added.
When Elk Grove High School’s golf coach Bob Levine took over
the reigns as the athletic director earlier this school year, Levine needed
someone to step in and help him with the program, so he tabbed Cheathon as his
replacement. He knew Cheathon would carry on the golf program in a very
credible way, so the decision was easy.
Cheathon has his Herd golfers with him at Wildhawk just
about every day after school honing their skills.
“If they give me at least three or four days a week after
school they’ll see their scores improve over the weeks,” he said. “it does take
some time, but it does come.”
Now halfway through the Delta Valley Conference
championships, Cheathon’s golfers find themselves in third place in the team
standings, behind perennial golf power Davis and second-place Franklin. The Wildcat golfers this season are Eric Tam,
Nathan Rimmer, Michael Tokunaga, Alex Dunning, Matt Beem, and Jacob Helmich
Monday, the third round of the 72-hole DVC championship was
played at Haggin Oaks. Going into that round Davis had a 33-shot margin over
Franklin with Elk Grove 31 strokes behind the Wildcats.
Cheathon says his top three golfers - Keaton Swan, Lane Walters and Shawn
O’Sullivan - haven’t really played very well in the first two rounds.
“I don’t think they are playing up to their full potential,
but they are playing pretty good,” Cheathon said.
The fourth and final 18-hole round will be next Tuesday at
the Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton.
Following the DVC tournament, the Herd golfers will be
preparing for the Division I North Tournament. That will be at Wildhorse Golf
Club in Davis on May 6. All the golfers from the DVC, the Monticello Empire League,
the Delta River League and the Sierra Foothill League will be competing in an
18-hole stroke play setup. Each school will play six golfers, but count the top
five scores.
The top four teams, plus the top six individual golfers, not
a part of those teams, will advance to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters’
Tournament May 13 at the Reserve. The Masters will also be an 18-hole stroke
play tournament.
The top three teams at the Masters, plus the top four
individuals who are not a part of those teams, advance to the NorCal Regional
Tournament. That will be played May 20 at the Diablo Grande Golf and Country
Club in Patterson.
The CIF State Golf Championships is June 5 at Quail Lodge
Golf Club in Carmel.
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