Days of Junior Golf

I look back now at the ripe age of 36 and reminisce about my days as a young junior golfer….I was 10 years old with red glasses (which, ironically, I still wear red glasses) and long pigtails (my hair is still long, just no pigtails). I was adamant that I do and play whatever my brothers played…so that’s how I got into golf. Trip and Hank played, so naturally, I followed suit. It was as simple as that.

I can’t help but laugh as I replay our junior golf days in my head. I remember it like it was yesterday.

A normal day for the Kuehne kids was the three of us lined up on the Driving Range. Trip was always in front, Hank was in the middle, and I brought up the rear in the pecking order. My Momma was usually sprawled out on the back of the driving range, reading a book and working on her tan in the Texas sun. My Dad was always right there in the thick of things: watching, coaching, and giving us his input, whether we wanted it or not. Just the replay of this scene in my head brings a warmth to my heart and a smile to my face.

That is how I grew up playing the game. I had two partners in crime, Trip and Hank…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This started when I was 10 years old…and it carried me through until I retired from competitive golf 23 years later.

I am incredibly grateful for the memories and the time that I got to spend with my family through the game of golf. It was never about the wins, or the trophies, or anything else. I genuinely loved being outdoors and hanging with my two big brothers. The winning was really fun, don’t get me wrong, but I enjoyed sharing the daily grind with Trip and Hank above anything else.

The three of us have a bond that is unbreakable. I attribute that bond to sharing our triumphs and struggles on the links. We now all live in three different states, we each have our own families and lives to manage, but when we all got together this Christmas to reminisce, there was laughter and stories that traced back to our junior golf days…there always is.

“Play College Golf”

Kelli Kuehne
College Golf Camps of America
Director of Events