Our Life in Golf

Chapter 6 Physician, Heal Thyself

6

PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF

Mike's first priority during any golf lesson was to help the person release any tension while standing behind the ball.

Mike's ability to sense how you were feeling, despite what you might be showing on the outside, was legendary.

He'd watch the student hit a few balls and comment, "That isn't so bad. I'm here...we're going to walk through this step by step until you get it right."

Mike spoke the words with such calm assurance that the student inevitably began to believe that progress would not only be possible, but was all but guaranteed.

Such was Mike's power to get inside your head that in this anecdote, after winning the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship, pupil George Madsen gave Mike the credit saying, "He told me to win it, so I did!"

One of my father's junior champions, Debbie Larson and I were friends. In 2009 she came to my downtown Racine showing of the film, A Night with Mike.

Afterwards, we got reacquainted, reminisced, laughed a lot, but Debbie shed a few tears over cherished memories of what it was like to be a part of Mike's extended family.

Debbie recalled the day when Mike told her to call our home and tell one of my sisters that she was coming over to pick her up so they could play a round of golf.

Mike was comfortable asking people for favors. He believed that people who care about each other should be willing to do things for others. In Mike's mind it was an aspect of sportsmanship.

In honorable competition, you care about your opponent, adopting an attitude of being willing to help them if you can. That takes the edge off of the fear of losing which can psychologically cripple an athlete.

With such an attitude you can view a fellow competitor as a fellow traveler on the road to athletic performance perfection as we struggle to find ourselves through others.

Day after day, often before noon, a growing group of the faithful would gather in the clubhouse just waiting for my father to drop in.

They came, young and old, all through the day, from all walks of life, just to have the opportunity to spend a few precious moments with him. In his presence they all felt valued and important.

Some called him Michael, though his actual Italian name was Marrianno.

To all of them, though, he would say, "Just call me Mike."

Dad's remarks to me in the beginning of his sixty-ninth birthday was to hand over my final task. He assigned me the goal to tell the tale of his LOVE...for the Game of Golf...and for the Game of Life.

In the middle of a December meeting in 1989 I was called over to the family home located near one of Dad's golf courses, Johnson's Park. Lying in my old front bedroom he made me watch a video with him that we couldn't finish because his right side was in so much pain.

Dad handed me the video of his last golf clinic, along with his life's historical media materials, and the assignment.

"I want you to be in charge Casey. Write it! Help them remember what I stood for, what my life was for. Help them remember my honesty, my sincere efforts to help them get along through golf, how to conduct themselves, and how to be kind. In golf, people need to know they can get help. In golf..."

An honest man who approached the game of golf honestly, Mike's passion for the game was mostly about his pleasure at seeing other people shine through golf and blossom into their best selves under his guidance.

It was about becoming an understood and appreciated member of a community was one joy that made him feel quite at home with the world, and what a grand adventure his life surrounded by golf turned out to be.

Dad's teachings had an impact on me when I first learned about them, and they've stayed with me all these years—definitely a challenging long Par 5 with the green perched up high on a hill.

He taught me how easy it is to paint the backdrop of an avenue, a true path, to travel on and stay on until the day you can't anymore. Face life honestly as it comes, and don't start making excuses when things don't go your way. He made practicing honesty look easy, when we all knew it isn't.

We need one another, as the song goes, but on that golf tee we need our rugged individuality to stand out.

When Mike meets a new student he takes on the challenge of helping them build on that individuality. He would first size you up by finding the character in your swing.

Some of his advice to professionals was to encourage the Joe-the-duffer students who come along looking for lessons, and not just concentrate on developing the games of those with the potential to excel.