Published: March 26, 2008 05:43 pm         

GOLF TIPS: The passing of a local legend

I write the following words with a heavy heart. Around 11:30 a.m. on March 16, this past Sunday morning, Bobby Nichols left this earth to be with the Lord. Bobby was head golf coach at Tennessee Tech University, having held the position for a total of 32 years.

From 1990-1994, he was my college coach: As I do, all who played for him or knew him well refer to him simply as "Coach."

He was a PGA member who owned and operated Ironwood Golf Course for many years, as well as serving as the pro at Cookeille Country Club from 1964-1970. Coach was an excellent player in his own right; he played at Tennessee Tech for four years becoming the captain of the squad as a senior in 1963. He played events on the PGA tour from 1967 to 1970. He was the Tennessee PGA player of the year in 1970 and 1976, and was runner up in 1992. He played in two USGA Senior Opens (1991, 1995), and won the Tennessee State Open at Stonehenge Golf Course in 1991. Remarkably, he was the only golfer — pro or amateur — to make every Tennessee Cup Team between 1968 and 2006. His accomplishments are far too many to list.

Coach has done so much for the game of golf and the young people in this region of the state. He has introduced countless kids to the game. His tireless efforts for junior golf are legendary. If you were a kid growing up in this region and played any junior golf, you knew who Bobby Nichols was. There was a good chance you had a lesson from him, played in a tournament he ran, or signed up for a junior clinic he hosted. Coach had the ability to communicate with people of all ages, but especially young people.

I was lucky enough to earn a four-year golf scholarship to TTU. Having played for Coach for four years, and having seen what level he has elevated the program to since 1979, his passion for Tech golf has not been measurable. He simply loved the players, the school, and the journey, never growing tired of any of it, even till the end.

I can't tell you how many miles and days I spent in the front passenger seat, a co-pilot of sorts, while Coach drove in the vans that transported us to college tournaments. I always had a Walkman or portable CD player with me on the long trips (no iPods then), but rarely listened to them.

Coach was way more interesting. I listened intently to accounts of golf he had played or observed, soaking up things that would help improve my game and knowledge of it. Then there were great stories of teams and individuals past, that I have heard and told many times since. There are some legendary stories, the kind that can make you double over in laughter, and they never get old no matter how many times I hear them.

Coach was diagnosed with esophagael cancer last fall. After the initial shock, Coach decided, with strength from the Lord, that he could and would beat the disease. He has always been a positive person, and we all believed if anyone could beat it, he would be the person most likely to. His faith and confidence never wavered. He told me on the fourth of six weeks of chemo and radiation, despite the drain of treatments, he knew he would beat the cancer.

In December, the doctors told him there were no signs of the cancer anywhere.

Even though my college years are further behind me than I like to admit, I have spent time with and kept in touch closely with Coach since college. Hitting balls with him and fellow pros on the range after tournament rounds and dinner at night was a common occurence.

Last summer, he called me and said he wanted to come up and see our facility. He asked if I could put him on tape so he could take a look at his swing, because he hadn't seen it in a while. He said he liked our facility and my teaching studio. It was nice coming from him, and we both enjoyed the two hours he spent hitting balls and tweaking his swing.

I feel good about the fact that I, along with my wife Vickie, got to spend more time with him. We made several trips to Cookeville for dinner with Coach during his treatments. We met him and PGA pros Bobby Bray and Mark Houser for dinner several times. They have been friends with Coach for 30 years. I talked to him weekly up until he entered the hospital about two weeks ago. Kim and Elaine, who help run Ironwood for Coach have kept me up to date the last few days about his condition leading up to Sunday. I am not sure how the ailments that worsened lately took his life rather than the cancer. By February, Coach was gaining strength and eager to get to golf season. It wasn't meant to be I guess.

I hope that Tennessee Tech realizes what Coach has done for the the golf program. It will be tough to replace him. Without him, who knows where it would be. Coach has done more with less for a long time when it came to funds. I know that all who had business or personal relationships with Coach know how good of a person he was.

He will be greatly missed. It will not be the same going to tournaments this year. His smile and presence will be missed at all Tennessee PGA events. It won't seem right. I appreciate what he did for me and his friendship.

Over the last couple of years, Coach talked about how he was hitting the ball as solid and as straight as he ever had. He said that his putting though, was a problem. He said he had been battling the "yips" off and on for some time. He tried different drills and putters. He said he knew he was a good putter and kept battling through the dreaded "y" word.

Right now, I am sure he knows the fix to his putting woes. I bet the greens are perfect up there and all his putts are going in the middle.

I also know he can hit all the balls he wants without ever getting tired or hurting anymore. There is also probably no need for a tee time. Best of all, he gets to see and talk to the Lord he had faith in. I bet you can even play five up there. Save me, Dad, Mark and Bobbo, a spot, Coach. We'll see you up there one day, too.

Greg Wyatt is a PGA professional at Golf Capital Learning Center.