Beach Golf with Jack & Coleman Rudolph
The beach vacation is never complete until you mix in at least one round of golf. Get that early tee time and you can be back on the beach for a full afternoon of fun in the sun. Our fam has done the Crescent Beach/St. Augustine vaca for decades now. Condo rental on the beach (Sand Dollar). Bring swim suits and plenty of snacks. No dining out. Hit the beach mid-morning and pack up around 6. A quick, refreshing shower and dinner is served. Lay the children down, check out a movie and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
This year, I had the special treat of hanging out on the beach with Valdosta coaching legend Jack Rudolph. Plus, I got to play 18 with his son Coleman. Both are Georgia Tech legends. Both are great men. Coach Rudolph was the Valdosta High Defensive Coordinator for both Bazemore and Hyder, the two Georgia Hall of Fame Head Coaches. Legend had it Baze and Coach Hyder (both ran their offenses) took the most talented players on offense and gave Rudy the leftovers. Jack then molded them into championship caliber units. If the truth be told, Coach Rudolph won many a game just by outcoaching the opposing OC. I learned more football from just listening to Coach Rudolph coach defense during practice. He man could have coached at every level.
I maintain that it is a gross injustice that assistant coaches aren't apart of the Hall of Fame in the NFL, College and High School. If Erk Russell and Jack Rudolph aren't Hall of Famers, then it's a real joke.
Coleman came up through the Valdosta High system and became a star, when he developed physically. The dominated at Georgia Tech, where he celebrated a championship. And he went on to play NFL ball with the Jets and the Giants. But Coleman was a stud golfer, before he became a football star. And that had nothing to do with the fact that Coach Rudolph also coached the VHS golf team. Anyway, Coleman stands 6'5" with his golf shoes on, and weighs in at a lean 230 these days. The guy just bombs it. And he just had the local Nike rep come to his downtown Buckhead office to fit him with some new blades and a couple of those hybrid clubs. He wanted to play.
So, after we put in 4 full days on the beach, off to the golf course we went. The venue was the Mark McCumber designed Marsh Creek CC in St. Augustine. Didn't see Coach Spurrier, but we battled anyway. Valdostan Hank Lee joined us. And we spent most of the day admiring Coleman's golf swing. Coleman hits the ball high. His iron shots appear to be dropped out of the sky from an airplane. That was impressive. So was his gameplan. He only pulled out that big Nike driver twice.We played it to around 6,600 yards. Coleman stood in the fairway on 18, with a 1-shot lead and hit it in the junk, with his approach. My par allowed me to survive by a single shot. Belue 79. Rudolph 80. Coach Rudolph was not pleased later, when he heard the play-by-play of Coleman's short iron misplay on the final hole. My thoughts: let's do it again next year. The Rudolph's are the best.
And again: if Coach Jack Rudolph isn't a Hall of Famer, then who really is?
This year, I had the special treat of hanging out on the beach with Valdosta coaching legend Jack Rudolph. Plus, I got to play 18 with his son Coleman. Both are Georgia Tech legends. Both are great men. Coach Rudolph was the Valdosta High Defensive Coordinator for both Bazemore and Hyder, the two Georgia Hall of Fame Head Coaches. Legend had it Baze and Coach Hyder (both ran their offenses) took the most talented players on offense and gave Rudy the leftovers. Jack then molded them into championship caliber units. If the truth be told, Coach Rudolph won many a game just by outcoaching the opposing OC. I learned more football from just listening to Coach Rudolph coach defense during practice. He man could have coached at every level.
I maintain that it is a gross injustice that assistant coaches aren't apart of the Hall of Fame in the NFL, College and High School. If Erk Russell and Jack Rudolph aren't Hall of Famers, then it's a real joke.
Coleman came up through the Valdosta High system and became a star, when he developed physically. The dominated at Georgia Tech, where he celebrated a championship. And he went on to play NFL ball with the Jets and the Giants. But Coleman was a stud golfer, before he became a football star. And that had nothing to do with the fact that Coach Rudolph also coached the VHS golf team. Anyway, Coleman stands 6'5" with his golf shoes on, and weighs in at a lean 230 these days. The guy just bombs it. And he just had the local Nike rep come to his downtown Buckhead office to fit him with some new blades and a couple of those hybrid clubs. He wanted to play.
So, after we put in 4 full days on the beach, off to the golf course we went. The venue was the Mark McCumber designed Marsh Creek CC in St. Augustine. Didn't see Coach Spurrier, but we battled anyway. Valdostan Hank Lee joined us. And we spent most of the day admiring Coleman's golf swing. Coleman hits the ball high. His iron shots appear to be dropped out of the sky from an airplane. That was impressive. So was his gameplan. He only pulled out that big Nike driver twice.We played it to around 6,600 yards. Coleman stood in the fairway on 18, with a 1-shot lead and hit it in the junk, with his approach. My par allowed me to survive by a single shot. Belue 79. Rudolph 80. Coach Rudolph was not pleased later, when he heard the play-by-play of Coleman's short iron misplay on the final hole. My thoughts: let's do it again next year. The Rudolph's are the best.
And again: if Coach Jack Rudolph isn't a Hall of Famer, then who really is?
Write more often Buck!
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Your site been bookmarked for a while now and I love reading what's on your mind. I check it every week or so. Hope the family's feeling better and just keep on doing what you do, Buck!
CVS Branden
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