By Debert Cook, CMP
Carlos Brown is Director of Instruction at Bullallo Creek Golf Club (Dallas, TX) and the Owner of Carlos Brown Golf Academies with locations in Texas and California. Brown is also an amputee who lost a portion of his left leg, from the knee down, as the result of an on-course accident in 2016 when he twisted his left foot in a sprinkler head hole and the injury got badly infected. However, fast-forward, Brown has not let the amputation stop him from realizing his dreams and continuing his passion for teaching the game and inspiring others. The 38-year old embraces a positive attitude that just won’t let him quit–no matter what the circumstances. Along with his gregarious laugh and wide smile, Brown encourages even the most introverted newbie golfer to swing for success.
Brown has been a certified instructor for 15-years and has received numerous awards. He actively serves on the Callaway Golf National Board Staff and is a former coach for the USA National Junior Team, a Future Champions Golf (FCG) award winner (twice) and Tour Tournament Director for the Texas sector. After his amputation, he admits that his life took a bit of a turn, and things changed, as he had to adjust to a whole new way that his body worked. “After my amputation and I closed my Southern California golf academy in Industry City, since I needed to just focus on one academy, and because my number one priority was walking again,” said Brown.
CATCHING UP
“I am still teaching (better), playing and God is still prospering me in so many ways,” Brown said in an interview with the African American Golfer’s Digest. We spent a few minutes catching up with him, learning what’s been going on these last few years. And, to no surprise to our editors, we discovered that the world is a much better place because of him.
Brown, who studied at the University of Hawaii, takes a holistic approach at his golf academy to inspire student-athletes and, he is committed to helping them “Learn, Apply, and Build” their skills. His “LAB” gives students the foundation needed for growing their golfing ability.
Over the last two years, Brown has been busy with numerous projects, including being a part of “18 birdies,” a commercial that is running on The Golf Channel, ESPN, and regular TV stations. He has gained (again) recognition as a Golf Digest “Top 40 Teacher”, along with working with FCG as a Junior Golf Instructor and most recently, being nominated to the list of Millineals to Watch.
AAGD: When was the amputation of your lower left leg done?
BROWN: The first surgery was August 31, 2016 (a few days later) the second surgery was September 1, 2016.
AAGD: What were your biggest physical and emotional recovery challenges and how did you handle this?
BROWN: “The biggest physical challenge was before I got my prosthetic. Going grocery shopping and navigating through public areas was very tiring and inconvenient. Emotionally, I would say that being hard on myself was the biggest challenge for me, because, I felt like I let my family, friends, and my student down.”
“I felt like I was a burden. I felt really selfish because they were worried. And some of them had to put their life on pause to a degree to help me. Honestly, I didn’t handle this well. God really ministered to me during my recovery and he took care of me from the beginning, until now. He let me see that He will always be there. So, I really didn’t have a lot of worries after that. I realized that my family and everyone else helped because they loved me, and I also realized that learning how to navigate through life (pre-prosthetic) showed me how to really push myself, how creative I could be. And, it made me tougher. So, I’m very thankful that I went through what I did.
RELATED ARTICLE: Carlos Brown’s Doctors Amputate Top Golf Instructor’s Infected Foot And Lower Leg
AAGD: What are you most proud of regarding this situation as it relates to your golf career?
BROWN: “I’ll give you a couple of answers….I’m proud of my players! They really stuck by me, showing how much they love me. They still worked hard when I was out. I was very proud to see how strong and committed they were to being great players. Second, I’m proud that I’m part of a club company like Callaway who stepped in and encouraged me along with a great Golf Community that rallied together to help me. I thank God for them.”
Carlos Brown continues to be ranked among Golf Digest’s Best Young Teachers since 2010, and was named African American Golfer’s Digest’s Coach of the Year (2011).
AAGD: What advice do you have for someone who feels they are facing a seemingly unbearable, life challenging situation?
BROWN: “We have to understand that it rains on the just and the unjust and that sometimes you’re going to go through things. It was my faith in Jesus Christ that helped me to get through it, and one thing I tell people is that I never had this “why me” attitude, because who am I to say that I shouldn’t have to go through things, when they’re people in this world who are going through things (some worse than me) right now, yet they are still reaching their dreams, accomplishing goals, in spite of the things that they’re going through.”
Brown continues, “So, you might be going through something tough, and you might have your moments of sadness, you might even fall, but you will not fail because a failure is somebody who stays down. If you keep your eyes on Christ you will get up and you will realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that if you don’t quit, you will win.”
WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE IN LIFE
“I believe that we all have a purpose in life, but we have to be prepared for the purpose that God has for us and sometimes that means facing giants in our lives. But what we all have to understand is that each giant that we slay helps us prepare for the next giant so, that when we reach our purpose we have all the tools that we need. We will also have the confidence and the wisdom to be successful in our purpose. So I pose this question to everyone: Are you a giant slayer?”
