Inspirational Golf Coach Is Helping Tomorrow’s Game
A man who is hard-working, smart, funny and caring is certain to go far in life. He will progress through times of adversity, scarcity and hardship. A man who can overcome these obstacles is of rarity, but a pleasure to meet.
Robert M. Clark Sr. was born in 1942 in Toledo, Ohio, where he spent his childhood living in a government housing project named Brand Whitlow Homes. Not the place you would expect an eventual Order of The Celtic Cross recipient and professional golfer to emerge from. But there he was: A strong and successful man, proud and driven to prove that it does not matter what your background is.
Pictured: Robert Clark Sr.
When asked about his early childhood Clark was keen to explain that he did not receive any silver spoon treatment; “We were on welfare. Like most ghettos it had everything you don’t want; gangs, guns, drugs and violence” he said. As Clark answered more of the questions, it became clear that this was a man who would not let anything stand in his way.
After Clark’s father died in 1946, the family income dropped drastically and times became much harder for the Clark family. But even in these brutally tough times, there was one young man who wanted nothing more than success, “Mom taught us to be honest, and to do the right thing, even when nobody is looking. I learned that being poor and broke, is only a temporary state of being” Clark explained. So after graduating from high school, Clark progressed onto attending Toledo University. This, accompanied with his last two years of college at Central State University, earned him the certification he had always wanted, and one he will always hold high in his life accomplishments, “My degree is a Bachelor of Science in Education… There are many other awards I cherish, but graduating college tops them all for me,” he says proudly, with a smile widening across his face.
Armed with a college degree, Clark then set out in search of his profession and career calling. “My work experience covers many areas: I taught sixth grade in Toledo, worked for the largest food chain in the world at the time, General Electric Corporation, Owens Corning Fiberglass, Ruben H. Donnelly Advertising Corporation, The Principal Financial Group, Horace Mann Insurance Co.” A very impressive resume for someone who, in his own words, grew up in “the ghetto.” But none of these jobs seemed to fit Clark, and so in 1965 he was talked into golf. Little did he know, that even after his first round score of 140, this would be his future, his life, and his passion.
Four years passed, and Clark expressed an interest to become a professional golfer under the PGA of America. But yet again, barriers were present in his life. “I was denied a chance to become a PGA professional because of my skin color,” he explains. This is a particularly emotional memory for Clark, but one that only propelled his career into overdrive. In 1993, Clark was accepted into the PGA of America at the age of 51. A very impressive feat, but as he is often quoted saying “I’m not going to cut hair,” it was certainly not the end.
Just one year after becoming a professional golfer, Clark founded the Portland Youth Golf Association. This was a golf school aimed to give the children of Portland a chance to live out their golfing dreams. Clark explained how the school started and why he became such a prominent figure; “The golf school in Oregon started because I wanted to give back to the community the way I received help back in Toledo… I wanted the youth in Portland to have a better chance than I did, and to give them the best teaching available.” So for the next 17 years, Robert M. Clark Sr. was the head coach of the Portland Youth Golf Association.
Clark is now half-way through his fifth season as assistant golf coach at Alabama State University. “Working in junior golf for so many years was an absolute joy for me, but coaching college golf at ASU is the icing on the cake. It doesn’t get any better for me at this stage of my life” he beamed.
After being hired by head golf coach Dr. Gary Grandison in 2011, Clark helped the ASU golf program grow; “Coach Clark’s arrival provided the boost that helped propel our program to higher levels of D-1 competition,” explained Grandison. The opportunity to work alongside Grandison was one that Clark could not pass up, he was extremely grateful for the chance to continue working within golf.
Above: Alabama State University Men’s Golf Team at Bash at the Beach 2015, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Back row, left to right: Charles Griffin III, Branson Ferrier, Daniel Park, Jose Rodriguez, Francis Berthiaume. Front row: Robert M. Clark Sr. Contributed by: Daniel Park.
All of Clark’s players on the ASU golf teams have benefitted greatly from his knowledge, as men’s golfer Ian Mmbando confirmed: “His knowledge of the game and how people learn is truly world-class. It’s such a productive environment here at ASU with Coach Clark around.”
Pictured L-R: Coach Clark and Daniel Park at 2015 Bash at the Beach, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Contributed by: Daniel Park
And after four consecutive conference winning seasons for the men’s side, accompanied with a three-peat conference winning women’s side, it is clear to see Clark still has that winning drive, as he expressed when asked about his future at ASU;
“Winning as many championships as possible. Winning does not get old for me, it just keeps getting better.” Robert M. Clark Sr., truly a man born to teach.
Article contributed by Daniel Park, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.
