If Ilee Coleman had been asked what he thought of golf ten years ago, chances are he’d say what a lot of people think: “It’s not a real sport”. Coleman, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, is a former basketball player, and a successful one at that.
He played at Mercy College located in Dobbs Ferry, New York (Westchester County) where he was the only player to finish in the top four of points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He still holds the record for most steals in the college’s history. Clearly, he’s no stranger to athletics, but to him, golf was just a pastime. A hobby, like gardening. It wasn’t real competition to the 6’2” Caribbean food lover. It wasn’t exercise–not to him, anyway.
That all changed five years ago when Coleman’s friends convinced him to participate in a golf charity event near his current home in Tampa, Florida. Many people who try their hand at the sport, either love it or leave it. Ilee says he was hooked by the 6th hole. So hooked, in fact, that he’s a self-described “golf addict” whose passion was unrelenting. Golf became such a significant part of his life that he even wrote a book based on his experiences.
His book titled The Bogeyman: True Confessions of a Golf Addict, was written over the course of only two days. Yes, in just 48-hours, the non-fictional work was ready to meet the world. His website, iLeeColeman.com shares even more about the enthusiastic author.
The Book started it as a joke–something to hand out to amuse the friends who had been there for his golf journey. Those friends enjoyed it so much they encouraged Ilee to publish it, which he did, in March 2012. The book is comedic in nature and is available as an e-book or paperback on Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other outlets around the world.
In July 2014 he landed prime exposure on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines”. The experience provided Ilee with an outlet for another one of his passions: writing. He now writes full-time, and is hard at work on his next book.
Coleman, 44, sports a clean shaven head, “to keep the grays under control,” and says he plays golf at the local course about ten times a month, though he admits he’d play every day if he could (to his wife’s chagrin). He sometimes makes it home a little late—or, very late, according to his wife—but he wouldn’t change that for anything.
Pictured left: Book cover, “The Bogey Man” by Ilee Coleman
Ilee says he golfs for the relaxing vibe the sport exudes. “The courses are scenic and beautiful, and that provides serenity. It’s not all zen, though.” His basketball days left him with a deep competitive side, and that comes out on the golf course just as much as it does on a basketball court. He plays to win. He has not had any formal golf training, rather preferring to pick up pointers from other golfers who are better than him, and gaining tips on YouTube.
Lik
e everyone, he’s got struggles with his game. He says concentration is his biggest problem. It’s tough to keep focused, especially since he’s a people person. He likes making new friends on the course and exchanging stories with them. He is, at his heart, a storyteller. Lucky for him, he’s got plenty of stories to come.
