LJ Finney with John Starks
Rain “can’t stop and won’t stop” a real golfer. Sports celebrities, sponsors, and scholarship recipients arrived for the John Starks Foundation annual golf tournament held on September 19, 2016, at the Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Since its inception in 1994, the tournament reunites friends while raising money to provide academic scholarships for college-bound students, with financial need that actively serve their communities.
John Starks, known for his continued contribution to the Knicks franchise and clutch three-point shots is also an avid golfer. One might wonder, when and how did he transform into a golfer? John shared:
“I was introduced to golf by Herb Williams, and he got me into it. I had a rough ending of 94 and needed something to take my mind off that season. He said let’s go out and play golf, I didn’t want to do it and reluctantly I went ahead. I didn’t do well in the beginning; I hit one good shot and was like wow, that’s what this feels like. I started playing after that and really got addicted to it quickly.”
Herb Williams advising his foursome
Like many golfers, John immediately embraced golf, he said, “It’s something that as a competitor, you want to do your best and it was a challenge.” Although the Knicks finished first place in the Atlantic Division that year, they would lose to the Houston Rockets in the 1994 NBA finals, ending their season. That year, John also established his foundation and dedicated himself to improving the odds for prospective college students in his hometown Tulsa, Oklahoma and in the Tri-state area where he resided.
John Starks strikes a ball at the first tee.
John reflected, “I saw there was a need to give back and give people opportunity, like I got an opportunity. When you get in a position to do something, you should give your time and effort to help others.”
Having a personal interest in golf “bucket lists,” I asked John which “bucket list” golf courses he already played and what remained.
“There are a lot of top 100 courses that I haven’t gotten to yet, Seminole in Florida, Cyprus out in California, LA Country Club, there’s a bunch of them.” From the completed list, “Augusta was a major one and Old course over in Scotland; I never thought I’d play.”
At Tamarack, golfers experienced a sample of Europe’s finest courses. The layout of certain holes were influenced by St. Andrews Old Course in Scotland, Prestwick Golf Club, North Berwick Golf Club, Muirfield, Scotscraig Golf Club, all in Scotland and the Royal West Norfolk and Royal St. George’s in England.
Designed by Charles H. Banks, the 18-hole Tamarack course is 6,841 yards, par 71, with a course rating of 72.9 and a slope rating of 126 on Bent grass.
One notable hole was No. 12; influenced by the Biarritz Golf Club’s La Phare Course in France it was a par 3 with a ladies’ handicap rating of 10 and 12 for men. A Biarritz refers to the putting green, which features a deep gully, dividing its middle. Labeled by club management as the “finest Biarritz ever created and certainly one of the most difficult holes on our golf course,” it boasted 222 yards from the Black, 212 yards from the Blue, 192 yards from the White and 161 yards from the Gold.
Tamarack golf course, hole no. 12
Despite the rain delay, John’s relaxed temperament made him even more personable. He recently underwent surgery, six months ago, taking him from a 3 handicap to 9.8.
After watching him on the first tee, it is evident he is on the road to reclaiming his 3 handicap, if not better. I asked John what was the strongest part of his game and with zero hesitation he said, “Short game, 100 yards in. Close to and around the green, and putting. It’s all feel and touch.” John often plays with his former teammates Herb Williams, Allan Houston, and Greg Anthony.
Lawrence (LT) Taylor with his foursome.
Knowing his passion for golf, one must inquire about the contents of his golf bag. John nodded and smiled, “My club of choice is Titleist, I play a Titleist driver, Titleist MB blades, and I have a Scotty Cameron putter.”
Love for the game is often infectious and John’s response to my question,”Who have you gotten addicted to golf?” was “That’s a good question. Actually, I got my brother hooked on golf and he has a passion for it. That’s the way we get a chance to catch up because he lives in Oklahoma and I live here, so we meet at golf destinations.”
Recipients of the “3-Point Scholarship” must maintain a 3.5 GPA and can apply in their senior year of high school; recipients are able to reapply for three years. A few of the scholarship recipients shared their stories with me, anyone listening would be excited for what the future holds.
Ashley attends Spelman majoring in English, Kamey is a Communications and Rhetorical Studies major at Syracuse, Christina is an English major pursuing a dual degree in Elementary and Special Education, and Ariana attends NYIT majoring in Mechanical Engineering with minor in Mathematics.
“You actually see where the money goes and it’s really nice,” said attendee Frank Jones, who confirmed the strongest part of his game was, “putting people together, to try and win this tournament.”
As guests and participants waited for the awards ceremony to begin, a competitive and boisterous spades competition ensued between the celebrity athletes, adding to the day’s excitement. The comedian Talent auctioned impressive sports memorabilia, vacations, and foursomes at country clubs to raise even more money for the foundation.
Notable friends of John Starks in attendance included Herb Williams, Charles Oakley, Byron Scott, Allan Houston, Cedric Ceballos, Greg Anthony, Victor Green, Lawrence Taylor, Jacob Brumfield, and Jim Leyritz.
“When John calls I’m coming,” said Cedrick Ceballos. The sentiment was unanimous, all who attended did so to support John and the cause. Former NFL safety, Victor Green said it best, “John always supports me and anything that I can do for the kids, to support them, I’m all for it. Rain, sleet, snow, I’ll be here to support John, he’s a great guy.”
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LJ Finney is an avid golfer, project manager and writer living in Harlem, NY. Devoted to bridging the lifestyle gap between golfers and non-golfers, be sure to follow her golf adventures on Instagram @msladylovesgolf
