Lorenzo Hobbs fires a big drive down the fairway at Pinehurst #2 at the Acura Alumni Collegiate National Team Championship. Team members Wayne Hall, Judson Graves look on.
BY AAGD STAFF
(February 15, 2017) — Lorenzo C. Hobbs is a self-taught golfer who started playing the game in 1991. Since turning professional in January 1, 2017, the zero-handicapper has gained quite a roster of successes on his many scorecards. Last year Hobbs became Club Champion for the Potomac Shores Golf Club (Oct. 15-16, 2016). He also qualified for, and played in, the 2016 Virginia State Open. He was also a runner-up in the 2016 Quantico Senior Championship. Other qualifications and tournament play included the 2016 Acura Alumni Collegiate National Team Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where he represented the University of Virginia, placing 8th of 64 Teams.
Lorenzo proudly holds his trophy after finishing the runner-up at the Quantico Senior Club Championship in Quantico, Virginia
As a Service Disabled Veteran who served 20-years in the U.S. Air Force, Hobbs knows how important it is to stay focused in the midst of challenges. “I had a challenging year in 2016, as a result of some serious health issues, but despite this I had a great year in golf,” says the 57-year old Fredericksburg, Virginia, resident.
“I was still able to qualifiy for the Virginia State Open in September but had to withdraw during the tournament at BallyHack Golf Course in Roanoke, VA as a result of the same health issues.”
“Golf has a way of giving you the experience of pleasure and pain during any given round.”—Lorenzo Hobbs
Hobbs also had the opportunity to qualify for and play in the 2016 Acura Alumni Collegiate National Team Championship in Pinehurst, NC, during the week of October 24-30. Acura generously hosted this tournament of 64 Collegiate Alumni Teams that competed on two of Pinehurst’s great golf venues, Pinehurst #2 and #4. “It was an impressive competition with some great collegiate teams, in which we battled hard and finished in the final eight teams, before being defeated by the University of Missouri.”
Hobbs presses the fact that golf has been a strong teacher for him, “What I have learned over years is that golf doesn’t define who I am, but golf does share a special part in my journey through this life. I have met more great friends and great people through the game of golf than any other area or part in my life.”
Lorenzo Hobbs and his caddie Russell Bauer prepare strategies for playing one of the toughest holes on the famous Pinehurst #2 golf course at the 2016 Acura Championship Pinehurst, NC.
“What makes it different from my experiences—when traveling the country giving business presentations or playing basketball at a high level in the Air Force—is that the game of golf, and the people that play golf, are different. More so, I believe, than enthusiasts of other sports. I think it was destined for me to play golf and to become a great golfer, from the time I picked up a club at Kadena AFB golf course in Okinawa, Japan for the first time in 1991.”
“Just to let you know, the game of golf didn’t come easy for me even with my high level of passion for it. My first score in a round of golf on an 18 holes golf course was… I’ll just say… much more than 100. After practicing and playing for about two years, when I could make the time, I finally broke 100. When I told my friends that I would learn how to get better at the game and that someday I would become a pro golfer, they literally laughed me out of the clubhouse. At the time, I had not had any formal training as a golfer and, had never been around golfers in my life.”
A couple of years later Hobbs started keeping a journal. In it he wrote down all of the details of his golf rounds: about how he played, who he played with, and what was going on in his life. “I plan to turn my three volumes of journals into a book in the near future, hopefully, to help others in their golf journey. Some of my greatest golf accomplishments have been helping other golfers, especially youth, enjoy this great game like I do.” Hobbs has also shared many of his stories and personal encounters with this publication, the African American Golfer’s Digest, glorifying great golfers whom he has met while triumphing professionally in the game. “God is the real reason that I’ve had any success,” he declares.
“I have walked golf courses with high school golfers who did some special things in golf. Such as one young man who went on to win a team college championship at Virginia State. My hope is to see more young African Americans on the PGA and LPGA Tours representing what all the great African American golfers of the past never had a chance to do, to compete on that grand stage. It will take a village to fulfill this accomplishment, but I know it can be done.”
Hobbs has a lot on his plate but he continues to break down his challenges into manageable pieces while continuing to conquer any fears. In the near future, he plans to move to Southern California to continue his journey of golf and life.
