A Playbook for Golf & Life

“Golf is a metaphor of life. As soon as you assume something’s going to happen, it usually doesn’t. And maybe even the opposite happens.”

– Mike Booker, Texas Golf Association

If anyone knows what it takes to build the type of mindset needed to become a successful competitive golfer, it’s Houston’s Mike Booker. Winner of 14 TGA Championships, a 2019 Texas Golf Hall of Fame inductee, and a collegiate All-American on the late 1970s powerhouse University of Houston golf teams, Booker at age 68 knows exactly what constitutes a tournament golfer.

Or as he would put it, a Tournament Golfer: capital T, capital G.

The four-time Texas Senior Player of the Year recently published his first book. It’s a unique self-help offering for anyone who wants to know how to improve their tournament results and become more successful in their daily lives. It’s called The Tournament Golfer’s Playbook and identifies two very different types of competitive golfers and how becoming one of them can lead to triumph – in tournaments and life itself.

“My book is for players who want to win golf tournaments,” said Booker, who notched his latest triumph at the 2023 South Texas Senior Amateur. You see, Booker believes there are Golfers-Who-Play-Tournaments, and then there are Tournament Golfers. There is about a 700-yard, par-5 gulf between these two types of competitors.

For example, the Golfer-Who-Plays-Tournaments has a list of excuses for poor scores. It was a bad back, or inclement weather, or unlucky lip-outs that kept him from meeting his expectations. The Tournament Golfer, meanwhile, has no such rationalizations. This competitor, Booker notes, is drama-free. He turns in his scorecard without alibis.

Or, as Booker says in his book, “Don’t explain, don’t complain.”

There’s much more to the dichotomy, of course. Booker gets into all of it. The Golfer-Who-Plays-Tournaments has bad habits of getting ahead of themselves, thinking too far into the future (or the past), over-celebrating good shots and getting upset over bad ones.

Booker understands this because he is a Tournament Golfer. He is quick to add, however, that wasn’t always the case. He was a Golfer-Who-Plays-Tournaments for years and years.

There’s a great anecdote early in the book about when he was 16 years old and advanced to the semifinals of the California Junior Match Play Championship. He faced one of the top-ranked juniors in the state, future U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson. Booker took a quick lead – Simpson duck-hooked tee balls out of bounds on the first two holes – and he started thinking about who he’d face in the finals.

Cut to the end, Simpson won 3&2. Even as a teenager, Simpson displayed winning characteristics even when he was 2 down. No alibis.

“Scott was a Tournament Golfer, and I had no idea what had just happened to me,” Booker said. “It would take me over a decade to understand what he – and many other Tournament Golfers I encountered – possessed that I did not. In my book, I detail how the reader can become a Tournament Golfer and stop being just a Golfer-Who-Plays-Tournaments.”

Published in January, The Tournament Golfer’s Playbook debuted at #1 on Amazon’s New Release list. It also made it to #1 on Amazon’s Best Seller list in February. It’s stuffed full of the kind of advice, anecdotes, and insider information every serious golfer needs.

It’s more than that, though. At the end of each chapter, Booker gives readers a “Life Hack” that relates how becoming a Tournament Golfer also can help them succeed in life off the golf course.

The chapter about “Taking Responsibility” illuminates why and how the Tournament Golfer benefits from owning up for their actions on the golf course.

“Taking responsibility gives the player true freedom,” Booker said. “Everyone in life and business makes mistakes. The Tournament Golfer attitude calls for us to take responsibility: own (the mistake), fix it, and eliminate it.”

This new book is just the latest way Booker has given back to golf. Mike and his wife, Pat, founded the Booker Family Foundation that supports a wide array of worthy causes, including the TGA’s Youth on Course program that allows juniors to play for $5 or less at select courses across the state.

A melanoma skin cancer survivor himself, Booker’s foundation has raised more than $1 million for the Booker Melanoma Research Endowment for UT/MD Anderson to help eradicate the disease. He and Pat are Trustees for The First Tee, and ardent supporters of the University of Houston golf program. They funded the UH short game area at the Golf Club of Houston, the home course for Mike’s alma mater, the UH Men’s & Women’s Golf Teams.

Now he can add author to his impressive list of accomplishments. Once you read  The Tournament Golfer’s Playbook, you might start adding successful bullet points to your lists, too.

For more information or to order the book,  click here. To read an excerpt from  The Tournament Golfer’s Playbook,  click here.

Mike Booker Wins South Senior Amateur; Charles Reeve Wins Super Senior Amateur

Briefly: Houston’s Mike Booker claims his 5^th South Senior Amateur title with a final round 2-under par 69 to finish at 2-under par for the tournament, two shots ahead of Ron Byrd and Terrence Miskell. Booker, a Texas Golf Hall of Famer, recorded his 14^th Texas Golf Association victory in his decorated career.

After a one hour delay, Charles Reeve won the Super Senior Division in a playoff at 4-over par 146 against Steve Moran. Reeve and Moran played one hole in the playoff before lightning in the area forced the delay. On the second playoff hole, number 18, Reeve made birdie.

Final Results

Golf Course: Gus Wortham Park Golf Course traces back over 100 years to when it opened in 1908 as the original site of Houston Country Club. The 6,388-yard, par-71 course, which has been owned by the City of Houston since 1973, was completely renovated and modernized in 2019 by the architectural firm of Finger Dye Spann, Inc. The historic venue also hosts the Houston City Amateur and City Senior Amateur every fall.

Weather: Tuesday’s opening round of the South Senior Amateur welcomed the players with overcast skies and gusty winds out of the south. Tuesday’s high reached into the low 80’s. Wednesday once again saw gusty winds and scattered afternoon showers.

Top Finishers: Booker, a four-time TGA Senior Player of the Year, and a past South Regional Player of the Year, recorded five birdies in the final after posting five birdies in his opening round of even par 71. Booker first won this event in 2012 and then went back-to-back in 2016 and 2017, and defended his title once again following his victory last year at Beaumont Country Club.

Byrd, of The Woodlands, posted back-to-back rounds of even par 71, while Miskell, of New Braunfels, followed up his opening round 1-under par 70 with a final round of 1-over par 72.

Finishing in a tie for fourth place at 1-over par 143 were Kurtis Lilley and John Pierce, of Cypress and San Antonio, respectively.

Super Senior Division: Reeve, of Houston, played consistent golf over the two days with back-to-back rounds of 2-over par 73. Moran, the reigning Houston City Senior Amateur (Super Senior Division) followed up his opening round 4-over par 75 with an even par round of 71 to force the playoff.

Richmond’s Wayne Hollingsworth finished in solo third after following up his opening round 77 with a final round 76 to post 11-over 153. Three players finished in a tie for fourth at 12-over par 154; Kent Samuel of The Woodlands, Thomas Rahlfs and Rick Turner, both of Houston.

Regional POY: South Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top finishers at the 2023 South Senior Amateur. The winning player in each division will receive 500 points, followed by 400 for second, 300 for third, 200 for fourth, and 100 for fifth. For Regional POY information, click here.

What’s Next: The next event in the Regional Series will be the 95^th West Texas Amateur at Diamondback Golf Club in Abilene. Registration is open to players from all over Texas and will open on May 24^th and the event will have three divisions – Open, Senior and Super Senior. The final event in the South Regional Series will be the South Amateur held at The Wilderness Golf Club in Lake Jackson. Registration for the South Amateur will open on June 14^th.

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff, members of Gus Wortham Park Golf Course, our volunteers, and the Houston Golf Association for their integral part in making the South Senior Amateur a memorable and successful event. For more information on the South Senior Amateur, click here.

Regional Senior Amateurs Set for April 3-5

The Texas Golf Association’s 2023 men’s regional tournament series rolls on in the first week of April with the back-to-back playing of the North and South Senior Amateurs.

The North Senior Amateur will be held April 3-4 at Whitestone Golf Club in Benbrook, while the South Senior Amateur will be contested April 4-5 at Gus Wortham Park Golf Course in Houston.

Located about 12 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Whitestone Golf Club opened in 2000 and is a design collaboration between Jeff Brauer and Jay Morrish. Set on 150 acres of beautiful rolling land, the par-72 layout plays just over 6,450 yards from the middle set of tees. Gus Wortham Park Golf Course traces back over 100 years to when it opened in 1908 as the original site of Houston Country Club. The 6,388-yard, par-71 course, which has been owned by the City of Houston since 1973, was completely renovated and modernized in 2019 by the architectural firm of Finger Dye Spann, Inc.

First played in 2003, the Regional Senior Amateurs feature two age divisions: 55 and older (Senior) and 65 and older (Super Senior). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who meet the age requirements by the first round of tournament play, have an up-to-date WHS Handicap Index® not exceeding 8.4 (10.0 for Super Senior) issued through a member club of the TGA, and reside in the region relative to their respective championship. The delineation between the North and South regions is the 31st parallel in Salado.

Both championships are conducted using the same competitive format. The starting field of 84 players (60 Seniors, 24 Super Seniors) will play 36 holes of individual stroke play over two days with no cut. Each age division will compete from different tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized. Players who are 65 and older can opt to compete in the Senior Division at the time an entry form is submitted. The top 15 finishers and ties in the Senior Division, regardless of age, will earn exemptions into this year’s Texas Senior Amateur to be held Sept. 8-10 at Amarillo Country Club.

Starting times and pairings for the first round of both championships will be posted online the TGA website no later than March 31. Live scoring updates and daily recaps will also be available online once the action gets underway from Whitestone Golf Club and Gus Wortham Park Golf Course.

At the 2022 championships, Mike Booker of Houston secured his fifth overall South Senior Amateur title with a 36-hole total of 5-over-par 147 at Beaumont Country Club. Mike Vacek of Weimar finished at 8-over 150 to win the Super Senior Division for the second straight year. Neal Barfield of Dallas won the North Senior Amateur with rounds of 73-71 (+4) over 36 holes at The Golf Club of Dallas. Jim Quinn of Arlington took home the honors in the Super Senior Division with a 3-over 143 total.

Booker and Vacek Win at South Senior Amateur

Briefly: Mike Booker overcomes a four shot deficit to win the 2022 South Senior Amateur. Booker started his final round tied for 16th place and charged up the leaderboard with a final round score of even par 71. Similar to Booker, Mike Vacek also overcame a four shot deficit to win the Super Senior Division. Vacek started his final round tied for 7th.
Leaderboard:
Senior Division
1. Mike Booker +5 147
T2. Kurtis Lilley +7 149
T2. Jed Shreve +7 149
T4. Bill Shock +8 150
T4. Todd Lacoste +8 150
T4. Bobby Baugh +8 150

Super Senior Division
1. Mike Vacek +8 150
T2. Alan Fama +12 154
T2. Kent Samuel +12 154

Final Results
Golf Course: Beaumont Country Club was established in 1906 and is one of the five founding member clubs of the TGA. The course was originally designed by Alex Findlay and opened for play the following year. Baxter Spann supervised a $2 million dollar renovation of the course in 2004. The par 71 golf course tips out at 6703 yards and tests all facets of a players game. The senior division played from roughly 6,300 yards whereas the super senior division played from roughly 6,000 yards.
Weather: Wednesday’s first round started with overcast conditions and high winds as a storm swept across the state of Texas. After a two and a half hour delay and a half inch of rain the sky cleared up for an afternoon of blue skies and temperatures in the 80’s. For Thursday’s second round the wind calmed down and players saw a high of 75 degress.
Winner’s Info: Mike Booker of Houston won the 2022 South Senior Amateur Senior Division with a 36 hole total of 147. This is Booker’s 4th South Senior Amateur title previously winning in 2012, 2016, 2017 and now in 2022. Mike Vacek of Weimar won the Super Senior Division with a score of 150. Vacek defended his 2021 Super Senior division title which was won at Kissing Tree Golf Club in April of last year.
In Contention: Finishing tied for second in the Super Senior Division was round one leader Alan Fama of Houston and Kent Samuel of The Woodlands. Both players finished four strokes behind first place. In the Senior Division Kurtis Lilley of Cypress and Jed Shreve of The Woodlands finished two strokes behind Booker in a tie for second. One stroke behind second place was a three way tie for fourth. The tie included Bill Shock of Houston, Todd Lacoste of Austin, and Bobby Baugh of San Antonio.
What’s Next: Next up in the south regional series is the South Amateur which will be held at Victoria Country Club August 5-7. For more information click here.
More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Beaumont Country Club, the city of Beaumont, and our volunteers for their integral part in making the South Senior Amateur a memorable and successful event. For more information on the South Senior Amateur, CLICK HERE.

TGA Regional Senior Amateurs Set for March 30-April 6

The Texas Golf Association’s 2022 Regional Championship Series continues with the back-to-back playing of the North and South Senior Amateurs.

First up is the South Senior Amateur to be held March 30-31 at Beaumont Country Club. The North Senior Amateur will be contested April 5-6 at The Golf Club of Dallas.

Beaumont Country Club was established in 1906 and is one of the five founding member clubs of the TGA. The course was originally designed by Alex Findlay and opened for play the following year. Baxter Spann supervised a $2 million dollar renovation of the course in 2004. The Golf Club of Dallas opened for play in 1953 and was designed by the father-son team of Perry and Press Maxwell. The course was renovated in 2002 by past Masters champion Charles Coody.

First played in 2003, the Regional Senior Amateurs feature two age divisions: 55 and older (Senior) and 65 and older (Super Senior). Entries are open to male amateur golfers who meet the age requirements by the first round of tournament play, belong to a TGA Member Club, have a World Handicap System Index of 8.4 or less (10.0 or less for Super Senior), and reside in the region relative to their respective championship. The TGA uses the 31st parallel in Salado as the delineation between the North and South regions.

The format for both events is 36 holes of individual stroke play. Each age division competes from different tees and yardages, with a separate champion recognized. Players who are 65 and older can opt to compete in the Senior Division at the time an entry form is submitted. The top 15 finishers and ties in the Senior Division, regardless of age, will earn exemptions into this year’s Texas Senior Amateur.

Live scoring updates, daily recaps, as well as tee-times and pairings, will be available on the website once the action gets underway from Beaumont Country Club and The Golf Club of Dallas.

At the 2021 championships, Dave Davis of Saginaw secured his third North Senior Amateur title with a victory on the second playoff hole over John Derrick of Waco. The two finished regulation play tied at 2-under-par 142 at Wildhorse Golf Club in Denton. Gary Kirwan of McKinney also won the Super Senior Division for a third time by besting two-time overall champion John Grace of Fort Worth in a three-hole playoff. Both players finished 36 holes at 147 (+3). David Ortego of Spring carded rounds of 67-70 (-7) to capture the South Senior Amateur at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos. Ortego also won the event in 2015. Mike Vacek of Weimar finished at 146 (+2) to win the Super Senior Division.

David Ortego & Mike Vacek Win South Senior Amateur

SAN MARCOS – After taking a first round lead by one stroke, David Ortego, Spring, walked up to 18 tee in a tie with Mike Booker, Houston, for the Senior Division of the South Senior Amateur at Kissing Tree Golf Club. Ortego bridied the closing hole to finish two-under par 70 on the day, and seven-under par for the tournament. Booker climbed up the leaderboard after shooting six-under par 65 for the final round following his one-over par 73 during Monday’s first round. In the Super Senior Division, Weimar’s Mike Vacek was able to find his way atop the leaderboard with a final round even-par 72. Monday’s first round leader, Chuck Ellenwood, Fair Oaks Ranch, shot four-over par 76 on Tuesday, and four-over par for the tournament to finish in third behind Kent Samuel, The Woodlands, who finished his second round two-over par 74, and three-over par over the two-day tournament.

LEADERBOARD

Senior Division

1.) David Ortego, Spring                                       67-70 – 137

2.) Mike Booker, Houston                                     73-65 – 138

3.) John Pierce, San Antonio                               69-70 – 139

4.) Andrew Hydorn, Houston                               69-73 – 142

5.) Scott Smith, Houston                                        71-73 – 144

Super Senior Division

1.) Mike Vacek, Weimar                                        74-72 – 146

2.) Kent Samuel, The Woodlands                         73-74 – 147

3.) Chuck Ellenwood, Fair Oaks Ranch              72-76 – 148

T-4.) David Pocknall, Katy                                     74-75 – 149

T-4.) David Wagner, Fair Oaks Ranch                74-75 – 149

FULL LEADERBOARD

Top Finishers – David Ortego, who won the South Senior Amateur (Senior Division) back in 2015 Woodforest Golf Club, was able to hold off the strong, late push from two-time champion Mike Booker. San Antonio’s John Pierce played consistent, under-par golf in each round to finish at five-under par and one stroke behind Booker. Andrew Hydorn and Scott Smith, both of Houston, rounded out the top-five at two-under par and even-par for the tournament. The Super Senior Division also had a close finish with Mike Vacek besting Kent Samuel by one stroke. Round one leader, Chuck Ellenwood, ended the day in third, while David Pocknall, Katy, and David Wagner, Fair Oaks Ranch, came in at a tie for fourth, each at five over-par.

Weather: Monday’s first round started cool and with a two-hour delay due to dense fog covering the course, but by early in the afternoon, the sun shined and brought the temperate up to a high of 80 degrees. The second round began calm in the high-60s with mostly overcast skies that took a quick turn to sunny and a high of 84 degrees. Consistent wind of about 15 mph became an added challenge for the field, especially when gusts upwards of 32 mph came howling through as groups were playing their last few holes.

Host Course: Designed by local Texan, Gary Stephenson, Kissing Tree Golf Club is a semi-private 18-hole golf course set on the banks of the Texas Hill Country. The course opened in October of 2018, and each hole provides an extension of the natural landscape – blending grades of edges, slopes and contours of the landscape into its striped fairways and angulated greens.

Next Up: The South Regional Series next event will be at the South Four-Ball at Quail Valley Golf Course in Missouri City on April 22-23.