Kaua‘i Junior Golf Pro: For the love of the game

When Kaua‘i High School senior Shelcie Takenouchi swung her first golf club at the tender age of nine, little did the Kaua‘i junior golfer know just how far she would come. Two consecutive Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association 15-18 yr. Old Girls’ “Player of the Year” awards, two PGA Grand Slams, and countless accolades later, the K.I.F. champion reflects on her nine years as a junior golfer and anticipates the future of her golfing career.

Taren Fujimoto: Who or what inspired you to play golf?

Shelcie Takenouchi: I didn’t really have an inspiration to start playing golf, what got me started was my brother and my father, who both played golf and the fact that my brother was on the [Kaua‘i] High School golf team. When I was younger, they used to practice on the weekends and being that I never wanted to stay home with my mom so I would accompany them to the driving range. One day my dad decided to bring a junior set [of golf clubs] so I could practice with them. As soon as I started I really liked it. My dad signed me up for the Kauai junior golf program, and the rest is history.

TF: Although you began playing golf through the Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association, at what age did you start to compete?

ST: I started to compete about two years after joining junior golf, so when I was about eleven years old or so.

TF: What was your most memorable moment as a junior golfer?

ST: Actually, there are two moments in particular that stand out in my mind as the most memorable, which are when I won the Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association 15-18 yr. old Girls’ “Player of the Year” awards. Both times were totally unexpected because we are named player of the year based on an accumulation of points throughout the year and I was really close in points with two other girls. Of course the players do not keep track of their points, Kauai Junior Golf does. When I won the awards last year and this year, I was very excited because that meant I would be able to play in the ProAm at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

TF: Being that the annual PGA Grand Slam of Golf is an integral part of the junior golf program and considering the fact that you were given the opportunity to play in the ProAm last year as well as this year, could you please describe what the PGA Grand Slam was like for you this year in comparison to last year?

ST: Well this year, I was a lot more excited to go because of the caliber of the players. Phil Mikelson, who has always been my favorite player, was here. I also like Retief Goosen, he’s a really good player. And although I don’t care too much for Vijay [Singh], he is the number one player in the world right now so who wouldn’t want to meet the number one player. I was very excited for the Grand Slarn because this might be my last year that I get to play in the ProAm. Even if I do win the “Player of the Year” award again, I might not be able to come back because I’ll be away at college. Since it will most likely be my last year, I made it a point to “savor the moment” whereas last year I just thought of it as a good experience that I knew that I would at least have the chance to come back again. Also, last year I got to play with Mike Weir and that was cool because he’s a really good guy. Both years were lots of fun, but this year they gave us awesome prizes, it was better than last year. We got Scotty Cameron putters (which range from $200 and up), Foot Joy golf shoes, rain jackets, huge duffel bags, shoe bags, umbrellas, and lots of other great prizes.

TF: While you have been playing the sport you love for the last nine years, were there any times where you felt like giving up the game entirely, or at least taking a break from it?

ST: Of course, there were a lot of incidents where I felt like I wanted to quit and I questioned whether or not this was the sport I wanted to pursue. Before golf, I was active in swimming, I played a little basketball, and I was in gymnastics so I had to make the conscious decision to give all of that up for golf when I was about twelve or thirteen year old. There were other instances especially during the summer months of competition, where I had to devote so much time to practicing and every once in a while it became frustrating, especially after a loss, because it seemed like all of the practice that I was putting into the game was of no use. Of course after any loss you become discouraged and for me, I would always resort to thinking about what would have happen had I continued a team sport like basketball. I think those moments were indicators that I needed to take a break, start slowing down, and ease up on the amount of time spent practicing. The K.I.F. golf season is long and rigorous, from January till May we practice everyday, even on the weekends. We continue to play golf into the summer months, competing from June to August. So from September to December is when we have time to rest, which is similar for most golfers, including the pros who have been through their own rigorous schedules.

TF: Where would you be without the Kaua‘i junior golf program?

ST: Where would I be without junior golf (Laughs). I would most likely be playing another sport. In actuality without the junior golf program, I would not have had all of the opportunities available to me, like playing in the PGA Grand Slam which is just an awesome experience. Golf, as a sport opens many doors for the youth golfers, especially for the girls because unlike any other sport, which may require a certain height or size, golf relies on talent and athletic background. I also got to meet a lot of influential people in the golf world, namely the pros who participated in the PGA Grand Slam. From the little things, such as all of the great prizes we receive at the PGA Grand Slam, to the big things, meeting the professionals whom you look up to, the Kauai junior golf program has always opened up so many great opportunities for me.

TF: With all of the great opportunities made available to you through the Kaua‘i junior golf program, as you are heading off to college in the fall of next year, do intend to still pursue golf? And at what college?

ST: Well, I hope to. Ever since I was a freshman in high school, my dream was to play golf in college but as I grew older, I got to see for myself how most of my friends who went off to college and played golf there did not have the easiest time balancing practice time with their academics. In the case that a golf scholarship does come my way, then I will definitely look into it because golf is something that I have been doing practically all of my life and I love it. But if I either don’t end up getting a scholarship or if a coach doesn’t want to recruit me, then that’s fine too because I’ve been golfing all these years and I can understand how it’s going to be tough for me to do both in college. However, my dream school has always been USC and they also have an awesome golf program there, as well as academics. I actually got a chance to talk with the coach and she was really nice. USC is really concerned with getting their students out in four years and are really supportive of their student athletes.

TF: As far as you’re concerned, do you think there might be a chance that you would want to turn pro?

ST: Actually, no. (Laughs). Ever since I started golfing, I’ve never ever had the desire to turn

professional and be on tour, because I could never imagine myself traveling so much, so many days out of the year. Also, as much as I love golf, I couldn’t imagine myself practicing five hours every single day. I’ve considered being a golf professional who strictly teaches the game of golf, but you have to major in something special for that, it’s called the PGM program and I wanted to do something a little bit different than that. I am not really interested in participating in that program, but I figured that I could go into public relations or marketing so that when I graduate I could do something in golf, but not to the extent of a professional golfer.

TF: Is there anyone in particular, besides your family, of course, whom you would like to extend your heartfelt gratitude to?

ST: Well, of course there are my coaches. I have a swing coach, which I have had for about two or three years now and his name is Glenn Tamagawa. He’s always been there for me whenever I need a quick lesson, to prepare for an upcoming tournament, or just need him to look at my swing to make small refinements. I can just call him up the day before and he’ll make time for us to practice. He also helps me to prepare for the game mentally and physically, making sure that he prepares me also for the unexpected, and of course he’s always getting on me to run. Overall, he’s just a really great person. I’ve had a few coaches in my life, but he’s the one coach that I feel I can really relate to when he teaches me. He never ever gets upset or frustrated about anything either. And of course Kellie Pleas, who has been coaching our Girls’ high school team for the past three years. She’s helped me as far as learning how to be a part of a team. Ordinarily, golf is an individual sport, but at the high school level we do have teams, but sometimes people win loose sight of the fact that it is a team sport, so that’s where she comes in. Last year being that I was one of the older people on the team, to be mature about situations and that carries over to when I am at a competition where every girl is competing for herself, I go out and wish them luck and congratulate them about their score.

TF: Do you have any advice for those of the younger generation who wish to pursue golf through the Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association?

ST: It seems that kids these days are starting to get into golf at a younger age. I see a lot of four year olds, or actually even younger children out on the driving range. The multitude of young players amazes me. It’s great to start golf at a young age, especially through the Kauai Junior Golf program, but a word of advice for the parents of the aspiring young golfers. They need to make sure to not push their children into playing the game because a lot of kids who start at a very young age become “burnt out” and tend loose all interest in the sport by the time they’re in high school, which are the best years for golf, on a high school team.

The best way to start a child in the sport is to take them out to a driving range, let them take a couple of lessons or tag along with their parents (like how I got started) and if they are still interested in it, then they should pursue it, based strictly on their interest and eventual love of the game.