"I'll still play golf - and not be so bitchy," North Otago golf professional Bruce Tourell jokes about his retirement.
Well-known to golfers from Waimate to Kaitangata to Twizel, Mr Tourell (65) will finish as the North Otago professional on June 30, although the shop at the North Otago club will continue in a limited form, run by assistant Julia Knight.
Until he became the North Otago professional in August 1996, Mr Tourell had varied professions, but the position in Oamaru was the one that fulfilled his love of golf.
During his time in North Otago, he has outfitted and coached thousands of golfers, but one of the highlights has been his involvement with fostering junior golfers.
"I've watched a lot of them come through from beginners as golfers into representative teams and some have even become professionals," he said.
That interest in junior golf goes back to his early days as a player including, while a teenager, teaching golf to juniors in South Otago through the Junior Golf Foundation, taking over from his father, Ray.
He started playing golf in the mid-1950s - "because my mum and dad played".
In his amateur career he was selected once for the Otago junior team, then in Otago teams for the South Island Invitational.
His biggest success at a representative level was with 40 Otago Freyberg Masters teams, including in 1989 when it became the only Otago team to win the South Island title.
Another achievement was winning the Otago matchplay title in 1991 at 45, and he has been told he is still the oldest player to do that.
But his days as an amateur golfer came to an end when he became the professional at North Otago. Prior to that he became a carpenter upon leaving school and worked at Telford before taking over the family farm.
He had been approached twice to apply for the job but for family reasons could not do so. The third time, he decided to sell his glass repair and picture-framing business in Balclutha (which also stocked golf gear) and take the job.
"I've never regretted it. They are not a bad bunch of people here," he said with a laugh.
One of the things he was looking forward to after his retirement was not having to work seven days a week and being able to play more golf. He said the job had been made easier by his wife, Kay, and Mrs Knight looking after the pro shop so he could play golf on Thursday and Saturday afternoons, or travel to some tournaments.
GOLF TIPS
Bruce's top three golf tips.
- 1. For slicers (99% of golfers), you must see the first three knuckles of your left hand (if right-handed) when looking straight down.
- 2. Start your down swing with your hips.
- 3. "And watch the bloody ball".
