October 17, 2000
It was already a very special autumn day with my cousins Jimmy Slats & Danny Sielatycki joining me at Kalamazoo Country Club for a round of family golf. This was the first, last, and only time that I hosted two of my favorite cousins at my home course. It was a beautiful fall day with the leaves in full color as we strolled down the first fairway as a threesome. The day was perfect.
Hole #2 is a 155 yard masterpiece. As with all par 3's, I pulled my father's Shakespeare Wonder Club 6 iron from my bag, we shared a sip of Jim Beam from the bottle in his honor, toasted the Heavens, and splashed a bit of bourbon on the clubface. Many of you have shared in this tradition with me over the past many years! It's just a way to continue to include my father in my life and a reminder of what a great man he was to so many. John Sielatycki was a world war II veteran with a purple heart who raised a family of 7 with his adoring wife Dolly. He was also a larger than life community icon for his leadership role as a parole officer. He died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack on March 30, 1976.
My Dad's Shakespeare club with it's fiberglass shaft, originally endorsed by Gary Player, is unpredictable at best. However, this time, on this day, the result was "a perfect hit with an imperfect swing" that sent the ball sailing high into the sky. Silence in the cool morning air and a fresh breeze floated the ball towards the front left pin at exactly 11:11am. This "Molitor 3" ball stuck and skipped just past the hole and slowly rolled back. The entire planet was in slow motion as the ball hovered on the edge of the cup before finally disappearing as it collapsed into eternity. Shock and jubilation followed as time stood still. I jumped into the arms of my family with the 6 iron raised towards the heavens. We shared a good family cry on the tee box. It is a moment I will never forget. A kiss to the clubface made it official. My father finally made his hole-in-one.
I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that can only happen from a fathers approval. It had been 24 years since since he died of a massive heart attack when I was only 9 years old. His presence was at this moment in time was palpable. As I drove down the hill toward the green, I realized at that moment that the seat next to me in the golf cart was not empty...for it never had been. Indeed, we found our fourth that day and he has been riding beside us just like he has been for all these many years. My dad would have been 78 years old and that was the score I posted on that fateful day in Kalamazoo with a beautiful and unforgettable 1 on the scorecard.
Tom Sielatycki
Hole #2 is a 155 yard masterpiece. As with all par 3's, I pulled my father's Shakespeare Wonder Club 6 iron from my bag, we shared a sip of Jim Beam from the bottle in his honor, toasted the Heavens, and splashed a bit of bourbon on the clubface. Many of you have shared in this tradition with me over the past many years! It's just a way to continue to include my father in my life and a reminder of what a great man he was to so many. John Sielatycki was a world war II veteran with a purple heart who raised a family of 7 with his adoring wife Dolly. He was also a larger than life community icon for his leadership role as a parole officer. He died suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack on March 30, 1976.
My Dad's Shakespeare club with it's fiberglass shaft, originally endorsed by Gary Player, is unpredictable at best. However, this time, on this day, the result was "a perfect hit with an imperfect swing" that sent the ball sailing high into the sky. Silence in the cool morning air and a fresh breeze floated the ball towards the front left pin at exactly 11:11am. This "Molitor 3" ball stuck and skipped just past the hole and slowly rolled back. The entire planet was in slow motion as the ball hovered on the edge of the cup before finally disappearing as it collapsed into eternity. Shock and jubilation followed as time stood still. I jumped into the arms of my family with the 6 iron raised towards the heavens. We shared a good family cry on the tee box. It is a moment I will never forget. A kiss to the clubface made it official. My father finally made his hole-in-one.
I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that can only happen from a fathers approval. It had been 24 years since since he died of a massive heart attack when I was only 9 years old. His presence was at this moment in time was palpable. As I drove down the hill toward the green, I realized at that moment that the seat next to me in the golf cart was not empty...for it never had been. Indeed, we found our fourth that day and he has been riding beside us just like he has been for all these many years. My dad would have been 78 years old and that was the score I posted on that fateful day in Kalamazoo with a beautiful and unforgettable 1 on the scorecard.
Tom Sielatycki
