Super Seniors getting ready for Greatest Golfer in the Valley tournament

Gary Pollock was about 9 years old when he picked up his first golf club.

Granted, he didn’t know how to use it. And he wasn’t actually playing the game. But it was his start.

Pollock was a spectator to his father and his friends as they golfed. Soon after, Pollock began playing for real. The rest is somewhat ancient history.

“My dad used to take me golfing, and the first time I went was at — and this will show your readers my age — the old Poland Country Club on Youngstown-Poland Road,” he said.

Now 74 and still going strong, Pollock remembers those times on the links with his father. The elder Pollock instilled an appreciation for the game — and a competitive drive — in his son that would last a lifetime.

He’s just one of many area golf veterans who have made it a point to be part of the “Greatest Golfer of the Valley” tournament hosted by The Vindicator and Farmers National Bank. The tournament will be played Sept. 11, 12 and 18 at three Valley courses. It features seven divisions, including Pollock’s Super Seniors division.