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Competitive banter about golf enlivens dinner table in Girard home
The greatest golfer of the valley presented by farmers national bank is in its third year of competition. play tees of Friday morning at mill Creek and continues all day. round two is saturday at youngstown, tippecanoe and trumbull country clubs. the finalists tee it up sunday at The lake club. there is no charge at any venue for the community to enjoy watching 250 of the valley’s top golfers compete. all tee times are on vindy.com/golf
By Ryan W. BUCK
GIRARD
The ominous skies of a recent rain-soaked afternoon, considered unplayable in the golf community, were not enough to dampen the competitive fire within one of the Mahoning Valley’s most spirited golfing families.
As Rod Cook, his wife, Jean, and children, Abby and Greg, gathered around their dinner table to chat about their competitiveness and their participation in this week’s Greatest Golfer of the Valley tourney presented by Farmer’s National Bank, Rod slyly and happily slid a scorecard across the table. It read:
Rod: 76
Greg: 79
Abby: 84
The room burst into laughter.
“That was probably when I had my poison ivy on my legs,” said Greg, 28.
Abby, 30, immediately denied Rod’s claim that his victory that day was a usual occurrence. She noted that she had defeated her father earlier in the season, but he tossed their scorecard out the car window.
Such is the competitive banter throughout the Cook house when the topic turns to the family trips to the numerous golf courses across the Mahoning Valley.
Their interest in the game can be traced back to Rod.
An electrical engineer who excelled in track and cross country at Warren JFK, Rod began golfing in his late 20s. His interest escalated once his children picked up the clubs and joined him.
“I enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun. Nothing I enjoy more than four hours with my kids and beating their butts,” he said.
“We have fun on the golf course,” he said.
Spurred on by his family and work buddies, Rod will be competing in his first Greatest Golfer tournament Friday and vying for a shot at the Men’s 10-14 Handicap title.
Greg, who followed his father into engineering, played basketball and baseball in high school and took to golf as well.
“I picked up on it a little quickly and I’m pretty competitive,” he said. “It’s a game where you can compete against yourself pretty easily, and next time, you always want to do a little better, a little better …”
The Girard High graduate emerged as a fan favorite during his 2011 third-place finish in the Men’s Open division. His hat on backwards, towering drives, penchant for using his shirt as a ball rag, and boisterous gallery of friends led fans into coining him the event’s “Happy Gilmore.”
“Usually when I golf, I wear something like this,” he said, pointing to his wardrobe. “Shorts with pockets, inside-out T-shirt, the high black socks, and I usually wear a sleeve on my head, like a head band. It’s catching on.
“I’m just out there hittin’ it.”
Like her father and brother, Abby is a gifted athlete, having played basketball in college. Leading up to her second Greatest Golfer appearance, she’s concentrated on golf more than ever.
“I just kind of got into it really last year on a regular basis,” said Abby, who will play in the Women’s 9+ handicap division. “I played in a league for the first time last summer and then this summer. This is really my second year playing a lot.”
Christina, the youngest sibling, lives and works in Chicago. Jean thinks she has what it takes to be a good golfer as well.
While not a player herself, Jean is a supportive wife and mother who mediates the “golf talk” at their home. She’ll be keeping close tabs on her husband and children as play progresses throughout the weekend on five area courses — Mill Creek on Friday, Youngstown, Tippecanoe and Trumbull country clubs on Saturday, and The Lake Club on Sunday.
“I’m the only one who doesn’t play very much or have a set of clubs or shoes, and I really don’t care,” she laughed. “But I do enjoy watching them.”
As talented and driven as each of them is, the Cooks enjoy golf for the pleasures in spending time with each other as much as the friendly competition.
“I think it’s a great way to bond with your family,” Abby said, “and just a great way to spend time and have fun together.”
For continuing tournament coverage, see vindy.com/golf and on Twitter@ vindygreatest.