We lost a very dear friend of our family's this week, Mr. Bobby Nichols. Bobby was the owner and course designer of Ironwood Golf Course in Cookeville (where our family is a member of), as well as the 30+ year coach of the Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagle men and women golf teams. Bobby had been fighting a nine month battle with cancer.
Bobby was, as he had joked about before "a fine specimen of a human being". He was a devoted, spiritual, and true person and friend to many people. I was fortunate at a young age, to be enrolled in one of his golf clinics at Ironwood. Then I persuaded my parents to pay for private lessons from him, because if anyone could teach ANYONE how to play golf, Bobby could do it. Instantly, my family fell in love with him. He was warm, caring, and very patient, especially with a new beginner whom was resistant to even play golf because of my love of softball. However, the more I was around him, the more I became inspired. He was that type of person. Not only did he teach me how to play golf, but at the same time, he taught life lessons. He became a family friend to us, and more accurately he became a part of the family. When I started playing for the high school golf team, he would help me practice, and in return, I would help him practice for his upcoming tournaments. It was nothing to have dinner with him a couple of times a week, whether it was going out to a restaurant, eating take out at the course, or coming over to our house for his favorite meal, homemade vegetable soup.
When it was time for me to go to college, Bobby offered me a partial scholarship at TTU. Looking back, I think he did it because he was so close to the family. I wasn't that good of a golfer to play for TTU. I decided to go with a smaller school, and also too, could not fathom practicing golf for the required 20 hours per week that he made the golf teams do. He supported my decision, and told me that I would have a home if I ever decided to come back. A couple of years later, he was true to his word, and gave me a spot on the TTU team to come to when I was ready to leave
Bobby was an outstanding person, the kind that anyone should and most times would look up to. He was so much more than a golf coach, or a PGA professional. In my opinion, he was an angel sent down to touch thousands of lives with his actions and words of inspiration, and taken all too quickly, to begin more important work, God's ultimate plan.
I guess I can count myself fortunate that in a way, I got to say goodbye. Jeff and I took Reecie out to the course to visit him a few weeks ago, and he had a blast with her. I will never forget that he was talking to her about how he was going to teach her to be a great golfer, and no doubt he would have. Now, she will just have to settle for that little angel sitting on her shoulder before choosing which club to hit.
Bobby will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. He is playing the game of eternity now with the greats that he was worthy of here. Watch out Ben Hogan......I think you may have met your match!
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