This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
10/07/2014 12:00 AMThe challenge of grasping golf is what really drew Austin Hall to the game, but for his first year in a new clubhouse, the links man had a sizzling summer and narrowly missed dethroning a reigning champion by mere strokes.
The Madison resident and North Branford High School alum was able to play golf in a class while working toward his physical education sports management degree at Eastern Connecticut State University before signing up as a member at the Alling Memorial Golf Club in New Haven at the age of 21. On Aug. 10, to cap off his rookie summer with the Shoreline Golf Society, Austin finished second in the league's club championship by shooting a 164 for the 36-hole tournament.
"We did 36 holes at Lyman Orchard and started in the early morning on the Players Course and I shot an 84 there," says Austin, who came in runner-up to North Branford resident and defending title-holder Mike Rowan (160). "I was in the last group with Mike and then we played on the Jones Course for the afternoon session, where I shot an 84. It was hot out there that day, but it was still a great group to play with, and we have great people involved with the tournaments all the time."
Growing up around the North Branford and Branford area, Austin had plenty of early exposure to the greens, yet it was his time around veteran players that helped him become a more seasoned golfer.
"We had a driving range down the street in Branford, where we hit buckets of balls, but then we would also go to Twin Lakes in North Branford," Austin says. "I did some matches at Alling to get me going and that was really where I learned the game. I played there a lot and the older players taught me a lot."
While golf didn't start out as a welcoming activity to Austin, he explains that the camaraderie between friends and the appreciation of the surroundings can make anyone an instant fan.
"What drew me to golf was that it was hard at first, which made me want to do better and try harder because other sports came easier to me," says Austin. "I've met some great people and friends through golf. It's four hours where it's you versus the course and/or your other friends."
One of Austin's colleagues is Greg Shipp, who says that it really wasn't much of a task to convince Austin to join the Shoreline league as he could see Austin was an enthusiast at first sight.
"It wasn't hard to get Austin to join because he's crazy competitive so he jumped at the chance of playing competitive golf," says Shipp. "I met him when he was coaching my son's tee-ball team and I saw him with a Titleist hat on so I knew he loved golf. He fits the bill of what the league is looking for in its players."
For a league rookie, Austin feels quite pleased with his postseason performance, although his competitive drive is now ready to kick in and help him reach a spot on the top of the leaderboard in 2015. More importantly, he is gracious for the experience of being in this swinging Shoreline society.
"It is nice to finish second to a guy who's now won it two years in a row for your first year, but it definitely makes me want to play better and practice more," Austin says. "I'm going to focus on my short game and limit the bad holes as I played some of my best golf this year because of chipping and putting. I love playing with different people here all the time, plus playing in tournaments where every stroke counts makes you a better player. I and the rest of the players are also thankful for the league board and the effort they put in."