Jump to content
Check out the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
  • entries
    33
  • comments
    309
  • views
    24,631

Uncle Don


CarlSpackler

3,547 views

I want to take a moment to talk about my uncle Don. He is the guy who gave me my first swing lesson at a very young age. We were having a family cookout, and I had grabbed one of my days irons and was swinging it in the yard. He came over and showed me some things. I don't think my mother was too happy with him when I started making divots in her well manicured turf. This led to taking a few of my dad's "smiled" golf balls to the park up the street and hitting them back and forth every day. I would occasionally get invited to tag along with my dad, grandpa, and uncle at the nearby goat track. I killed a lot of worms at that place, but the occasional great shot (relatively speaking) wet my appetite for the game like nothing else. I wanted more and more.

Uncle Don passed away yesterday. He was one of the calmest, coolest people I have ever know. I have never seen him get upset over anything. When he would hit a bad shot, which wasn't too often, he would simply say, "Hmmmm." and play his next shot. What I wouldn't give for another round at that goat track (now closed permanently) with those guys. I imagine he has already played a round or two with my grandpa on the great golf course in the sky.

  • Like 6
  • Upvote 2

3 Comments


Recommended Comments

mclaren4life

Posted

That was a very nice and touching bit. Sorry for your loss and I’m sure he’s hitting all the fairways up there. I wish I would have learned the game at an early age. I made sure to expose my son to it and luckily he loves it and we spend a lot of good times on the course. Nothing like the joy of two friends putting a circle on a scorecard for the same hole. 

  • Like 1
bkuehn1952

Posted

Nice tribute to a good man.

ChetlovesMer

Posted

Great tribute, Carl. 

We should all be so lucky as to have had an Uncle Don in our lives. 

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • Blog Entries

  • Posts

    • Mostly pull cuts to slices. Some random pull draw/hooks pending of I hit the toe. 
    • What's the rest of that story? Where was the ball going?
    • The criticisms are starting already 🤣 U.S. Open pro criticizes Shinnecock green conditions: 'Bumpy' After playing his first practice round at the 2026 U.S. Open, Michael Kim offered a less-than-glowing review of Shinnecock's "bumpy" greens.   The sand, I don't care about that. If the greens didn't come back as well for latest aerification, that would be a bit of a blunder on Shinnecock I think.   
    • Well, if your frame of reference spins twice during the swing, then Bryson's ab/adduction is more like 780 degrees so there! (Yes I'm being silly, but not sure it's any sillier than what your pal Andy is doing...)
    • Update: Brandon Sorsby has decided to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft. He will not play for Texas Tech in the upcoming season.  From my perspective, I think he did the right thing. I hope he gets the correct help for his gambling addiction. I say the right thing, because I would be worried that the stress from all of this now and throughout the entire year would not be beneficial towards his mental health.  If an NFL team picks him up, then there really isn't any pressure for him to play immediately. He can work on himself and his game for the NFL.  From Texas Tech,  "Texas Tech will continue to provide the support and recovery resources Brendan requires on this journey. Furthermore, Texas Tech will not seek return of any amounts already paid to Brendan through his NIL agreements with the University," Campbell wrote. "We wish our best to Brendan, and we offer our prayers to him and his family as he chases his dreams at the next level. This has been an unbelievably painful experience for us all, but I know that his true, underlying character and lessons learned through this experience will ultimately bring him great success on the field of play and in life." Which, I also the right thing to do.   
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.