Clay County Bulldogs golf head coach Andrew Meadows took a long time to master the sport he now coaches.
Meadows began playing golf in his freshman year. During those beginning years, Meadows said his game was so bad initially, he could barely finish a hole without dropping the ball and getting penalized as a result. Meadows said he got help early on from longtime Clay County golf head coach Betty Jo White.
“She really helped me understand how to make contact, how to become more consistent, and pretty much all aspects of my game,” Meadows said. “She really helped encourage me and helped me believe in myself as much as anything.
Meadows said he bases the advice he teaches the Bulldogs golfers based on those skills he was taught by White. Meadows worked with many mentors throughout his playing career, including White. White coached Meadows and the Clay County Bulldogs before Meadows became an assistant in 2021. Meadows said White set a great example.
“[She] really understood golf is a mental game,” Meadows said. “Sometimes you’re gonna have your best days and it’s important to celebrate that. Sometimes when you’re not having your best days, just keep things in perspective and keep your head up and make sure you don’t let it drag you down too much.”
Meadows said because of what he learned, the mental part of golf is arguably the most important part.
“Golf is not like football where you got a kid that weighs 100 pounds soaking wet going up against a kid that’s 250 pounds and ripped,” Meadows said. “Any kid, any size, can be good at the game as long as they have the right routine, the right work ethic with their practice and discipline and really understand the mental aspect of it.”
Meadows took over the head coaching position at Clay County this season. He will look for his second career appearance in the state tournament.