Kevin Burnett-Whalley tee1up golf society secretary

Kevin Burnett-Whalley aka Legoman

I am well over 40 and was born 8th September 1958 in Purbrook Hampshire. I have lived on the south coast for all my life. I am very lucky to be married to an understanding wife Connie and have three lovely children Rachael, Sam and Reece we are now living near Southampton . I have another daughter Caroline who has a son called Jack, so I am a granddad too.
I started playing golf in 1972 just after Portsmouth golf club at Crookhorn was built across the road from my parents house. At that time the club was trying to encourage new players to use the course, so a few of us got together and hired a set of golf clubs and tried to play a round. I can remember swinging at the ball and missing more times than I managed to hit it, eventually dribbling the ball along for about 10 yards. We must have annoyed many people behind us and the round seemed to take all day. I also remember my score which was 168 (course is Par69).
Needless to say I got the bug for the game and in 1973 I was given my first set of clubs by my uncle Ted although I am afraid to own up that they were a ladies set with red (nearly pink) grips which I carried around in a orange golf bag "well it was the seventies"!!!. Anyway I didn't care as my friends were still having to find the money to hire sets which were pretty ropey.
In 1974 I joined the junior section and started to go to the Saturday golf school which were taught by Bill McCardy and Rob Brown, my game stared to improve enough to enter some of the medals at the weekend. Late 1974 I was asked to be the competition secretary for the junior section and in 1975 I arranged a number of matches against other junior clubs in the area which gave me a chance to play other private courses.
At the same time I started to caddy for Bill McCardy on the southern professional tour and also a number of the senior members at the club for extra money. Bill never game me any money but would pay for my meal on the day, he would also give me some brand new balls from the shop and the odd lesson when he had the time. Eventually Bill offered me a three apprenticeship as an assistant professional which I refused because at that time the pay was less than I got on the dole (probably the worst decision of my life looking back).
In 1977 I started to win a number of competitions and also a couple of trophies including the John Bain Tankard and the Jubilee cup and if you ever go to Portsmouth you can still see my name carved on the placards. My handicap came down to 8 and also in that year I registered my best score Gross 73 although not in a competition.
I was picked that year to represent my club in a Hampshire championships and had my picture on the first page of the Portsmouth Evening news, unfortunately I only managed an eighth place on the day out of 30 entrants from all around Hampshire. At the time I was very disappointed as I was one of the favorites on my home course but to be fair there were a lot better players than me. Between 1977 and 79 I played in a number of club opens all over Hampshire and surrounding counties. At the Waterlooville open I managed only 15 holes out of 36 hole competition as I was hit by a golf ball so hard in the chest that it knocked me flat out for about 10 minutes, I was carted off the course to the dressing room and an ambulance was called much to my embarrassment. I was treated for an indentation of the word Dunlop 65 just above my left nipple. I left Portsmouth GC on 1980 due to work and other commitments and played all my golf as a transit player. In 1993 I joined my present company and started a golf society which I am still running it to this day but now called tee1up. I have been lucky enough to play some of the top clubs in the county thanks to invites from friends I have met over the years I have been involved with this society.