Virginia Golfer September / October 2015 | Page 19

how far they can hit the ball. They spend too
much time hitting full shots and not enough
time on the short game.
Driving the ball well is important, but at
the same time, more than half your shots are
going to be around or on the green. So, if
you take a round of golf at even par, you hit
it 36 times and putt it 36 times. The more
you can cut down on the putting and missed
greens—getting it up and down—your
scores will come down.
While I was a doorman at the hotel, I
didn’t even carry a driver when I played—
there just wasn’t enough time for me to
practice and I made too many mistakes with
a driver. So, I’d carry a 3-wood, and usually
I shot par or better with it.
VG: What are some of your favorite Omni

Homestead memories, or the people you’ve
played with?
DR: All my fondest memories include the
people and staff I’ve worked with, and for,
over these years. The Homestead is a great
place on its own, but what makes it the place
to come back to is the people who do their
job to make it special for others.
Of the people I played with, number one
would be Sam Snead. I was fortunate enough
to play several rounds with him through
the years. It wasn’t just golf—we spent time
together on the water and would go fishing
and turkey hunting, too. He became a really
close friend, and when Sam died, I was asked
to be a pallbearer. It was a true honor.
I played with J.C. Snead, too. He’s a few
years older than me but when I started in
the profession in 1979 and he was on the
Tour, he’d come in and we’d g