It’s a hot, sunny day in late August, and Jr. Avery Vandellen patiently waits for the bell to ring. Leaving class, she changes, grabs her golf clubs, and meets up with her team. Her coach loads golf push-carts into the team van on the other side of the parking lot. Prepping for a girl’s varsity away match, he reviews his course notes while waiting patiently for the rest of the team.
Coach Tarry Cutter has been playing golf since he was five and coaching various sports since he was seventeen. With a background in competitive golf, Cutter brings experience to the team. He coaches the girl’s and boy’s varsity golf teams at West Ottawa.
“I’ve been coaching several different sports since October of 1975. I started playing golf with my dad and brother when I was 5 (1963),” said Cutter. He was also a teacher in both Texas and Michigan for 32 years, teaching mostly U.S. History in what is now Instructor Heather Mrs. Thomas’ classroom.
Cutter played boy’s golf throughout high school and always shares how much his brother impacted his game. “My brother helped me become a better player by playing and helping me all summer long. Since I played several different sports in school he was very helpful in getting me to practice to be better at my game,” said Cutter. He is known for being calm, collected, and understanding while still being able to give constructive criticism and helpful feedback. “He’s very sweet and never made me feel bad. He always helps me and never judges me if something goes wrong,” Junior Isabella Grantham said. “I love how he is a very calm coach. His favorite saying whenever someone played a bad ball was “Welcome to golf”” Sr. Will Niziolek said, “He’s a great coach, he knows how to keep people calm. He’s a down-to-earth guy and loves the game.”
On the Junior Varsity side, Coach Jeremy Heavilin started playing golf while he was attending Hope College. He has been coaching boys’ golf for sixteen years and girls’ for ten. “I did not play golf in high school. Football was the same season, and I played football in high school and college. I did not start golfing regularly until I got a job at the Ravines Golf Club in college,” said Heavilin. He’s known to put a smile on his players’ faces, whether joking about selling Jr. Izzy O’connor’s golf shoes or messing up Jr. Eden Hamilton’s name.
“One of my favorite memories of Heavilin is when I found this 68-degree wedge and he figured out how to hit it backward,” Sr. Chris Coppens said. With his experience in teaching golf, he has some tricks up his sleeve. “We were playing a scramble and no one could hit their drivers. Hevilin took my driver (which was a lefty) and didn’t even take any practice swings and absolutely pured it. He was using a lefty driver, but swinging righty and still made perfect contact,” Jr. Corbin White said.
Both teams practice after school every day, with the girls’ season in the fall and boys in the spring. “I enjoy drills that have a competitive element. We try to score as many things as possible and recognize effort and accomplishments. This also showcases areas for improvement,” said Heavilin. “Some programs play on the course a lot; we tend to combine on-course practice and practice facility practice. Being at Three Fires, we have a unique opportunity to do both. Most days, we will work on the short game (putting and chipping), then Range time for full swings with irons and woods, then slide out and play a few holes to put it all together.”
Teams, whether JV or Varsity, usually have one to three matches depending on the week. No matter the course, both coaches have lineups in order, course notes, and an understanding of the course that inexperienced players have yet to gain. “When coaching golf I try to be more positive, and attentive to my players’ struggles and strengths, and let them decide how I can improve their performance. When coaching other sports I’ve coached I tried to prepare my players for success by exploring their strengths and battling their weaknesses with specifically aimed practice,” Cutter said, “and I’ve always enjoyed coaching/playing the ‘short game.”
“When things start to click for the golfers, they experience that ah-hah moment when they can do something they were previously unable to do,” Heavilin said. The impact of coaches extends far beyond the course. “My favorite part about coaching is seeing my players get better as people, teammates, and players,” Cutter said. Their dedication, expertise, and passion for the game not only shape the players, but also help them learn lessons they will keep with themselves forever.
