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 Derek (left) and John Hardy continue to teach at Southland courses (Photo: Eddie Meeks) In fact, “working in the golf industry” describes all the jobs that Hardy, 77, has ever had. “I finished school on [a] Friday and started in the golf shop on Saturday,” he said about the assistant’s job a family friend set up. At the time, anyone paid for golf-related activities was deemed a professional, making Hardy a pro golfer before he learned the game. Golf took Hardy from his native Britain to Germany. As a pro at Frankfurter Golf Club, he played with the commanding general of the European military and his assistant. When the assistant — Don Thornton — completed his tour of duty, he returned to Los Angeles to play golf for USC. He also lined up a job at Rancho Park for Hardy. In the meantime, Hardy infected his older brother John with the golf bug, which led him to secure a golf teaching position in Buffalo, N.Y. When the brothers arrived in New York, John “called the club pro to tell him I was on my way, and he asked me why.” Discovering that the course was still covered with snow in April, John joined his brother and moved west. The Hardys will each earn their 50-year PGA member status this year, becoming only the fifth family duo to reach the milestone simultaneously. Both have been named Teacher of the Year, and John was the Southern California Section’s Professional of the Year in 1998. John counts PGA Tour pros Corey Pavin and Jason Gore among his past students, and Derek has worked with 25 LPGA Tour players over the years, including Beth Daniel and Jane Geddes. Derek hosted a golf instruction program in Japan that made him a local celebrity, and John invents instructional programs and devices — the latest being the Zero In Putting System. Both brothers continue to teach — Derek at Talega Golf Club in San Clemente and John at Redhawk Golf Course in Temecula. Both also say that teaching remains their favorite part of the golf business, which explains their enthusiasm for the sport. The surest way to “get into” an activity, Derek said, is to share it with someone else. |
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