Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
STROKE OF THE DAY |
"The players themselves can be classified into two groups- the attractions and the entry fees." |
-Jimmy Demaret |
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF
CALENDAR
PEOPLE
|
||||
 For Lasken, who plys his trade at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club’s teaching facility, it was one of the sweeter moments of his 13-year teaching career. Of course, Kim, a former U.S. Junior Amateur champion, isn’t Lasken’s only student. Not by a long shot. Lasken, who has coached more than 30 touring pros, is one of the Southland’s busiest instructors, with many rising stars under his tutelage. We recently spent a day at the Mission Viejo facility to find out why so many people are eager to learn from him. TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Two parts swing guru, one part multimedia geek, Lasken’s operation includes two digital video cameras, a computer with a 17-inch monitor, a DVD recorder-burner with a 21-inch monitor, a microphone (to record the conversation and instruction), extension cords and, if that weren’t enough, a thin blue string pinned to the ground to keep his students properly aligned. Lasken’s technological accoutrement rests atop his so-called “cabinet of wonder,” an omnipresent cart on wheels that holds Sharpies, hundreds of blank DVDs and a worn first edition of Ben Hogan’s classic, “The Five Fundamentals of Modern Golf.” Such are the requirements of a modern-day teaching professional. BOOKED SOLID: Lasken wakes up each day at 5:30 a.m. to walk his dog and usually arrives at the course before sunrise. That’s what you have to do when you’re one of the busiest instructors in Southern California. Buoyed by a competitive hourly rate ($120) and a tireless work ethic (six days a week), Lasken’s schedule is packed throughout the week, and he sees 15 students on his busiest day. Why is he so popular? “He’s the greatest listener ever,” said Matt Donovan, Arroyo Trabuco’s general manager. “That’s pretty rare. He’s got a great track record as a player, but he doesn’t want to talk about his putts. He only wants to talk about your putts.” WINNING WAYS: The 39-year-old Lasken was raised in Whittier and grew up just off the eighth hole of Candlewood Country Club. “My first steps were toward a golf ball,” he said. And despite a brief hiatus from the game as a junior, he’s kept walking toward it. When he was 14, Lasken topped future PGA Tour pro Billy Mayfair to win the Junior World title in San Diego and later went on to win the CIF High School Championship, the National High School Championships and the State Junior title. After receiving full-ride scholarship offers from Arizona State, Stanford and UCLA, Lasken settled on becoming a Bruin so he could play for legendary head coach Eddie Merrins. (While Lasken was enrolled his team won the NCAA championship.) Lasken then knocked it around for a handful of years playing professionally. “I view those years as my grad school,” he said. “But I wanted a family. I didn’t want to be a 40-year-old golf bum.” HIS TRUE CALLING: A buddy convinced him to take over one of his group classes at Norwalk Golf Center in 1993 and Lasken hasn’t looked back. He went on to become the head pro there. After a few other pit stops, Lasken arrived at Arroyo Trabuco where he helped open the Mission Viejo facility in 2004. “I’ve never liked working in a golf shop,” he said. “My passion is teaching.” With that his cell phone rings. It’s one of his students. “No, Wednesday at 2 o’clock won’t do. Is 2:30 OK? Great. See you then.” Lasken scribbles into his date book, opens his cabinet of wonder, puts it away, and continues doing what he does best. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This Article
