Relaxed, effective, & fun golf instruction. Hugh Royer III (R) with Haley Cleary and her father Scott (L) at the new South Carolina Golf Center at Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club.
While visiting Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club in Myrtle Beach, I met Hugh Royer III, a former PGA TOUR player and renowned instructor. Even though the state-of-the-art teaching facility of the South Carolina Golf Center was still under construction, I was hoping to edge my way in for a “Learn to Golf the Write Way” lesson where I receive needed professional help in return for a featured story about the experience. Understandably that did not happen as father Scott Cleary and his golfing daughter Haley had awaken at 3:45 am over in Lexington, South Carolina and driven 125 miles for a morning of instruction with Coach Hugh. The interaction of student, instructor and father was magical. I could understand why they had come so far as Haley was having fun as juniors in high school do and what I overheard instruction wise seemed brilliant to me. I still don’t understand why I didn’t get priority though, my swing needs a lot of help, her swing looks flawless.
Hugh Royer Jr. was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1989. Photo Credit: Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.
Hugh’s father, Hugh Royer Jr. played on the PGA TOUR for 14 years, coached golf at Columbus State and was the block from which Hugh was a chip. The elder Royer, a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, won the prestigious Western Open in 1970 while the younger Royer won the Western Amateur in 1987. Both tournaments were first organized by the Western Golf Association starting in 1899. In all that time only Junior and the Third have been a champion father and son combination. Hugh was giving his lesson to Haley in between phone calls with family about his father’s condition. Son left right after his lesson commitment to be with his father who passed on a few days later after a short illness. Life is like golf, sometimes there is a good swing, a good shot played and then a bad bounce at the end. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to Hugh and the Royer family.
Long ago, sports psychologist and noted author, Chuck Hogan gave Mitch Laurance, the noted golf host and Shaftesbury Glen regular, a life tip that has stuck with him ever since—‘How you do one thing is how you do everything.”
Watching Hugh III instruct Haley on golf and have fun with her and her father Scott, I can tell you one thing Hugh Jr. did right for sure.
Hugh Jr. play well up on the Big Course in Heaven Play while Haley plays well down here!
Instructor Hugh Royer, III working with junior golfer Haley Cleary.
