Self-made swing

WELLESLEY -- Burgess Houston's passion for golf began when he was 9. He was surfing channels and caught a glimpse of a tournament. That was 15 years ago, and he has not been the same since.

His folks did not know what to make of his fascination. They were not golfers. Nobody in their immediate family liked the game, either.

"I have an uncle who lives in Pittsburgh and he's a golfer, but that's about it," said Houston.

Now 24, Houston is coming off his biggest victory. He capped a sensational summer July 13 when he captured the 99th Massachusetts Amateur Golf Championship at Concord Country Club. Houston defeated Frank Vana of Marlborough Country Club on the 36th hole in dramatic fashion, booming massive drives on the final two holes to overtake the former champion.

It was a circuitous route to his first major crown. He began at its lowest level, a public golfing vagabond.

Although he was smitten at 9, he did not work up the courage to play on a regulation course until he was 12. Before that, he honed his swing at a driving range in Ashland. "The first course I played was Leo J. Martin course in Weston," said Houston. "A family member would drop me off there and I'd hook up with a foursome, usually adults, and play. It might not be the best course in the world, but it was a great place to learn the game. I enjoyed playing there."

When he was old enough to get his driver's license, he joined a private club. Every day he'd make the arduous 88-mile round trip journey from Wellesley to Taunton to play at Segregansett Country Club. He probably paid as much for gasoline as greens fees. But the annual fee for a junior player was $300. "There are a lot of great clubs in the Wellesley area, but they are all out of my financial reach," says Houston. "Seggy is a terrific place to improve your game. It's an old course [established in 1900] and you'll hit a lot of shots there that you don't ordinarily hit. It's a strong course with plenty of great holes."

The more he played and practiced, the better he got. "I think when I was 16, I got my handicap down to a 5 or 6. I could hit the ball far, but I was learning more about scoring," said Houston.

He can hit booming drives. In the final two holes of the State Amateur, he banged out tee shots of more than 300 yards.

After playing some 118 holes in four days at Concord Country Club, Houston was fueled by emotion down the stretch. He nearly won the tournament a year earlier. In only his second State Amateur appearance, he made it to the finals, only to lose to Ben Spitz of Norwell.

"Yeah, there was a lot of adrenaline," said Houston. "It can be a good thing, but it can be a bad thing if you can't harness it."

He had it under control. On the 528-yard, par-5 17th hole at Concord, Houston hit a 383-yard drive. He had 145 yards remaining to the green. "I was pumped and hit a 9-iron into the green," he said.

Houston won the hole with a birdie to give him the lead. All he needed to do was halve the final hole, a 417-yard par-4. Houston took out his 3-wood so he could play it safe.

He launched a moon shot with his 3-wood. His drive landed 307 yards down the fairway, leaving him just a wedge to the green. Both players carded pars, giving Houston the title with a 1-up victory.

The championship opened a few doors. He was invited to play in the Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament. Next year, he hopes for an invitation to the prestigious Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club in East Rumford, R.I.

"What has been really great is that I've become friends with a group of elite players I used to read about in the newspapers. They are all wonderful and so nice," said Houston.

On Aug. 2, Houston attempted to qualify for the US Amateur at Ferncroft Country Club in Middleton, but he missed the cutoff.

In September, he will return to North Miami, Fla., and play for Johnson & Wales University. Last year, as a freshman, he was named to the NAIA All-America team as an honorable mention.

Not bad for a golfer who really hasn't had a teacher or mentor to guide him. "I think I've picked up a lot watching golfers on television," said the former Rivers Country Day School three-sport standout. "I learned tennis the same way. I just watch good players on television and try to imitate it."

However, when he saw video of his swing on a television report of his State Amateur victory, "I couldn't believe I swung like I do. I was surprised what it looked like."

When he graduated from high school, he did not go directly to college. He worked so he could golf. One winter, he was employed by a company that cleaned out buildings damaged by fire. Another winter was spent visiting every grocery store in New England checking the bar codes on particular canine food products.

In the summer, he works at Maplegate Country Club in Bellingham, which is where he learned about the golf program at Johnson & Wales and enrolled.

Most New Englanders know of Johnson & Wales as a Rhode Island-based culinary arts school. The one in Miami is affiliated, but has a golf team with a national reputation.

"One of the guys at Maplegate goes there and he told me about it," said Houston. "I never liked school, but they offer a program in sports management. And next year, they're adding classes to become a golf professional, which is what I'd like to be some day."