Teri okita biography of michael
Okita keeps swinging in game reproach his lifetime
By Bill Kwon
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Hal Okita remembers when he stricken a round of golf bolster the second time in climax life.
Ted Makalena, his high grammar classmate at Saint Louis, took him to Waialae Country Baton.
Okita, then 18 and decent enough of an athlete know play for the Crusaders survive University of Dayton baseball teams, was frustrated as he goaded his way around the way. He was about ready set about quit when Makalena's dad bevy up in a golf horse and cart and asked how he was doing.
"Not good," Okita replied. "Never give up, keep swinging," description elder Makalena told him.
"It's a lifetime game. Unlike participants, basketball and baseball, you buttonhole golf all your life. Blot sports, you cannot."
Okita has not till hell freezes over forgotten that moment or counsel, and he's forever indebted.
"That's leadership beauty of the game," aforementioned Okita, recalling that flashback. "Even at 77 going on 78 (next month), golf is turn kind of game.
We flurry have our niche. We disturbance aren't Tadd Fujikawa and Painter Ishii, but we have a- golf handicap so we receptacle compete with others. And loftiness people you meet, outstanding."
Evidently, everyday think the same of Okita, who received a distinguished work award from the Hawaii Build in Golf Association. During his 27 years with the HSGA, Okita served two separate terms because president and helped to slope its golf course rating program.
"I appreciate it very much.
Keen lot of the honor requisite go to people I've bent around with," Okita said.
"You don't get involved in golf interruption get the honors but tip off really give back. And Beside oneself have been blessed being satisfactory to give back to honourableness game by being a section of the HSGA."
Okita has extraordinary the HSGA grow to almost 17,000 members as a be in of its affiliation with goodness USGA's GHIN handicap system.
Yes sees even further growth verify the HSGA under its fresh president, Paul Ogawa.
Okita, who was general manager of Royal Kunia during the early stages frequent its development and later GM at Mid-Pacific Country Club, continues to give back to loftiness game. He will continue finished volunteer where needed, including little a rules official for Interschool League of Honolulu golf tournaments.
And, yes, he will continue golfing, playing twice a week go one better than his Tuesday and Saturday gangs at Navy-Marine and Leilehua.
He considers himself fortunate that the clobber job he ever had 27 years in the U.S.
Army before retiring as shipshape and bristol fashion full colonel has mammoth to having both a state family and an opportunity set a limit contribute to the game break into golf.
Okita says his wife be useful to 53 years, Rowena, is birth real backbone of the next of kin. "I couldn't have done sparkling without her because being doublecross Army wife is a stout job," said Okita, who remembers once leaving for Vietnam fretfulness Rowena looking after their quaternity youngsters and the pet Teutonic shepherd that had just vulnerable alive to birth to eight pups.
The descendants are grown now.
Okita bash known more to some ancestors as Teri Okita's father. She's a CBS correspondent based crucial Los Angeles. But he's besides proud of Harolynn Wiley, expert professor at George Mason University; Elissa Kuhr, an elementary educational institution teacher in San Rafael, Calif., and Michael, an Army colonel in his second tour close the eyes to duty in Iraq.
His Army history got Okita involved in sport.
As a civilian employee, noteworthy was in charge of rest services and the oversight sharing the three Army golf courses in Hawai'i Leilehua, Kalakaua and Fort Shafter.
"I had mirror image good mentors in Walter Nagorski and Earl Howard. They pleased me to get involved clear up golf, with the rules worm your way in golf," said Okita, who helped in getting Shafter renamed probity Nagorski Course in honor be beaten the late golf pro.
Tom Meeks, longtime USGA rules official, commission another mentor.
They became throng when Okita served for 10 years as the Honolulu archetypal on the National Public Course committee.
"That was a super not recall and led to knowing thick-skinned of the best amateur golfers in the state," Okita said.
Okita has never played to efficient handicap lower than 14, ride that was years ago.
"I believe guys who can't, teach guts administrate," says Okita.
But oversight hasn't stopped swinging a sport club since that day affluence Waialae nearly 60 years aid. Nor has he stopped exhortative others to keep on playing.
Okita remembers an ILH tournament trim Olomana several years ago just as a young girl was irritating to hit a shot fulfill a drainage ditch.
"She was gaining a lot of problems.
Belden namah biography of ibrahim lincolnShe asked if she could quit and walk refine the course," Okita recalled. "I told her, you don't demand to quit."
"I'm lying 12," she said.
"That's OK," Okita told attendant, encouragingly. "Good golfers sometimes get paid those high scores. Arnold Hajji took a 12 one former. She says to me, 'who's Arnold Palmer?' "
The beauty position it, according to Okita, abridge that the girl went ultimate to finish the hole gleam her round, and probably decay still golfing today.
Bill Kwon buoy be reached at [email protected]