Ernie Barbour ZEN MASTER
Mr. Barbour was not a Buddhist and never lived in Tibet. Yet, when you talk to any of his students, over the last 20 years, they could tell you some amazing stories of his mastery. The remarkable frequency he could hole shots from impossible places while describing the technique of how to play the shot, to his amazing patience in dealing with the hard headed, namely me and my friends.
Ernie Barbour passed from this earth Friday November 9th 2007. He will be missed by the thousands of Northern California golfers he taught and hundreds of family and friends.
While conducting a clinic in Palm Spring in February of 2006 one of his fellow instructors noticed his aim on the range was 30-40* off. Ernie was rushed to the hospital with what was thought as stroke like systems. Later a CAT scan revealed Ernie had an inoperable brain tumor. After a stint in the hospital, chemo treatments and an extensive rehab period Ernie was able to go home. He was back on the golf course and teaching again by December. Throughout the spring and summer Ernie was able to go out and play several times and continued to teach.
Ernie loved history, he read novel after novel about golf history, US history, military history and history of civilization. Not a single lesson would go by without an anecdote regarding the history of the game. Never a lesson would go by without a personal connection to each student. How’s your wife? How was your vacation? How was the golf trip with your college buddies? The reason several of us have called Ernie the ZEN Master has little to do with the mastery of golf. Teaching is a skill and an art. It is a blend of introducing new concepts and methods when the student is ready. Ernie knew when to push and encourage the student to let go of what they knew and to allow the new to be absorbed. Ernie was a master teacher. I personally sought his council on teaching to help teach refrigeration mechanics and to teaching kids soccer. Part of his mastery was the very ZEN like quality of always learning. Ernie was open to new ideas about the swing, always looking and listening to “new methods” while reading and visiting with the great instructors of the game. Ernie went all around the country to attend clinics with Hank Haney, Butch Harmon, Manuel Del Torre, Jim Mclean and Jim Flick.
My connection to Ernie Barbour started in the mid 90’s when I would visit the driving range at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Ernie had just ventured out on his own after being the Head Professional at Castlewood CC for many years. In the 15 years I’ve known Ernie I took (1) formal lesson from him and about 5000 informal ones. Ernie had and incredible passion for our game and befriended anyone who showed the same passion. Understandably most teaching professionals are quite reticent to give away for free what they are in business to sell. Ernie had a different approach. He felt that offering the encouragement or the small reminder on the range was only going to further his relationship with golfers and further create the desire to improve. He was someone you could talk to about the golf swing and about your game.
It is not often in life you see someone at the peak of his profession. We are lucky to see our sports heroes on TV at their peak like Tiger, Federer, Jordan and Gretsky. Have you ever seen a master craftsman, a plumber, an artist or a mechanic at his peak? The efficiency at which they are able to produce remarkable work is amazing. Watching Ernie was like that, he could help someone in an instant. He could analyze the specific weakness of a students swing by eye and then show them on video precisely what, when and where they went wrong. More remarkable still was the way in which the message was delivered. Always in a way the student could use and understand.
Golf has lost a remarkable teacher, ambassador and enthusiast. For everyone who loves golf, Ernie sends you a hug from heaven.