Keeping up with the Jones: Are Wee having fun yet?

I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to get a photo with my favorite kids, my favorite golf pro and a legend of the game. (Photo: Earl Richardson)

This month’s cover story was an absolute pleasure to follow and report on. Not only did I get to involve Tom Watson in the magazine again, but I also was able to get my kids in the magazine — that’s my daughter Evey on the cover, and my son Boyd is the one working with Watson on the interior. Talk about a proud dad moment!

This is definitely a home-grown story. The first Wee Links course, the brainchild of longtime golf professional Jeff Burey, was built less than five minutes from where I live. My kids and I played it regularly until Jeff sold the property last year — it’s currently being renovated.

If you’re asking yourself, ‘What is a Wee Links course,’ allow me to explain. It’s a short course … and I mean short. Holes are no longer than 30 yards in length. Oversized cup. 5-foot pins. Play it with a real golf ball if you wish or play it with a low-flight ball (I’d suggest low-flight.) It’s only six holes, so you can play the whole loop in about 20 minutes.

And right on the heels of the recent ribbon cutting for the first Wee Links course in Kansas City comes the first full summer of the Watson Links program. In that program, created by Tom Watson, youth golfers (ages 10 to 18) are invited to sign up to play with two adult mentors for nine holes at one of nine Kansas City area golf courses.

Read the full story on both programs here.

It was fun seeing the first Wee Links come to fruition. I was able to watch from afar as Burey and volunteers built the course. And then, Burey again invited me to see the progress for the newest Wee Links course, this one a little under an hour away from me.

It was also fun to work with Tom Watson for the photo shoot. For me, at least.

My kids are used to working with the affable Burey — he gave them their first golf lessons. The fear factor was cranked up to 10 when I explained that they would now be getting a lesson from a World Golf Hall of Famer and eight-time major winner.

Oh, and also, a professional photographer would be documenting the whole scene.

When Evey came out wearing her new Masters jacket, I said, “That’s a good choice! Tom won the Masters twice.” Her reply was, “Oh, great.”

A common phrase Burey uses when he likes how a player holds their finish is, “Click! Click! Click!” And he mimics holding a camera.

“That’s a finish that’s so good, photographers take your picture,” he says. Well, this time, a photographer was taking their picture. There were no audible clicks, because cameras just don’t do that anymore. Were there some good swings? More than a few. The photographer, Earl Richardson, took 600 photos, so we had our bases covered.

Will my kids ever forget the day they worked with Tom Watson and got lessons on putting and how to position their body? Unlikely. As we rolled out of the Heritage Park parking lot, I couldn’t wait to hear their interpretation of what just transpired.

They did especially like one part: when the photo shoot concluded, I thanked Watson for his time. He looked at me and said, “Oh, we’re not done yet. I want to see you and your photographer take some swings!”

My first shot was straight as an arrow, majestic.

And about … 30 yards long.

Watson’s response: “Touch ‘em all!”

Yes, Wee had fun making this issue.