"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Stan Crawley

June 15, 2004

It was a Tuesday afternoon at the Valleybrook Golf and Country Club, and owner Gibby Gilbert III was chatting in the grill with club member David McKenna.

It was almost like any other Tuesday in the past.

With one exception. The man across from "Little Gibby'' and McKenna was new club professional Brett Mullin, who was talking with them about this weekend's Red Bud Invitational at the club and the new Valleybrook "golf experience.''

Mullin, who took over for Lee Cantrell on June 1 at Valleybrook, is returning to the golf scene after being away since 2002 when he left Lookout Mountain. He is suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

"I have my good days, and my bad days,'' the 46-year-old Mullin said. "The medication is not helping, so I stopped taking it. I'm just winging it right now.''

Parkinson's disease is characterized by an insidious onset with slowing of motional and voluntary movement, muscular rigidity, postural abnormality and tremor. It is a progressive, neurological disease mainly affecting people over the age of 50, although at least 10 percent of cases, as with Mullin, occur at an earlier age.

"They're coming up with new stuff all the time, but they can't control it,'' Mullin said. "It's like they're throwing darts in the dark. And it's embarrassing, especially the tremors in my left arm. I'm in constant pain.''

Parkinson's Disease affects people of either sex and all ethnic groups. Because the disease is progressive, it may ultimately become debilitating. Without adequate treatment and support, studies have shown that people with Parkinson's may tend to become depressed and withdrawn.

Mullin, however, has chosen to fight on and is looking forward to the new challenge at Valleybrook.

"The Parkinson's eats at you, so I thought I was done with the golf business,'' Mullin said. "Then this deal just came about, just happened.

"I'm a devout Christian, and I know who runs the show. I just follow His lead and try to stay focused. It was nice for Gibby to hire me. He didn't have to, but he looked at my experience and thought I could help him get control of the operation.''

Listen to Mullin or Gilbert for any length of time, and the words "golf experience'' keep popping up.

"My main goal is to get the golf experience at Valleybrook where it needs to be,'' Mullin said. "That's what we're focused on. Valleybrook is a pretty good deal, especially if we get the golf experience where it needs to be.

"People will be knocking down the doors wanting to get in here. We want the members to be happy and be proud of Valleybrook. That's my job. I'll wear a lot of hats here, but that's my main focus.''

Said Gilbert, "Brett brings a lot of experience with him. He's been at a lot of nice clubs. We want him to add a little of that to Valleybrook. We want to make the golf experience what it needs to be. We have a lot of work to do, but if we succeed people will be wanting to come out here and play.''

Gilbert said that Mullin will be a "great asset'' at Valleybrook. He also said he will listen to everything Mullin has to say.

"Brett knows what he wants, and he's going to do it his way,'' Gilbert said. "That's fine with me.

"He's a trooper. I think it's good for him to be active, and he's sure going to have a lot to do around here.''

The Red Bud will switch from a three-day to a two-day tournament this weekend (June 19-20). Unfortunately for Gilbert, Mullin won't be in town. The former USGA champion has two tickets for the U.S. Open and is leaving Wednesday for Shinnecock Hills in Southhampton, N.Y.

"When I took this job, I told Gibby I had one conflict, and that was tickets to the Open,'' Mullin said. "I'm really looking forward to it.''

Mullin and one of his best friends, George Simmons, will make the trip. Mullin gave Simmons a ticket for his birthday.

We wish Mullin well on his trip and with his future success at Valleybrook. "Little Gibby'' deserves a pat on the back for this hire. He picked the right man in Mullin.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)

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