Charles J. Fricks stole a few minutes between business meetings Monday to chip some balls at Brainerd Golf Course.
The owner of a granite fabrication company uses Chattanooga-area courses for personal pleasure and building business relationships.
"If you can get a guy to play golf with you, you'll do business with him," Fricks said. "It's a great place to get somebody alone for four hours. Playing golf helps break down barriers."
Fricks played a few rounds as a teenager but really picked up the game as a 25-year-old new to the business world. A friend of his invited him to play, and Fricks became addicted.
Now he practices a couple times a week if possible and plays at least once a week at an area public course. Brainerd, Brown Acres and Nob North are his favorites.
Those straightforward courses neither help nor hinder the left-handed Fricks, who can sometimes hit a fade or a draw when necessary depending on the shape of the hole.
Finding adequate clubs for the lefty was a little more difficult when he started playing about 20 years ago. Today, though, he can find just about any club he wants. If it's not on a shelf nearby, he can find one online.
"I can't get an 8-degree Burner, but I can get almost everything I need," said Fricks, who is about a 10 handicap. "I really don't think being a lefty makes much difference these days. You're either in the fairway or you aren't."
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
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