Josh LindsayJosh Lindsay
Red Bank
Re-Bath Installer
Josh Lindsay learned to play golf by playing free golf.
"I started at a muni in Asheville walking three of the back holes at dusk when the course shut down," Lindsay said of his introductory experience 20 years ago. "I didn't want to go out and really play until I could maintain dignity in front of other people.
"Basically, I poached numbers 15, 16 and 17 and played that loop at dark."
Lindsay, who moved to Chattanooga nine years ago, started playing while in culinary school at Asheville-Buncome Technical College.
"I thought I was going to work as a chef, and it turns out that's a lot of work for not much money," said Lindsay, now 39.
He's no Bobby Flay, nor is he a Zach Johnson. Over the years Lindsay either played a lot of golf and saw his scores drop or he played little golf and lost some of his touch.
It's back.
"For five solid years, I've played almost weekly," he said. "Now I just play with the old guys in a Sunday low-ball or a Friday afternoon."
Golf is not his only hobby. His basement is filled with at least 25 remote-controlled airplanes.
"My 3-year-old son just loves them," Lindsay said. "I just got interested in that seven or eight years ago and found a good club here, and it went crazy. But now, I play more golf than I fly."
Lindsay's scores reflect his efforts while playing and his practice at Moccasin Bend Golf Course. as he did earlier this month. He played in the morning and practiced his short game in the afternoon.
"The difficulty and the fact that no two shots are the same appeal to me," Lindsay said. "And the ever-elusive par. I finally broke par this year, once, and I'm trying to get back to it."
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.