Harold McCowan
Cleveland, pastor
As a 61-year-old, Harold McCowan sneaked up to play from the seniors tees the last time he played Brainerd Golf Course.
The shift a little closer to the hole resulted in a career-best 6-under-par 66 last Friday. He made seven birdies and one bogey, with a little help and a little luck along the way.
“I guess the golf course is a sanctuary away from the sanctuary,” said McCowan, pastor at Overcoming Faith Christian Center in Athens. “The golf course is my isolation, my release, and for me personally, it’s where I get my exercise because I walk.
“It also provides meditation and relaxation.”
McCowan began playing golf about 25 years ago. His brother bought him a set of clubs and told him to go play, and like many, he became addicted to the game.
Preparation and practice over the years — at Brainerd, Brown Acres and WindStone — have led to McCown dropping his handicap to about a 2.
“I’ve been playing a long time and I practice,” McCowan said. “When I have free time — for some people it’s watching TV or going shopping — my time is playing and practicing.”