Who golfs? Justin Marsh

Justin Marsh

Chattanooga

Student/Customer service

Justin Marsh loved football.

He loved golf, too.

But he couldn’t play on both teams during his years at Alcoa High School.

Football won the battle for his time, effort and strength for four fall seasons, during which he won four state championships playing left guard for the Tornadoes, including three years as a starter.

“Football let me take out a lot of aggression,” Marsh said. “I think playing golf caused all of it.”

He had plenty of good days playing golf when he was younger. He grew to love the game. Then he grew, too, and developed into a bruising lineman, which is quite the contrast to the stereotypical svelte and skinny golfer.

“I played golf on the middle school team,” Marsh said. “I missed it in high school.”

He still played on occasion, trying to break 100 and get in a good chase of the little white ball. Once he dropped the pads, smacking the ball became more entertaining than battling in the trenches at the line of scrimmage.

But upon his advancement to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he gave up golf. None of his new friends played the game. None of them wanted to swat balls in all different directions on the practice range.

But earlier this week Marsh talked a new co-worker into playing 18 at Moccasin Bend. He loved it, especially after crushing his opening drive right down the middle of the fairway as if he’d been playing the game his entire life.

“That feeling always give you goosebumps,” Marsh said. “I can’t wait to play again next week.”