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Rip One Golf- Golf Instruction, Golf Coaching, Golf Classes and Golf Lessons in Austin, TX

Garry Rippy Golf offers golf lessons, golf coaching, golf instruction, golf classes and golf schools in Austin, TX. This blog contains golf instruction articles, golf tips and golf instruction videos by Garry Rippy, PGA.

Collection of my Favorite Photos

                                               Byron Nelson, Raymond Gafford, Ben Hogan
                                                            (Jan. 22, 1914-Feb. 20, 1990)

Raymond Gafford, center, was a huge influence in my development as a teacher and player.  I spent many afternoons on the practice tee with Raymond at both Shady Oaks and Ridglea Country Club in Fort Worth.  In fact it is amazing I met all three gentleman!  Raymond played the TOUR in the days of Hogan and Nelson and was head professional at Ridglea CC from 1937-1950 then again from 1954-1976. From 1950-1954 he was the head professional at Northwood CC in  Dallas which hosted a U.S. Open.   He instructed numerous players from the PGA and LPGA TOUR and is a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.  Raymond played in 14 U.S. Opens, 5 PGA's, and 2 Masters.  I share many of his "secrets" with my students today.


                                                                      Matty Reed

Matty Reed from Fort Worth, had a golf club collection numbering over 40,000!  I spent many hours with Matty and I loved talking golf and listening to all the stories he had to tell.  He grew up playing with Hogan and Nelson but did not turn pro as they did.  He claimed to have won several dollars from the boys!  I still have a 1945 MacGregor 653 driver I got from him in 1982.  He had a collection of persimmon woods that was second to none.  In fact when the Colonial was going on, many TOUR players would visit Matty just to see his collection and try to buy or trade for one of his many jewels.
He kept his "good" stuff hidden away, but I was fortunate to look into the vault!



                                        Here I am pictured at Tubac Resort near Tucson, AZ                                 

Cows on the 10th tee are part of the experience and you have to watch where you step.  We were having a "stare" down but I wasn't going to hit my tee shot until she went the other way! 



This was an actual shot I hit in 1978.  I was playing with one of the other assistant professionals at Horseshoe Bay Resort and he thought it was funny and snapped this picture.  The trees are still there but they have grown together now.



Sunset over the Laguna Madre in South Padre Island, TX
This was a beautiful ending to a great, weeklong, golf trip to South Padre Island.  There are quite a few fun courses within an hour's drive of the island.  I really enjoy playing the South Padre Island Golf Club and competed in the Texas Senior Open there many times.  I also enjoy playing Rancho Viejo which is about 40 minutes away from the island.  Rancho Viejo has two golf courses (El Angel and El Diablo) and not many folks know the PGA TOUR Q-School was hosted there in the 1970's.  One of my other favorites is Harlingen CC as it is probably the best conditioned of all the courses in the valley.



This picture was taken in 1997.  It's hard to believe there was this much snow/sleet in The Woodlands, TX.  The lake by number one tee in the background was frozen so solid you could almost walk on it! 




I was with a student in the summer of 2015 and this blue parakeet landed on his back during the lesson.  He didn't know what hit him so I looked and this little fellow was clinging to his back.  He was quite tame as I gently removed him and he posed for pictures. 


I was featured in this Texas Monthly promotional article promoting convention hotels/resorts in Texas.  The cowboy boots with spikes are classic...I guess the hat is too.



This is a faux magazine cover but the picture is authentic.  The photo is from the Three Amigos Pro Am held in Houston several years ago.  The celebrities are Dan Jansen (US Olympian), Jim Nantz (CBS Sports) and Fred Couples (PGA TOUR).  Freddie was happy I was wearing my Ashworth outfit!

This was a picture taken with my friend Wayne Mitchell at Colony Creek CC in Victoria, TX.  Not many times you see a gate without a fence attached.  This is one of the funniest and most clever things I have seen on a golf course.

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