Behind The Counter – Cowboy Jack

As mentioned in previous “Behind the Counter” segments, my role in the Pro-Shop of a Top 100 (Public) golf property on the west coast of Florida is to greet and check-in our patrons, plying funds from their grasps, all in good cheer!

Most days my head is down, diligently searching the electronic tee sheets for names and tee times, sorting out the appropriate rates, ringing up merchandise, processing the payments and dispensing starter slips.  There is typically not a lot of time for idle chit chat.

On a particularly busy morning, I checked-in a tall, distinguished gentleman in his late seventies, early eighties. As I processed the transaction, I thought his name sounded vaguely familiar.  Had I met this fellow in a previous Pro Shop encounter or was it a name out of the past?

As the morning progressed and things began to quiet in the Pro Shop, I took a moment to reflect on our brief interaction.  A very dim light went on in the deep recesses of my noggin, however I needed confirmation.  A quick text to Brother John in Sarasota, asking the name of his backfield coach at Jonathan Dayton Regional High School in Springfield, NJ (circa 1963).  (Brother John was a quarterback, a.k.a. Johnny Gun With A Little Toy Cannon, who’s football career was cut woefully short, due to a devastating knee injury, three days into his collegiate career.)  Well, lo and behold, the names matched!

Our patron’s tee time was 9:10, while my shift was ending around 1:30.  I did some quick math, with assistance from my fingers, determining if there would be an opportunity to connect post round.  The math worked.

After my shift, I headed for the 19^th Hole, where our patron, who had played in a large group, could possibly have landed in an attempt to sort out the economics of the day, to enjoy lunch and to have a beer.  As I entered the 19^th, I asked one of the group’s participants if he had seen Jack Bicknell.  He nodded his head and pointed two tables over.

It was in fact The Jack Bicknell of the Jonathan Dayton Regional High School Bulldogs, my brother’s backfield coach and my high school basketball coach’s (Ray Yanchus) best friend to this day.  We chatted, reminisced, laughed and smiled.  Jack made a convincing argument for remembering my brother some fifty-six years later. A byproduct of our chance encounter was joyfully reconnecting with Coach Yanchus, who remains a significant influence on my life.

“Cowboy Jack” Bicknell’s Abbreviated Resume:

• 1965 State High School Championship (Governor Livingston High School, Berkley Heights , NJ)
• 1981-1988 Head Coach, University of Maine
• 1981-1988 Head Coach, Boston College*
• 1991-2004 Head Coach of the Barcelona Dragons, Scottish Claymores and the Hamburg Sea Devils in the NFL Europe League

*1984 Boston College Campaign:  (10-2 record) beating Ray Perkins’s Alabama Crimson Tide (38-31) in Birmingham as well as beating Jimmy Johnson’s Miami Hurricanes (47-45) when Doug Flutie threw a 52-yard “Hail Mary” pass, with six seconds left in the game, to Gerald Phelan in the end zone for the win.  Doug Flutie was the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner.  Jack Bicknell Jr. was Doug Flutie’s center.

As the saying goes, it truly is a very small world, especially in a Pro Shop in western Florida!

If you are enjoying our weekly posts, we’d be eternally grateful if you’d spread the word.  Thank you for following Bad Golf Guy and be sure to check us out on Instagram.

The back nine can only get better!