“I didn’t have a lot of friends to go play with,” Carville said. “I think having more of a team environment helps kids get introduced to the game. It’s easier to have a pal with you than going to the course all alone.”
Carville hopes to encourage kids of all ages to take up the game in order to help grow the sport locally as he steps into the role of head golf professional at the Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course.
Scott Warren, PGA consultant to the city, said he and the Golf Commission with the city selected Carville from a pool of qualified candidates to manage the day-to-day operations at the golf course beginning this season.
“I was impressed with his enthusiasm for being in the Amsterdam golf community and remaining in it,” Warren said.
Former golf pro Jeff Betti departed late last year after leading the city golf course for a single season. He is now the head golf professional at Saratoga Lake Golf Club.
Carville, who is a Johnstown native, is eager to step into the position and stay the course in order to provide a consistent and welcoming experience at Muni. He will be a familiar face to area golfers from his previous role as pro at Antlers Country Club along Route 5 in the former village of Fort Johnson for about seven years.
“I always try to make everybody feel welcome and appreciated,” Carville said. “I would like to get in there and establish myself and make this a destination again where people know exactly what they’re getting when they come down and build back golf in the area and create an atmosphere everyone can have fun at.”
Beyond overseeing course operations, Carville will assist Warren offering the PGA Jr. League youth program and the Helping Our Patriots Everywhere (HOPE) program introducing veterans and service members to golf at the course this season.
Getting kids playing at an early age helps them build muscle memory that adult learners often envy. The game provides a foundation for good sportsmanship and is a fun way to learn life skills, according to Carville, who was introduced to the game by his father when he was around five or six.
“Golf, I think, is kind of a microcosm of life,” Carville said. “You kind of learn to take the good shots with the bad shots. It can humble you early. You learn honesty and integrity. There are a lot of mini life lessons you learn that are maybe disguised.”
The game can be taken up at any age and the low-impact sport is a form of physical activity that can be enjoyed at all stages of life. Carville has spare equipment for interested newcomers to start swinging without the fear of investing in gear for a sport they might not follow through on.
“The beautiful thing about golf is it is a lifelong game you can pick it up at any point,” Carville said.
The arrival of the new head professional coincides with the introduction of a new driving range and changes to membership packages aimed at offering affordable and equitable rates based on the frequency of play.
The city is also focused on improving the historic course with repairs to cart trails and plans being developed to replace the former clubhouse building. Carville is eager to support these initiatives.
“I have all the confidence in the world, with myself and the staff and with the city, that all the projects we want to see completed will be and the property itself will be able to host any events and will be a place the city and its residents will want to come to and hang out,” Carville said.
Additionally, Carville, who is presently a PGA associate, is working towards a full membership, which he hopes to accomplish at Muni.
Although opening day hasn’t been set yet, Carville started training with Warren on Monday to prepare for the upcoming season at the course.
“I’m excited for this year at Muni,” Warren said. “I really feel like there is a lot of momentum that is starting to go in a positive direction for the golf course. Hopefully, we have great weather this season and we’re able to continue that flow.”
