sports Blazing a Trail
sports Blazing a Trail on the Golf Course BY STEVE STEIN Martin Hanna doesn’t want to be alone, so he’s doing everything he can to get others to join the party. After doing all the requisite research, Hanna believes he’s the first Chaldean golfer to pass the PGA’s player ability test. To pass the test, Hanna had to shoot under 156 for 36 holes on one day last August at Bedford Valley Golf Course in Battle Creek. He shot 152, and was one of just four golfers out of 23 to make the cut. Because he passed the test, Hanna, a 36-year-old Sterling Heights resident, now is a PGA associate and he’s in the PGA’s Professional Golf Management Program, the next steps to becoming a PGA professional. These are remarkable accomplishments considering that Hanna started playing golf only nine years ago when his brother handed over his used clubs to him and encouraged him to give golf a try because of his athleticism and competitive nature. Hanna was fitted for his own clubs about a year later and three years after that, he took some golf lessons from Steve Vickery, the PGA professional at Paint Creek Country Club in Lake Orion. Those days with Vickery, whom Hanna calls his teacher and friend, solidified Hanna’s love and passion for golf. “If you would have told me nine years ago that I’d be working in the golf profession, I would have said you’re 100% crazy,” Hanna said. “I love what I’m doing. It’s a blessing.” What Hanna is doing these days after a lengthy career in the cell phone industry is working as an assistant professional at Paint Creek, an 18-hole private course that is scheduled to open for the season April 1. Hanna has held that full-time job since last August, when he passed the player ability test. He began working at Paint Creek the previous April in the part-time position in charge of outdoor services. A new member of Team Callaway, Hanna can custom-fit players for Callaway golf clubs at Paint Creek. Hanna also has his own company, the Swing 180 Golf Academy, which he launched in June 2019. A certified teaching professional, Hanna teaches golf during the winter at area domed facilities and during the nice weather at Paint Creek when he’s off the clock there. He recently reached the 100-student plateau from the time he started his company. His students have ranged in age from 8 to 95. Many of Hanna’s students are Chaldean. He said he’d love to see more Chaldeans get involved in golf and perhaps make that their career, too, even as a PGA professional. He doesn’t want to be the only Chaldean to ever pass the player ability test. Hanna’s teaching philosophy is simple: it’s all about mindset. He said he gained that perspective from his training as a life coach. “Don’t fight it. Fight through it,” he said. “Mindset enters into everything in golf, including course management and shot selection. Also, golf is a great game because it teaches discipline and there’s etiquette and rules. That’s especially important for kids to learn.” Simplifying the golf swing into a more accessible and natural feel is another of Hanna’s teaching goals. Hanna’s playing resume is impressive considering his relatively short time as a competitive golfer. In addition to passing the player ability test, he won Golfweek Amateur Tour tournaments in 2019 and 2020. Right now, he has his sights set on the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a PGA Tour event scheduled for July 1-4 at the Detroit Golf Club. If he survives a pre-qualifying tournament June 23 at TPC Michigan in Dearborn, he’ll move on to the qualifying tournament June 28 at Katke-Cousins Golf Course on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester. The top four golfers at the qualifying tournament will earn spots in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Hanna is happy to represent the Chaldean community, but he’s even happier to pave the way for more golfers from the community to join him in the professionals. 36 CHALDEAN NEWS APRIL 2021
PROJECT LIGHT THERAPY SERVICES Therapy can be a big step toward being the healthiest version of yourself and living the best life possible—our professional therapists are here for you to access. Through therapy, you can change self-destructive behaviors and habits, resolve painful feelings, improve your relationships, and share your feelings and experiences. Individuals often seek therapy for help with issues that may be hard to face alone. For Your Best Health. In therapy your trilingual therapist will help you to establish person centered goals and determine the steps you will take to reach those goals. Your relationship with your therapist is confidential and our common therapeutic goal for those we engage is to inspire healthy change to improve quality of life - no matter the challenge. We invite you seek out the Light of Project Light! Serving individuals ages 13 years and up. Please call to request a Project Light Intake at (586) 722-7253. CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3601 15 MILE ROAD STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 WWW.CHALDEANFOUNDATION.ORG (586) 722-7253 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY: The CCF and Project Light is committed to your privacy and confidentiality and are sensitive to the stigma and stress that come with seeking mental health support. Therefore, all counseling records are kept strictly confidential. Information is not shared without client’s written consent. Exceptions to confidentiality are rare and include persons who threaten safety of themselves others or in circumstances of a court order. APRIL 2021 CHALDEAN NEWS 37
