Letters That Were About More Than Golf

In the first of a two-part series, two-time major champion Dottie Pepper writes about foundational points that George J. Pulver, a PGA professional, imparted on her at an early age through a series of letters and that she has carried with her through to today as an on-course golf analyst for CBS Sports. 

Once upon a time in Upstate New York, an impatient and ultra-competitive teenage girl reached out to a long-since retired PGA professional for help finding tournaments to enter.

The relationship that transpired, first as pen pals and then as student and mentor, became the foundation for an LPGA career highlighted by 17 wins, including two major championships, and over 18 years of televised golf, with near constant reference to the evergreen wisdom packed in the letters written between me and George J. Pulver.

In my recently released book (self-published through Mission Point Press), “Letters to a Future Champion: My Time with Mr. Pulver,” I share five-and-a-half years of both typed and handwritten letters between us, beginning when I was 14 years old and he was 81.

Buried in those letters are not just golf lessons for a kid chasing a dream of playing professional golf, but lessons about the game and life that are translatable to everyone, regardless of their level of involvement in the game.

The importance of solid fundamentals is stressed throughout but without burdensome mechanics. Mr. Pulver simply believed in a uniform pre-shot routine, neutral to slightly strong grip, a square stance at address, an unhurried, one-piece takeaway that tended to be a bit on the inside, beginning the downswing with the legs and always swinging to a balanced finish. These were all things I could feel, rather than worry about being perfect technically.

He was constantly increasing his knowledge of the game with the technology that was available at the time, but knew that when crunch time arrived, success would come not by being buried in cumbersome theory but rather buoyed by repetition, self belief and reliable feel. All too many times I’ve witnessed teachers throw multi-syllabic words and long-winded philosophies the way of students while barely addressing what should be the goal: how do I refine the skills I have, make my way around the golf course in a more efficient manner and ultimately shoot lower scores? 

In Mr. Pulver’s words, “Teachers of golf spend their lives and their energies sorting out theories. Great players play by feel, not by theories. Do not get too cerebral. When you are faced with a shot, elect to play it in the simplest manner possible and always play the shot you feel you can bring off.” A most simple way to approach the game, regardless of your level of play.

The physical component was a big part of where we began our work as student and teacher, changing me from a weak fader of the ball to a player with a powerful, chasing, but still accurate, ball flight. 

Perhaps, though, Mr. Pulver’s greatest gift to me — and one that is woven throughout the book — was helping me develop the mental strength to be a champion at whatever level or arena I competed — club, junior, amateur and professional tournaments, in business and even in life. One of his earliest letters to me simply said this: “Concentration — the will to win — never give up — these are the mental qualities that distinguish the champions from the runner ups.” That is not just about golf, that is a life lesson.

Mr. Pulver would also separate the great players from those he considered the “super greats” — players like Bobby Jones, Water Hagen, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Patty Berg, Betsy Rawls, Joanne Carner, and Kathy Whitworth — players of his era that had something that put them a notch ahead of the pack. 

That something was, again in his words, “the unyielding desire to win.” He loved the characters, the places and championships of the past to illustrate how to best play the game physically, but also to be a superior competitor. Competing to the very end was a must with Mr. Pulver, regardless of whether your best physical game made it to the course with you that day or not.

Mr. Pulver passed in January of 1986 while I was still a student at Furman University. He left me not only with the priceless letters from our time together as student-teacher/mentor but with great respect for the firm, yet kind, way he approached his then adolescent dreamer. His lessons were for everyone, at every level of golf and at every place in the journey called life. I hope you’ve been blessed to have had a mentor like mine or maybe even be a Mr. Pulver to someone in the future.