Golf takes years to master. Some people play the game for a lifetime and never get a handle it. The Brooks County trio of Marvin, Dalton, and MaryLyn Kemp are already well on their way to figuring out golf – at least as much as a person can. “They’ve all three come a long way. They haven’t been playing very long and we can already see tremendous improvement,” says their father, Hal Kemp, a golfer himself and the reason why his trio play to this day.
Golf runs in the Kemp family. A few years ago, the children starting going to the course with their father. He generally took one at a time and they rotated who would go on a given Saturday. Marvin and Dalton began playing in the sixth grade, MaryLyn in the seventh. Their primary coach has been their father. They’ve listened to what he’s told them and they have improved accordingly. This year, at the season’s last match, Marvin shot a 39 while Dalton carded a 41. MaryLyn turned in a 50. These scores were all personal bests. “This year, I feel like we started to come into our own,” says MaryLyn.
Hal Kemp agrees. “Their progression has been steady and it’s been fun watching them get better,” he says. Golf clicked with Marvin first. Dalton followed a little later. Since he has truly embraced the game, he has improved dramatically. The key to a good golf game, believes Hal Kemp, is the short game and the mental side. So much can happen from tee to green – some of it good, a lot of it bad – but a great short game can make for mistakes made on the way to the green. “We emphasize chipping and putting. A good short game is extremely important in golf. We also work on the mental side of the game and I can see that developing in each one,” he says.
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| Dalton | Marylyn | Marvin |
As the triplets look back on their seasons, all three are pleased with how it turned out. They competed each time they stepped on the course. They got better as the year went on. And they had a lot of fun along the way. “We just want to go out and be competitive and get better each round,” says MaryLyn.
If the triplets keep working, they will most definitely make significant improvements through their high school years. Their swings are solid but could use a little tweaking. Over time, they will work out the kinks. “Golf is such a difficult game to teach. But they’ve come a long way in two years and I believe they’re about to hit their next level. They all want people to think about golf when they hear Brooks County,” says Hal Kemp.
Not only do they want to put Brooks County golf on the map, they also want to earn scholarships to play golf in college. They’re just finishing up their eighth-grade year but they’re already thinking four or five years down the road. “Scholarships. That’s what they want – scholarships,” laughs Hal Kemp.
Special Feature/South Georgia/June 2014
Golfing triplets
Brooks County Middle School
Quitman, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Triplets plan to put Brooks County golf on the map
