By KEVIN MOBLEY – Contributing Writer
There’s a place deep in the pines of the Tar Heel state where the streams calmly trickle down and the grass is vibrantly green.
Freshman Michael Palmateer hits a tee shot at a practice on the Athens Country Club course. Head golf coach Dinah Posey describes Palmateer’s game as special. “He has a natural swing, and he’s a lefty, so that’s unique,” Dinah Posey said. Photo by Chad Rhym.
This is where Clarke Central High School freshman golfer Michael Palmateer remembers his past, and sees his future.
North Carolina is the ultimate goal.
Despite this picture perfect setting that Palmateer strives for, he is reminded of a decision that altered the course of his life.
“Last year I either had to choose to live with my mom or my dad,” Palmateer said. “I was basically choosing between parents.”
Palmateer chose to move in permanently with his father. He felt his selection was primarily due to the solid foundation he found in the environment that was his new home.
“It was just having a supportive parent, saying ‘keep your head up; don’t let yourself get down too much,’” Palmateer said.
Aside from a new start, Palmateer came back to something else.
The game.
Palmateer began playing golf wehen he was two years old. He recounted a memory when he was 10 years old in which he beat his grandfather’s friends in a round of 18 holes.
“I was on my game that day,” Palmateer said. “(His friends) were all saying that if I keep doing it I could have a future in (playing golf ), easily. My grandpa would tell me that I could do it all the time, but I just needed somebody else to say so.”
During his middle school years, Palmateer honed in on his talent by playing for a club team in Winder, Ga. The coach for that team told him words that he still holds to this day.
“My coach told me if I keep playing I could get a scholarship to a college,” Palmateer said.
Despite his passion for golf, Palmateer wanted to experience typical sports like football, baseball and soccer. Palmateer trained during the off-season of his freshman year in hopes of making the CCHS JV soccer team.
However, he was cut on one of the last days of tryouts.
“I was crushed,” Palmateer said. “I tried so hard doing soccer, and then out of nowhere (Coach Aiken) said ‘You’re cut, we don’t have enough spots for you. Just try out next year.’”
Nonetheless, the negative experiences Palmateer had with other sports, particularly soccer, called him to return to his craft.
The game.
Soon thereafter, Palmateer had a conversation with senior golfer Caleb Williams. Williams persuaded Palmateer to ask CCHS head golf coach Dinah Posey for a spot on the team.
Posey was very pleased with her decision, as Palmateer impressed early on in practices, particularly with his technique.
“I was happy because (Palmateer) is a ninth grader so we’ll have him for a while,” Posey said. “We saw right away that he was a natural.”
Palmateer knew he had the skill and composure to reach his goal – the first slot.
“During the first couple practices I was preparing to get to that No. 1 spot, because I knew I had the potential to beat all the seniors,” Palmateer said.
As the season progressed, so did Palmateer. He earned the trust of Posey, and was rewarded with the team’s top spot. Palmateer played a round of nine on March 21, against Apalachee High School in which he shot two birdies, which are holes with one stroke under par, resulting in a final score of 48.
“The weather (that day) was pretty pitiful. It was cold and very windy,” Posey said. “It was probably one of the worst weather days that we’ve experienced, but he started off with two birdies right off the bat at the Georgia Club, which is a pretty tough course. It was really good for his confidence and he was able to hang on and be able to score under 50 for us.”
Posey noted that Palmateer is like a “breath of fresh air” to the Gladiators, and believes he will be the leader for the golf program for years to come.
“The potential for him is whatever he wants to do with it,” Posey said. “Especially in the off-season, during the summer; that’s when a lot of tournaments and development occur.”
Palmateer will still have the ultimate goal in the back of his mind.
The beautiful place he hopes to one day call home.
Chapel Hill.
“I plan on getting a scholarship to North Carolina, back where I was born,” Palmateer said. “It’s got a golf program that I think is right around No. 1 in the country.”
Posey likes the idea of Palmateer aiming for UNC, as she feels that setting high goals will help him play at a higher level. However, she added that reaching that goal will be no two-foot putt.
“He’s going to really have to work,” Posey said. “I’ve seen him in my fourth block class, so he seems well-rounded academically too. He’ll have to set some lofty goals, and that would be that he’s going to have to start shooting under 40 consistently on nine holes and shoot in the 80’s on 18. I’d love to watch him make it happen.”
Through all the triumphs and distress, Palmateer has rediscovered himself. He holds firm to the thing that makes him unique.
The game.
