ROGERS — Talent wasn’t the issue. Rogers High golf coach Marcus Alexander immediately could tell that senior Slade Hames possessed the necessary skills to blossom into a collegiate golfer.
But when he first spent time on the golf course with Hames during the 2007 season, Alexander couldn’t ignore the lack of certainty shown by the then-sophomore.
“He just wasn’t that confident, and he had a lot of nerves when he played,” Alexander said. “He struggled a lot that year with his nerves, but it’s been so exciting the past couple years to watch him grow. He’s really settled down and become comfortable with who he is as a golfer.”
Hames offered up one reason for the transformation: Lots of practice. Hames honed his game through tireless hours on the driving range and putting green at Pinnacle Country Club, his home course. He also traveled the state during the summer, competing in numerous Arkansas State Golf Association tournaments.
And his hard work resulted in a standout senior season that earned him the All-Northwest Arkansas male golfer of the year award. Hames will leave Rogers High and head to Arkansas Tech next year, having won this year’s 7A-West Conference Tournament and helping the Mounties win two state championships.
“It’s been a great year,” Hames said. “I wanted to play college golf, and no one really talked to me last year because I didn’t have a good year. So I knew I had to put in a lot of practice time this last year. That helped me so much. I got to the point where I knew I had the shots, so I wasn’t afraid of making a mistake.”
Hames said he spent “every single day the entire summer” working on his golf game. He said he practiced his short game for a majority of the time, trying to get rid of the three-putts that plagued him throughout his junior season.
When he wasn’t at Pinnacle, he was competing.
He won an ASGA tournament in Harrison. He finished second at ASGA events in Fort Smith and Heber Springs and competed in other ASGA tourneys in Mountain Home and Jacksonville. He also claimed his second Pinnacle Junior championship and went up against some of the nation’s top golfers at the AJGA Arkansas Junior at The Blessings in Johnson.
Mostly, though, he built up his confidence. Hames won the Springdale High Bulldog Invitational to start the season and became one of Rogers’ most consistent golfers, along with Jes Sanders and Patrick Holt.
“(Slade) showed that he could succeed even on the days when things aren’t going your way,” Alexander said. “When I first met him, he couldn’t figure out how to manage through this, but this year he improved in that regard more than anything. If he had a bad shot, or a bad hole, he would just refocus. That’s impressive.”
Hames’ winning effort at the conference tournament perfectly illustrated Alexander’s opinion. Hames started slowly on Sept. 25 at Bella Vista Country Club, recording bogeys on two of his first seven holes. But he quickly bounced back and made six birdies for a 4-under 68, giving him a four-shot victory.
Alexander said Hames would be missed next season, and not just because of his golfing ability.
“He really became a leader this year,” Alexander said. “He definitely stepped up and became more of a role model to the younger kids. He would tell them how to handle different situations and help them through problems. He really came a long way during his time here.”