Seasoned pro now chipping in as coach

It’s been 13 years since Doug Martin retired from the PGA Tour, but his involvement in the sport he loves is far from finished.

Martin is currently the head men’s golf coach at the University of Cincinnati, a post he’s held since his promotion from assistant coach in the summer of 2009.

And then there’s his job as manager and part-owner of The Golf Ranch, a practice facility in Burlington, Kentucky that his University of Cincinnati Bearcats use as a training location.

“I’m going to stay involved in golf as long as I can,” Martin said. “I’m not going to be involved in the playing aspect of it anymore because I’ve got a back injury. Golf gave me a lot through college, through junior golf, and through professional golf. I’m now interested in giving back to the game and that’s what I’m doing.”

The back injury that cut his career short however was what led to his involvement at The Golf Ranch.

“I got involved working there after I quit playing professional golf on the PGA Tour. I developed a back injury and had a couple of friends that were owners of the facility. And I became a part-owner and manager.”

But the injury that affected Martin’s ability to play had no impact on his skill to pass on the secrets of the game; the transition from player to coach came naturally.

Since accepting the position of assistant men’s golf coach at the U of C in 2006, he has helped the Bearcats tie for sixth place in the NCAA’s Big East conference in 2006-07 and led them to sixth place at the Big East Championship in 2011.

Results like this are nothing new for Martin. His extensive playing career saw him enjoy success at the junior level, the collegiate level, and the pro tour.

As a junior, he was a two-time American Junior Golf Association All-American and was ranked first in the country in 1984.

In the late 1980s, his time playing for the University of Oklahoma was also successful, with Martin collecting five NCAA titles, including three runs as All-American. In 1989, he finished second to 2012 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, and Masters champ, Phil Mickelson, who was teeing off for the University of Arizona.

At the professional level, he enjoyed a pair of victories and would have won a third if he hadn’t lost to Vijay Singh in a five-hole playoff in 1995.

Although Martin doesn’t see himself giving up the game any time soon — he still plays recreationally — he admits that after accomplishing so much he’s also looking forward to focusing on his family life.

“I want to be a good father. I want to be a good husband. I want to be a good coach.”

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By: Carlo Campo
Posted: Mar 6 2012 11:16 am
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