ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604160020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: GOLF
SOURCE: RANDY KING
When Liz Waynick headed west in October 1985 with her ``mother, car, TV and clothes,'' the Roanoke native had no idea she would be hobnobbing with the likes of Jack Nicklaus 11 years later.
But when Nicklaus won The Tradition, last week's Senior PGA Tour major in Scottsdale, Ariz., there stood Waynick.
``I was one of the first to shake Jack's hand and congratulate him,'' Waynick said. ``Jack's really a great guy, and I was so happy for him.''
Almost as happy as she is for herself these days. Waynick, 36, the best female golfer to come out of Roanoke, no doubt enjoys her current status as one of the few women's head club professionals in America.
For the past 21/2 years, the 1978 Patrick Henry High graduate has been the head pro at Desert Mountain's Renegade Course, one of four Nicklaus-designed layouts at the ritzy Arizona resort.
``I feel really fortunate,'' Waynick said. ``I'm working at one of the best golf facilities in the world.''
It's Waynick's second head professional job since heading west. She was head pro at Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West, Ariz., before landing at Desert Mountain.
``I guess I've been at the right places at the right time,'' she said. ``I went to Briarwood as an assistant pro. A year later, the head pro was fired, and they appointed me head pro. The members liked me, made out a petition and the next thing I'm the head pro. It gave me a chance, and that's really helped me go a long way.''
When Waynick turned professional after graduating from the University of Miami in 1982, the five-time Roanoke Valley Women's Golf Association City-County champion and 1981 Virginia State Amateur titlist had visions of making a living playing the game, not teaching it.
She traveled and played the Florida mini-tours for 21/2 years before coming to a harsh conclusion.
``It was fun,'' said Waynick, ``but I finally realized that I was getting old and I was going to have to do something to make a living.
``It just didn't work out for me. In a smaller town like Roanoke, basically, I was the only one. But when you go on the national level, you soon find out that everybody else is as good as you are, if not better. It was a real eye-opener. Maybe if I knew what I know now, it all would have been different.''
Waynick has no complaints, however. Well, there is one.
``Most people's impression of a head golf pro is that we get to play a lot of golf,'' said Waynick, who at at age 16 beat current LPGA pro Cindy Hill before losing to Nancy Lopez in the third round of match play in the 1976 U.S. Women's Amateur in Sacramento, Calif.
``Well, I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but I haven't played a round in five weeks.''
KING IN FIELD: Roanoker Billy King takes another shot at the big boys in next week's 57th PGA Seniors' Championship at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
King, the head pro at Roanoke's Blue Hills Golf Club, will be making his fifth appearance in the past two years in a PGA Senior Tour major. He has survived the 36-hole cut in one of the four events.
SCHOOL OPENINGS: The Homestead Resort's Golf Advantage School and Wintergreen Resort's Golf Academy both open shortly.
More than 20 sessions are available this summer at the Homestead, including three junior schools and a session for women only. Each session boasts a four-to-one student-teacher ratio, allowing for individualized instruction.
Those who wish to enlist can call Homestead golf director Wayne Nooe at 1-800-838-1766 or (540) 839-1766.
At Wintergreen, the first of three special sessions runs April 25-28 for players with handicaps of 15 and under. A women's class will be held June 6-9, with a parent-child program running July 1-4. Call new director Scott Ezell at 1-800-325-2200 to enlist.
SAND BLASTS: The Cascades in Hot Springs has been ranked fourth in the ``upscale'' section of Golf Digest's new list of ``America's Best Golf Course Everyone Can Play.'' ... The second Dave Lamanca tournament will be held April29 at Hidden Valley. Last year's event raised almost $15,000 for a golf scholarship fund at Salem High. Lamanca, who played golf at Salem, was killed in a 1994 USAir crash in Pittsburgh. ... So you watch this year's Masters on television and ponder the thought of attending next year's event. Well, forget it. The tournament's waiting list has been closed since 1978, and it's likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: FILE/1980. Roanoke native Liz Waynick is the head pro atby CNBDesert Mountain's Renegade Course in Arizona.