Father & Seven Year Old Daughter Never Miss Playing Golf Together

Mike Heitz and his young daughter Kahlan are often recognized at the Arnold Golf Club because not every player tees off with a little girl.

Heitz, a U.S. Army veteran, was wounded in Afghanistan in 2010. Today, he helps wounded soldiers transition from military to civilian life in his job as a benefits counselor for Disabled American Veterans.

Kahlan, a second grader in the Fox C-6 School District in Arnold outside St. Louis, Missouri, used to play T-Ball and softball – until, that is, she turned four years old. That’s when her Dad showed her how to hit teed-up water balloons with a golf club.

Soon after that, he showed Kahlan that it is more fun to hit golf balls with her driver and watch the balls fly. From then on, Kahlan was hooked on everything the game of golf can offer. They began playing together every Friday, early in the morning.

It soon became clear to both father and daughter that playing the game together is a special time like no other for them. That’s one of the reasons why they play every week, most often at the Arnold Golf Club, and spend evenings at the club’s chipping range when they can.

An experienced golfer with an eight handicap, Mike naturally assumes the role of benevolent instructor and mentor while Kahlan shows her dedication and focus every time she addresses the ball.

“You might say that she’s a natural,” says Mike. “The first time Kahlan ever used her driver on a par three her ball landed three feet from the hole.”

“Playing golf with my Dad is awesome,” Kahlan says. “It’s the only time I get to be with just him. It’s hard to do that sometimes because he’s so busy and can’t spend time with me like he used to do.” Here’s one reason why: Mike and his wife Amanda have a son, Gunnar, who turns two in November and has a toddler’s agenda.

“The time I spend only with Kahlan is special for each of us because I work a lot of hours, and the golf gives me a chance to hang out with Kahlan and do something we both love to do. Showing Kahlan how to play the game has taught me a lot about being patient.”

Kahlan is competitive on the links. She has played in several tournaments over the last two years. The set of clubs she uses is designed for kids age six, seven and eight. As regulations require, she tees off from the adult ladies’ red tees on par four holes. In her first year of competing in tournaments – 2016 – Kahlan won two trophies in the Jefferson County Junior Golf program. She has her eye on winning two more trophies this year, and registered for two 18-hole tournaments in the spring. “One tournament was cancelled because of rain, and the other one got flooded out,” says Mike.

Kahlan constantly works to improve her game. “My Dad says if I keep on learning I will get better.” On rainy afternoons she practices her swing in her room at home – without a ball, of course. Or she drops a ball on the floor and works to improve her putting.

With her Dad Kahlan typically plays nine holes, yet they often play 18 to prepare for upcoming two-person 18-hole tournaments that they plan to enter.

“I’ve been working on my golf game really hard,” she says. That’s because Kahlan really wants another tournament trophy – or something she hopes to receive from her parents: a mobile phone.

“My Dad says if I work really hard at my golf and on my schoolwork I can get one,” she says with an excited smile.

With or without a cell phone, Kahlan and her Dad share priceless experiences every time they play the game, including “high fives” when one of them makes a particularly good shot, and a hug every time they complete a round.

The process of walking the links and striking a golf ball at this time in Kahlan’s life has its own special meaning for each of them. Mike says, “The time I get to spend with my daughter I may never be able to get back.” Kahlan says, “I love my Dad more than I love golf because he does a lot of things like work and when he has time for golf he spends it with me.”

Story by Jeff Dunlap

Note:

The Arnold Golf Classic being hosted at The Arnold Golf Club on Saturday, October 20 will benefit Mary’s House of Hope at A Safe Place, a COMTREA program that provides crucial services to assist women and their children who are victimized by domestic abuse.

The 36-hole 2-Player Arnold Golf Club Classic Golf Tournament (formerly known as the Pomme Cup) is limited to 90 players/45 teams, with no age limit for entry. The tournament will begin with 7:30 a.m. sign-in and 9 a.m. shotgun start. One hundred percent of all raffle, sponsorship, contest and mulligan donations in addition to 50 percent of all entry fees go directly to support Mary’s House of Hope at A Safe Place (https://www.comtrea.org/asafeplace/news/588-mary-s-house-of-hope-at-a-safe-place-ground-breaking).

Each player shoots 27 holes in the 36-hole tournament. Fees are $50 for Club Member 2-Player Teams or $100 for Non-Member 2-Player Teams. Entry fee includes golf, cart, gift bag, light lunch, a whole-hog pig roast dinner by Smokee Mo’s and live music provided by Rockin’ Bob & Johnny B Goode after the tournament.

There will be a 2-Player 18-Hole Scramble in the morning, with optional skins and mulligans available. The afternoon will feature Player-Split 18-Hole Own Ball (one team member plays 9-hole front while the other team member plays 9-hole back at the same time).

To register for the Arnold Golf Club Classic, make a donation, become a Tee Sponsor or for more information, contact Betty Boyer by email at bboyer@arnoldmo.org or phone 636-275-5308. To register your team, download registration forms or become a sponsor, visit the webpage https://www.arnoldmo.org/event/arnold-golf-club-classic-golf-tournament/.

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