About the Dennis Walters Golf Show
The Dennis Walters Golf Show is a one hour combination of golf mastery and human inspiration. It is great golf, great fun, and a great message. The show is also about dreams and as Dennis says in every show, "I'm not talking about a dream you have at night. To me a real dream is having a positive thought in your head and in your heart and doing whatever it takes to make that come true. Also, if you have a dream and it doesn't work out, never stop dreaming; get a new dream!" Dennis' dream was always to play successfully on THE PGA TOUR. He had an accident in 1974 that left him paralyzed from the waist down. After his accident it was looking pretty bleak for that dream. Dennis found there were a lot of things he couldn't do, but there was no way he was giving up playing golf and thus with this never say die attitude a new career was born.
The first thing Dennis had to figure was a way to play golf again. Since he could not stand, he started by hitting golf shots from his wheelchair. He then progressed to a swivel seat mounted on the passenger side of a golf cart and since 1977, he has made over 3,000 appearances, performed in all fifty states, Mexico, Canada and The UK. He and his dog Bucky usually do about 90-100 shows per year. Dennis uses his own personal experience as an example to challenge each person in the audience to do something in their life that perhaps they thought was impossible, for with hard work, dedication, perseverance you can achieve success at anything.
The Dennis Walters Golf Show lasts about an hour and is a demonstration of precision golf from start to finish. The show begins with a question and answer session where Dennis gets to know the audience and they get to know him. Background information and golf tips are always included. Next we have the opening act – Super Dog, Bucky, who was rescued by Canine Castaways. Dennis believes if you are looking for a dog or cat, an animal shelter or a rescue group is a great place to begin your search. Bucky is Dennis' best friend and does a variety of tricks, but is best known for his uncanny ability to correctly answer questions by barking out the answers. He is very good in math, general information, and golf trivia. Dennis asks him a few questions, just to get him warmed up and then Dennis encourages the audience to try and stump him. The crowd also plays a major role in the show, as there is much audience participation. Items such as Jelly Bellies are given out during the show.
The trick shots, or as Dennis likes to call them, shots from unusual lies, come next. They are done with a wide variety of items. Dennis' theory is that if you have a good swing you can hit good shots with almost anything and he proves this by hitting precise shots with clubs made from a fishing rod, a crutch, a radiator hose and a cell phone. He also has a club with 3 universal joints on the shaft and a club with 3 heads (his 3 iron). Dennis hits shots blindfolded, through fire and let's not forget the 200 yard putt. Other highlights you will see in the show are shots hit off 3 foot high tees, off a watch and with an egg balanced on the ball. Dennis also hits a shot with Bucky's favorite club, which is shaped like a dog biscuit. Woven throughout the show is Dennis's powerful motivating message that dreams can come true for with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible. The show then concludes with his famous rapid fire machine gun shot where he hits 5 consecutive shots while they roll down a ramp, the last one being a special exploding ball.
Dennis is one of only eleven honorary lifetime members of The PGA of America. This unique club includes three former Presidents of The United States, Eisenhower, Ford and George HW Bush. In 2008, The PGA of America presented him with their highest honor, The Distinguished Service Award. Previous winners include, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Gene Sarazen.
In 2009, Dennis was appointed a spokesperson and national ambassador for The First Tee. The First tee is an international youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. It's a great fit with Dennis's program for he has always tried to grow the game of golf and positively influence others.
What's in his bag? The 15 inch custom bag he brings to each show is full of his bag of tricks. It contains about 35 clubs. Dennis has clubs made from a wide variety of items such as a fishing rod, crutch, radiator hose and cell phone. One of his favorite clubs is his "3 iron" (a club with 3 heads). Using this club, Dennis can hit three balls at the same time, and take the one that gets nearest to the pin. He also has an "adjusto shaft club". If you are slicing to the right, simply adjust the shaft to the left. This should cure your slice.
Bucky lets Dennis hit his driver in the show. The (MINI) club is one foot long and he uses it for short drives. Dennis' Judge Judy gavel club looks hard to hit but it produces a 200 yard shot with a slight draw every time. Another club in the bag is a left-handed club that Dennis can hit right handed. He also has a club with 3 universal joints on the shaft. It is a crooked club for straight shots. Besides his clubs, Dennis' bag is filled with Titleist Pro V-1 Golf Balls that have his logo on them. All the golf balls that he uses during his show are donated to junior golf ... he never hits the same golf ball twice.
The show is a great addition to any event. Dennis appears at PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, LPGA and Web.com Tour events. His show is a popular addition to local golf tournaments all over America, junior golf events, charity tournaments, club functions and corporate outings. Dennis is also available for motivational speaking.
If you’re interested in bringing Dennis Walters’ powerful message of hope and inspiration to your corporate event or golf tournament, please click here.
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