Preston Ettin’s nickname years ago around The Golf Practice was “Happy Feet.”
“Because I would never be able to finish flat footed,” he said. “I just tried to get up there and smack the ball as hard as I could. I also remember in my backswing, being able to see the club face with my left eye.”
In addition, he struggled mightily around and on the putting green.
“I wasn’t great,” he said, noting that he had yet to play a full 18-hole round. “But I was ambitious. I was looking to get into competition.”
That was in 2017, when Ettin was 10 years old, just starting out at The Golf Practice, taking lessons with Jantzen Miserak, the academy’s Director of Instruction, and participating in The Golf Practice’s Travel League Program. It was during the program’s nine-hole tournaments when golf began to click for Ettin.
“I was able to go play nine holes and know what my game was doing and know the rules and have fun with my new friends,” he said. “It was cool seeing it all come together and my skill set grow each time I played.”
Over the next eight years, Ettin participated in the High School Prep, Varsity Prep and M360 programs, improving each year to the point that he eventually played on the golf team at Deerfield High School.
“I learned so much going through the programs, meeting with the coaches and using the facility,” he said. “It shows you how to be successful with time management, how to be resourceful when you’re there to practice.”
Miserak detected early on Ettin was restricted in his shoulder and hip movement.
“We went to hell and back with my golf swing,” he said. “He adapted to it and gave me a plan that ultimately made me have a successful four years in high school.”
Working with Miserak, Ettin also matured as a young man.
“He’s always been there whether it’s on the course or off the course. He is a really caring person who provided a great relationship for me to have throughout my whole high school career,” he said. “He was always eager to hear about what I did outside of golf.”
Ettin now plays as a 7 handicap and will attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he will study aeronautical science, hoping to become a pilot.
In 2024, Ettin became even more of a fixture around the academy, working as a part-time junior program golf coach and as a counselor at The Golf Practice’s summer camp.
“The Golf Practice is a great place to learn the game of golf. It’s so welcoming,” Ettin said. “It is the premier spot, whether it’s for lessons, programming, indoor practice or any of your other golf needs.”
