Golf was ‘The Pro’ Walter’s life he ate, slept and drank golf

THE impact that former PGA golfer Walter ‘Wattie’ Sullivan had on a number of local golf clubs was reflected on in recent days, after he recently passed away aged 94.

Tributes were also paid to Wattie by leading professional golfers Padráig Harrington and Paul McGinley, whom Wattie taught when they were in the early stages of their golfing careers.

Wattie, who was affectionately known as ‘The Pro’, was involved in the early days of Kilmashogue Golf Club in Whitechurch and Slade Valley Golf Club in Brittas, and he was known for his longstanding involvement in Grange Golf Club in Rathfarnham.

He grew up with a love of golf, passed down from his father, Jack Sullivan, who was the assistant professional golfer at Bray Golf Club.

When Jack passed away, Wattie, then aged 16, stepped into the breach and became the assistant professional golfer at Bray Golf Club, before being hired as a professional golfer in Athlone in 1952.

Eight years later, Wattie became Rathfarnham Golf Club’s professional golfer – a role which saw Wattie teach many nascent golfers – before being hired by Grange Golf Club in 1964, where he remained until his retirement.

A talented golfer in his own right, Wattie derived great enjoyment from his time spent on the fairways in a number of local golf clubs, and he competed on a national level as a PGA golfer.

A father-of-two and a grandfather-of-five, Wattie was held in high esteem in all the golf clubs he was involved in and has been consistently described as a gentleman by those who knew him.

Wattie Sullivan loved the game of golf

This sentiment is echoed by Wattie’s nephew, Rory O’Sullivan, who described his uncle as a “gentle soul” with an unwavering passion for teaching and playing golf.

“He was a very kind person, and always had a kind word for everyone,” Rory told The Echo. “He was a gentle soul.

“He was 94 when he died, but he was teaching golf right up to 90-years-of-age. Golf was his life – he ate, slept and drank golf.

“He knew the golf game inside out, and had a great understanding of all the players, both past and present.”

In a tribute paid to him on Twitter, champion golfer Padráig Harrington described Wattie as a “great sports psychologist before his time”, whose sayings still ring around in his head.

“Wattie’s legacy was in teaching,” Rory added. “He kept it very simple, he wasn’t overly technical.

“But he was ahead of his time in coaching, and he was probably a sports psychologist and didn’t even know he was.”

Explaining one of Wattie’s own tips for having an impactful golf swing, Rory said: “He’d interpret the golf swing as a clock.

“It’d be a case of when you go back it’s at a quarter to three, then it’s three o’clock, the bottom is six o’clock, and when you finish swinging the club goes up at nine o’clock.

“He also had a classic saying for if you were playing badly. It was, ‘Head down, heart up’.”

Outside of golfing, Wattie also enjoyed singing, gardening, dancing and whistling, but it was golf that was his driving passion throughout his life and he passed this on to the thousands of golfers he taught over the years.

Wattie Sullivan, from Silverwood in Rathfarnham, predeceased by his beloved wife of over 70 years Bridie, and the loving, and much-loved father of Evelyn and Brendan, passed away on Saturday, April 16.

Wattie’s funeral Mass was held in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, on April 20, followed by burial in Kilmashogue Cemetery.