By Mike VanZandt
With a saddened heart and best wishes for his future, I would like to say goodbye to Michael Mitchell, head golf pro and Mr. Everything at the Wallis Smith Community Golf Course for the last four and a half years. Mitchell will be long remembered for his immense contributions to the success and continued operation of the Ranch after Hurricane Ike. Michael has returned to Beaumont, where he graduated from high school, for other employment opportunities and to be closer to his family.
During his 25 years on the Peninsula, Mitchell has been a true Renaissance Man. All at once a surfer, artist, musician, golfer, disc jockey, agronomist, cat breeder, dog lover, organizer, auctioneer, laborer, teacher, friend, and perhaps most of all, a conversationalist extraordinaire. Mitchell has always fancied himself a great putter and is sneaky long off the tee with his driver for such a diminutive ball of fire. He never met a stranger while running the Ranch and doubtlessly will be fondly remembered by the legion of golfers he regaled with his hilarious stories. Thanks for everything you did for golf on the beach and for being such a great friend to me and to so many others. Adios amigo and “may the odds be always in your favor.”
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Mike, Good luck to you and I’m sorry to see you go. You put your heart and soul into the ” RANCH” and you will be missed. Your friend BRENT
very seldom do run across a person who is a character with character. will miss his early Sunday recap of the previous week’s events. always a pleasure, good luck!!!!