In 1951 an enterprising Fresno man named Hank Bocchini opened a golf driving range in town at 4604 E. Shields. The neighborhood was upscale. So Bocchini called his place “Hank’s Swank.” “Swank” because of the high-end real estate. “Hank’s” because the place was his.
Bocchini, who had a great white head of hair and played golf left and right-handed, could not have known then that Hank’s Swank would eventually move to the busy intersection of E. Olive and N. Fowler 10 minutes from the Fresno Airport. Or that Hank’s Swank would retain its name, add a par 3 there and become a fixture on the local golf scene.
Merion, Shinnecock, Cypress Point, Seminole, Augusta National, Hank’s Swank. . . . . You probably never imagined those six courses in the same sentence.
The first five are quiet, private exclusive retreats where the blood of many members runs to old money blue.
Hank’s Swank, loudly, proudly and inclusively, advertises itself as “The Blue Collar Country Club.” The only private things there are the restrooms.
Hank’s son, Hank Jr. took over full time in 2004 when his father passed. Today Hank Jr. goes by just “Hank,” in part, so the irresistible name of the place can stay the same.
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Old and young, big and small. Over the years Hank’s Swank has welcomed them all. From San Joaquin Valley cotton king Sam Reeves and Fresno golf legend Charlie Seaver (father of Tom) to slugger Mark McGwire and Hall of Fame jockey Willie Shoemaker.
“For such a little guy,” says Hank of ‘The Shoe,’ “he powdered the ball.”
And then there was the year this quiet kid from nearby Clovis started showing up.
“He was such a gentleman……., kind of thin, and not tall for his age,” Hank says now. “But, he would always say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Bocchini. It’s a pleasure Mr. Bocchini.’ He would always bring the baskets back. I gave him the run of the place.”
So the kid hung around.
“And I said when he was 13 years old that if he didn’t get a girlfriend, he could make it on the Tour,” Hank adds. “He had a swing that was like that. You could tell this guy was gold if he stayed with it. I also said, ‘You gotta stay with him.’ “
That “kid” was Bryson DeChambeau.
Two U.S. Open wins and a U.S. amateur title later everybody in the golf universe knows who that kid is. And there is precious little quiet about him now.
But there was then, and still is now, an endearing limit to Hank’s ability to be impressed. “His mother,” Hank says of Jan DeChambeau, “had the best swing in the whole family.”
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Fast forward to a recent February afternoon out on the range. Hank is a certified PGA of America professional. He is also a collector of antique golf clubs and an expert in club repair. But on this day he is working with an older student who has come to Hank’s Swank for the first time. Hank is stressing proper connection and rotation while making sure the player’s head is behind the ball at impact. He demonstrates vigorously.
One hitting bay over, a 30ish man named Jacob is trying out a shiny new set of Jack Nicklaus irons. He is wearing a Ben Hogan cap and a pair of jeans. He is fighting a hook. So he eavesdrops on the older student’s lesson.
After Hank leaves, Jacob and the older man strike up a conversation. The man asks Jacob what he likes most about Hank’s Swank.
“It’s inexpensive and it’s open late,” Jacob says.
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Hank’s Swank is open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The 9-hole par three course tips out at 1,305 yards, par 27. No starter. First come, first serve.
Greens fees range from nine dollars to 16 depending on day of the week, time of day, and age of player. The course record is 21, shared by three.
Four different sizes of range buckets start at $11 (for around 45 balls) and top out at $17 for a “jumbo” bucket (around 200 balls.) The hitting surfaces are grass and, during certain times of the year, dirt when the Bermuda hasn’t come back. The quality of the range balls is mostly good but not great. Mats are taboo because, Hanks says, they produce a false sense of security at impact.
In defense of mats, there are currently approximately 100 Top Golf centers worldwide and an estimated 15 companies that sell golf simulators. All use mats. Topgolf has been wildly successful at bringing new people into the game.
But, says Hank, “If you ever see mats here, “it will be after I’m gone.”
And, by the way, locals and regulars at Hank’s Swank refer to it, among themselves, as just “Hank’s.” Golf after dark on the par 3 is played with lighted balls and lighted flags. The course record after dark is 26.
There is no dress code. “But we prefer shirts,” Hank says.
The notable exception to that preference occurred the time two married couples showed up for night golf at the first tee queue scantily clad. At one point during the round they decided to become completely unclad.
“Nude golf,” Hank says, when asked recently to name the craziest thing he’s ever seen at Hank’s Swank.
By the next day the buzz and all the bad puns were mostly gone. Nobody called the cops so there was no redress for the undress.
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On the website “Local Golf Spot” that ranks the best par 3 golf courses in California based on user reviews, Hank’s Swank checks in at a solid No. 40 out of 164.
No. 1 on the list is Tiger Woods’ design “The Hay” at Pebble Beach. Greens fee there: $75. Starter on duty. Tee times recommended. Juniors 12 and under play free. Very different from Hank’s Swank. And very cool.
By the way, there is currently no ranking for the par 3 course in California with the best name. But if there were?. . . . .. Just sayin’.
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The shop at Hank’s Swank is small and sits on a raised deck attached to a single wide trailer. Outside and around to the back, range balls fill large galvanized tubs where they are soaked, cleaned and readied for their return to the baskets.
Nancy Bocchini, Hank’s wife, works up front at the cash register and says the best part of being at Hank’s is, “I get to be with my family.”
One of her granddaughters, Jessi Fox, mothers four sons and works at Hank’s three days a week.. Like her grandfather, Jessi appears to be everywhere all at once.
Last February a boy showed up needing to buy a golf bag to participate in a tryout for a junior team. He had never played golf before. And, Jessi says, “he did not have a clue.”
Hank spotted him immediately. “For three days Hank spent hours with this kid on the driving range.” Jessi says.
“Sometimes,” she says of her grandfather, “people come out here just to talk to him.”
Hank’s happy place, Jessi confirms, might just be the small room behind the shop where he regrips, repairs and retools golf clubs.
On a recent day a customer watched as Hank cut to spec the shaft of a long, heavy armlock putter and changed the grip. The customer was suffering from a tremors condition that caused his right hand to twitch involuntarily at impact.
Hank predicted the added weight and length and the new grip would enable the man to lock his left arm against his body, preventing his unpredictable right hand from ruining his putting stroke.
A problem arose when the man prepared to pay. Hank didn’t want any money. A brief disagreement ensued. “Ok, then,” Hank said. “Consider this club a loan. If it doesn’t work out, bring it back to me.”
Problem solved.
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Hank Bocchini Jr. is 79 years old. His father died at 86. The son plans on living longer. But, he concedes, “I sit down a lot more now.” He hasn’t thought about what his epitaph will say but scoffs at the notion that you can’t take it with you.
His favorite antique club is a Spalding Elite sand wedge circa 1970 with an aluminum shaft. It’s considered a collector’s item. And it is the only one he has ever played. So he has decided it will accompany him to the great Swank in the sky when they close his coffin.
“It will be right there in the box with me,” he says.
Until then he will live out his long days teaching and preaching golf while promoting the game and Hank’s Swank.
Hank’s late father used to tell people he only worked half days…….and it didn’t matter which 12 hours he worked.
Clearly, the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree.
