David Boutin has lived in West Texas nearly his whole life. Raised in Odessa since he was 18 months old, Boutin began playing golf at the age of eight when he received a set of four clubs from his grandfather for Christmas.
Since then, Boutin’s affinity for golf has grown immensely. As a member of Permian High School’s golf team, Boutin never made the traveling squad. That didn’t deter him from continuing to work on his game. He went on to play for Odessa Junior College, one of the premiere junior college golf programs in the country, where he would become a staple as the fifth guy on the five-man traveling team in his second year on campus.
Fast forward a few decades, and Boutin is still just as passionate about the game of golf. He’s been an integral part of our volunteer team out in West Texas since 2017 and thoroughly enjoys all the TGA and USGA events he gets to play a helping hand in.
Mickey Jones, a past TGA President and current Executive Board member, was the one who initially got Boutin involved.
“Mickey was doing a lot of local officiating in West Texas with the USGA and TGA by himself or with maybe one or two others,†said Boutin. “Around six or seven years ago he made a pitch to some of us he knew well to see if we wouldn’t mind helping him out in joining the West Texas team. That recruitment came through Mickey Jones, and he encouraged us to go to Rules School.â€
Boutin and others hopped on board and formed a seven- or eight-man team that is vital to the TGA’s success.
“Since I joined that team, it’s been nothing but positive with the TGA and how the tournaments are run and who participates,†said Boutin.
As volunteers and golf administrators well know, there is a lot more that goes into running a golf tournament than many people might realize. Such was the case for Boutin prior to becoming a TGA volunteer.
“I didn’t realize how well run those tournaments are,†said Boutin. “It’s a pleasure to be a part of that. The most satisfying thing is that I get to give back to a game that gave me a lot. It’s been very rewarding to me to see so many young men who have been so very polite and well-behaved. It’s been neat to see those young men conduct themselves the way they have.â€
When thinking back at his favorite golf memories, Boutin has many that come to mind. As far as officiating goes, one memory that always comes to mind happened at a qualifying event in Amarillo.
“There was a 16- or 17-year-old kid that had waved me up to the green,†said Boutin. “When I walked up to the green, he was wide-eyed and nervous. He wanted a ruling on his ball, and I helped him. No penalty occurred but the look on his face was priceless. On the next tee box, he hits a shot to the right over by a fence and looks at me again with wide eyes. I told him what his options would be and there was a calmness that came over him.â€
This kid was young, and the qualifier meant a lot to him. For Boutin, it was priceless to be able to help him keep a level head during their discussions and avoid incurring any costly rules violations.
From his competitive playing days, Boutin remembers the Odessa College team letting him carry the third-place trophy off the plane from the Junior College Golf National Championship when they got home.
The TGA is thankful for David Boutin and his willingness to spend his time volunteering at many of our events each year. If you’re out in West Texas for an event this year, make sure to say hi to David!