Dennis Walters will be performing his renowned trick shot show on Friday, July 18 at 11:00 a.m. at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. His performance is in conjunction with the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, which is being held at The Home Course from July 14-19.
The show is open to everyone, and is free to attend. Hot dogs will be provided free to all attendees. The show is sponsored by The Home Course Junior Club.
The Dennis Walters Golf Show is a combination of golf mastery and human inspiration. It is great golf, great fun, and a great message.
Walters’ dream had been to play on the PGA Tour, but after an accident in 1974 he was left paralyzed from the waist down.
The first thing Walters had to figure was a way to play golf again. Since he could not stand, he started by hitting golf shots from his wheelchair. He then progressed to a swivel seat mounted on the passenger side of a golf cart, and since 1977 he has made over 3,000 appearances, performed in all 50 states, Mexico, Canada and the UK. He and his dog Bucky perform nearly 100 shows a year.
Walters uses his own personal experience as an example to challenge each person in the audience to do something in their life that perhaps they thought was impossible, that with hard work, dedication and perseverance you can achieve success at anything.
The show lasts about an hour and is a demonstration of precision golf. The show begins with a question and answer session where Walters gets to know the audience and they get to know him. Next is the opening act – Super Dog, Bucky, who was rescued by Canine Castaways. Bucky is Walters’ best friend and does a variety of tricks, but is best known for his uncanny ability to correctly answer questions by barking out the answers. He is very good in math, general information, and golf trivia. Walters asks him a few questions, just to get him warmed up and then Walters encourages the audience to try and stump him.
The crowd also plays a major role in the show, as there is much audience participation. Items such as Jelly Bellies are given out during the show.
The trick shots, or as Walters likes to call them, “shots from unusual lies,” come next. They are done with a wide variety of items. Dennis’ theory is that if you have a good swing you can hit good shots with almost anything and he proves this by hitting precise shots with clubs made from a fishing rod, a crutch, a radiator hose and a cell phone. He also has a club with three universal joints on the shaft and a club with three heads (his “3-iron”). Dennis hits shots blindfolded, through fire and let’s not forget the 200-yard putt. Other highlights include shots hit off 3-foot high tees, off a watch and with an egg balanced on the ball. Dennis also hits a shot with Bucky’s favorite club, which is shaped like a dog biscuit. Woven throughout the show is Dennis’s motivating message that dreams can come true, and with hard work and perseverance anything is possible. The show then concludes with his famous rapid fire machine gun shot where he hits five consecutive shots while they roll down a ramp, the last one being a special exploding ball.
Walters is one of only 11 honorary lifetime members of The PGA of America. This unique club includes three former presidents of the United States – Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush.
In 2008, The PGA of America presented Walters with their highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Previous winners include Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Gene Sarazen, among others. In 2009, Dennis was appointed a spokesperson and national ambassador for The First Tee.
All the golf balls that he uses during his show are donated to junior golf.
The Dennis Walters Golf Show appears annually at PGA Tour, Champions Tour, LPGA and Nationwide Tour events. His show is a popular addition to local golf tournaments all over the U.S., at junior golf events, charity tournaments, club functions and corporate outings.