Bryan Carbery isn鈥檛 retiring to spend more time at the golf course. The golf course is where the coach of the University of Victoria golf program has already spent most of his life.
This fall, after 14 seasons, 鈥淐arbs鈥� as he鈥檚 known to his players, will step down from the Vikes head coaching job, although Clint Hamilton, UVic鈥檚 director of athletics and recreation, isn鈥檛 letting him walk off the course entirely.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a total retirement,鈥� said Carbery, who laughed and said he鈥檒l remain in an advisory capacity. Carbery and his wife Bonnie won鈥檛 miss his 90 days a year on the road, but he鈥檒l never be too far from the team. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Clint鈥檚 going to let me go too far away.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l give me a fancy title, like director of golf or something.鈥�
Beside smoothing out the 鈥渂lips鈥� for interim coach Justin Clews 鈥� an assistant pro at Uplands Golf Club 鈥� Carbery鈥檚 main reason for staying on board is to help maintain all the contacts and relationships painstakingly cultivated over the years. He鈥檚 done it all, from booking hotel rooms to driving the team as far as California to save money. He鈥檚 drummed up free tee times, and encouraged benefactors to donate scholarship funds.
鈥淎t the end of the day, there鈥檚 a lot more to coaching golfing than people realize,鈥� Carbery said, recalling a team stop at the Seattle airport where the restaurant staff informed him his Visa was maxed out. Turned out the ticket staff had charged him $15,000 for baggage, instead of $200.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more than just teaching them how to swing.鈥�
In the retirement announcement from UVic, Hamilton referred to the monumental contribution Carbery has made in building the Vikes golf program.
鈥淗is passion, determination, and unwavering commitment to developing our golf team to a national championship level was always on display, and matched only by his commitment to our student-athletes,鈥� Hamilton said.
Carbery, who鈥檚 turning 65 next month, grew up in a golfing family 鈥� his dad Hugh鈥檚 ashes are buried on the course at Uplands Golf Club, and sons Spencer (an ECHL coach in South Carolina) and Kasey (a chef) are avid golfers. Carbery played juniors with best buddy Don Billsborough, the soon-to-be-retired head pro at Uplands, and was Billsborough鈥檚 first assistant pro back in 1973.
What Carbery has been good at is teaching and building a golf program out of next to nothing. It all started when Carbery coached Lanny Sawchuk, who went on to Stanford. Lanny鈥檚 dad Ted Sawchuk, president of Uplands and head of UVic student services, suggested the club donate an afternoon for a tournament to raise money for a UVic golf program. Vikes athletic director Wayne MacDonald bought in, and two years later, the program was born.
Currenttly, the UVic Golf Classic, the main fundraiser for the golf program, is in its 17th year, as Uplands continues its support.
鈥淯plands has been great. They鈥檝e been absolutely amazing,鈥� Carbery said.
Uplands teaching pro Dave Rands works on the technical, video analysis side of the game with the Vikes, while Carbery, the 2013 Canadian University/College coach of the year, is more of the old-fashioned school of thought. He believes focusing on the basics is where improvement begins, rather than changing heads on a golf club.
That said, Carbery is pleased to know former Vike Alison Quinlan is joining the program as a sports pychologist, while doing her Masters in sports psychology. He wants that piece of the puzzle added to the team.
Carbery鈥檚 aim is to help the Vikes become more consistent. The strategy has brought the Vikes RCGA Canadian University men鈥檚 titles in 2003, 鈥�05, and 鈥�06, and a women鈥檚 championship in 2008.
Individually, Shelby Dreher was a force through the championship years, and won the individual title in 2005. Todd Halpen appeared on the PGA Tour, Christina Spence-Proteau was a two-time RCGA champ, Anne Balser was a four-time member of the Canadian national team, and Mitch Evanecz made five cuts in his rookie PGA season. Evanecz earned Web.com Tour status in 2013.
The Vikes were the first school to win both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 individual titles in the NAIA championships in 2012, when Carson Kallis and Megan Woodland topped the leaderboards.
Carbery considers Woodland one of the top 25 golfers in the country. The Claremont grad said joining the UVic golf team was the best decision she could have made.
鈥淚 always had a great time with Carbs as my coach,鈥� Woodland said about her four years at UVic. 鈥淗e had a way of reinforcing my goals on the golf course.
鈥淗e really had my back.鈥�
