On July 30, 2024, at Lonesome Pine Country Club in Southwest Virginia, Mike Giles hosted the second annual Tyler Giles Junior Golf Day in honor of his late son, Tyler. Tyler’s journey with golf began at the age of eight, participating in clinics and junior tournaments at Lonesome Pine. By eighth grade, he had joined the Powell Valley High School Golf Team in Big Stone Gap, Virgina. The Giles family later relocated to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where Tyler continued his passion for the sport on the local high school team and later on the team at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
Mike Giles shared, “Tyler had a deep love for golf and was dedicated to helping young players get started. He always made sure that kids new to the game had the equipment they needed. When Tyler received a new set of clubs, he would pass his old set on to a beginner. He was passionate about sharing his equipment and encouraging others.”
Tyler Giles on the UVA-Wise Golf Team
One of Mike’s most cherished memories of Tyler was when he was selected to participate in an out-of-town tournament organized by their club pro. In this tournament, each club pro chose a few kids to compete against players from other clubs. As the youngest member of the Lonesome Pine team, Tyler was thrilled when they won and received a trophy. Overjoyed, Tyler asked the pro to take him to his mother’s workplace to show her the trophy. Mike recalled that this experience was a turning point for Tyler; it made him feel truly connected to the sport, and the older players made him feel like a valued part of the team.
Sadly, Tyler passed away unexpectedly a couple of years ago, and his father, Mike, wanted to find a way to continue Tyler’s tradition of helping the junior golfers in the area. It was an obvious decision to host a free to play Junior Golf Day at the golf course that was so special to Tyler. Lonesome Pine Country Club’s board and members never hesitated to offer the golf course for an entire day to allow the Giles family to host an event that would introduce juniors to the game that may not have opportunities otherwise and also to provide instruction to juniors who are already playing and aspire to play competitively. 75+ kids, wearing camp shirts with Tyler’s face, eagerly participated, making Tyler’s memory live on.
The Tyler Giles Junior Golf Day was established to honor Tyler’s spirit of helping others. This event, organized by Tyler’s friends and supported by the Giles family, offers free instruction, food, and a round of golf. At the end of the day, two sets of golf clubs are given away, including a youth set and a high school set. One of the recipients’ Father shared on Facebook that he had brought his son to the event hoping to spark his interest in golf. They were unaware that Tyler’s family was giving away a youth and High School set of clubs on behalf of their late son. When his son was announced the winner of the new PING Prodi G set, the young boy covered his face in disbelief. The excitement continued as they went straight to the driving range to try out the new clubs. With this gift from the Giles family, the young boy is passing on his smaller set to someone else to pay it forward. The family’s generosity also included a free club fitting and a set of clubs for a rising freshman, who expressed his gratitude with a smile that “will never come off.”
In addition to the Giles family, several PGA Professionals volunteered their time and expertise to make the event a success. Bryan Bentley, Jeremy Beachner, Chris Smith, Ethan Burger, Dylan Jones, Chris Stacy, and Adam Dean all contributed their skills and knowledge.
One thing Tyler always enjoyed was finding a younger person to encourage and help out in any way he could around the golf course and the country club. Bryan Bentley was one of those who benefited from him looking to help out a young high school golfer. Bryan was in high school while Tyler was in college, and he often would let Bryan have free range balls when he was at Lonesome Pine Country Club trying to work on his game as a young junior golfer. This eventually grew into a friendship and Tyler would become one of his best friends. Bryan said that they all miss Tyler, but he believes that “he would be really proud of all the junior golfers that are getting a chance to spend the day at his favorite golf course playing a game he was so passionate about.
Jeremy Beachner and Dylan Jones taught swing techniques on the range, and they have helped with this event since its inception, and look forward to it every year. Jones shared, “Giving a free day for all juniors to come and try golf or better their skills means a ton”. He finds coaching junior golfers especially rewarding, as it provides a unique chance to make a significant impact on their lives. Beachner hopes that the older junior golfers will see the dedication of PGA Professionals like himself and be inspired to continue the legacy of the profession.
Kelsey Ludwigsen, Communications Manager