Mike Drake (Art/PreMed, Portland, ME), known as “the Drake” to his friends and teammates, spends his summers working at Sable Oaks Golf Course in South Portland. In the 2005-06 Fall season Mike posted a low round of 79 at the UNH Wildcat Invitational and had one top-ten and 3 top-20 finishes in six events with an overall scoring average of 85.0. While he admits to his frustration with that Fall performance, he has compiled an even more impressive 4-0-0 match-play record at Gordon. Beneath his calm, approachable exterior is a dedicated competitor, and Mike has high goals for this coming season.
He says, “We may be the underdogs at these tournaments, but one of these days we’re going to rise up and only a few teams can see it coming. I’ll look forward to that surprise.” He goes on to say it took a while to understand why Coach Carlson has them compete with NCAA Division I and II schools while Gordon is a small Division III college, but now he agrees that the level of competition required really invites players to prepare themselves and perform at their best in these tournament opportunities. “My major goal moving into this Fall season is to build a team that enjoys playing together and add players who really have the desire to work hard and who compete to win. Anybody can grab some clubs and just show up and get the round in; competing for Gordon has given me the chance to push and challenge myself and my golf at a higher level. Playing against these bigger schools should help us compete and win against the other Division III schools in our conference. My favorite Gordon memory is watching Ian (Pullen) drop his 30-foot putt in on the 18th hole at Cocheco (NH) for his 69 to win the (2005 UNH Wildcat) tournament, and all the other coaches turning and looking at the rest of us, like ‘who are these guys?’ --that was great! Ian’s pretty clutch.”
Mike’s faith also helps shape his attitude on and off the course. “I know that golf is a great check-point for my faith. If I’m getting frustrated, I know my focus has slipped from being on God’s provision in my life. Once I can get refocused on being grateful for His presence in my life and all the wonderful ways He’s shaping my life, my attitude takes a positive turn, whether I’m struggling that day or not. Golf is a gift God has given me, and he’s teaching me that my response ought to be to give Him all the glory. And like golf, I’m learning these hard lessons a little at a time.”
Mike started playing golf in elementary school. “My cousin invited me out one Saturday afternoon and I was hooked right there!” He went on to play competitively at Deering High School (ME) and to win the Maine Class A State Championship in 2002. When asked who his dream foursome would be: “Phil Mickleson, Retief Goosen, and Kevin James (“The King of Queens”).” Asked if he’d like to borrow a part of the game from someone else on the team to help his own, he said he’d really like to steal his college coach’s short game. “My high-school coach used to call me a mental midget. (Gordon’s) Coach Carlson has this creative and deadly game from like 50-yards in, and will just kill you with his putting. Inside 6-feet, its like automatic. He’s teaching me a bit about mental focus around the greens, but if I could just pour it all in my head at once, that’d be great!”
What’s in Mike’s Gordon golf bag –
Driver: Titleist 983E, 9.5 deg., Grafalloy ProLite shaft (stiff flex), Titleist full-cord grip (two extra wraps of tape on all grips for larger size)
3 wood: Titleist 975F (16.4 deg., True Temper Dynamic s300 steel shaft (stiff), Titleist full-cord grip
Irons: TaylorMade 300 (3-PW, standard lofts/lie, True Temper Dynamic s300 shafts (stiff), GolfPride Tour Velvet grips
Wedges: Titleist Vokey wedges, 50 deg., 56 deg., 60 deg.; Titleist full-cord grips
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Newport Mid-Slant, 35 inches, std. lie, Titleist grip
Ball: Titleist ProV1, marked with dots
Favorite Ball Marker: Sable Oaks marker
Unique thing in my bag: “There’s really nothing much in there. I like my Gordon lion headcover, though, can I count that?”
Handicap Index: 3.3
Home Course: Sable Oaks Golf Club, South Portland, Maine.
Par: 72/6359 yards Rating: 71.8 Slope: 138 http://www.sableoaks.com/
Favorite course played while at Gordon: Turner Hill Golf & Racquet Club, Ipswich, MA; “We play a lot of nice courses, but there’s no question—its Turner Hill.”
