𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘'𝗦 𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗘~𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗥𝗢 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝟭𝟴

 

Al Escalante

By Rene Torres

In 1491, King James of Scotland signed a law, which would have been a death stroke to golf in England. He was a jeering critic of the game.

“He said it takes no skill to hit the ball.” 

Some nobleman induced the King to take one cut, one swing at a golf ball and from that moment on, King James was a royal duffer.

The King spent the rest of his life hooking, slicing and topping balls, he was reeled in by golf and what’s more, he refused to enforce the law he signed.

Brownsville’s Al Escalante was just a kid when he got hooked on golf but, unlike King James, when he took his first cut, people could tell that his swing was special.

While most kids his age were chasing birdies, Al was making them. 

His family lived across the road from the 17 th fairway of the Brownsville Golf Course so he was never far from his natural playground.

As an amateur golfer, his peers considered him the best in the valley. When he left the amateur ranks, golfers throughout the valley were elated that he would no longer compete at that level.

Al, the boy that grew up on the Brownsville Golf Course (now Valley Inn and Country Club), and became the youngest head pro in any club in the country at age 18.

In 1935, Escalante inherited his first pro job when his father died after serving as a pro on the local course for 25 years. 

Brownsville golfers hardly remembered any head pro other than Escalante, father and son.

After his outstanding service during WW II, Al was offered a dream job as the professional of the Club de Golf de Mexico at Mexico City, which at the time was one of the most beautiful courses in the world.

In Mexico, Escalante, was succeeding the very popular Al Espinosa, who tied the famous Bobby Jones for the U.S. open title in 1929. 

His tenure at the Club de Mexico was interrupted by homesickness, so Al decided to return to his home course after three and half years.

In 1957, Escalante left Brownsville again, to head the Club de Golf Valle Alto at Monterrey. 

His new job, said Al, would give him more time to play since it was solely that of a pro, whereas in Brownsville he was expected to be a pro and greenskeeper.

His work as a professional in Mexico did not go unnoticed. 

According to the article “The Development of Mexican Golf” published in the 1953 issue of USGA Journal and Turf Management, Percy Clifford wrote:

Brownsville golfers Rentfro, Craig and Escalante

“Little is known about the professionals that came to Mexico in the early days, sometimes risking their lives to teach the Mexican people the wonderful game of golf.” 

Percy gives credit to Al Escalante, Al Espinosa and Manuel Barrera with the development of golf in Mexico.

Few have done what he did and even fewer can say that at the age of 18, they were better than he was. 

Well!  Perhaps Campion and James“Chula” McNair.