YOUNG Beaudesert trainee professional golfer, Karl Mitchell, wakes up every morning with a smile on his face.
Maybe that’s a little stretch, but his love of golf and an opportunity to work at the local course has him confidently believing he has the perfect job.
Karl, 28, was born at Beaudesert Hospital and except for a few “escapes” hasn’t left the Beaudesert-Boonah area.
At the instigation of his father he picked up a cutdown golf club and started hitting balls when he was just three.
Ashley, his father, was well known as one of the leading local golfers and also walked the local streets as the postie delivering mail for more than a decade.
“He is still a great golfer and plays off a handicap of plus three, while I am down to scratch,” Karl said.
“Alongside the goal to finish my three year PGA Associate Professional degree is to one day have a lower handicap than my dad. He keeps giving me stick about it.”
Karl was offered the position at the Beaudesert Golf Club by soon to retire pro Greg Coulter.
“I saw a dedicated young lad who was ideal for a position with us and Karl hasn’t looked back in his first few years,” Greg said.
Karl is already ranked as one of the best young PGA Associates in Queensland and in the recent order of merit final finished third.
There are presently around 100 associates working at courses throughout the state.
It’s a family affair for Karl when he strides out in the tournaments with his partner Caitlin as his caddy.
No doubt his father is also nearby keeping an eye on his son as he closes in on a lower handicap.
Before adopting golf as his number one sport, Karl was an accomplished local cricketer and was selected as an all-rounder in the Queensland Under 15 squad.
For some years he toiled as a real estate agent and while he enjoyed the challenge he knew it wasn’t going to be his forever job.
“Sport has always been big in my life and now my life revolves around it every day,” he said.
“It’s the perfect job.”
