From golf trickshot artist to… well, artist. If you have followed me on social media for a while, then you know I have an undying love for the game of golf. For those of you that are new to “Coach Rusty”, allow me to give you a brief background of who I am and how we ended up here. 

I have been in the golf industry since I was 14 years old. I started as a cart barn guy, then worked my way through the ranks to become a teaching professional. I’ve had the opportunity to work under some of the best instructors in the world which not only grew my love for the game, but helped me to understand it on a deeper level. Around 2015 is when I started posting golf related videos on social media and I had no clue where doing that would lead me. 

I’ve always been the creative and passionate type. When I started posting videos on social media I wanted to take that creativity and implement it into the game I am so passionate about. Now, this was during the boom of social media. I was always blown away by all of the talented people I came across, however, one person really stood out to me. Romain Bechu, a french golf pro, was posting amazing videos of him juggling a golf ball with a wedge. If you are a golfer chances are pretty damn good that you have tried bouncing a golf ball up and down on your club, but this guy was doing the craziest shit I have ever seen. I couldn’t help but to give it a go. I eventually learned a few of his tricks, but the creative side in me was calling. I then started creating my own. It was like a drug. I just couldn’t stop. I would post the routines on social media, they would get shared. Then my great friend Josh Kelley comes along and starts posting absolute bangers. This fires me up and we start going back and forth trying to one up each other. Long story short, through this competitive and creative environment we ended growing a following and ultimately building a personal brand. 

Now, years have gone by and while I still love what I do, I have been searching for a new creative outlet within the game of golf. Around 2019 I was tasked to do a video for puma golf where we hit paint covered golf balls at a white shirt making it seem as if we created their shirt for a new drop. I noticed the shirt I hit balls at actually looked so cool! You could see the streaks of paint the balls created along with the dimpling patterns. Fast forward to 2022. I’m sitting around in my studio and the idea pops up that we try doing the same thing, but to a canvas. This was just a fun content play, but when the video was done I realized we could do so much more. Why not try to make something that would actually look cool hanging on my wall? So we did. Over the last year I have been experimenting with different ways to implement golf into creating artwork. I have been posting my artistic journey on social media and I cannot believe how well it has been received. 

Ultimately my goal is to continue to show and express my love for the game through my works. Golf must be implemented into every piece. Whether we are splattering a pile of paint to the canvas with a 6 iron, hitting paint dipped balls, or even attaching a brush to a clubhead and taking hacks. This is art for golfers by a golfer. I don’t have a damn clue where this will go but I promise you that I will continue to show my passion for this game through the creative expression of art. Ok I have to google some videos about color theory and how to properly clean brushes. Love you, bye.