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This Globetrotter Plays Golf
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as Well as He Writes About It A Hall of Famer in The Making
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This Globetrotter Plays Golf as Well as He Writes About It
A Hall of Famer In The Making Story by Jerry Reid Photography courtesy Alan Hoskins
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olf writer Alan Hoskins has always been a strong proponent of moving to a forward, more comfortable tee. Today, at age 87, he plays as much as five days a week, year-round, weather permitting, at Sunflower Hills Golf Course and routinely shoots his age. He has moved (crept) to tees in front of the regular forward tees. This move forward makes him relevant to the game and the game more enjoyable.
As a lifelong sportswriter, Alan has interviewed hundreds of sports stars and many television and movie stars throughout his writing career. He’s interviewed Babe Ruth’s wife. He interviewed Wilt Chamberlain during an hour-long phone call for an article. He took John Wooden on a slow ride from KCI to Kansas City, all the time recording his interview with the coach. Other interviews include Joe Louis, Mickey Mantle, Walter Payton, and Sports Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Joe Montana, Gale Sayers, Stan Musial, and Whitey Ford. Most of the former Kansas City Royals have spoken with him. The complete list is very long. He’s interviewed movie stars Bob Hope, Kevin Costner, Sidney Poitier, Robin Williams, Ed Asner, Tom Bosley, and many more.
Alan Hoskins (above) grew up in Zearing, IA. Polio invaded Alan’s house when he was four years old when he and his sister contracted the disease. Among his other health issues from Polio, one of Alan’s legs was affected. It developed shorter and smaller than the other, making walking difficult. However, that did not prevent him from playing basketball on his high school team or keep him from walking many miles playing golf. He now rides, which is not unusual, even for a 37-year-old or an 87-year-old like Alan. 16
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Hoskins
Alan Hoskins (in red shirt) organized a large group of Sunflower Hills golfers to play Colbert Hills with PGA Professional Jim Colbert in 2020. Colbert played a few holes with each group. As an avid golfer, Alan has organized Sunflower Hills golfers for golf trips to Colbert Hills several times, where they met and played with Jim Colbert.
◄ Headline photo: A group of Kansas City, KS golfers (from left) John Bukaty, Alan Hoskins, Jim Teaney and Dave Klein preparing to “play away” on the first hole on the famed Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. (Courtesy Alan Hoskins 2015.) Professional golfers have interacted personally with Alan many times at tournaments. Lee Trevino was playing the senior tour event in Branson when he saw Alan walking along with his group (remember, during childhood, Alan had Polio, which caused one leg to become smaller and shorter than the other, making walking difficult). Trevino saw Alan walking Branson’s hilly terrain and told him to get on the cart with his caddy Herman because Trevino said he was going to walk anyway. Alan rode for several holes and then told Herman he felt uncomfortable riding while Trevino was walking. Herman reassured Alan that it was all right because he was certain Trevino would be buzzing balls in that creek just ahead.
At age 81, Alan Hoskins drained three aces within 10 months and three days at Sunflower Hills in Kansas. The first on 12/16/17; second on 9/25/18 and third on 10/19/18 (less than a month after No. 2). As you can see by his attire, the first and third came on frigid winter days.
When Alan was at Top of the Rock covering an event for TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE Magazine, he asked Gary Player if he would take a picture with him (Alan) and Jack Nicklaus. Player said that would be up to Nicklaus. Later that day, there was a post-event media conference. As soon as the news conference was over, Player stood up, turned to Nicklaus, and said, Alan would like a picture with us. Despite an objection from the person running the news conference, Player prevailed, and a photo with Nicklaus, Player, and Trevino became Alan’s prize possession. Alan has played golf with Ernie Banks, Len Dawson, and many more. When playing with Tom Watson before the Watson Challenge one year, Watson birdied the first three holes. When Alan parred the par-3 4th hole, Watson informed him, “That’s a three, net two. Partner, we’re four up.” In his elderly years, Alan has endured his share of health issues. He has had cancer — beat it. He had heart trouble culminating with heart bypass surgery (2015) — recovered well. A mysterious infection caused him to be put into a medically induced coma for eight days (2021) — he recovered completely. Despite one of his legs being significantly smaller and weaker than the other because of Polio as a child, to this day, he has maintained a very active athletic life. Not only has he fought a good fight against diseases and health issues, but he also decided to lose some extra weight. Recently, he lost 37 pounds to get around better and remain healthier. TeeTimesMagazine.com
Today, Alan plays golf regularly. In fact, he had three holes-inone within 10 months during the winter of 2017 and fall of 2018. Still threatening to drain a few more aces, he routinely shoots in the low to mid-80s from the “creeper” (forward) tees. We use the term “creeper” respectfully for those avid golfers who prefer to move to the forward tees as they age to continue enjoying the game. His influence has motivated Sunflower Hills management to install new forward tee boxes that are much more golfer-friendly for youth, beginners, and seniors. Many golfers now play from the shorter tees. As he aged, he has continued to creep forward each year on his tee shots. At Sunflower Hills, there are now five different tee boxes used in the game that Alan plays regularly. Golfers are encouraged to play the distance that makes everyone relevant to the game — and have fun. He has had a great influence on that aspect of the game. For Alan, no handicaps are used, just distance adjustments. Alan is the best writer I have ever known. I think he may be the best sportswriter that has ever lived. He knows how to get you interested in the story and then gives you the meat of what is happening. He is also a great photographer. For Alan, it’s important to set up the shot, not just snap a picture. His golf game ain’t bad either, and no “creeping” is needed for his golf writing. Alan is the best at that! 2
Editor’s Comments about Alan’s Accomplishments and Accolades Alan Hoskins has a long list of writing accomplishments and accolades related to sports writing, including Midwest golf. The following are Continued on page 22 ► TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE
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This Globetrotter Plays Golf as Well as He Writes About It
Hoskins is a Lifetime member of the Baseball Writers of America and has been a member of the Golf Writers Association of America for over 32 years. He was inducted into the KCKCC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014 and inducted into the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame at KCKCC in 2020.
a few examples that we believe unquestionably qualify him as a Missouri and Kansas Sports or Golf-related Hall-of-Fame inductee. Hoskins earned a BA in Journalism at the University of Iowa while serving as the first Rose Bowl editor and two years as sports editor of The Daily Iowan, an award-winning campus newspaper. He worked at two Iowa newspapers: two years with the Muscatine Journal and 15 with the Ottumwa Courier. Hoskins was voted Iowa Sportswriter of the Year in 1969.
◄ For nearly two hours, in 2018, David Feherty kept upwards of 1,500 fans and Alan Hoskins at Kansas City’s Kauffman Center in stitches with an endless non-stop chain of jokes, stories and outlandish comments on everything from golf to the need of a bathroom. After the show they met for an interview and this photo.
Hoskins served as the Sports Editor of The Kansas City Kansan newspaper for over six years (1976-1983), where he traveled with the KC Chiefs and served as the official scorer for the KC Royals. He wrote three books, including the only Illustrated history book about the Kansas City Chiefs entitled “Warpaths” and “Wolf Creek’s First 25 Years.” Hoskins later returned to The Kansan as a contributing columnist and twice (1992-93) was named winner of the O.P. Smith Award given annually by the Greyhound Track Operators Assn. for contributions to the promotion of greyhound racing. Hoskins worked at Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) as the Public Information Supervisor, where he was responsible for writing press releases on all aspects of the college and producing various publications. While not included in his job description, Hoskins immediately added athletics to his other responsibilities, including keeping statistics on all home basketball games. He retired from KCKCC in May 2013 after 30 years.
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◄ It was June 11, 2010 the day before that year’s Watson Challenge at Kansas City Country Club (KCCC), when golf writer Alan Hoskins was invited by Tom Watson to tee it up with him for a practice round along with two KCCC assistant pros, “It was a thrill of a lifetime,” said Hoskins. As if all his other writing obligations weren’t enough to keep him busy, Hoskins also loves the game of golf, contributing his writing and photography skills to numerous golf publications over the past 32-plus years. He celebrates 17 years (as of 2024) with TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE™ Magazine (TTGG) as lead golf writer. With over 300 articles and course profiles published in TTGG, along with his over 30-year history with like publications and a golf book, Hoskins has written golf course profiles for your entertainment on nearly every golf course in western Missouri, eastern Kansas, numerous courses throughout the U.S. and even Japan. He has written feature stories about numerous local golf pros and tour professionals like Tom Watson, Gary Woodland, and others. Alan Hoskins (after exhausting research) is no doubt the most published golf writer in Kansas City, MO, and Kansas history! Perhaps the Kansas Golf Foundation’s Golf Hall of Fame is next — Just say’n! 2
Nominations for Kansas Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2024 are now being accepted!
Deadline: January 21, 2024 The Kansas Golf Hall of Fame honors men and women who are distinguished by their accomplishments as a Player, Club Professional, Coach, Architect, Superintendent or Contributor to the Game. Eligibility A person must meet one of the following: 1. Kansas residence for at least 10 years at any time. 2. Kansas residence during the period of his or her contributions or accomplishments; or 3. in the judgment of the Kansas Golf Foundation Board of Trustees, have substantial ties or connections to the State of Kansas. Nominees will be judged based on the public perception of the nominee, and his or her public record of achievements and contributions to the game of golf. Nominate Now at www.kansasgolffoundation.org/hall-of-fame-nominations/