SHORTLY AFTER MOVING INTO HER DORM ROOM ON THE EARLY AFTERNOON OF SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2025, LILLY AND HER SUITE MATES POSED FOR A PICTURE. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT -- ANNABELL, EMMA, HALLIE, AND LILLY. ANNABELL AND EMMA WERE BOTH FROM DALLAS, WHILE HALLIE WAS FROM HOUSTON.

Lilly Crushes the 2025 Texas Tech Girls Golf Camp


Prologue…


My great neice Lillyn Grace Burliegh (Lilly) is very special to me.  Perhaps some day I will tell you why, but that is not the focus of this blog.  Sometime in 2024, Lilly’s dad told me that Lilly had been bitten by the golf bug and hoped to make her high school golf team.  What great news!  Golf was a very, very important part of my youth.  It kept me out of trouble (for the most part!) and was a large source of what little self esteem I had during my teen years.   So I was delighted to hear this news about Lilly.  I immediately sent her a note of encouragement and a package containing a learning aid that helps you have a proper grip, a golf shirt from The Bandit, and a book titled Ben Hogan’s Fundamental Secret. 

Sometime early in 2025 my nephew posted a picture of Lilly practicing on Facebook.  That set my brain in motion…how could I help her become a better golfer?  Golf Camp, that was the answer.  So I began to search for a golf camp that I could help send her to.  In short order I found that Coach JoJo Robertson of Texas Tech University had a golf camp and it looked perfect for Lilly.  I had known Coach Robertson for many years, having first met her while helping Coach Mike Akers host tournaments at Texas State.  I knew that JoJo was a great coach and a great person.  So I sent my nephew a link to the camp and asked him to discuss it with Lilly and to let me know if she might like to attend.  In short order he reported that she was very excited at the prospect and that she had his and her mom’s permission to attend if I could arrange it.  I called JoJo and explained that Lilly was a beginner with a capital B, and I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t feel out of place.  JoJo and I had a very candid conversation about why Lilly was so special to me and she said she would personally make sure Lilly had a great camp.  So, I signed Lilly up, and the rest is history, as told below in this blog.

 

Helping Lilly Get Ready for Camp…


Once I got Lilly signed up for the golf camp, I set out to get her a few things that I thought she could use at camp and enjoy during her pursuit of golf excellence.  What fun I had!  I began to scour the back alley’s of Ebay in search of shirts, shorts, and skorts.  I found some amazing deals, some of which I had sent directly to Lilly at her home, and some of which I had sent to the lake, since we would be spending the night of Saturday, May 31, 2025, before driving up to Lubbock the next morning.  I ordered Lilly two dozen Titlest golf balls with putting alignment stripes and her initials on them.  While I was in my shop one day I ran across my old Bag Shag, which I had used in high school some 50+ years ago.  The canvas bag part was falling apart, so  I went online and ordered a new bag for it.  When the bag arrived I took it to a local printing shop and got Lilly’s name, hometown, and school logo on it.  When I put it back together, I was quite proud of it, and hoped that Lilly enjoyed using it as much as I did those many years ago.  Sidenote:  The Original Bag Shag was invented and marketed in 1948, and is still made exactly like it was back then.  Their website boasts of a ten year guarantee —  Lilly now has one that has lasted over fifty years!  An amazing product!  Below are a few photos that show the results of my golf camp scavenger hunt…

MY OLD BAG SHAG WAS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE WHEN I RAN ACROSS IT IN MY SHOP.
ONCE I RECEIVED THE NEW CANVAS BAG AND HAD LILLY'S NAME PRINTED ON IT, I HAD TO PUT IT ON THE DEVICE. IT WAS A LOT HARDER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BUT I GOT IT DONE.
THE FINISHED PRODUCT. PRETTY SNAZZY, EH? I HOPE LILLY LIKES IT!!
SOME OF THE CLOTHING ITEMS I BOUGHT FOR LILLY. I FOUND A PRACTICALLY NEW ZERO RESTRICTION GORE TEX RAIN JACKET AT AN INCREDIBLY LOW PRICE ON EBAY -- MADE MY DAY!
I BOUGHT LILLY A BOBCAT HEADCOVER FOR HER DRIVER. IT SHOULD ADD A LITTLE LEVITY TO HER BAG!

Look Out Lubbock, Here Comes Lilly…


I had made arrangements with my nephew Chris to pick Lilly up on the late morning of Saturday, May 31, 2025.  We met at Goode Company Seafood and had a nice lunch with Lilly, her sister Camryn, and her mom and dad.  We said our goodbyes and Lilly and I headed to the PGA Superstore on Westheimer to pick up a few last minute items, including a pink Ping stand bag, a pink visor, and a pink golf glove.  Also of note, we got some crab compechana to go as a special surprize for Dorothy — she loves that stuff!

To break up the drive to the lake Lilly and I stopped at the little golf course in Luling, Texas, and she played a few holes with some of her new equipment.  It was a nice day to take a walk around a golf course!

WITH LILLY AND HER SISTER CAMERON AT GOODE COMPANY SEAFOOD -- ABOUT TO HIT THE ROAD.
LILLY ARRIVED AT OUR GUEST BEDROOM TO SEE SOME OF THE GOODIES I BOUGHT FOR HER TO USE AT GOLF CAMP.
LILLY ON THE SECOND TEE AT THE LULING GOLF CLUB ON SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2025.

Let The Camp Begin…


Lilly and I left the lake at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, June 1, 2025.  Check in at the dorm and camp orientation was at 1:30 p.m. at Murray Hall on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, so we had to leave quite early.  I must say that my great neice is a very responsible and punctual young lady.  She was always ready on time, which, as I recall from my own two daughters, is quite extraordinary for 14 year old girls!  We arrived in Lubbock in time to stop at a Chili’s near campus for a bite of lunch.  Then we headed over to the dorm.

We arrived right on time to find the lobby of Murray Hall in a joyful and boisterous mood, filled with the Texas Tech coaches, some Texas Tech players, and 30 eager girl campers and their parents.  As we checked in Head Coach JoJo Robertson saw us and came over to introduce herself to Lilly and tell her how excited she was to have her at the camp.  I got a nice hug from JoJo out of the deal.  It had been a number of years since I had seen her and she looked great — full of energy and good will to spread among the campers!  After checking in, we gathered Lilly’s bags from the truck and headed to the suite of rooms where she would be staying.  Her three suite mates were already there and quickly introduced themselves to Lilly.  What a fine looking group they were (see photo above)!  After a short while in the dorm room we headed back to the lobby where Coach Robertson gave a little welcome speech and orientation presentation to the campers and their parents.  It was then time to head to the The Rawls Course, which would be the girls workplace for the next few days.  

LILLY AND TEXAS TECH WOMEN'S GOLF HEAD COACH JOJO ROBERTSON AT CAMP REGISTRATION.
LILLY LEAVING MURRAY HALL AFTER REGISTERING FOR GOLF CAMP. SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO MY TRUCK TO RETRIEVE HER BAGS, WHICH SHE TOOK BACK TO HER ASSIGNED DORM ROOM.
LILLY, SHOWING ME HER CAMPT T-SHIRT AND HER DORM ROOM AT MURRAY HALL.

Time To Get To Work…


When we arrived at The Rawls Course, Coach Roberston gave the girls a tour of the very impressive facility that was built just for the men and women’s golf teams at Texas Tech.  After introducing her assistant coaches and the players that would be helping with the camp, it was time to get to work.  The girls were divided up into groups of five and directed to one of six stations located on or around the massive practice green adjacent to the team facility and lockerooms.  These stations were laid out for the girls to do a variety of putting and chipping drills — it was all well organized and the girls were excited to get to work.  It was time for the parents to depart, and I did so reluctantly.  But Lilly was already talking to one of the coaches at her station and beginning her first drill, so I knew it was time for me to go.  Lilly told me later that the first afternoon was the toughest of the camp.  I can see why, it was hot, and the drills were intense, with the coaches recording the performances of each of the girls on each of the drills.  Quite a sight to see!

THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE TEAM FACILITY AT THE RAWLS COURSE ON THE CAMPUS OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY.
THE TEAM FACILITIES AT THE RAWLS COURSE ARE FIRST CLASS IN EVERY WAY.
LILLY IN THE COMMON AREA OF THE TEAM FACILITY.
ANOTHER PICTURE OF LILLY IN THE SPACIOUS COMMON AREA OF THE TEAM FACILITY.
INSIDE THE WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM, WHERE THE GIRLS STORED THEIR CLUBS EACH EVENING.
LILLY, ABOUT TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.
LILLY PAID CLOSE ATTENTION AS ONE OF THE COACHES EXPLAINED THE PUTTING DRILL THEY WERE ABOUT TO DO.
HEADING TO THE STARTING POSITION OF THE FIRST PUTTING DRILL STATION.
BEGINNING A PUTTING DRILL.
ONE LAST PHOTO. I TOOK THIS PICTURE RIGHT BEFORE I LEFT THE RAWLS COURSE TH HEAD FOR SANTA FE.

The Rest of The Story…

 

After leaving Lilly at the Rawls Course, I headed out, driving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I would spend the next two nights and hike for a couple of days.  I won’t bore you with all the romantic details, but suffice it to say that early on Monday morning I had an episode of Acute Urinary Retention (AUR) and had to go to the Emergency Room in Santa Fe and have a foley catheter inserted.  Of course, that fouled up my plans but I didn’t want it to mess up Lilly’s golf camp experience.  After much thought, I decided to ask Coach Robertson if Lilly could skip the final nine hole tournament on Wednesday moring so I could get back home to be near my own doctors.  Coach said that would be ok so I told her I would leave it up to Lilly —  if she had her heart set on playing in the little tournament I would abandon my plan to leave early. I texted Lilly and she said it was ok to leave early on Wednesday morning.  I spent Tuesday up on La Bajada Mesa and at Loretto Chapel.  To see my blog post about my visit to these two locations, look here.  

So I met Coach Robertson and Lilly at The Rawls Course a little before 7:00 a.m. and we loaded up Lilly’s gear and said our goodbyes.  Coach told me that Lilly was an excellent camper —  always on time, always paying attention, and always doing her best.  That made me feel very good, and when Lilly piped up and said “Coach, I hope I can come back next year”, that really made me feel good.  As we drove away from The Rawls Course I apologized to Lilly for my medical situation causing her to miss the little tournament, she said “That is ok uncle Tom, I got to play in the scramble tournament yesterday afternoon and my team won!”  She went on to describe a particular shot she hit that really helped her team, and show me a Texas Tech Visor that she and her team were awarded for winning.  After hearing that, I didn’t feel so bad.  When you add the fact that it was very cool (in the 50s) and very windy that morning, I think it all probably worked out for the best!

LILLY WITH THE TEXAS TECH VISOR SHE WON AT THE GOLF CAMP SCRAMBLE TOURNAMENT.

Epilogue…


Our original plan was for me to drive Lilly home on Thursday, June 5, 2025.  But to accomodate my medical situation, Lilly agreed to stay at our house for a couple of days so I could rest instead of doing more driving and her dad agreed to meet me in Houston on Saturday.  I am very grateful for them allowing me to get some rest.  On the drive home Lilly showed me some blisters on her hands, which were the result of her changing her grip at the camp and hitting so many balls over the previous three days.  So I was a little surprized when she asked me to take her to the Bandit to hit balls the next day.  I was amazed at how much she had improved.  Below are a couple of photos and two short videos of her hitting her driver — see for yourself!

Thank you Lilly for letting me take you to the Texas Tech Golf Camp.  You were a joy to be around.  Indeed, you have grown into a thoughtful, considerate, and motivated young lady — I am so very proud of you and I know that your parents are as well.  Dorothy and I love you!

LILLY ON THE DRIVING RANGE AT THE BANDIT, JUNE 5, 2025. HER SWING WAS LOOKING GOOD!
ALL DONE, AND LOOKING PRETTY IN PINK!
ONE FINAL PICTURE FROM LILLY'S PRACTICE SESSION AT THE BANDIT GOLF CLUB ON LAKE MCQUEENEY.

Bonus Coverage —  Lilly Visits Betty’s River House and the Oldest Dance Hall in Texas…


On the afternoon of Lilly’s last full day at our lake house, I asked her if she wanted to go into New Braunfels with me while I ran some errands.  After a quick stop at the recycling center, Lilly and I headed over to Dorothy’s mom’s house on the Comal River, which is for sale since Betty passed away in the Fall of 2023.  Lilly had been there several years ago and I asked her if she wanted to take what be her last opportunity to look at the river and Betty’s house.  So we stopped by, and, as Lilly approached the front door (which is located in a gated area of the property) two tiny White Tailed fawns jumped out from behind some potted Sago palms and bolted into the back yard, headed for the river.  They startled both Lilly and I and we cautiously followed them.  One was on the street side fence line, and the other was across the lot next to the fence along the neighbor’s side of the property.  Some pics and a video from our visit to Betty’s river house….

LILLY, AT THE FRONT DOOR TO BETTY'S RIVER HOUSE, RIGHT BEFORE TWO TINY WHITE TAILED FAWNS BOLTED FROM BEHIND SOME POTTED PLANTS AND HEADED DOWN THE PATIO TOWARD THE RIVER.
ONE OF THE TWO TINY FAWNS THAT WE SAW AT THE RIVER HOUSE.

A short video of the fawn in the picture above frantically trying to get through the fence at Betty’s River House…

LILLY BY THE COMAL RIVER, IN BETTY'S BACKYARD.

After our stop at Betty’s River House, we headed to Gruene, so Lilly could look around the oldest continuously operating dance hall in Texas, built in 1878, Gruene Hall, and buy a t-shirt.

LILLY, ABOUT TO CROSS THE STREET IN FRONT OF GRUENE HALL AFTER WE HAD PARKED OUR CAR.
LILLY, ABOUT TO ENTER THE OLDEST DANCE HALL IN TEXAS.
THE FRONT BAR AREA OF GRUENE HALL IS DECORATED WITH SIGNED PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE FAMOUS, AND SOME OF THE NOT SO FAMOUS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE PLAYED THERE OVER THE YEARS.
ON THE DANCE FLOOR AT GRUENE HALL. A BAND WAS WARMING UP IN THE BACKGROUND.
A SELFIE IN FRONT OF GRUENE HALL. THE PERFECT WAY TO END THIS BLOG....THANKS FOR HANGING OUT WITH ME LILLY...I LOVE YOU! UNCLE TOM McC