Dusty Metcalf is a happy man.

A 1998 graduate of South Whidbey High School, Metcalf became the new golf director at Holmes Harbor Golf Club in Freeland in May.

He’s married to the sweetheart he met in college, lives in a fine home near the course and has a job he loves.

And he’s just 26.

On a recent perfect golf day — 75 degrees, clear skies and no wind — he sat down to talk candidly about his good fortune.

He’s been lucky, yes, but some hard work and good strategic decision-making were involved as well.

“The truth is, I was a baseball guy and only played golf as a hobby,” he recalled. “Baseball and football were my sports of choice.”

After high school, Metcalf played ball at Columbia Basin College in Pasco but would sharpen his golf skills at a local driving range whenever he could.

After Columbia, he enrolled at Western Washington University and snagged an afternoon maintenance gig at the Bellingham Golf Course.

He’d be on the fairways at 4:30 a.m. — for course set-ups, mow the putting greens, sweep the clubhouse — then head to classes. In the afternoon he played a little free golf.

Nathan Vickers, the resident pro, was impressed with Metcalf’s work ethic and skills on the course. One day he invited him to join in a “beat the two pros” game with local regulars.

“We shot the lowest score ever and beat everyone,” Metcalf said. “I was invited to move out of lawn care and up to the pro shop while in school.”

Metcalf soon realized he had a knack for dealing with duffers and scratch golfers alike. He enjoyed teaching the game, but knew he needed to know more if golf was to become his chosen career.

So he found a business school in Temecula, Calif. (north of San Diego) and graduated with a degree in golf management in 2001.

“There were two courses of study; management and technology,” Metcalf said. “One led to standing behind the counter, the other to the head office. I knew what I wanted.”

He took a position as golf pro at a new club in La Quinta near Palm Springs. “Start-up operations are a lot of work,” Metcalf said. “At one point I was selling 150 rounds of golf daily from a plastic table in 100-degree heat. My learning curve was steep, but it was worth it.”

Eventually, he became tournament director for a major desert golf course. Each job added another layer of responsibility but brought more knowledge, as well.

“They were positive steps in the right direction,” he noted.

However, travel time to San Diego to visit his girlfriend Janie began to take its’ toll. The two were married in 2004 and decided to move to the island. Metcalf worked at Whidbey Golf Club before accepting the job with Holmes Harbor developer Mark Schuster.

Open to the public, Holmes Harbor is an unusual golf setting. Though only a par 64, the narrow fairways are deceptive.

“It’s a shorter version of a championship course; first-timers think it should be a piece of cake, but discover it’s more challenging than it appears. The narrow greens put a premium on accuracy.

You have to hit the ball straight.”

As golf director, Metcalf is responsible for budgets, personnel, customer relations, capital improvements, the pro shop and all the myriad details of a successful operation.

But his prime directive is two-fold: Giving lessons, and keeping the golf course headed in the right direction.

“Golf requires a specialized knowledge and approach. I want to take this beautiful place to the next level,” Metcalf said.

“Teaching the game is something I love to do,” he added.

Metcalf offers private and group classes and especially enjoys working with couples. On a recent day, South Whidbey High freshman Cole Erikson spent the morning with Metcalf learning the best techniques for chipping and putting.

“I’ve been playing for five years but this is my first day here; I’ve been learning a lot,” Erikson said as his ball headed straight to the hole.

Which makes Dusty Metcalf a very happy fellow.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or e-mail sports@southwhidbeyrecord.com.