SNAPSHOT
GROW the GAME: Grant Carey By Alexandra Craft, Director of Membership & Communications
“No matter what endeavor Grant chooses in life, he is someone you can truly root for,” said BCC Assistant Director of Instruction Joanna Coe. Being part of a team and being a good teammate are part of what inspired Grant Carey to join the golf team in high school. Growing up playing a variety of sports, Grant says he always gravitated towards golf. “It’s physical, but it doesn’t involve super-athleticism,” he explained. Grant competed as a varsity golfer at Gilman School where he was regarded as a top competitor in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), and finished top 10 in the league championships in 2019.
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September 2020
In the MIAA, competitors play in foursomes and work closely with their teammate to read the greens and give advice about each hole. “When you have a teammate there, and you’re both working towards a common goal, it’s nice to have the camaraderie where you want to succeed with one another. It’s something you don’t get in golf too often,” said Grant. The feeling of playing for more than just himself really drove Grant to be successful on his varsity team. He believes a lot of the good that comes from playing sports is focused around teamwork and working towards team success rather than simply winning as an individual. The long bus rides to and from matches, talking about the course before a match, comparing notes about specific holes at the end of the day, and remembering specific shots that he and his teammates hit are among his favorite memories playing for Gilman. The camaraderie of sharing a singular purpose with a small group of players was an incredible bonding experience; “...these memories [will] stick with me...”
The principles of golf also ring true to Grant’s character. His coach at Gilman always emphasized to “win with class, lose with class,” and that’s the motto Grant has applied throughout his high school golf career, and carried over into his life philosophy.
Win with class, lose with class. A recent Gilman graduate, Grant remembers how his early successes with the golf team inspired him and sparked his passion for the game. Grant’s sophomore year he was teamed up with a senior in a match against Mt. Saint Joe High School. In a Better Ball format the pair made eight birdies through 12 holes together. “He was playing really well, I was playing really well, so we fed off each other. When you’re watching someone else having one of their best days it makes you feel like you want to have your best day,” said Grant. When asked about his most successful round of golf, Grant proudly shares “I shot four under [par] a couple of weeks ago...”. There aren’t many golfers that have even shot par on a golf course yet Grant, who was born with physical challenges that have amounted to several surgeries on his hip and a permanent physical disability, does not let anything slow him down. “I don’t know anything different, I’ve had this my whole life. I can’t balance on my left leg, so it’s been a difference in my golf game,” explained Grant. In a sport where so much of your power comes from the shifting of weight from the back to front foot as
