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BOOKS In a slender
BOOKS
AGONIZING AND JOYFUL
In golf, writer finds a complex life partner
by STEVE BORNHOFT
Tallahassean Jay Revell’s 18-chapter golf book is more than an appreciation for the game. It is an homage, but as sincere as it is, the tribute is not overdone.
Understand that for Revell, golf is not just a pastime or a competition — over time, he has come strongly to favor the former — but instead a lifesaving, wisdomimparting, restorative life partner with a strong connection to the player’s soul.
His clubs come to be as friends with whom he shares histories compiled from tee to green. He has a hard time letting them go.
Revell describes golf as “silly, agonizing, painstaking, excruciating and embarrassing,” but also “joyful, wondrous, exhilarating, life-changing and fulfilling.” Ultimately, he gives the game a warm and unconditional embrace.
The book caused me to reflect on the best shots I have ever made, the best holes I have played, the most congenial foursomes I have been a part of versus nightmarish rounds easily recalled. In that, Revell has achieved a mean trick like stopping a bunker shot on a downslope.
Symbiosis implies a relationship of mutual benefit. What, then, has Revell done for the game? He is a virtuous player who has given his sport his book.
Golf enthusiast Jay Revell, seen here on a green at the Capital City Country Club in Tallahassee, respects his game of choice as a teacher of life lessons.
PHOTOS BY ALEX WORKMAN (JAY) AND MIKE FENDER (BOOK)
The Nine Virtues of Golf: Essays, Musings and Other Contemplations of the Game is a deeply personal 108-pager that includes, optimistically, a prescription for the game’s survival, one that relies in equal measure on preserving the sport’s traditions and demeanor and letting it breathe a little.
His relationship with the game got its start when Revell was a boy. “If golf is a drug, I was raised in an opium den,” he writes. He grew up in a tiny universe — Havana, Florida — and, for him, the community’s country club and its ninehole course were at its center. His grandfather was the pro at the club, and Revell grew up in a house located just off the fourth hole.
Those legends included some serious sticks, Revell assures us, including one David Touchton: “When he made a turn at the ball, it sounded like a candle being blown out.”
Revell would come to emulate the best. He has been a scratch golfer in stretches in his life, and his office is a storehouse of golf memorabilia, trophies and other prized possessions including a framed copy of a newspaper article that describes his victory with his brother Hilton in the “biggest two-man tournament” in Havana.
But Revell’s greatest round took place in South Carolina at the coast-hugging Ocean Course at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. In Revell’s estimation, the course is the nation’s most difficult, one, he points out, that humbled participants in the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 PGA Championship held there.
When Revell played the course for the second time after struggling to get around the layout four years earlier, his outing was complicated by two factors: a fierce, two-club wind and a tortuous hangover. Revell takes his readers on a peristaltic ride as he recounts a round in which, unaccountably, he kept his score and the night before down while self-medicating with Gatorade, Aleve and CBD oil.
For 17 holes, he was immersed in a euphoric trip to that elusive “zone” where the diameters of holes generously expand and shots visualized are mystically converted to shots made. He entered the home hole at just one shot over par. But reality and nerves broke the spell. Back in his body, Revell hit his approach shot to the green short and wound up tapping in for bogey. This, then, was not Dock Ellis throwing a nohitter while on LSD, but it was close.
Revell’s 74 was cause for full-throated celebration.
Revell manages always to keep golf near. He fashions a golf hole in his backyard. He sneaks in a few holes at the Capital Country Club near his home after work. He makes golf part of business trip itineraries. He devotes vacation time to golf trips.
He is hopeful that municipal courses will be made more dimensional, that private clubs will grant more access, that greens fees for players 15 years old or younger will be made a thing of the past and that golf will flourish for generations to come.
For as long as it does, he believes, golf will shape players by insisting on nine virtues — accountability, integrity, patience, humility, gratitude, confidence, generosity, respect and wisdom — and, in so doing, make them better people. TM
PRAISE FOR ‘VIRTUES’ “We all share the same questions and curiosities; it’s the writer’s job to set them down somewhere and let a reader connect with them. And just as it’s easy work to connect with Jay as a golf partner, so it is to connect with his words, finding your golfing self in the questions he puts forth and the answers he discovers.” Tom Coyne, author of A Course Called Scotland
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TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE’ S2021 BEST
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Our capital city is a resilient and enterprising place where parents raise children, students earn degrees, elected officials shape Florida’s course and men and women pursue business and professional success. We work and play together in a place we are proud to call home. Recent events may have slowed Tallahassee’s progress and its economy, but they have done nothing to curb its resolve. Express your appreciation for the businesses that you support and admire by casting your online ballot or by mail in the 2021 Best of Tallahassee reader’s choice awards.
CAST YOUR VOTE ONLINE
Fill out the ballot on the adjoining page based on the rules for the printed ballot.
All online and paper ballot votes will be combined for final tabulations. Voting periods
Online Ballots: May 1–30, 2021 | Paper Ballots: May 1–20, 2021
BENEFITING
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2021 OFFICIAL BEST OF TALLAHASSEE BALLOT
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• Only ballots printed on original Tallahassee Magazine pages will be accepted; no copies or facsimiles of the ballot will be counted as a vote. • Ballots must have votes marked in at least 10 different categories in order to be counted. • Each vote must list the name of a business/company.
Individual names alone will not be counted. • All votes must be cast for locally owned businesses in and around Tallahassee. Votes for any business located outside of a 30-mile radius from the city limits will not be counted. • Locally owned and operated companies are defined by the owner or a managing partner living in Tallahassee or within a 30 mile radius of the Tallahassee city limits. • Only ballots cast for locally owned and operated companies will be counted. • Only one ballot per envelope is permitted. • All ballots must be mailed directly to the Junior League of Tallahassee, a third-party organization responsible for processing the ballots. The firm’s address is:
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Junior League of Tallahassee C/O: Best of Tallahassee PO Box 13428 Tallahassee, FL 32317
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Rowland Publishing, Inc. in order to be promoted as a “Best of” winner and still in operation by the date of the results printed in the magazine. Once ballots are counted, all tabulations are final.
Tallahassee Magazine will recognize the results of the winners and honorable mentions for every category in the November/December 2021 issue. Rules apply for winners and honorable mentions.
The business must offer the product or service the category states as “best,” otherwise that business will be disqualified from winning that category. A business can win the “Best of” award in no more than two categories. If a business is the leading vote-getter in more than two categories, that business will win only the “Best of” award for the two categories in which it received the most votes.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Appetizer ________________________________ Asian __________________________________ Bakery __________________________________ Bar ____________________________________ Barbecue ________________________________ Breakfast ________________________________ Brewery/Craft Beer__________________________ Brunch _________________________________ Cajun Restaurant ___________________________ Catering ________________________________ Celebration/Special Occasion Restaurant___________ Coffee Shop ______________________________ Dessert _________________________________ Fine Dining Restaurant _______________________ Frozen Treat ______________________________ Hamburger _______________________________ Happy Hour ______________________________ Hibachi _________________________________ Hotdog _________________________________ Italian Restaurant __________________________ Lunch __________________________________ Martini/Cocktail ___________________________ Mexican/Latin American Restaurant ______________ Outdoor Dining Restaurant ____________________ Pizza ___________________________________ Seafood Market ____________________________ Seafood Restaurant _________________________ Southern Cuisine/Food _______________________ Sports Bar _______________________________
Steakhouse ______________________________ Sushi ___________________________________ Wings __________________________________
SERVICE PROVIDERS
Air Conditioning/Heating _____________________ Alterations _______________________________ Alternative Medicine Facility ___________________ Assisted Living Facility _______________________ Auto/Body Shop ___________________________ Automobile Dealer __________________________ Bank ___________________________________ Banquet Facility____________________________ Carpet Cleaner ____________________________ Child Care Provider __________________________ Children’s After School Program _________________ Chiropractor ______________________________ Commercial Real Estate Agency _________________ Credit Union ______________________________ Customer Service ___________________________ Dance Studio _____________________________ Day Spa _________________________________ Dental Practice ____________________________ Dermatology Practice ________________________ Dry Cleaner ______________________________ Electrical Company _________________________ Event/Wedding Planner ______________________ Family Physician Practice _____________________ Flooring (carpet/tile/etc) _____________________ Florist __________________________________ Gym/Health Center _________________________ Hair Salon/Studio __________________________ Hair Wax/Laser Services ______________________ Insurance Agency __________________________ Landscaping/Lawn Services ___________________ Law Firm/Attorney Practice ____________________ Medical Spa ______________________________ Moving Company ___________________________ Nail Salon ________________________________ Nonprofit Organization _______________________ Optometry/Ophthalmology Practice ______________ _______________________________________ Oral Health Care Speciality Practice ______________ _______________________________________ Pediatric Practice ___________________________ Pest Control Service _________________________ Photographer _____________________________ Plumbing Service ___________________________ Pool Repair/Service Company __________________ Printing/Copying Services _____________________ Residential Builder/Contractor __________________ Residential Painter __________________________ Residential Real Estate Agency__________________ Roofing Repair/Services ______________________ Sign Company ____________________________ Speciality Fitness Studio (Yoga, Pilates, Group Fitness) __ _______________________________________ Surgical Practice ___________________________ Tree Service ______________________________ Wedding Venue ____________________________
SHOPPING
Cosmetic Vendor __________________________ Furniture Store ____________________________ Jewelry Store _____________________________ Kids Clothing _____________________________ Men’s Clothing/Accessories ___________________ Nursery/Garden Center ______________________ Specialty Retail Store ________________________ Sporting Goods Store ________________________ Women’s Clothing/Accessories _________________ Women’s Shoes ___________________________
ENTERTAINMENT
Band ___________________________________ Community Event __________________________ Golf Course ______________________________ Place to Take the Kids ________________________ Radio Personality ___________________________ TV Personality _____________________________
TALLAHASSEE
AMWAT MOVING BEST WAREHOUSING STORAGE
BEST MOVING COMPANY | 2014–2020 AMWAT is one of Florida’s most trusted moving companies with a global reach. We set the standard by providing efficient, reliable and cost-effective local, national and international awardwinning moving services. FL IM 1026
319 ROSS ROAD 850.877.7131 | AMWATMOVERS.COM
BENSON’S HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING BEST AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING
2005-2017, 2019 & 2020
Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning has proudly served the Tallahassee area for 40 years. For any heating and cooling service, from a minor repair to a major overhaul, connect with the professionals at Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning today.
5402 TOWER ROAD 850.562.3132 | BENSONSHVAC.COM
KIKU JAPANESE FUSION BEST SUSHI | 2016-2020
Thank you for voting Kiku as Tallahassee’s best. Please remember to vote for us in 2021.
KILLEARN SHOPPING CENTER (850) 222-5458 | KIKUBOGO.COM OCALA CORNERS (850) 575-5458 | KIKUTOGO.COM
MILLER’S TREE SERVICE
BEST TREE SERVICE | 2009-2020 We go out on a limb for you! Quality tree care for residential and commercial clients. Our staff is knowledgeable in all areas of Arboriculture. By using the latest modern equipment and safety practices, Miller’s Tree Service sets the standard for tree care in Tallahassee.
4951 WOODLANE CIRCLE 850.894.8733 | MILLERTREESRV.COM
REDWIRE
BEST SECURITY SYSTEM | 2016-2020 Redwire is your local provider of expertly installed, monitored and serviced residential and commercial security solutions. Our team is proud to have been recognized by our neighbors as Tallahassee’s best for 5 years running.
1136 THOMASVILLE ROAD 877.371.9473 | REDWIRE.COM
ROYAL NAIL SPA
BEST NAIL SALON | 2016, Feel great about your nails, and get the attention of others. Let the Royal Nail Spa team pamper you so you feel relaxed and beautiful. Thank you for voting us Best Nail Salon for 2020.
2030 THOMASVILLE ROAD, SUITE #2 850.681.6245 FACEBOOK.COM/ROYALNAILSPATALLY/ NEW LOCATION COMING SOON TO KERRY FOREST PARKWAY
SOUTHERN SEAFOOD
BEST SEAFOOD MARKET | 2002-2020 Looking for that perfect Alaskan wild salmon or mahi-mahi filet to throw on the grill? Or maybe some fresh stone crabs or Gulf shrimp? Boats of local fishermen are daily unloading the freshest finfish and shellfish in town. A perennial favorite, Southern Seafood has a wide variety of fresh seafood that will satisfy the most discriminating palate.
TALLAHASSEE
SUPERIOR PAINTING
BEST PAINTER | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020 Thank you all for voting Superior Painting as Tallahassee’s Best Painting Company. We take pride in being the area’s preferred painting company, and we couldn’t do it without all of your support. Please remember to vote for us in 2021, and thanks again.
2184 WEST LAKE HALL ROAD 850.297.1882 | SUPERIORPAINTING.NET
TASTY PASTRY
BEST BAKERY | 2016-2020
Thank you for voting Tasty Pastry as Tallahassee’s best bakery. Tallahassee’s original cakery celebrating over 50 years! Stop by — we have it all. 1355 MARKET ST. # A5 850.893.3752 | TASTYPASTRYBAKERY.COM
TURNER’S FINE FURNITURE
BEST FURNITURE STORE | 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014-2020
BEST LOCAL RETAILER | 2003 For Tallahassee’s best furniture and mattress selection, come to Turner’s Fine Furniture. Shop the area’s best brands with many unique looks you won’t find anywhere else. Plus, enjoy free interior design assistance and immediate delivery on in-stock items. Thanks for choosing Turner’s as your furniture destination!
2151 US HWY 319 850.210.0446 | TURNERFURNITURE.COM
