CL-Kay Doss' Lifetime of MemoriesKay Doss' lifetime of golf memorabiliaBy Don EskinsKay Doss has a problem. Doss,who's been playing golf passionately since being introduced to the game by her father at just eight years of age, has acquired a lifetime of golfing memorabilia, memorabilia that just might boggle the minds of all those who love the links.So just what seems to be Doss' problem?"My problem is, at this point in my life, trying to figure out what to do with all of this after I'm gone," said a chuckling Doss. "I have boxes of things that mean a great deal to me but I'm not sure they would to a lot of others.""My niece Kelley said that she would help me find a place for it,but she thinks that I might need to start weeding some of it out now," she said. "But that seems like an awful lot to drop on her."Boxed, or on the walls of a special room in her home, stand sixty plus years of memories for the 71-year-oldDoss who has made golf such a huge part of her life.From golfing exploits involving her father Potsy, to tournaments she's participated in, to coaching the Cavegirls to a state championship and Kate Bradley to a New Mexico individual state title in 1992, to coaching the New Mexico Girls Junior America's Cup team for thirteen years she's saved golf items, newspaper clippings, photos and autographs of them all.Then there are all of the iconic figures from the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the men's Professional Golf Association that she's met, people like ---Big names -big memoriesThrough Kay's association with golf,she's traveled all over the nation, stepped on some of the most prestigious courses on the planet and met some of golf's greatest stars."I've been fortunate to have met a lot of golf's prominent players over the course of my life. Getting to meet players on the LPGA Tour has always been a thrill for me and itall started right here in Carlsbad in 1962 and 63 when the LPGA put on events at the Riverside Country Club Golf Course," said Doss. "That's been so long ago that very few people are aware that the LPGA actually made an appearance in our town."
"During that time,I had my photo taken with Mickey Wright (82 LPGA tour wins), Patty Sheehan (35 LPGA tour wins) and Kathy Whitworth (88 LPGA tour wins-most of all time). I was so excited about getting to meet these women that I went ahead and got autographs from everybody listed in the program that year," she said. But Doss' room of golfing memorabilia doesn't end there."I got to play a round of golf with area favorite Nancy Lopez (48 LPGA tour wins) in 1977. Getting to play with her was awesome. I have an autographed photo of the two of us together," said Doss. "And I have a few items I saved when I got to meet Meg Mallon (19 LPGA tour wins) at the Colonial in 1992 when she won the Women's U.S. Open. Rosie Jones (13 LPGA tour wins) was also very special to me. She and I used to play golf together,so I have a few pieces of memorabilia on her." Doss has enjoyed following the women's circuit,but the PGA men's tour has also gotten her attention. "I also have a few mementos from the PGA tour," said Doss. "I have an autograph of Ben Crenshaw (19 PGA tour wins) on a Master's flag. And a few years back, when they opened up a new golf course in Hobbs, I got an autograph and photo of Fred Couples (15 PGA tour wins). That day was especially memorable for me because I also got to play a round of golf with him."Coaching the New Mexico Girls Junior America's Cup team (1990-2002) opened the door for Doss to meet several future LPGA candidates."We traveled throughout the western part of the United States, and evento Hawaii, playing golf tournaments. Our girls got to meet and compete against other junior golfers, not only from here in the U.S, but also from Canada and Mexico," said Doss. "Although the Girls Junior America's Cup program was set up to help develop young girls for a future in golf,we never really knew what girls might go on to post lucrative careers."However,Doss still remembers one young golfer whose career turned out to be just that, lucrative."I got to meet a lot of young girls who went on tobecome pros. Probably the most famous though was Lorena Ochoa who went on to win twenty-seven LPGA tour events and was ranked number one in the world for three years before suddenly retiring," she said. "She was only twelve years of age when I got to meether. I have a real nice photo of her."While Kay has managed to accumulate a great deal of golf memorabilia during the course of her lifetime,she's never forgotten the significance of each piece. She still remembers them as if they happened only yesterday.
Tough decisions aheadSorting through memorabilia, deciding what to hold onto or to get rid of, can be a difficult task regardless of age. Memorabilia can make us feel good and give meaning to our lives, isn't that why we hold onto it? Discarding it can often leave one feeling as though they've thrown away a part of their past, a part of themselves. Just what Kay Doss decides to do with her golf memorabilia is still up in the air. With so much to go through and so many memories to relive it won't be an easy task for her by any means. However,one thing is certain, the links have definitely enriched her life."Golf has always been such abig part of my life. Sitting down and looking through some of the memorabilia I've acquired over the course of some sixty plus years makes me feel happy," said the long time Carlsbad resident. "Happy that I've gotten to meet and know so many people. Not just professional golfers but also the kids I've been fortunate to coach, their parents and the many friends I've made while being associated with golf. It makes me feel like wow, I've really had a great life."Yes,Kay Doss, you have