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Women's Golf Alumni Spotlight: Julie Feltman
8/9/2020 8:53:00 AM | Women's Golf
DURHAM, N.C.— Over the summer, the Blue Devils have been catching up with Duke women's golf alumnae to see what they have been up to since leaving Durham. Our next alumna for the summer is 1986 graduate Julie Kay Feltman.
GoDuke.com: Since graduating from Duke, what have you been up to?
Julie Feltman: I became a PGA club professional after graduating from Duke and worked in Florida before moving to Long Island in 1987. I worked in the golf business as a club professional for almost 25 years and now I am a lifetime member of the PGA. I got my Master's in science in 2009 and now teach high school and middle school science in addition to coaching boys and girls varsity golf.
GD: Were you able to play professionally after college? If so, how was that experience?
JF: I played in local PGA tournaments against other club pros which was fun and forced me to improve my game dramatically. I also have played on some of the best courses in the country.
GD: Have you been able to keep in touch with many former teammates/coaches since you left Duke?
JF: Yes, but not as much as I would like because I have been busy working and raising a family. That's why I love the Duke golf team reunions!
GD: Have you been able to continue to follow the Duke women's golf team since you graduated?
JF: A little. What a great job Coach Brooks has done with the team!
GD: Have you been able to make it back to Durham since graduation?
JF: A few times for reunions and also to take my children to see the campus.
GD: Do you get a chance to play golf much these days?
JF: My husband was a golf pro, so we played a lot together and one of my kids likes to play. I don't play competitively anymore.
GD: As a coach, do you bring anything you learned during your Duke days to your golfers?
JF: While at Duke, I learned that nothing is impossible with determination, effort, and a positive attitude. I try to instill that in my students and golfers.
GD: What have been some of your best memories as a coach?
JF: I love being with my players and helping them improve their games. I often have young girls (7th grade) come out for the team and they are very new golfers. I love teaching them to play and sharing my love of the game with them. Last year, I had a girl graduate who was one of these golfers in seventh grade. Her senior year she qualified to play in the Nassau County Championships, which was very rewarding for both of us!
GD: When looking back on your days at Duke, what are some of your favorite memories?
JF: I fondly remember riding my bike with my golf clubs on my back in the early hours of the morning to get to practice. I loved just hanging out at the golf course and playing golf with the other girls. We had a lot of fun and a real sense of camaraderie.
GD: Have you developed any new hobbies, etc., that you are involved with these days?
JF: I love gardening and working outside in my backyard. I am also an avid birdwatcher.
GD: How has a Duke degree helped you?
JF: I don't know if it's my Duke degree per say that has helped me but my Duke experience. Duke challenged me in many ways both academically and personally. Although I had a strong work ethic when I went there, it was further developed and refined at Duke. As I said before, I learned that I could do anything with the right attitude and amount of determination. I also believe that the Duke experience inspires a lifelong sense of curiosity and intellectualism. I continue to learn something new every day.
GD: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to our current student-athletes?
JF: Enjoy your time at Duke and take full advantage of every opportunity afforded to you. Make sure you take some courses that interest you and that you will enjoy. You will never have this experience again. Also, the career path you choose when you graduate probably won't be the one you are on for the rest of your life so don't be afraid to take chances and try different things to find what you love.
GD: Do you remember a specific class and/or professor at Duke that you really enjoyed while in
School?
JF: I took many music classes at Duke and had the privilege to study abroad in my junior year with the Wind Symphony. Although I was not a member of the group, Paul Bryan knew me from all of the classes I had taken and allowed me to join the group as a percussionist. Professor Bryan was an inspiration to me, and this experience was one of the greatest experiences of my life!
#GoDuke
GoDuke.com: Since graduating from Duke, what have you been up to?
Julie Feltman: I became a PGA club professional after graduating from Duke and worked in Florida before moving to Long Island in 1987. I worked in the golf business as a club professional for almost 25 years and now I am a lifetime member of the PGA. I got my Master's in science in 2009 and now teach high school and middle school science in addition to coaching boys and girls varsity golf.
GD: Were you able to play professionally after college? If so, how was that experience?
JF: I played in local PGA tournaments against other club pros which was fun and forced me to improve my game dramatically. I also have played on some of the best courses in the country.
GD: Have you been able to keep in touch with many former teammates/coaches since you left Duke?
JF: Yes, but not as much as I would like because I have been busy working and raising a family. That's why I love the Duke golf team reunions!
GD: Have you been able to continue to follow the Duke women's golf team since you graduated?
JF: A little. What a great job Coach Brooks has done with the team!
GD: Have you been able to make it back to Durham since graduation?
JF: A few times for reunions and also to take my children to see the campus.
GD: Do you get a chance to play golf much these days?
JF: My husband was a golf pro, so we played a lot together and one of my kids likes to play. I don't play competitively anymore.
GD: As a coach, do you bring anything you learned during your Duke days to your golfers?
JF: While at Duke, I learned that nothing is impossible with determination, effort, and a positive attitude. I try to instill that in my students and golfers.
GD: What have been some of your best memories as a coach?
JF: I love being with my players and helping them improve their games. I often have young girls (7th grade) come out for the team and they are very new golfers. I love teaching them to play and sharing my love of the game with them. Last year, I had a girl graduate who was one of these golfers in seventh grade. Her senior year she qualified to play in the Nassau County Championships, which was very rewarding for both of us!
GD: When looking back on your days at Duke, what are some of your favorite memories?
JF: I fondly remember riding my bike with my golf clubs on my back in the early hours of the morning to get to practice. I loved just hanging out at the golf course and playing golf with the other girls. We had a lot of fun and a real sense of camaraderie.
GD: Have you developed any new hobbies, etc., that you are involved with these days?
JF: I love gardening and working outside in my backyard. I am also an avid birdwatcher.
GD: How has a Duke degree helped you?
JF: I don't know if it's my Duke degree per say that has helped me but my Duke experience. Duke challenged me in many ways both academically and personally. Although I had a strong work ethic when I went there, it was further developed and refined at Duke. As I said before, I learned that I could do anything with the right attitude and amount of determination. I also believe that the Duke experience inspires a lifelong sense of curiosity and intellectualism. I continue to learn something new every day.
GD: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to our current student-athletes?
JF: Enjoy your time at Duke and take full advantage of every opportunity afforded to you. Make sure you take some courses that interest you and that you will enjoy. You will never have this experience again. Also, the career path you choose when you graduate probably won't be the one you are on for the rest of your life so don't be afraid to take chances and try different things to find what you love.
GD: Do you remember a specific class and/or professor at Duke that you really enjoyed while in
School?
JF: I took many music classes at Duke and had the privilege to study abroad in my junior year with the Wind Symphony. Although I was not a member of the group, Paul Bryan knew me from all of the classes I had taken and allowed me to join the group as a percussionist. Professor Bryan was an inspiration to me, and this experience was one of the greatest experiences of my life!
#GoDuke
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