Haney provides advice

Hank Haney appeared to have a blissful smile as he was being introduced during an exclusive golf clinic at Mission Viejo Country Club on Monday.

Haney would later describe the moment as, “cool,” and “surreal.” Even though it was Haney’s first visit to the Mission Viejo golf course, he had a degree of connection to it via Mark O’Meara.

At 60, Haney, the renowned golf instructor, has had several moments to reflect on his past and charmed career. Thinking of O’Meara brings about an important memory that he shared at the event.

“Honestly, everything that has happened to me in golf it would’ve never happened if I didn’t meet Mark O’Meara,” said Haney, who coached O’Meara, a World Golf Hall of Famer who basically grew up at Mission Viejo. “I’ve been so fortunate and so blessed, so many great experiences. I’ve been so lucky and it’s all because I met Mark O’Meara. It’s very cool.”

Haney was at Mission Viejo Country Club as a representative of Omega, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, and also visited South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa for a reception. Haney did his best to fit in as many lessons as he could in his time frame. But he also reflected on meeting O’Meara, who won 16 PGA Tour events, including the Masters and British Open in 1998.

O’Meara will be the featured speaker at the annual Toshiba Classic Breakfast with a Champion, presented by Allergan on Oct. 27 at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort in Newport Beach.

Haney said he met O’Meara in 1982 when Haney was a 23-year-old coach. They started talking when walking off the course at Pinehurst, Haney said. An eager Haney began to work with O’Meara right there and then.

“I had heard about Mission Viejo forever but I had never been here,” Haney said. “Mark said he used to pick up balls from the driving range. He used to walk over from his house. He got his mother’s clubs from the garage and asked if he could pick up the balls and hit them. And now he’s in the Hall of Fame. That’s pretty cool.”

Haney has taught over 50,000 golf lessons in his 39-year career and has worked with hundreds of top-ranked pros. He is most known for the six years he spent coaching Tiger Woods in his prime and the 25 years he spent coaching O’Meara.

Haney jokingly disagreed about his fame.

“I used to be known as Tiger’s coach, but now I’m known as Charles Barkley’s coach,” said Haney, referring to his successful Golf Channel TV show, “The Haney Project.” “I’m the only coach that has worked with the best golfer in the game, Tiger Woods, and the worst, Charles Barkley.”

Jokes aside, Haney treated the Omega clients and golf club members with insight, advice and a remarkable example.

“You don’t have to keep your head down,” he said about hitting off the tee. “You can look at the ball. Enjoy it.”

Haney, in fact, didn’t look at the ball, instead keeping his eyes on his audience as he successfully took swings and accurately hit the ball on five different tees.

Haney doesn’t work with pros anymore. He said he enjoys events like the ones on Monday and also likes to give advice on Twitter.

He does his best to encourage amateurs, or anyone who wants to improve.

“Most people have a goal, but they just don’t have a plan,” he said. “It’s always great to have a plan. It’s like my friend [former NFL coach and player] Herm Edwards has said, ‘A goal without a plan is nothing but a dream.’”