NORFOLK, Va. — Antwyne DeLonde was skeptical that golf was for him.
"It took some time. Basketball is my sport, and to continue to hear about the enrichment that comes along with golf, I kind of didn't want to listen. It's a stagnant ball, how hard can it be," said DeLonde about his initial opinion of the game. Turns out, it was what the game DOESN'T require that changed his opinion.
"It's completely different from any other sport, aggression hurts the game more than anything," DeLonde connected to the serene nature of golf at its finest. "You gotta gain your senses, you gotta relax and you have to slow down a little bit."
The slowing down, the relaxation, the focus all helped DeLonde after the former Army Sergeant returned from active duty in Iraq. "Golf has enriched me with so much coming back from Iraq. My mentor (former NSU Chief of Police Anthony Walker) was the one that got me involved with golf from a mental health standpoint and it's been phenomenal."
Now a business man, the Norfolk State alum has turned from skeptic to advocate of the game of golf. He's using his resources to spread the enrichment that the game provided for him.
The Verrecchia-DeLonde Sports Performance Simulator aims to do just that. The golf simulator allows golfers to play on a virtual golf course. Located in the James D. Gill Health and Physical Education building, the goal is for the simulator to be open to students and the surrounding community. The University also hopes this will be a step towards having a Norfolk State golf team.
"This to me is an opportunity to provide access to some of the kids in the surrounding community to get in here and practice on their craft as well," says DeLonde. After the ribbons were cut and the simulator unveiled, DeLonde stepped to the makeshift tee box, club in hand, slowing down once again only this time at a (virtual) course that bears his name.