PERRY BARTLEY
Muskogee Roughers
Anyone who plays the game of golf understands the required need of a short memory. When the last shot goes off target, the ability to maintain your calm and focus on the strategy of the next swing can be the difference between a birdie, par or bogey. For Muskogee sophomore Perry Bartley, keeping a positive mindset has resulted in lower scores and bigger smiles at the end of the each round.
“I try to remember it’s just a game. Keep a positive mindset, play one shot at a time and remember that no matter what happens, I get to hit it again,” said Bartley who enters the 2025 schedule for the Roughers taking dead aim seeking qualification to make the state tournament for a second straight year. “My final round last year at state was a real confidence booster for sure and inspired me to work harder on my game.”
Perry’s optimism is something he credits to the influence of his favorite golfer.
“My Pops (granddad Mike Bartley) is never negative about anything whenever we play. He stays positive the whole time,” said Perry who recalls his first round of golf at age seven. “Pops has been very inspirational to me as well as showing me a very competitive nature. Me and him go back and forth on the golf course for sure.”
The day-to-day practice and extra rounds of golf last summer included a personal best score of 72 and a tournament championship on the Perry Maxwell design at Muskogee Golf Club.
Bartley and his Rougher teammates all agree there’s a welcomed advantage in preparation for the 2025 high school schedule during the winter months with the addition of the indoor facility located inside Rougher Village.
“It’s great to be able to maintain your swing and the simulator gives you a feeling of being on the course even when it’s freezing cold outside.”
Known to his many friends as a caring person, Perry notes he enjoys playing jokes on his buddies.
“The guys on this year’s team, we’ve grown up together and that’s helping us maintain team chemistry. But we all will poke fun at each other,” Perry said with a grin. “You better be willing to take it if you’re going to give it.”
Perry will team with seniors Krew Thompson and Van Elgin along with freshmen Luke Pool and Ladd Elgin this spring to challenge the tournament courses with the goal of making the Class 6A state tournament field in May.
“I think we’ve got the talent to reach the state tournament again because we understand it’s all about playing against the course, one shot at a time and not the other golfers in the field.”
