MODEL TEE FORD

Mention the streak to Dennis Ford and he will simply shrug it off.

It’s not that the Hart High golf coach isn’t proud of his program’s decade-long unbeaten streak in the Foothill League.

It’s just not something Ford or his players spend much time discussing.

“We’ve never talked about it,” said Ford, referring to the varsity and junior varsity’s combined record of 394-0-1. “We just go out and play our best.

“Our philosophy is you better worry about the golf course or else the course will take care of you.”

Ford’s philosophy and knowledge of the game have helped Hart establish one of the best golf programs in the region.

The school has consistently produced Division I college golfers during the 1990s. Many of the athletes turned professional--playing on the Nike Tour or working as club pros.

The soft-spoken Ford credits his talented athletes for Hart’s success. His players and colleagues say Ford’s personality and devotion deserve the credit.

“He’s extremely dedicated to the game and the students who played for him,” said Adam Hill, a 1992 graduate of Hart who is a club pro at Vista Valencia Golf Course. “He has a tremendous knowledge of the game, and tries to instill that in all his players.”

Ford has taught science at Hart since 1970, coaching softball and football along the way.

He took over the golf team in 1990 and has made lasting impressions with his players.

“He’s dedicated a lot of time to the school and the program,” said Jason Semelsberger, a 1996 graduate of Hart who plays at UCLA. “He’s changed a lot of kids’ lives. He’s a very influential motivator. . . .”

“He’s a guy who commanded respect without causing his players to feel like they couldn’t come to him. Everyone on our team respected him and at times feared him. But at the same time, we could go talk to him about things other than golf.”

In his first season, Ford took over an extremely talented team. Five of the six golfers went on to play at the Division I college level, four became professionals.

“We were loaded,” Ford said. “We had some good kids (Hill, Jason Black, Jason Gore, Mike Miller, Shane O’Brien) and they all had one year to go. They set some standards and everyone else has been trying to match it ever since.”

Those standards, and Hart’s reputation as a top golf program, make the school an attractive choice for up-and-coming golfers.

Brian Edick, Hart’s No. 2 player in the CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. championships in June, said the successful golf program influenced his decision to attend Hart.

He said he is not alone.

“Some of the guys I talk to that are coming up, they really respect the Hart program and a lot of them want to play under Coach Ford,” said Edick, who qualified this summer for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

Hart’s successful decade was culminated in a second place finish in the Southern Section finals last June. Hart reached the Southern California Golf Assn. championship for the first time since 1975.

“Everyone wants to work hard and make that zero losses stay zero losses,” Hill said. “This year, when they did so well, they said, ‘We’re doing it for ourselves, but more, we’re doing it for Dennis.’ ”

The only blemish during Hart’s reign in the Foothill League was on April 1, 1997. The Hart varsity tied Burroughs, 420-420, one of the worst scores in school history, in windy conditions at DeBell Golf Course in Burbank.

Ford found his passion for golf while attending Drake University. Although he took up the sport at 15, he didn’t become serious until his college years. He played baseball and football at Drake, but began reading and studying any golf-related material he could find.

Ford, 59, plans to continue his coaching and teaching duties for two more years. After that, the retirement package offered by the teachers union might be too sweet to pass up.

Ford has also served as president of the men’s club at Vista Valencia for the last seven years. He has won five club championships--two individual and three two-man titles.

“He’s got a great game,” said Les Johnson, a professional teacher at Vista Valencia who works with the Hart golfers and was a student of Ford’s during the 1970s. “He has a great short game and knows how to play under pressure.”

He instills those qualities in his players.

“The thing I absolutely learned is how to make the most of the game,” Semelsberger said. “He doesn’t have the best swing, but he knows how to make the most and score with his game. . . .

“That’s an attitude.”