Former Tide Golfer Gets Coaching Job
8/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
From Clayton State’s Media Relations:
A new era of men’s golf is on the horizon at Clayton State with the addition of Barry Harwell as the Lakers’ new men’s head golf coach. Clayton State athletic director Mason Barfield officially announced Harwell’s hiring on July 14, 2006.
A former professional player on the PGA Tour and collegiate standout at the University of Alabama, Harwell is the third head coach in the brief history of men’s golf at Clayton State. He replaces Bob Hill, who stepped down following following nine seasons as Laker head coach, leading Clayton State to a seventh place finish at the 1999 NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Harwell comes to Clayton State after being in private business over the last three years. He has served previously as an assistant professional at the Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, S.C., and head professional at Shore Oaks Golf Club in Farmingdale, N.J. He inherits a Clayton State program that competes in one of the top NCAA Division II conferences for men’s golf ?? the Peach Belt Conference. The conference includes three-time defending Division II national champion USC-Aiken and previous three-time Division II national champion Columbus State.
It’s a challenge that Harwell is aiming to tackle head-on.
“I would like to thank Mason Barfield for giving me the opportunity to build upon coach Hill’s golf program at Clayton State,” said Harwell. “I’m excited about the challenge to do whatever it takes to create a championship environment at Clayton State.
“We have a strong golf conference with the likes of USC-Aiken, Columbus State and Armstrong Atlantic among others that compete in postseason tournaments. Being competitive in the Peach Belt Conference has to be the first step.”
Harwell has an extensive playing background, both as an amateur and professional.
He was a prep standout at Carrollton High School, winning the individual district championship and finishing fourth in the Class A state tournament as a senior in 1975. Harwell was eventually inducted into the Carrollton Trojan Athletic Hall of Fame.
During his career at Alabama under head coach Conrad Rehling, Harwell was the co-captain and second team All-Southeastern Conference selection as a senior in 1979. That same season, he helped pace the Crimson Tide to its only SEC championship in program history. Individually, he placed third at the SEC championships with a three-round score of 215 for the top Crimson Tide scorer for the event. That season, Alabama also won the St. Andrews Intercollegiate Invitational played at the Historic Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland.
Overall, Harwell lettered all four seasons at Alabama, and helped lead the Crimson Tide to two SEC runner-up finishes in addition to its championship in 1979. In addition, his 65 at the 1977 Sunset Hills Tournament in Carrollton is the third-lowest single-round score in Alabama men’s golf history.
In the professional ranks, Harwell played three seasons (1980-1982) on the PGA Tour. Some of his most notable moments on the tour included a top 15 finish at the 1981 Atlanta Classic, and a runner-up finish at the 1980 Walt Disney Team Championship with partner Mike Harmon. They finished second to David and Danny Edwards. In addition, Harwell won the 1982 Georgia Open in a field that included former PGA greats Tim Simpson and 1974 Masters champion Tommy Aaron.
“While my success on the PGA Tour was limited, I did get the opportunity to compete and play with some of the great players of the game such as Larry Nelson, Tommy Aaron, Tim Simpson, Lanny Watkins, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Hale Irwin and Hubert Green,” Harwell said.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance from Alabama in 1979.
