When Eli Tran was born 14 years ago, Marian Barker had already won a roomful of golf trophies. On the other hand, when she was 14 – an age by which Eli has earned his own set of golf trophies – Marian had barely seen a golf course, much less played the game.
Recently, Marian and Eli – both outstanding golfers for any age level – represented Lubbock Country Club in team tournaments (one national, one international) that offered both a chance not simply to compete, but to experience the joy of team play.
“It was a lot of fun, and I was honored to be chosen,” said Marian of her experience as part of Texas’ three-person team in the USGA Women’s State Team Championship, held Sept. 26-28 in Santa Fe, N.M. While her team fell short of its goal of making the cut, “it was still enjoyable. I’d hoped to play better, but I didn’t embarrass myself, either.”
“And I’d never done anything like that before. We marched behind the Texas state flag in opening ceremonies, which was very cool, very emotional. And we were treated so well, just a wonderful experience all around,” she said.

Eli, (left in photo at left) meanwhile, traveled to France for the Evian Championship Juniors Cup, held Sept. 19-20, and was part of the four-person U.S. team (two girls, two boys) that won first place. A ninth grader at All Saints Episcopal School, Eli finished fourth individually (nine shots behind the winner, U.S. teammate Jackson Van Paris of Pinehurst, N.C.), even though he felt he could have done better.
“B-minus,” he said, describing his play in his first team competition. “I made a few bad errors and had a few bad breaks, but our team won and it was thrilling to bring the cup home to the U.S.”
“And it was fun to see a new culture, to see how other golfers prepared for the tournament, and to bond with my teammates. I didn’t know any of them beforehand, and they seemed to know each other, but they welcomed me and we had a great experience,” said Eli.

Coincidentally, one of Eli’s teammates was 13-year-old Alex Pano, part of Florida’s third place team and a top-10 individual finisher in the USGA Women’s State Team Championship in Santa Fe.
The Lubbock CC representatives took different routes to achieving golf glory.
Eli began learning the game at age 13 months, watching golf videos with his father Hoa, and taking his first lesson at age 3.
“We lived next to Shadow Hills Golf Course, and sometimes my dad and I would go out and play a few holes,” he said.
Marian, (seen on range in Santa Fe in photo at left and teeing off below) conversely, played volleyball, basketball and other competitive sports, but not golf until after she married her husband Larry in 1978, “and I realized that if I ever wanted to see him I’d better learn to play golf. And I’d been a pretty good athlete [she played volleyball at New Mexico State], but golf was hard and I had to work at it because it was a challenge.
“But then I’d hit a good shot and think, ‘Why can’t I do that again?’ And I was able to get better,” she said.
That’s putting it mildly.
Marian has won numerous local, regional and national amateur events in her career and, at 63, remains tough competition for those many years younger.
Marian and Larry spent many years coaching girls’ golf at three Lubbock high schools, and is proud that “we went from four girls playing, combined, at the three schools when we started to more than 60 when we stepped down. And those girls did well at the state championships, too.”
For all their accomplishments, both Marian and Eli are able to find enjoyment beyond the results in what can often be an exasperating game.
“I tell people, if you’re a perfectionist, golf is not the game for you because your game’s never gonna be perfect,” said Marian. “For me, golf is not about winning, it’s about having fun, and it’s a wonderful way to meet people in pretty places. That’s the approach Larry and I used in teaching: help the girls to like the game and enjoy being with others.”
Eli says he really enjoys “the scenery of a golf course. Just being outdoors, you feel so free, like you can make choices without being restricted by anything. And I think that helps me play better. And I enjoy playing with my some of schoolmates at Lubbock Country Club. It’s just a great course, very unlike anything you might expect to see in Texas, always challenging and beautiful.”
As a high school freshman, Eli is not setting any future plans in stone, although he “definitely” hopes to play professional golf someday.
“You need a back-up plan, though,” he said, noting Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth spent time in college before turning pro. “So we’ll see what happens.”
A Lubbock CC member for 35 years, Marian – who enjoys playing couples events with Larry (with whom she won the Pebble Beach Mixed Team Championship) – says she’ll play “as long as I can walk and swing a club, like I see ladies in their 70s and 80s doing now.
“And it’s a real treat to play at Lubbock. I remember playing here when we were struggling newlyweds, and Larry said, ‘Someday, we’ll be members.’ I thought, yeah, right, but the day came when we were able to join, and we’ve never regretted it.”