Jim Dziczkowski gave The Dennis Walters Golf Show at Houndslake Country Club on Monday a rave review.
"It was really cool and inspirational; I loved it," Dziczkowski said.
The presentation's star, Dennis Walters, is a paraplegic golfer who specializes in trick shots. Sitting on a swivel seat mounted on a golf cart, he hit balls using clubs made from a variety of items, including a fishing rod, a cellphone, a car radiator hose and a gavel. One of his clubs was shaped like a dog biscuit.
Walters also hit balls off unusually tall tees, and he made one shot using a ball that was covered by a piece of burning paper.
Nearly all of his drives were straight and true.
"I want people to realize what is possible when you are in a seemingly impossible situation," said Walters, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a golf cart accident in 1974. "Everybody told me that I would never be able to play golf again, but I didn't want to live my life without having golf in it. I figured out a way I could do it, and hopefully, I can encourage others to strive for excellence and do something they didn't think they could."
During his appearance, Walters answered questions from the large audience, discussed how he coped with his injury and told everyone in attendance to "never, ever give up on your dreams."
Walters' rescue dog, Bucky, also performed during the show. Bucky placed a golf ball on a tee, and he also answered questions correctly about math, golf and other subjects by barking the appropriate number of times.
"Mr. Walters' shots were amazing, and quite honestly, I enjoyed the message he brought," said Dziczkowski, who sat with his 6-year-old son, Matthew, during the show. "It is a great message, especially for the younger group that was here. My son will get discouraged, and I always tell him to keep working hard. That's basically what Mr. Walters said today."
Matthew Dziczkowski said he was impressed by how far Walters' shots went and Bucky's ability to tee up a ball.
Walters, 65, came to Aiken because of his association with The First Tee. In 2009, he became a spokesman and a national ambassador for the youth organization, which promotes life skills and leadership through golf.
"I thought everything went great," said Elizabeth Smith, executive director of The First Tee of Aiken. "He was so inspirational and so much fun. He is an amazing advocate for The First Tee network and for following your dream."
Walters received the PGA Distinguished Service Award in 2008.
Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C., she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.