For many, Oldenick is the key to successful golf. “My students say I am patient and that I seem to have ‘all the answers,’” says Oldenick, who’s been on the lesson tee for over 12 years sharing his wisdom. “Just about anyone I teach can expect to get more distance and straighter shots out of my lessons.” Those are the kinds of things that lead to better scores and lower handicaps.

Oldenick first struck a golf ball at age four and has been in love ever since. He went on to play for Boone County High School and Eastern Kentucky University. Oldenick was High School State Champion and Kentucky Amateur State Champion. He teed it up in the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Publinks, the Porter Cup, the Kentucky Open and U.S. Open qualifiers. Despite being an enthusiastic tennis and basketball player as well, Oldenick’s passion for golf could only mean one thing: a career as a golf professional.

“I love golf,” says Oldenick. “Being a golf instructor allows me to meet new people and make new friends every day.” Most of those new people first come to Oldenick wondering how to grip the club; they leave with confidence and a newfound joy for the game with Oldenick’s help. Oldenick starts by showing most students a good grip and the proper way to transfer weight, encouraging them to practice these basics. 
“I also show them how to make a good, full shoulder turn and spin those hips on the downswing,” adds Oldenick.

Oldenick works on his own game by focusing on similar elements. He checks a mirror often for proper grip, posture and swing plane. Oldenick also practices alignment by placing a club on the ground to illustrate path. He practices what he preaches. With so much of his talent and effort rooted in the basics, it’s not surprising Oldenick’s favorite shot to make is a high draw over water. His course management skills are his greatest asset, but Oldenick adds that putting – when he is “on” – is one of the best parts 
of his game.

The hardest shot Oldenick recalls having to make was a 3-wood over a hazard into a hard green. “It was my second shot, and it was a blind shot,” recalls Oldenick. “There were bunkers behind the green.” No matter what happens on the course, Oldenick is ever patient. Should he have a bad hole or hit an errant shot, he simply tells himself to get the most out of whatever is next. Oldenick is motivated to achieve perfection whenever he steps up to the tee; he goes after course records and tries to make aces. When he watches golf, he keeps an eye on Tiger.

A resident of Warsaw, Kentucky for over nine years, Oldenick’s favorite courses to play are Valhalla or Crooked Stick, and he wouldn’t mind traveling to Vero Beach or Orlando, Florida to play, either. He’d probably don khaki and yellow or green for his round, but he claims to have no superstitions about the game. Oldenick reveals, however, that he will not mark his ball with a dime.