With a swift stroke, the one wood smacks the dimpled ball, driving his ball through the air. It soars across the golf course like the planes he flies through the sky, as his finger trails its path through the clouds.

Senior boys’ varsity golf player Kelly Dobson knows a thing or two not only about golf but about planes as well.

Dobson’s love of flying started in 2008 when he was only 6-years-old after his grandfather bought him the game, Microsoft Flight Simulator X, a realistic simulation of airplane controls and flight, for Christmas.

“I just fell in love with that game,” Dobson said.

He credits his grandfather, a hang glider pilot, for sparking his love for aviation.

Years later, his childhood fantasy of flying became a reality. He is currently working on getting his private pilot’s license at Channel Islands Aviation in Camarillo, preparing for his upcoming adventure in college. He’s excited to go and to study aviation flight management while pursuing golf.

“I committed to Lewis University to play NCAA golf, so that’s going to be super fun,” Dobson said.

Dobson first began playing golf seriously in his freshman year of high school. He had grown up playing hockey competitively, while golf was played only “a couple of times a year,” according to Dobson.

Since Oak Park doesn’t have a hockey team, Dobson felt that golf was the right fit for his high school career.

“Once school came around, I wanted to do something to support the school [and] found golf, tried out for the team, and made it,” Dobson said.

Though in the beginning, he wasn’t the best, he fell in love with the sport and continued practicing. His hard work clearly paid off — he is now on the varsity team and plans to continue his athletic career in college.

“I’m super proud of my brother. Golf is such a hard sport, especially because of the mental game. He has overcome so much that has been thrown his way,” sophomore Piper Dobson wrote to the Talon.

Varsity golf coach Donn James furthers on Dobson’s hard work to achieve so much.

“His drive to fly gave him the impetus needed to improve his game to the level where he could play at a college and learn more about flying,” James said.

Not only has he greatly improved his own skills, but he has also aided others in getting better as well

“Kelly has been an asset to the team both in leadership and ability and now has younger players watching him so they can improve,” Coach James said.

Sophomore boys golf player Gylles Alford wrote about his experience playing with Dobson and what he’s learned from him

“It was really fun being on a team with Kelly. He was always really fun to be around and always someone I could go to for swing tips,” Alford wrote to the Talon.

Not just his golf team looks up to him for everything he has achieved.

“I couldn’t be more proud of his accomplishments and I can’t wait to see what he will do in the future,” Piper wrote to the Talon.

Dobson reflects on his own experience of how flying has impacted his golf game, and much more.

“I’m always comfortable when I’m flying and I try to channel that when I play golf. Whenever I get nervous, I just calm down and imagine I’m sitting in a plane,” Dobson said. “The level of multitasking that I’ve had to do while flying has really helped me become a better pilot, a better person and a better golfer.”