Godfather Of Golf Balls Still Strong Despite Pandemic, Surgery
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com

Walt Cherwaty. Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioGolf.com.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, and hip replacement surgery in February, Londoner Walt Cherwaty continues his 50th year of collecting and selling used – and new – golf balls for charity.

Since 1971, the Godfather of Golf Balls – a moniker your humble scribe tagged him with decades ago – has continued his charity drive which primarily depends on lost and found golf balls from local links and courses around the globe. His love of the game, and more importantly his life-long dedication to supporting local not-for-profit groups, keeps him young at heart.

For a 50th year, Cherwaty, 79, continues his philanthropy from his Colborne Street heritage home which all year long acts as a drop-off and pickup location for local golfers donating and purchasing discounted golf balls. They range from new Titleist Pro V1s in unopened sleeves, to gently-used logoed balls lost and found in the rough at golf courses ranging from local muni courses to the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Despite hip surgery, using a walker and concurrently living with a painful left knee, on which he has worn a brace since the 1990s, Cherwaty continues to collect, wash and sell golf balls, all in the name of charity.

When Cherwaty launched his charitable deeds in 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard hit two golf balls on the moon at the end of the Apollo 14 mission. Golfers still used persimmon drivers, and we were one year away from Spalding’s introduction of the revolutionary two-piece Top Flite golf ball. And Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida.

Since 2005 alone, Cherwaty, a retired school teacher, estimates he has collected and sold close to 80,000 golf balls and has helped raise well over $50,000 for scores of local not-for-profit groups.

In March 2005, Cherwaty and his wife, Diana, lost their daughter, Jacqueline, to cancer. His parents suffered heart problems in the 1970s. It’s no surprise, then, that Cherwaty’s charities of choice are the Canadian Cancer Society, and Heart and Stroke.

It was Jacqueline’s dying wish that her father take his efforts of raising money through golf ball sales to a much higher level.

“Her last request was more like an order,” said Cherwaty. “She said, ‘You better have the best golf ball sales ever. Get off your fat ass and do it.’ She passed the next night.”

When Cherwaty began his charity work in 1971, he canvased for Heart & Stroke and donated golf ball sales to that charitable group, raising money and awareness for the fight against heart disease and strokes. Today, when someone purchases golf balls, he encourages them to choose their charity of choice. Cherwaty then donates 100 per cent of those sales to the chosen not-for-profits.

“I’ve raised more than $1,000 this year, through the pandemic. This spring, I had two large drop-offs of used balls, including one group who left me with three huge boxes. I spent hours cleaning and sorting them after my hip surgery,” Cherwaty said.

“But right now, I’m feeling the pinch with the cancellation of charity golf tournaments, who typically purchase a lot of my golf balls for their participants. I have about eight regular tournaments, and each usually purchase about 50 dozen. But that has completely shut down,” he said.

Once an avid golfer boasting a 9.4 handicap index, and a member of Greenhills Golf Club from 1979 to 2011, Cherwaty is no longer able to golf. Bad knees saw him exit the links, but in recent years he still found room at home for indoor chipping, despite the wall-to-wall crates and boxes of balls.

“I used to be a good bogey golfer who could really chip and get it going with the putter, hence my personalized licence plate, CHP N PT,” Cherwaty said.

During the late-2000s, Cherwaty, long with a rotating group of Greenhills regulars including Bob Shirley, made the trek to numerous ClubLink courses, including Blue Springs, Caledon Woods, Cherry Downs, The Club at Bond Head, The Country Club, DiamondBack, Eagle Ridge, Emerald Hills, Clencairn, Greystone, Heron Point, Kings Riding, National Pines, Rattlesnake Point and Wyndance.

In January, ClubLink sold Greenhills to Brian Ublansky, owner of semi-private Echo Valley Golf Club in Lambeth, and Brent Holmes, owner of upscale public course Forest City National Golf Club in London.

“My favourite (ClubLink club) by far is Rocky Crest Golf Club,” said Cherwaty. “Spread my ashes there, or on the putting green at Greenhills.”

Shirley remains one of Walt’s top scouts for lost golf balls which find their way to Cherwaty’s home.

It’s a well-known fact that no sport gives back as much as golf. Oversized cheques presented to charities may grab the TV spotlight, and million-dollar donations may grab headlines. But what Cherwaty has done for 50 years is nothing short of incredible, and honourable.

There are endless stories about Cherwaty’s golf balls. A bride and groom once purchased 60 dozen to use as wedding guest giveaways – truly better than stale mints or wedding cake.

One of the more touching stories stemming from Cherwaty’s efforts is that local golfers have purchased his golf balls and had them flown to Canadian soldiers serving overseas, so that they may enjoy the game they love during the toughest of times away from family.

“That is just one story that is so touching, and so true to form of golfers,” Cherwaty said. “So, I’ll continue with this indefinitely. It has become quite a hobby.

“Collecting and selling all these balls has really taken on a life of its own,” he added, “but I’ve encountered so many nice people over the years. A bank teller even recognized me as the ‘Golf Ball Guy.’ But honestly, all I get out of it is a good feeling.”

While Diana has told Walt that there is an ample supply of golf balls at the Cherwaty house, Walt said he has a hard time saying no to anyone who wishes to donate them. However, with such a large supply and the cancellation of charity events, he asks that no more balls be donated, for the time being.

“We have golf balls under our piano, behind our furniture, but it’s all part of the process,” he said.

Cherwaty may not have acquired Shepard’s golf balls, but if NASA shows up at his door you can bet he’ll gladly accept the balls in the name of charity.

With the COVID-19 pandemic gripping society, Cherwaty continues selling golf balls. He asks that those wishing to buy balls contact him in advance at 519-433-7955, or at wallyndiana@cherwaty.com.

Cherwaty will then fill the order, and will place the golf balls on his front porch 15 minutes prior to pickup. He asks buyers to place their money in an envelope in his front mailbox, along with a note indicating which charity they would like their purchase to benefit.

“Please ask the organizers of local golf tournaments to let their distribution list know I have these balls for sale,” Cherwaty said. “It’s a real win-win.”

In fact, having Cherwaty’s charitable deeds as a part of the local golf community for half a century has been one of the sport’s biggest wins.

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Jeffrey Reed has covered the Southwestern Ontario golf scene since 1980. He’s a three-time author and multiple writing award winner from the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. Reach him at jeff@londonontariogolf.com.