Everybody has a story about how they ended up going down their career path.

For Elmridge Golf Course head professional Chris Medeiros, he can trace his career back to a freak accident in 1986 during his freshman year at Lyman Memorial High School in Lebanon.

One day at soccer practice, Medeiros was attempting to beat the goalie to the ball.

Here's what happened next:

"It was basically a breakaway," Medeiros said. "I was running and the goalie was running out. He beat me to the ball and tried to clear it. He drilled me right in the face and detached my retina."

It left him blind in his left eye. Surgery failed to restore his vision.

He had to stop playing all contact sports, including baseball and hockey, two of his favorites.

So Medeiros learned to play golf.

He remembers heading to Chanticlair Golf Course in Colchester one cold April day and playing with his brother.

"We froze our butts off and had fun," Medeiros said. "I had to do something sports-wise."

From there, Medeiros began a growing love affair with golf.

He first golf-related job was working at Chanticlair. While Lyman didn't have a golf team, he competed on an independent tour.

Golf remained part of his life but remained in the background for a few years.

Wanting to get away and have a different experience, he attended Oklahoma State for two years before transferring to UConn. But he ran out of money to pay for school.

He became a commercial fisherman, working out of New London.

But golf kept calling him back.

He was hired as the assistant pro at Elmridge in 1995 and spent seven and a half years at the Pawcatuck course before taking over as head pro at Cedar Ridge in East Lyme, staying there for 12 years. He still lives near Cedar Ridge.

"It's been good...," Medeiros said. "The golf course is in the nicest shape it's been in in a lot of years. That's just coming from what everybody has said. ... Everything is starting to come together."

Medeiros has a lot of ideas for the 27-hole course.

Since taking over in November, replacing long-time pro Tom Jones, the Elmridge crew has completed a sod project on the second and fourth holes on the Blue course, making it more lush around the greens. The cart fleet has been upgraded and is regularly power-washed.

The pro shop has received a makeover.

And that's just the start.

"We've got a whole pile of them lined up," Medeiros said of future projects. "We've got numerous plans for upgrades, mostly small things."

Medeiros tries to squeeze in a round during his limited free time. Being blind in one eye doesn't affect his game because he never really knew what it was like to play with full sight.

In a way, his soccer accident was sort of a blessing.

"I probably would have never really taken up golf," Medeiros said. "It's been an interesting road."

Short putts

• You're never too old to score a hole-in-one. Just ask 72-year-old Michael Palmer.

Palmer recorded his first ace last month while playing in the Norwich Golf Course Senior League. He accomplished his feat on the 166-yard, 18th hole. He celebrated by buying a round of drinks for league members, including Dick Jastremski and Don Williams who witnessed the milestone.

An illness kept Chris Fake, one of Palmer's regular playing partners, home that day. But he kindly passed along the news to us here at The Day. He reports that Palmer is a 12 handicap and can drive the ball 240 yards.

Two other local golfers also recently had aces.

It was a family celebration for Brian Fahey who aced the 115-yard, 12th hole, at Shennecossett Golf Course while playing with his son, Colin, and father, Joe. He used a pitching wedge.

Patrick Auwood had his hole-in-one at Pequot Golf Club, sinking his shot on the 210-yard, 17th hole. He worked his magic with a five iron.

• Old Lyme Country Club's Rob Barbeau, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, deserves a big congratulatory pat on the back.

The Connecticut Section PGA recently named Barbeau the recipient of the 2106 Bill Strausbaugh Award.

According the Connecticut Section PGA, the honor is given to "PGA members who by their day to day efforts have made significant contributions through mentoring of PGA Professionals and to building the image of the game of golf, the PGA Professional and the Association."

The award also recognizes the overall integrity and character of the PGA member, also taking into account their involvement in community and charitable activities.

Barbeau is a great choice. He'll receive his award at the Special Awards Dinner on July 9 at Wethersfield Country Club.

• East Lyme's Bill Hermanson, the defending Connecticut State Golf Association player of the year, has had a productive start to his competitive season.

A member at Black Hall Club, Hermanson advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 114th Connecticut State Amateur earlier this week at Wethersfield Country Club. He beat top-seeded Brian Ahern of Wampanoag County Club in the round of 16.

He reached the final four at the CSGA's 10th Senior Match Play Championship earlier this month at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury.

Last month, he tied for 13th at the Russell C. Palmer Cup in late May at the Country Club of Waterbury and combined with good friend Dave Szewczul of Tunxis Plantation Country Club to capture the CSGA Two-Man Team Championship at Black Hall.

• The Elmridge men's senior club championship will be decided this weekend. Pete Stefanski, a previous champion, faces Gary Sicard in the final on Saturday. In the first flight, Rich Crothers will play Ian Mackay for the title. Andy Staunton recently captured the second flight championship, beating Vic Manzella in 20 holes.

• Meghan Doherty, a former member of Elmridge now working as program director for First Tee of Greater Charleston in South Carolina, recently won her second straight women's club championship at Shadowmoss Golf Club. She earned multiple women's titles while at Elmridge.

Around the region

• Circle the weekend of July 15-17 on your calendar. That's when the 90th Norwich Invitational will tee off. It is considered the oldest running amateur golf tournament in the state. It's a must play for any local competitive golfer. Entry deadline is July 13.

• Lake of Isles in North Stonington will host a qualifier for the 82nd Connecticut Open Championship on July 5. James Lathrop of Pequot, Nick Hedden and Andrew Cavasino of Great Neck Country Club, and Dave Jones, Michel Painchaud, Tony Susi and Phillip Krick Jr., of the Mohegan Sun Country will be in the field. Robert Taggart Jr., Steve Chevalier and Jason Guyot will represent Lake of Isles.

Another qualifier will be held at Fox Hopyard Golf Club on June 30 in East Haddam.

The Connecticut State Open will tee off from July 25-27 at Woodway Country Club in Darien.

• The Connecticut PGA Pro-Assistant Championship will be on July 5 at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme. The last time a Black Hall duo won the event came in 2005 when pro Andrew Campbell and Kevin Cloud competed at The Club at River Oaks.

• For the 19th time, Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton will host the Connecticut Senior Open. The 34th annual event will run July 18-19.

• Please send any information, results or hole-in-ones to g.keefe@theday.com