Three Interesting Facts from Golf History

Playing golf
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A master of science graduate of Georgia Southern (GS) University with a degree in exercise science, Leonard Bevill serves as the president and CEO of Macon Occupational Medicine. Leonard Bevill also participates in athletics as a member of the GS Athletic Foundation and enjoys playing golf in his free time.

Golf is an engaging sport that provides many physical, social, and mental health benefits. It is also a game with a very long and interesting history, as the following three facts illustrate:

1. The first golf balls were made using feathers
Until the mid-1800s, players used balls formed from leather wrapped around goose or chicken feathers. A single ball could cost between $10 and $20.

2. The original golf tee was a pile of sand
Before the tee was invented in 1899, golfers were required to carry a bucket of sand around the course. They would build the sand into mounds and strike the ball from atop the pile.

3. Golf was banned by King James II
During the early years of modern golf, King James II banned the sport because it distracted men from military training. Scotland was involved in an ongoing war against Europe at the time and the forbiddance of golf continued until the reign of King James IV. He initially reaffirmed the ban but lifted it after the Treaty of Glasgow and subsequently obtained his own clubs in 1502.

Leadership Macon Equips Community Leaders

Leonard Bevill founded Macon Occupational Medicine in 2001. The nationally certified Georgia-based occupational health company offers comprehensive services including the treatment of work related injuries, drug and alcohol screening, and physical therapy. An active member of his community, Leonard Bevill has served in a leadership capacity for several organizations including the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation and Children’s Hospital Navicent Health. Mr. Bevill is also an alumnus of Leadership Macon and subsequently served on its board of directors.

Established in 1979, Leadership Macon is a leadership training program that focuses on developing community leaders in Macon and Bibb counties. Since its inception, over 1,500 people have completed the Leadership Macon program. Each year’s class is chosen through a competitive nomination process that evaluates each candidate’s leadership traits and potential.

The year long Leadership Macon program begins with a weekend retreat and continues with monthly seminars. Speakers and facilitators lead the seminars, discussing complex problems and various approaches to issues facing the area. Topics include housing, education, economic development, race relations, tourism, and local government. Discussion points may change year to year, depending on current concerns facing the community at large. Participants are spurred on to dig deeper into these and other issues by sharing their viewpoints and engaging in productive discussion. 

Graduates of Leadership Macon are encouraged to become active leaders in Macon and Bibb counties. The skills and lessons they learn equip them to be informed advocates for solutions to the challenges facing their communities and neighborhoods.

The Elements of Biomechanics

The president, CEO, and owner of Macon Occupational Medicine in Macon, Georgia, Leonard Bevill possesses decades of experience in the field of occupational medicine. A graduate of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Leonard Bevill holds both a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy and a master’s degree in exercise science, with an emphasis on ergonomics and biomechanics.

Biomechanics, described by the American Society of Biomechanics, is the general interplay between mechanics and biological systems. Biomechanics encompasses the movement of bodily structures, such as muscles and bones, as well as the movement of bodily substances, such as circulating blood. The study of biomechanics is particularly valuable in the field of sports and exercise science because biomechanics allows professionals to apply the laws of physics and mechanics in their efforts to enhance athletic performance. 

The four essential elements of biomechanical studies are statics, dynamics, kinematics, and kinetics. Statics refers to systems that are either motionless or in equilibrium at a steady velocity, while dynamics refers to systems that experience changes in speed. Kinematics is the effect of various exerted forces on a system, and kinetics describes the causes of motion.

The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy

The president, CEO, and owner of Macon Occupational Medicine in Macon, Georgia, Leonard Bevill has active leadership roles with multiple community organizations including the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. In addition to serving as a longtime member of the chamber of commerce, Leonard Bevill sits on its board of directors and vice-chairs its member services committee. 

As part of its efforts to fuel business growth and insure a strong economic future for the greater Macon area, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce supports an annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy. Abbreviated as YEA!, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy invites local middle and high school students to spearhead their very own entrepreneurial ventures. 

YEA! takes participants through every stage of the initial business development process, from conducting market research and drafting business plans to presenting funding pitches and launching new companies. Since its establishment at the University of Rochester in 2004, YEA! has grown to serves thousands of young people in about 270 communities across the United States.