Charlie Jaquin Potential Realized
I have known my cousin Charlie since he was a young pup. Whatever Charlie sets his mind to, he pursues with passion and determination. Whether it’s climbing the corporate ladder, competing in video gaming, cheering on his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates, or embracing the game of golf we all know and love, Charlie brings the same level of enthusiasm and commitment.
I’ve been fortunate to be Charlie’s partner in two golf leagues this season and have had a front-row seat to his remarkable transformation. For years, Charlie possessed all the physical tools: the ability to launch drives 300-plus yards down the middle and hit towering iron shots incredible distances. Yet, despite his natural talent, the scores never quite reflected his full potential.
That has changed in 2026.
This season has been Charlie’s coming-out party on the golf course. The talent has always been there, but now it has been paired with consistency, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the game. The results speak for themselves, and it has been exciting to watch his hard work translate into success.
I’m thrilled to share this month’s interview with our Table-Hopping readers, highlighting Charlie’s journey, achievements, and passion for the game.
DB: Tell us about your earliest memories in this game of golf?
CJ: As early as I can remember, I had some set of golf clubs, whether it be a little kiddie set, I remember I had my little Walter Hagen Jr. set. The first memories I have when I was four maybe five years old and my dad would take me with him to the driving range and he’d have his biggest Big Bertha driver and I’d be swinging it like a two-foot nothing, swinging his Big Bertha and striking drivers on the range. Growing up in Eastwood, I played a lot of Sunnycrest. When I was twelve or thirteen, I remember I won the Sunnycrest Mayors Cup, which was a big deal to me. That led me to face the Burnet Park Mayors Cup victor. I birdied the first hole, and I was psyched, but then I just got smoked from there. I was crying after the last hole, because I was in a bunker and I just couldn’t get out. From there, went on to play Pope’s Grove and my first ‘real’ course where I played a lot was Brooklawn. I played a ton at Brooklawn and from there Liverpool. I never focused too much on golf; I played a lot of baseball.
DB: Tell us when you started having some early success in the game?
CJ: It goes back to our Greenview league; I played in that a lot since my late teenage years into my twenties. I used to go up early every Tuesday and play eighteen holes before the league. I remember my first ‘break 90’ was at Drumlins West where I shot an 86 when I was nineteen. My first ‘break 80’ was when I was twenty-two years old. Years passed after that and I didn’t play as much, I went a long time without ‘breaking 80,’ but I’ve always kind of been in that hunt and now this year I’m getting back to that.
DB: The Penn Masters is the biggest event that we play in, tell us about some of your best rounds in this event?
CJ: The Penn Masters is always so difficult, for me especially, because I always hone in my game around the Fall, because you’re getting towards the end of the year, you’ve been playing a lot. Then obviously being in New York, you can’t play all winter, so you go about six months without swinging a club. Some of your first rounds are the Penn Masters; these beautiful, brilliant, difficult courses. The one that comes to mind first was at Blue Shamrock; I shot an 86 in the opening round. I think I was top ten in the tournament and then I followed that up with 105 on Saturday’s round. Slept on that and the pressure got to me (laughs). One great thing about the Penn Masters is a lot of times on Sunday, I’m playing the forward tees, and at Conklin Players Club in ’24, I shot a 77 from the forward tees, which was my lowest round in my life and at the Penn Masters.
DB: I have played many rounds with you over the years, clearly your strength is driving the ball incredible distances, where do you think you developed that skill?
CJ: Growing up playing baseball, I would always swing the bat pretty hard and then I kind of translated that into a golf swing. It’s always my favorite thing to do, from being a kid, to growing playing golf, to even now, is hitting the driver hard and watching it fly. Sometimes down the fairway, but not always, most of the time not (laughs), It’s just one of my favorite things to do, I like to swing hard, I like to hit it hard, which often times can get me in trouble. Playing a lot more, I’ve been able to hone in that distance and use it to an advantage, it’s definitely one my greatest strengths.
DB: Take us through your greatest round of golf that you’ve ever played?
CJ: I would say my greatest 9-hole round of golf was just last week. I shot eight pars for the first eight holes, finished with a birdie for a 1 under score of 35. That was my first official under par 9-hole round from the white tees. Going through that round out there at Orchard Vali, it was a pretty dry day, so the ball was rolling well. My drives were all rolling out, I don’t think I had more than about 70 yards in on any hole. Through the first eight holes I had seven birdie putts, and I missed all of them, made one par putt from about ten feet, but nothing was dropping. We’re standing on the ninth tee, and I’m kind of feeling those nerves. I wanted to shoot an even par round, just hit a good tee shot. I had around 120 yards, hit my wedge a little short, had about eighteen-foot birdie putt. Hadn’t made a putt all day long, hit in on a good line, I said its gotta go, its gotta go and it trickled in the front edge for the birdie to shoot one under.
DB: Take us through the early struggles this season, how you overcame them, ultimately culminating in your breakthrough performance to win the Family Open in June at Battle Island
CJ: We just mentioned that I shot one under par at Orchard Vali, well my first round of the year I shot a 108 at Orchard Vali, so I’ve definitely come a long way. My first six or seven rounds to start the year were all over 100. I told some new friends at work that I’ve broken 80 in the past and I come out with them and shoot 108, they’re like ‘there’s no way this guy has ever been near eighty.’ I’ve always had the raw talent, we talked about the driving distance, I’ve always hit the ball far, I’ve always had potential. This year I really wanted to focus on golf. I’ve been playing the Family Open for years and never won it. I’ve come close, I was dying to get my name on that trophy. I’ve been playing a lot, my scores have been coming down, I’ve been really improving with my recovery shots. When I get in trouble, I’m able to get out of it, scramble for a bogey. Not let big disaster holes blow up. And then comes the Family Open, every year I look forward to it, I always want to win it. I lose sleep the night before thinking about what I’m gonna do and how I’m going to compete. Then we go out and I start the first six holes twelve over par. I said Don, you know what, it’s not my year. I know I’ve been playing a lot, but I just can’t do it, I can’t get it done. I finished the last twelve holes one over par to go on and win the tournament by two shots. I know I said my 35 was my best round, but that was by far the most rewarding round and to get my name on that Family Open trophy is incredible.
DB: Congrats again on your breakthrough win. Now take us through some of your favorite courses in Central New York?
CJ: Right off the bat, my number one favorite course has to be Green Lakes. For a public state golf course, it’s always beautiful. It’s in perfect shape, there’s a lot of fun holes, starting with number one. You get to drive downhill going downhill, it’s a real picturesque driving hole. There are some tough holes, the third hole the road comes into play, some longer par threes, some shorter ones. There’s attackable par fives, which is always fun, the one straight up the hill. A lot of variety. The front nine is a little back and forth and then the back nine is all individual holes. I had the pleasure to play Skaneateles Country Club last year and that’s beautiful. We play Foxfire on Wednesdays. Timber Banks, a little pricey, but that’s gorgeous. One course I want to mention, because I drive past it twice a day every Monday through Friday. I live in Manlius and I drive past the Cavalry Club. Never played it, but I’m checking out the holes every time I drive past it, so I’ve got to get on there. Battle Island is fun and I love Camillus too. A lot of holes where you can just bomb the ball.
DB: Outside of the game of golf, tell us about some of your other interests?
CJ: I loved baseball, dating back to little league, playing shortstop going into high school. I’m a very competitive person so baseball was my competitive outlet. Baseball got me into being a giant Pittsburgh Pirates fan, huge sports fan, I watch pretty much every Pirates game. From all their hundred loss seasons to finally this year, where I’m gonna say it, we’re going to make the playoffs. First time in ten years and we’re looking good. I’m also a big Bills fan and just recently got into the Chicago Black Hawks. I like to play video games, on-line games, anywhere I can compete.
DB: You’ve graduated to the next level this year, what do you see the future holding for you in the game of golf?
CJ: First off, while I do feel I’ve come a long way this year, there is still one hurdle that I’ve yet to climb. That is the ominous ‘break 80’ round. I’ve had several ‘break 40’s’ in my leagues this year, but in terms of eighteen-hole rounds, I’ve had two 80’s and an 81, but I haven’t broken it yet. It’s a little bit of a mental challenge, always in the hunt, but when it comes down to the last couple of holes and the pressure creeps in, I tell myself I gotta break 80, I haven’t done it this year. I had three-putt on the 18th hole at Battle Island for an 80. I just took a nine on the final hole at Ives Hill in Watertown to shoot an 84. I needed a par on the last for a 79. So again, that’s my next hurdle, get that break 80 in, and I feel like once I do it, I’ve got the game to open those floodgates and continue to push lower scores. I would love to shoot a mid-70’s, low 70’s type of round, that is the next hill to climb. I feel like I’ve got the potential to do that. I think what this year has really shown me is that you’re putting a lot of work in, playing a lot of golf, and I have the ability to do that. (Editors Note: Since this interview was conducted, we are proud to report that Charlie shot 77 at Camillus with a wild finish of eagle-double bogey-birdie, to cap off his first ‘break 80’ of the 2026 campaign)
DB: You’ve put a lot of work in this year, what can you tell our Table-Hopping readers to work on to improve their game?
CJ: Everyone’s golf swing is going to be different; I think with my golf swing there’s three things that I always think about. I don’t think as much during the swing, it’s more of a set up thing for me; it’s making sure my grip is in the right position, my stance is in the right position, and then my back swing, my takeaway is on the right plane. From there the rest kind of handles itself. I’m also making sure I’m not getting too quick. Just being smooth, I can hit the ball plenty far, even if you can’t hit the ball far, the way to do it is not going to be to swing harder. Letting your club do the work and focusing on your takeaway. Ultimately just playing the game. My biggest problem in golf was lack of consistency, just putting in the repetitions and playing the rounds. Not everyone is able to play as much, so when you do go out there and play, just make sure to focus in on every shot. I think the biggest thing to improvement is keeping your score; a lot of times you might go out and just start playing bad and you just start hitting it bad and not focusing. From hole number one to hole number eighteen, no matter how bad you’re doing throughout the round, just focus on every shot and do your best.
