Meet Our Volunteers

The Basics:

Name: Keenan F. Barber

City of residence: Rancho Mirage

Club: Mission Hills Country Club

Profession: Cardiologist, retired

Family: Wife Carol, eight grandchildren and pet schnauzer, Desty

Volunteer and committee involvement: Boards of SCGA Foundation and The First Tee of the Coachella Valley

What you Didn’t Know:

Music that Keenan listens to: Miles Davis, especially his album Someday My Prince Will Come

First car: Used 1954 Buick

Favorite book: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Guilty-pleasure food: Stone Crabs accompanied by a glass of Guiness Stout

Favorite non-golf item: Questar telescope for viewing the moon, rings of Saturn and moons of Jupiter

Favorite Southland hotspot: (wife) Carol’s kitchen–quiet and serving healthy, delicious food

One gadget Keenan can’t live without: Swiss Army knife–the tiny scissors are quite versatile

Favorite quote: “A decent provision for the poor is the true test of humanity” (Samuel Johnson)

If Keenan couldn’t do what he did as a profession, he’d have: Taught English in a public high school

Greatest pride: My sons and my wife for their attitude of acceptance and generosity toward others

Most-visited website that’s not work-related: Rancho Mirage Library website

On volunteering: I like the satisfaction of being part of organizations that serve others. The relationships one develops are what this life is about.

On the Course:

Has golfed for: 56 years

What Keenan would like to see more of on the course: More walking–after 18 holes you’ve had your exercise for the day

Favorite Tour player: Rickie Fowler–He’s passionate, aggressive and fearless

What part of the game of golf needs to change: Perhaps we need more executive and nine-hole courses that are visually appealing, but less demanding to entice players who want to spend two hours or less to play “a round.”

Any Rules of Golf that Keenan would like to change?: No. The rules and decisions are many, but I’d encourage golfers to read the definitions at the front of the rule book. Knowledge of these definitions will answer many questions that arise during a round.

One thing Keenan would tell juniors just getting into the game: “Here’s a club and a ball. Let’s have at it….”