Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Butch grew up with a love of sports a gift handed down to him by his dad. He began with football- understanding that he wasn’t going to play wide receiver, he became the one throwing the ball playing quarterback from the shotgun position. In baseball, he was the pitcher striking you out by flipping the ball off the toe of his shoes or using his throwing arm, whichever worked the best. He accomplished catching using a larger glove- a first baseman’s mitt. Basketball was a challenge- not being able to dribble he learned to pass and shoot 3 pointers inspired by Pistol Pete Maravich. Little did he know 30 years later he would swish one from the center of the court on the Golf Channel. He was introduced to golf at an early age but outgrew the clubs at 13. Then came a game played by your feet called soccer that Butch excelled at. With strong legs that looked like tree trunks he took penalty kicks, corner kicks, and scored his longest shot from the center of the field. Occasionally getting to play goalie when they were ahead by 3. Early in his life the seeds were planted that said don’t focus on what you don’t have but on what you do and build from there.
Butch Lumpkin had every opportunity to feel sorry for himself and give up because of his physical makeup, but he didn’t! In the 1950s and 60s, there were between 10 and 20 thousand “Thalidomide Babies” born after their mothers took a drug to combat morning sickness. Butch is one of the approximately 5,000 survivors worldwide. Butch was born with what he calls “short arms”. When asked, he says “I am blessed it could have been worse,” stressing that attitude is everything. He has a natural athletic ability that would help him navigate the world as a disabled person- but the real truth is his abilities far exceed that of you and me. He doesn’t buy into the labels “disabled” or “handicapped.” Instead, he uses “physically challenged” with the patience, heart, mind and ability to adapt!
At 23 Butch was a centerfold in World Tennis, and the following year he was certified as a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association. He went on to win the Presidents Award for his outstanding contributions to tennis and Independent Pro of the Year for the state of Georgia for his teaching ability. He was featured on CNN and CBN. They said he wouldn’t last a year and he has had a successful career for over 30 years teaching many champions.
At 30, his best friend Jeff Lowe beat him at his own golf event and Butch was inspired to get longer clubs and go after the game. He started at 130, then 100, then 90, then 80 and now shoots in the 70’s. He has both won a long drive contest and the coveted hole in one. By 40, he was entertaining at charity events to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, United Way, Easter Seals and many other worthy charities. Then a miracle happened- he made national attention by playing in the BMW event in South Carolina, finding himself on the Golf Channel and the following year on Golf In America. Butch has played in four tour events and gone on to play celebrity events across the country. He has been blessed to play with famous players such as Fred Funk, Dale Jarrett, Denny Hamlin, Dabo Sweeney and many other successful athletes.
Early on, Butch developed a successful game plan for life. Make a goal so big its doomed for failure unless you put God in it. Butch never put the word quit in his vocabulary. He replaced the word quit with Faith and proceeded to adapt to the challenges of life. For Butch the word Faith simply meant that God has a plan for his life.
Butch currently works as a Golf Entertainer and Corporate Speaker. He entertains at tour events, corporate outings, and charity events bringing his unique humor, quick wit, and shot-making ability to entertain all groups of people. He speaks, coaches, and teaches Fortune 500 companies with the inspiring message that “nothing’s beyond reach” with the right game plan.