10-year-old golfer starts his own business.

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Two years ago, Carter Bonas was a different person. Even though he was just 8, he had suicidal thoughts.

Today, the 10-year-old golfer with autism is thought of as a role model for those on that spectrum after starting his own golf clothing company.

This week at the Chubb Classic presented by SERVPRO at Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Bonas received a behind-the-scenes tour, along with his parents Eddie and Dr. Thelma Tennie.

They met two-time major champion and World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els, who has his own foundation supporting those with autism. Els's son Ben, 19, is on the spectrum.

Bonas started his company, Spectrum Golf, when he was 10, and only got into the game a couple of years ago.

"I chose golf because it was a sport that I felt like I could take my time and the coach didn't yell, I didn't get touched, and I got to be with nature most of the time," he said.

Part of the inspiration for Bonas to start his own company came from wondering what his life was going to be if something happened to his parents. The Tennies simply reassured him he would be taken care of, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the conversations became a bit more serious, to the point they shared their wills and trust information with him.

Bonas wasn't satisfied, though, simply with knowing that his parents' assets would be passed on to him.

"He didn't just say, 'Oh, you're going to leave me money' or 'OK, you're going to leave me the house,'" Thelma Tennie said. "He went a step further and said 'But what am I going to do for work? What am I going to do? Nobody's going to hire me because I can't even get a friend. No one's going to hire me.'

"Now he has something where he knows he's going to be employed, and how hard he works is how good his business will be. and he's made so many great friends on the golf course."

Bonas said he chose golf apparel for his company for more than just his interest in the game.

"We were paying lots of money that clothes that were supposed to be comfortable," he said. "I have sensitive skin and those clothes weren't comfortable. We decided to get my own so I could have my own clothing line so I could always be comfortable."

The clothing also has messages, for example, inside the waistline on pants, that say either "Lead the Way" or "Be Determined."

it is interesting to me how all these imaginative and creative young people who are lauded in these articles managed to organize all of this. There is so often no information about the support behind such prodigies that they could start their own museums, broadcast about pollution and global warming, create a new clothing line, open a restaurant, etc. It is often reported as something that this brilliant little person concieved and carried out on their own. Not a fan of this type of media portrayal although I always wish the child well and sorely wish I had been able to obtain support for any of my ideas or eneavors at any age. (this perspective from a 70 year old )

We can not change when we were born or what family we were born into. It is enticing to be jealous of the young folks who seemingly have all these supports. As late as we found out we have it better then the generations before us who died never knowing.

We can not change when we were born or what family we were born into. It is enticing to be jealous of the young folks who seemingly have all these supports. As late as we found out we have it better then the generations before us who died never knowing.