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38 | OHCC LIVING | OCTOBER 2025 | Player Spotlight: Charlie Payne Introduction: Before I ever met Charlie Payne, I already felt like I knew him. I had watched him on YouTube teaching pool with clarity and condence, and when I nally moved into Ocean Hills, I was delighted to meet him in person. To me, it felt like meeting my rst OHCC celebrity. On my very rst visit to the pool room, Charlie walked right up, greeted me warmly, asked my name, and even inquired about my cue. at simple gesture made me feel completely at home. As the former president of our billiards club for 12 years, Charlie has welcomed countless players in the same way. From Basement Table to Club Champion: Charlie's rst cue strokes took place on a beat-up 7-foot table in his childhood basement. He and his brothers played endlessly, but he rarely played aer college until he moved to OHCC in 2010. He currently holds the record for the most Billiard Club tournament wins. Outside of OHCC, he placed second in the California State Pool Championship for the 75+ division — a serious accomplishment. Favorite Game: Charlie's favorite game is Golf (that's pool golf ), a quirky format he once refused to play. He now enjoys the intricate strategy and the fact that Golf oers shots you won't see in any other game. Lessons on and o the Table: Charlie tells newcomers that they will improve if they play games 100% of the time - but slowly, very slowly. If they practice just 10% of the time, they will get better quickly. He's happy that as you play more, the game becomes less about shots and more about relationships — and that's what truly lasts. e Ocean Hills Spirit: Charlie proclaims, "e pros who visit always say how good the tables are. But what I enjoy most is the familiar faces. ere's no drama — no politics. Just players enjoying the game together." A Funny Quirk: Charlie doesn't believe in lucky charms for winning pool games, but he does always bring one unusual piece of equipment: an extravagantly expensive $35 cube of chalk. He's still using that one cube aer three years even though there's just a sliver le. "It's only a dollar a month," he laughs. Life Beyond Pool: Charlie spent his career in Silicon Valley, working in marketing and technical standards for computer peripherals. When he retired at 60, he never looked back. ese days, he keeps busy restoring old photographs and playing water volleyball, table tennis, poker, and over 150 rounds of ing golf. Written by Harris Golden Billiards