Interview With David Winget Director of Golf Geneva National Golf Club By Brian Weis

Interview With David Winget Director of Golf Geneva National Golf Club

A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview

By Brian Weis

Below is an interview with David Winget, the Director of Golf at Geneva National Golf Club. The following are a few traditional and non traditional golf centric questions that I love to ask influential people in the golf industry.

Can you provide our readers a brief biography?
- Been Playing Golf for 28 Years
- Started working at a golf course when I was 15
- Started working at Geneva National in 2001
- Worked my way from Assistant to Head Professional to Director of Golf

When did you start golfing and who introduced you to the game?
- Started Golfing at age 10
- My parents got me into golfing...(I started with an old set of theirs that was in the basement)
- Best golf memory...Recently played in a Tournament at Pebble Beach...My wife walked with me, and we stood/took pictures on the 7th hole...sunshine, seals, and incredible golf & company

What is your current home course? Geneva National Golf Club
-54 Holes
-Arnold Palmer Course
-Gary Player Course
-Lee Trevino Course

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
Working my way from to Director of Golf at a High-End, Semi-Private Club -Winning the 2011 Public Merchandiser of the Year in the Wisconsin PGA Section

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
Pace of Play
All players can play quickly, no matter their skill level. Just be ready to play when it's your turn.

What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
Driver....who doesn't like hitting a long drive?!?

What is your favorite golf destination?
Toss up between Hilton Head Island and Pebble Beach.

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey....When you're number 1 or 2 in the country and most people don't know who you are, you've got to be good!

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
Pebble Beach....the views are incredible.

If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
The Out of Bounds penalty. Change it to the same penalty as a water hazard (stroke penalty instead of stroke AND distance). This would help speed up the game - especially for tournaments.

Dream foursome (living)?
Any combination of the people I currently play golf with - parents, members, staff, friends, etc...I have fun playing with all of these people, and I am truly lucky to spend time with them while playing the game I love.

Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Albert Einstein, JP Morgan, and Ben Franklin....who cares about the golf, what an incredible conversation that would be!

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions

1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Long Putt...you can save more shots with a long putt than a long drive.

2) Having Round of Life OR Hole in One?
Round of Life only because I've had a Hole-in-One...if I hadn't, it would be the reverse.

3) Golfing at the crack of dawn OR twilight?
Dawn...sun rising, no one in front of you, and the smoothest greens all day...nothing better!

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Draw

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Halfway House...not a fan of people driving towards me on the golf course.

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
No comment

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Wrap

8) Around the green, being in sand OR thick rough?
Either...give me a chance at either and we're good.

9) Walking OR riding?
Walking ideally, but time dictates riding most days.

10) Do you carry traditional 3 iron OR hybrid?
Hybrid...technology is a good thing.

11) Do you prefer long par 3 OR long par 5?
Either...both require good shots.

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Pants...haven't worn shorts to golf in 15 years.

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
Palmer

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Beatles

15) Play for fun OR play for money?
Fun...doesn't mean you don't try your hardest.

16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Either...depends on the situation....it's like asking phillips head or flat head screwdriver...it all depends on what the situation requires.

17) Lay up OR gamble?
Depends on what's on the line, where the match is at, and what the reward is.

18) 18 holes OR 36?
Why stop at 36? Play all day if you can!

Revised: 01/29/2016 - Article Viewed 37,827 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.