Interview With Dan Piecha Director of Golf Delbrook Golf Club

Below is an interview with Dan Piecha, the Director of Golf at Delbrook 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?
I started in the golf business in 1986 as an assistant golf professional at Carroll Country Club in Carroll, Iowa. I moved 375 miles from Illinois to take that job. After my first year I went to Jester Park Golf Course outside Des Moines. During that time I passed my P.A.T. and completed PGA Business Schools 1 and 2, finishing in the Top 5% of both classes. In 1990 I took the position of First Assistant Professional at Turnberry Country Club in Crystal Lake, Illinois. In 1992 I was offered the Head Gold Professional position at Rochelle Country Club and was there until 2004. I took a PGA Professional position at Golf Galaxy in Gurnee, Illinois for a year until I was offered the Director of Golf job at Delbrook Golf Club where I have been since 2006.


When did you start golfing and who introduced you to the game?
I was probably 11 or 12 years old when I started playing. I grew up in a town of only 300 people and there was a nine hole course about 5 or 6 miles from town. I remember my grand parents, or whoever I could find, driving me to the course and dropping me off in the mornings and picking me up late afternoon. I would spend most of my days either playing or hunting for golf balls in the woods.

What is your current home course?
I'm currently the Director of Golf at Delbrook Golf Club in Delavan, Wisconsin so I consider this my home course.

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
I would say having successful terms at two different facilites. The first at Rochelle Country Club a private club in Illinois where I was at for 13 seasons. And now at Delbrook Golf Club where I am currently in my 14th season.

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
That guy that wants to walk you through his round shot by shot. I'm happy to hear about some of the highlights, but do I really need to hear about how you lagged your 20 footer?

What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
I like my wedges and I guess my favorite is my 54 degree. I use it for all kinds of shots around the greens and I get the biggest kick out of imagining and pulling off shots to get up and down.

What is your favorite golf destination?
I went to TPC Sawgrass for a week back in the 90's for a PGA Playing Workshop. Great facility and practice areas. What a lot of people don't know is in addition to the Stadium Course there is also the Valley Course on property and that is one heck of a course also.

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
I don't really have a bucket list for courses. But I would really like to play Augusta National, so if you know a guy!

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
Golf de la Martinique. Back in the early 90's I did a few cruises with Norwegian Cruise Lines. They would comp my trip and I would play golf with the passengers. This course is a Trent Jones design and the uniqueness of the place still stands out to me. Plus the added component of waking up in the Caribbean.


If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
They fixed the spike mark thing, so I'm good.

Dream foursome (living)?
So I'm the fourth?
Lee Trevino
Nick Faldo
Tiger Woods


Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Seve Ballesteros
Arnold Palmer
Walter Hagen

Favorite 19th hole drink?
Rum & Coke

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions