The Corner Office With Mark C. Johnson (Breezy Point Resort)

Tee Times introduced a new column last year where we provide readers with an insightful look into the thinking and personality of people in golf leadership roles. They often have unique perspectives and some surprising opinions about the state of golf. This issue features a long-standing mentor of the game and consummate professional, Mark C. Johnson (Breezy Point Resort, Director of Golf / PGA Golf Professional). Mark has been a source of golfing wisdom in the Brainerd area for the past 33 years and will continue to share his enthusiasm and passion for the game in the 2018 season. Here he tee’s up fourteen answers to our fourteen questions. We hope you enjoy it.

1. How long have you been in the golf business and how did you get your start? I have been working in the golf business for 40+ years and got my start cleaning clubs and carts at the Moose Lake Golf Club in 1973.
2. Was there an ‘aha moment’ when you realized this is a good gig? After college I left the golf business and was working a sales and management job in California. I was having issues finding reliable and trustworthy employees and thought I never had these issues working in the golf business. I made a call to the Minnesota PGA and talked to Don Waryan and he told me there were two assistant positions in Minnesota at the time. I took the Assistant Golf Professional position for the Brainerd Country Club in 1986 working with PGA Professional James Terry, and have been a Golf Professional in the Brainerd Lakes Area for the past 33 years.
3. How would you describe your golf game? My golf game is not what it was when I got started in the golf business, but I still have moments of brilliance. I still have the passion for the game, but don’t have the time to practice and play like I would like.
4. Is there a pet peeve about the game you would like to get off your chest? Slow play, no reason for a round of golf to take more than four hours.
5. Do you have any hero’s in the game? Would have to be my parents Stu and Ione Johnson who introduced me to the game when I was eight years old. They allowed me and a couple of neighbor friends to layout a 9 hole whiffle ball course in our yard when I was eleven. On one of the holes you could take a shortcut over the house instead of going around. I hit one thin and broke a double pane window with a whiffle ball. My parents then decided that it was better for me to ride my bike to the golf course and play with a real ball on the course.
6. Thinking back, what is the most memorable moment in recent PGA history? For me it has to be the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. I got the privilege of working the practice area for the players. I helped shuttle the players and distinguished guests to the opening ceremony, and had the opportunity to talk with the players and dignitaries. It was awesome to watch the USA win on Sunday.
7. Is there a trend or pattern in the game of golf you would like to see changed? I would like to see more families playing golf together. Golf is a great game for creating conversation and social skills, which I feel a lot of younger people are missing out on.
8. What is your opinion about the health of the state-of-the-game? Overall I feel the game of golf is healthy, but because of time constraints put on people these days I think we need to focus on getting people out to play a quick 9 holes.
9. What is the strangest player mishap or misstep to take place at your course? Five years ago I was headed home on my golf cart and came upon two ladies carrying their clubs on the 16^th hole on Whitebirch. I knew that when they started their round they were on a cart so I asked them what happened. They said when coming down the hill from the 15^th green to the 16^th tee they hit a stick and drove off the cart path and could not get the cart unstuck. When I got to the cart it had gone off the path and was stuck in a tree! The front end of the cart was five feet off the ground and the back of the cart was almost touching the ground. I honestly don’t know, how they got the cart where they did, but I am guessing distracted driving. I could not get the cart down, so I ended up going back to our maintenance department and had one the guys bring the big forklift. We had to lift the cart another 6 to 7 feet to get it off the big branches it was stuck on. Once we got the cart down, I quickly checked it over and drove it back to the course to have it thoroughly gone through. It ended up that there really wasn’t any damage to the cart. I was most concerned that no one got hurt!
10. What makes you most happy when considering the customers who play your course? I love to hear I will be back and see you next year from our guests. It means the whole team did a great job taking care of the guest. I am a firm believer that repeat customers are the best.
11. Do you consider yourself a golf purist or wide-open to new rules and regulations? I am open to new rules and regulations as long as it does not take the integrity away from the game. I am all for getting more people playing and enjoying golf.
12. Who do you consider the greatest golfer of all-time and why? Has to be Jack Nicklaus with 18 Major Championship titles. A lot of people don’t realize that Jack finished second or tied for second 19 times in the Majors also. Everyone my age pretended to make the winning putt for the Master’s like Jack when playing as kids.
13. Do you have a course in Minnesota or Wisconsin you consider highly underrated? I don’t have just one I have several, too many to list! In Minnesota and Wisconsin we have an abundance of quality courses with great value. If you had these courses in other parts of the country they would cost two to three times as much to play.
14. The single best reason for spending four hours chasing a little white ball? For me it’s all about quality time with good friends and fellow golf enthusiasts!