19th Hole: Clay Stewart

Clay Stewart (Photo: Jacob Proctor)

Clay Stewart

Superintendent // Idle Hour CC, Lexington, Ky.

After 18 holes, what can I get you for a drink? I am a pretty cheap date. I’m going to go with the tallest, coldest Miller Lite you can find.

Tell me about Idle Hour Club. It’s a cool, laid-back, under-the-radar club. We’re a 1924 Donald Ross design. We went through a renovation in 2006 to bring all the Ross characteristics back. And, it’s a great membership to work for. It’s demanding, but fair. I’ve been here for 12 years now. I was an assistant here, so they gave me my shot, and I will be forever grateful for that.

Do you have a family? Just my wife Amanda, we’ve been married for 17 years, and my two dogs, a 13-year-old Border Collie named Ryder and a 1-year-old Aussie/Blue Heeler mix that we picked up this summer from the rescue shelter, Magnolia.

What are you looking forward to most in 2021? The same thing everybody else is — getting back to normal, if there is such a thing. As far as golf course wise, this year I had two first-year assistant superintendents, fresh out of college. For them to try to cut their teeth on the management side of things and go through what we had to go through this year? I hope it normalizes, and I’m excited to see their growth from year one to year two.

So, is Pearl Jam your No. 1 favorite band? Probably one, two, three and four. I don’t think Pearl Jam radio has been turned off of Sirius in the car for at least five or six years. I’ve seen them around 10 or 11 times. The most memorable show I’ve seen was probably Wrigley (Field) in 2018. We were out getting some pizza and having a few beers with some friends. It was the night before the show. I said, screw it, bought a ticket on StubHub, booked a hotel and went up by myself the next morning.

What’s the best thing about being an Ohio State Buckeye? I don’t know where to start. All the friends that you make. It’s the best four years of your life. I was lucky enough to walk onto the football team my freshman year and got to experience that. I still get goose bumps when I hear the alma mater.

What position did you play? Technically, I was a long snapper, but really, I was a breathing tackling dummy.

What’s the easiest way to get a laugh out of the crew? Ask them if the hot sauce is hot. If somebody says no, and everybody else starts laughing, then you know that all right, this is going to suck. I asked for it, and now I have to eat it.

As interviewed by Seth Jones, Dec. 3, 2020.