19th Hole: Garrett Luck

By |  January 9, 2020 0 Comments
Garrett Luck (Photo: Lou Ferraro, Park South Photography)

Photo: Lou Ferraro, Park South Photography

Garrett Luck

CGCS // Hidden Glen at Bentdale Farms, Cedarburg, Wis.

Garrett, what can I get you? My go-to, a Tanqueray and tonic.

Tell me about your family. My wife, Ann, and I will celebrate seven years of marriage this weekend. And we have two kids: Taylor, who is a senior in college, and Caden, who is a freshman in college. And also, we have a baby on the way, due in February.

That’s great, congrats! How did you and Ann meet? After I moved back to Milwaukee from Kansas City, I was hired as the assistant superintendent at North Shore CC (Mequon, Wis.), and Ann was the assistant GM there. We met, and the rest is history! She’s still in the business. She’s now the general manager at Milwaukee CC.

How did you get into the business? I worked as a dishwasher at age 14, and I did that until I was old enough to drive. At 16, I knew I wanted to work at a job where I could be outside. I took a job on the crew and worked my way up as guys would graduate high school and move on to college.

Washing dishes at age 14? That’s rough. I liked money too much, and my parents wouldn’t ever give me any.

Tell me about your course. It’s an interesting place, unique in that it is privately owned by a great family. It’s a hidden gem in Wisconsin, designed by P.B. Dye. Next year, we’ll celebrate the course’s 20th year.

What’s your favorite vacation spot? Last year, my daughter studied abroad in Australia, so my wife and I went to visit her there, and then went to New Zealand. I think New Zealand is the most amazing place on the planet.

You’re a Kansas State Wildcat, right? I am, and I worked in Kansas City for a few seasons. It was a good move, coming home. I always tell people that Kansas City is one of the most difficult places to grow grass.

What do you love about living in Milwaukee? It’s a great town, a great food scene, a great live music scene. The largest music festival in America is here every summer (Summerfest). You’d love it, lots of ’90s alternative grunge bands play there —I saw Pearl Jam there right after Ten came out. And the summers are great here. Don’t ask me about the winters.

Fill in the blank: I know it’s going to be a good day when ________. When I can have the top off on my Jeep on the way to work in the morning.

With the last name Luck, do you consider yourself a lucky person? I have great kids, a great wife and I love what I do. I’m probably blessed … I feel lucky every day.


As interviewed by Seth Jones, Dec. 13, 2019.

This is posted in 19th Hole, People

About the Author: Seth Jones

Seth Jones, a 25-year veteran of the golf industry media, is Editor-in-Chief of Golfdom magazine and Athletic Turf. A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Jones began working for Golf Course Management in 1999 as an intern. In his professional career he has won numerous awards, including a Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) first place general feature writing award for his profile of World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman and a TOCA first place photography award for his work covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In his career, Jones has accumulated an impressive list of interviews, including such names as George H.W. Bush, Samuel L. Jackson, Lance Armstrong and Charles Barkley. Jones has also done in-depth interviews with such golfing luminaries as Norman, Gary Player, Nick Price and Lorena Ochoa, to name only a few. Jones is a member of both the Golf Writers Association of America and the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association. Jones can be reached at sjones@northcoastmedia.net.


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