19th Hole: Joey Franco

Photo: Will Laine

Joey Franco

CGCS, Director of Agronomy // Daniel Island Club, Charleston, S.C.

After 18 holes, what can I get you? A Corona Light.

How long have you been there at Daniel Island Club? I started here in December of 2018. It’s been a busy two years, to say the least. Daniel Island is 36 holes. We have a Rees Jones design and a Tom Fazio design. We think we’re the only club in the country that has those two architects at one facility. It’s a very healthy, good club. Our membership has grown considerably over the last year and a half.

Do you have a family? I do. Peyton and I have been married for 12 years. We have a 9-year-old son, and we just had a baby girl six months ago. She lights me up every day with that smile. We didn’t know we could have a second child and the man above blessed us. My son was so excited. When he was 4 years old, when he’d pray at night, he’d pray for a sister or a brother. So, when she came along, he was so happy.

What’s your favorite tool in the shop? My favorite is the (FieldScout) TDR (from Spectrum Technologies). We use TaskTracker. I’m a big data guy; I like to see the numbers. I don’t like to bombard the guys on the radio and ask what they’re seeing. Everything is on my phone. I can see where the moistures are for the day. The TDR is the No. 1 tool for what we do on the golf course.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve found on the golf course? Recently, I found an ATV, a Mule, flipped over on our eighth fairway. Some kids stole it from a construction site down the road. It didn’t do too much damage. They did a few donuts and then quickly flipped it, or it would have been much worse.

What teams do you root for? My money goes to Penn State, but my blood bleeds orange and blue. I’m an Auburn Tiger fan, but I did not graduate from there. I graduated from Penn State through its World Campus program.

What’s something you’ve bought that has paid for itself? My golf cart at home. We can take it anywhere in our neighborhood, and there are so many stores nearby. I take my son fishing in the neighborhood. We have a bunch of ponds. We just hop in and go.

What’s the best thing about living in Charleston, S.C.? The weather. There’s so many things you can do down here. Golf, fish … I love the beach. I can make a phone call and be fishing within 20 minutes. Just this past weekend, I hosted a shrimp boil and oyster roast. Oh man, I’m telling you! We got the food local, cooked it ourselves, and it was awesome.

As interviewed by Seth Jones, Jan. 22, 2021.