19th Hole: Mike Chrzanowski

Mike Chrzanowski (Photo: Lou Ferraro, Park South Photography)

Mike Chrzanowski

Superintendent // Madison (Conn.) CC

Mike, what are you having? I’ll have a Heineken.

Tell me about your family. My son Mike and his wife Ashley live in Denver with their two children, Maya, 4 and Ben, 2. My daughter Amy and her husband Nick live in Saratoga Springs with their 2-year-old son Charlie and their 3-week-old son Teddy. I have 17-year-old twins, Teagan and Max, and my amazing wife of 22 years, Kathy.

What should I know about Madison CC? Madison is a really nice small town on the water. The club has been there over 100 years. It’s a diverse membership. I remember when I got there in 1980, I was told that whenever I was golfing with a member, I could be golfing with the CEO of Exxon or the guy pumping the gas at the Exxon station. It’s still that way.

Did you say 1980? How have you lasted that long at the same club? I’ve been very fortunate to have a great group of people to work for. I make a real effort on communication. Every one of my green committee chairs comes in and says, “What’s this guy all about?” But in two or three years, we’ll become friends. And I have a great staff, and maybe a lot of good luck.

What would a Polaroid photo of you taken in 1980 look like? It would look like a 6-foot, 6-inch tall, 175-pound fence post.

What teams do you root for? I root for any team that is playing against any team from Boston. My second team — any team from New York.

What’s your favorite tool in the shop? My golf clubs. I’ve got a unique situation here; I’m considered a member. I’ve played in the member/guest, the member/member. I’ve played in the club championship. I actually won the club championship in ’96 or ’97. That’s another thing that’s helped my career — I enjoy playing with them, and they enjoy playing with me.

What’s your favorite song? “Take it Easy,” by Jackson Browne, not the Eagles. Jackson Browne wrote it and played it first. I love that song. “Take it easy,” that was my dad’s motto.

As interviewed by Seth Jones, April 22, 2019.