Keeping up with the Jones: 19th Hole with Seth Jones

Photo by Adrianne Jones

What are you drinking?

Another Miller Lite, savior of my back nine.

Can you believe this month marks 10 years you’ve been editor-in-chief of Golfdom?

The amount of gray hair on my head says ‘yes!’

How strange does it feel to be on the other side of a 19th Hole style interview?

After 107 in a row, it’s a nice change. I was once interviewed 19th Hole style by the late Steve Wright, CGCS, at a Palm Beach GCSA chapter event, in front of the group. I remember struggling coming up with any good answers on the spot; I wish I could get that one back.

Are there any issues of the magazine you wish you could get back?

Oh, yeah. There’s always something that bothers me. I try to remind myself it’s never perfect. Rarely does an issue feel like a victory. Mostly, it feels like the bell rang, the punching stops and you spit into a bucket. I’m sure Golfdom readers can relate.

Seth Jones and Samuel L. Jackson (Photo: Sean Lipford)

Who have been some of your favorite interviews over the years, both superintendent and otherwise?

My first interview for the 19th Hole was David Hay (Mission Hills CC, Rancho Mirage, Calif.), who has treated me like a son for 20-plus years. The first time we met, I knew we would get along when he had a 12 pack of Coors Light and an XM Radio receiver in his cart — back before Bluetooth speakers were common. Celebrity wise, Samuel L. Jackson is my favorite. We had some laughs and talked Star Wars and comic books after the interview. I’m exceptionally proud that he didn’t know Marvel Comics was using him as the likeness of Nick Fury until I told him. I wish I could have gotten a finder’s fee on all those movies.

How did your family celebrate Halloween this year?

We played some board games and wrapped up with a WWE wrestling match between me and the kids (Evey, 13, Boyd, 9). Boyd won, and he has the championship belt currently, but I’ll get it back.

How do your Kansas Jayhawks look this year?

They’re not projected to win the Big 12 … but they’ll win the Big 12.

Seriously Jones, you have to be proud of some of the Golfdom issues over the last 10 years.

I am proud! I’m proud of the team, and I’m proud of the magazine we publish. When I took the job, I told myself I would be happy if I made it a year. To go 10 years … I think of the many friends I’ve made along the way and the places I’ve gotten to visit, and it is a dream come true.

Fill in the blank: The next 10 years of Golfdom ________?

Will age me by 20. I just hope the gray hair survives.

As interviewed by Abby Hart, Nov. 16, 2020.