The 19th Hole: Jeff Markow
CGCS, Superintendent// Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, Calif.
What are you drinking, Jeff?
I’ll take any cold beer… I haven’t met one I don’t like yet. A Stella, a Longboard… Firestone 805 is a good local beer.
You’re from Minnesota, but you live in California… so who do you root for?
I’m not very bright, so I’m a Vikings fan. But the 49ers are a great back-up. We like the San Francisco Giants and I also root for the Red Sox, I have a lot of family out east.
If it was a California law that you had to have a sarcastic bumper sticker, what would yours say?
There are a few that come to mind, but you couldn’t print them. I did see a good one the other day: “Stupidity is not a crime… you’re free to go.” If I had to have a serious one it would say, “Texting while driving is a dead end.” This state is pretty wacky… I didn’t know the left lane was for putting on your makeup or eating lunch until I came out here… I always thought it was for passing.
If there is one thing visitors to your area must do, what is it?
The list is really long, but if you’re going to give me one thing, I’d say drive down Highway 1 to Big Sur, and go to Nepenthe Restaurant. Sit on the deck and have an Ambrosia burger.
That’s the place and the burger, huh?
You’re 200 feet above the Pacific sitting on cliffs… we like to say that God started there and went east — no offense to the East Coasters. But once you see it? It’s stellar.
What do you and your wife (Heidi) do for fun?
We’ve had a couple horses for about ten years now, so she’s teaching me how to ride. That’s akin to me teaching her how to play golf — I should just go get lessons, right? But, let’s just say I’m learning, how’s that?
Any equipment you want to brag about?
We have a 42-cup coffee pot I’m fond of. That’s about the only way you can get fired at Cypress Point: not have the coffee ready in the morning.
What’s your favorite hole on the course?
I don’t know if there is one specific hole. No. 16 is the one everyone talks about. But No. 13… No. 8, No. 9… Can I have several? 15, 16 and 17.
I know you’re a pretty humble guy, but please tell me every once in a while you look around and just say, “I work at Cypress freaking Point!”
I do! I like to joke around, but yeah… we have one of the best offices on the planet right now. Sunrise, sunset, the seals are barking at you, the blue water. There are a lot of nice places, but this one is pretty special.
As interviewed by Seth Jones, May 28th, 2014.
Photo: Seth Jones