The 19th Hole: Tyler Otero
Superintendent// North Jersey CC, Wayne, N.J.
After 18 holes of golf, what’s your drink of choice?
A nice, ice-cold light beer. The kind with ice on the pint glass, and you can slam it down like it’s a water.
What about on a snowy day like today?
Either a nice bourbon or a scotch on the rocks; a Woodford Reserve, or Knob Creek in the bourbon realm; Glenfiddich in the scotch realm.
How did you and your wife, Meredith, meet?
We were both working at Trump National Colts Neck. She was the receptionist and I was the superintendent. She was taking lunch orders each day in the wintertime, and that’s how I got to talk to her. I wasn’t very smooth because she would forget my order every now and then. So that gave me a reason to stop by her desk, and I made sure to slip her my cell phone number so she wouldn’t forget me for lunch.
What’s your favorite commercial on TV?
I’m all about commercial-free viewing these days — Netflix and Amazon Prime. But I laugh at the Geico commercial with Ickey Woods getting his cold cuts.
Your previous course, Trump National Bedminster, is hosting the 2022 PGA Championship. Any regrets not being there to host it?
They’re also hosting the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open. I have no regrets leaving, and I was really happy for Mr. Trump. He hasn’t hidden from the beginning that he wanted a major championship. Mostly I’m happy for all the people who worked toward that goal. It almost validates what we were doing. Sometimes you got the feeling that because he’s so polarizing as an owner, that they didn’t give you the credit for the product we were putting out.
Tell me something interesting about North Jersey CC?
It’s one of the founding clubs in New Jersey, founded in 1895. It’s a Walter Travis design, known for blind shots and undulating greens. We’re 20 miles from New York City, on 325 acres, and almost entirely encompassed in forest — which is nice when you’re in such a densely populated area.
Fill in the blank: Tomorrow I’m going to wake up and ______:
It’s a Friday, so I’m going to get up and hopefully make it to the gym before work, then have a normal work day, then go out after work for some adult libations.
To where and with whom?
With Meredith. We go out for a burger and a beer on Fridays — there’s this place in Asbury Park, N.J., called Bond Street Bar. It’s a hole-in-the-wall, cash only, kitchen the size of a closet, there’s one table, a bar and a shuffleboard table.
Hopefully she won’t forget your order.
If she does, it gives me a mulligan for a missed birthday or anniversary down the road!
As interviewed by Seth Jones, Jan. 29th, 2015.
Photo: Joelle Harms