A Conversation with Joe

What an incredible experience it was being able to interview a former golf pro and founder of the First Tee in South Central Wisconsin, Joe Loenis. Hearing about his incredible experiences on and off the course were exhilarating and mind blowing. Now as an instructor and leader in the golf education industry, Joe has had multiple opportunities to witness on the golf course and display his testimony to those whom he has influence over. I have personally played a full round of golf with this inspiring individual and as a result I thought it fitting to share his love for the game and love for Christ. The following is a conversation had regarding the REALLY  important facets of golf from a Christian perspective. 

Joseph Manion: What do you love about golf?

Joe Loenis: We fail at this game a lot more than we succeed. From the world’s eyes, I’ve won a good bit on Tour—more than most. I’ve won five times in 10 years on Tour. That’s once every two years. That’s not winning a whole lot. So compared to some other sports, you’re not winning as much, but the standard for winning or improvement and things like that is very important to help you deal with defeat. We obviously play to win tournaments. We practice a lot. But when we’re struggling and we’re not playing well, the thing that keeps bringing me back is the fact that I can always improve on something. There’s always an area of improvement. It’s a game you can’t perfect. But the pursuit of perfection is very fun. I love working with my instructor and figuring things out that might make me better and then trying to ingrain that through the drills and putting the time and seeing the fruit of that. It’s just a real enjoyable process from. Obviously bearing fruit is a biblical thing. You plant the seed and put the time in with God by serving and reading your Bible. You plant seeds in your life and it bears fruit in your life. The same is true in the game of golf. If you put the time in and you practice the right things, you can always improve. That whole process is something that I, and a lot of other guys, enjoy the most about the game.

Manion: What are some things that golf inherently teaches us about integrity?

Loenis: Honesty is one thing that you learn. I remember as a young guy, sometimes I would keep my score and the other guy’s score. I must confess, I wasn’t always the most honest guy. That was a lesson I learned growing up playing golf. If I made a five, I had to write down a five. If I made a six, I had to write down a six. No matter how painful it might be to have a bad hole, you have to be honest—even if you’re just playing by yourself.

Humility is another great quality. There’s nothing that humbles you more than the game of golf. It can really humble you sometimes and having a bad golf score can teach you a lot about humility. The minute you think you have the game figured out and you become boastful about it, the game will humble you right around the corner and you’ll struggle.

Manion: What about the Bible inspires you in your quest to live with integrity?

Loenis: Proverbs 3:5-6 is grossly overused in sports. But I think people use it in sports a lot to say, “Trust the Lord and He’ll make things right for me. He’ll help me win.” But I think it means we’re supposed to trust the Lord with everything. I’m bombarded every day with situations where God asks me, “Are you going to trust Me?” And He’s saying, “Trust me with this difficult relationship” and “Trust me with this financial decision.” The part about not leaning on my own understanding really grips me. In my mind, it doesn’t make sense. So I have to continually and daily, with little things that dig at me, trust God. That is the only way to live. Any other way is futile.

Physics of a Golf Swing

The Impact of Physical Preparation on Golf

While there is a tendency to think that the average club golfer doesn't require a golf fitness program in order to stay in shape for the golf course, more often then not golfers at any level require consistency in the area of fitness in order to perform at a high level. Don't be deceived into thinking that golfers are not athletes, because it has been proven time and time again that the game of golf, especially the swing alone, does in fact require a great deal of athleticism. Strength, power, flexibility, balance, core stability, body awareness, and even endurance are all physical traits that every consistent golfer must possess.

While talking with a golf pro in Madison, WI, I was astounded to hear that the load transmitted through the spine has been calculated at up to 8 x body weight compression force while hitting a 5 iron in both amateurs and professionals. This is just one example of the high amount of force that must be observed and controlled by the golfer to be able to compete without injury. This alone highlights the need for physical preparation to prevent injuries.

Golfers also need to prepare physically to be able to perform the complex, technically complicated movements that make up the golf swing. Without the adequate flexibility, strength, balance, co-ordination and control it will be difficult, if not impossible, for golfers to swing the club technically correct, as well as implement necessary technical swing changes that are required to progress and become better players. In this way, physical development must precede technical development int the course of the golfer's improvement.

Proper nutrition is important for good golf. Some questions that a golfer should ask himself or herself is--Have I eaten enough food? Have I eaten to much? Having a big meal in the clubhouse before your golf round will definitely prove to be detrimental. Golfers should carry something light with them on the course, as long as it is permissible, in order to maintain a sustained amount of energy. Regular snacking between shots and holes on food such as nuts, seeds, and fruit is a good choice for keeping the body and mind field. It yeps sustain your energy levels and maintain mental clarity. Last, being properly hydrated and staying that way is essential. Make sure to avoid commercial products such as Gatorade as they tend to be full of stuff that you shouldn't have in your body and instead drink plenty of water. Golfer's should not only be prepared with all of the necessary accessories in order to play a great round, but they also need to place their primary focus on the physical preparation of the game.

Business Golf Must-Do's

Business Golf Etiquette

Most Popular Business Golf Venues

Interview with Business Professional and Golfer

This article depicts the views expressed to me in my interview with Anchor Bank Branch Manger and Consumer Loan Officer, Joshua Murphy. Mr. Murphy was the perfect candidate for this interview because he has had numerous opportunities to advance his business career through the development of business relationships on the golf course. 

Joshua began playing competitive golf at an early age in which he excelled at the junior high and high school levels. He achieved numerous awards for winning team and individual tournaments as a high school Junior and Senior while attending a small Christian school in Manhattan, KS. While attending college he worked as a golf pro at a local public golf course, in which he encountered many business professionals and other avid golfers. 

In preparation for this interview, I attempted to develop questions which pertain to both business and golf, especially how the two are used to benefit each other. 

Question: What is business golf to you?

Joshua : To me it is any of a number of golf experiences that are intended to affect a business objective. It could be to establish or strengthen a customer relationship, have the opportunity to bond with team member or to uncover potential new business opportunities.

Question: We both share in our push towards bringing business golf to more business people as a way to enhance their enjoyment of the game. What are your thoughts on how can Business Golf help Golf?

Joshua: By making the game a part of their business strategy. Many companies have shied away from golf over the past few years because of the perception that it is a wasteful use of time and money. If they know how to use it the game can be one of the most powerful and cost effective methods of Customer Relationship Management and relationship marketing that there is.

Question: Why do you think golf is not used by more business people?

Joshua: I think it probably boils down to the 2 most common challenges… Time…and Money. Maybe there is some hesitation with regards to skill level but I don’t think that is as much of a factor.

Question: I have found that business people who are finding golf as a great addition to their business networking are trying to determine what to expect as they use it more. To you, what is a perfect round of business golf?

Joshua: Well if there is any such thing… but for me it is when I have picked the right people for the experience and matched it with the perfect venue, and I have managed to foresee all of the potential mishaps so there are no surprises. Oh and at the end we all have agreed to next steps.

Question:  In your view, what does golf need to do better or change in order to encourage more business people to play golf?

Joshua: I really believe that the industry has to do a better job of selling the multitude of ways in which the game can be experienced. Too many people in and outside of the industry keep trying to sell golf as 18 holes and that’s it. That just perpetuates the notion that the game takes too much time. A business lunch at a golf course is a golf experience… a visit to the driving range after work hours to hit a few balls and share a drink is a golf experience… and 9 holes at the end of the day or on a weekend can suffice. We just need to change the mind set of “golf takes 5 to 6 hours to play”.

Question: I am always looking for information to share on how golf can be used as a business tool and ways to discuss in detail how as a business, or recreation, golf has the ability to impact organizations and individuals. Where do you see golf in five years?

Joshua: That is a really BIG question. There are so many things that can affect where the game goes…for the most part I think there will be a resurgence of it’s popularity because it is becoming such a global game…I mean the economy can’t be bad everywhere at once can it? And I hope that people like you and I will have some influence on the strategic benefits of the game as it pertains to business. Ask me again in 2020.