Andy Mears

Interview With Andy Mears Sales & Marketing Director Swan Lake Resort

A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview

By Brian Weis

Below is an interview with Andy Mears, Sales & Marketing Director, at Swan Lake Resort. Andy began working in the golf industry at age 13. Head Golf Professional at age 22. Executive of a golf company at age 30. President of a golf company at age 40. He is happy to be where he is today. He summed up his career with one simple word... priceless.

The following are a few traditional and non traditional golf centric questions that I love to ask influential people in the golf industry.

When did you start golfing and who introduced you do the game?
Began love affair with golf at age 13. The Manager of the local golf course was a friend of the family and asked my mother if I needed a summer job. Of course, she said "Yes." The gentleman had been a WWII tank sergnant, so you can image the lessons I learned. Lessons still with me today.

What is your current home course?
Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, IN

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
Being elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Michgian PGA and Executive Committee of the International Network of Golf.

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
Cell phone use on the course.

What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
Putter.

What is your favorite golf destination?
Pinehurst

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
Any that I have not yet played.

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
Point O' Woods, Benton Harbor, MI

If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
Stroke and distance. Drop a ball, take two and move on.

Dream foursome (living)?
Jack Nicklaus, Matt Baughman (nephew), Nicklaus Mears (son) and me.

Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Payne Stewart, Hoddy Middaugh (mentor), Bobby Jones and me.

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions

1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Long Drive

2) Having Round of Life OR Hole in One?
Round of life

3) Golfing at the crack of dawn OR twilight? Twilight

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Draw

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Beverage Cart

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Bathroom

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Dog

8) Around the green, being in sand OR thick rough?
Sand

9) Walking OR riding?
Walking with a caddy

10) Do you carry traditional 3 iron OR hybrid?
Hybrid

11) Do you prefer long par 3 OR long par 5?
Par 5

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Shorts

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
Nicklaus

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Neither

15) Play for fun OR play for money?
Money

16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Bump and run

17) Lay up OR gamble?
Gamble

18) 18 holes OR 36?
18

Revised: 02/22/2012 - Article Viewed 33,649 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.