Amy McCormack

Interview With Amy McCormack PGA Head Professional Hood River Golf & Country Club

A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview

By Brian Weis

Below is an interview with Amy McCormack, Head Professional at Hood River Golf & Country Club. She began playing at the age of 11, her dad thought it would keep her out of trouble. (chuckle) She later played competitively in High School and College then went on to earn a degree in Turfgrass Management. Amy is in love with this crazy game and everything that has to do with it!

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?
Started at 11 years old. My Dad and Uncle introduced me to the game earlier than 11, I remember driving the golf car thinking how fun golf is!

What is your current home course?
Hood River Golf and Country Club, in the Amazing, Beautiful Columbia River Gorge.

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
That's a tough question.... Either the brand new golfers that have returned to the game after lessons with me, the first successful greens aerification I supervised or being in the top 2.7% of PGA Professionals for completing all 6 certifications in the Certified Professional Program. There are so many rewards that come often when you get to do what you love and get paid for it, even if payments are in peanuts....or chickens

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
As a female I am allowed 3 pet peeves...1. Un-repaired ball marks on greens, 2. divots not filled in, 3. Groups that show up for their 11:10 tee time on a sunny saturday at 11:09.

What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
PUTTER!!! She's my favorite for different reasons each round. From hitting everything inside 10 feet to just looking good!

What is your favorite golf destination?
Bandon Dunes on the beautiful Oregon Coast, but I haven't been to Scotland yet so get back to me on that one...

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
All of the tiny little "honor box" links courses up and down Scotland's coast.

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
Again I will play the female card, we get to change our minds more often.... It would be difficult to choose between Crosswater in Sunriver, Oregon and Aldarra in Fall City, Washington.

If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
I would make it more affordable. It would create more opportunities for people who normally wouldn't be able to play but want to. Maybe FedEx could supplement some community golf programs to help grow the game rather than paying the tour players for something they've already won millions of dollars doing... just a thought

Dream foursome (living)?
My Dad, My Uncle, My Sister, Nancy Lopez

Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Alister Mackenzie, Old Tom Morris, Marion Hollins, Seamus McDuff!! (fiction character falls under dead right?)

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions

1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Sinking long putt, it's probably for bogey anyway

2) Having Round of Life OR Hole in One?
I've had one of each.... I'd choose round of my life if my Dad was with me

3) Golfing at the crack of dawn OR twilight?
Crack of dawn.... more daylight for beer

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Depends on which side has OB....

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Absolutely Halfway House!! The beverage cart girl doesn't like it when you crawl under her cart to hide from the rain

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Bushes.... come on, it's just more natural!

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Hot Dog. Pairs better with beer

8) Around the green, being in sand OR thick rough?
Neither please

9) Walking OR riding?
Walking!!!!

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

11) Do you prefer long par 3 OR long par 5?
Short par 4

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Skort of course!

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
Arnie all the way!

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
BEATLES!!!

15) Play for fun OR play for money?
It's always fun to win money :)

16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Bump and run, I like to watch it roll into the hole rather than bounce... actually it doesn't matter as long as it goes in!

17) Lay up OR gamble?
"No balls... No babies" a quote from a wise Dad

18) 18 holes OR 36?
Did we tee off at the crack of dawn? How much beer do we have?

Revised: 04/26/2012 - Article Viewed 32,799 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.