Interview With Paul Albanese Princiapl Albanese & Lutzke
A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview
By Brian Weis
Below is an interview with Paul Albanese, the Princiapl at Albanese & Lutzke . The following are a few traditional and non traditional golf centric questions that I love to ask influential people in the golf industry.
Can you provide our readers a brief biography?
Started playing golf at 9 years old. Played on my high school (Chatham Township, NJ) and then went on to play at Cornell. I knew I was not good enough to play the sport for a living, and yet I wanted to be into the sport somehow. I always liked to build things, and I had an engineering degree from Cornell, so I then thought getting design degree would round me out well. So, I got a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Harvard.
I was then very fortunate to get my first job with Jerry Matthews, whose father was the great grandfather of Michigan golf design. And Jerry was a great mentor. A bunch of years into my career, I teamed up with my good friend Chris Lutzke to form Albanese & Lutzke. Chris has worked for Pete Dye most of his 30 year career, with the last decade being Pete's right hand man. Chris and I meld together well in our design and business philosophies.
We are proud to say our company is now 14 years old, and we have many great projects to our credit.
When did you start golfing and who introduced you to the game?
My father introduced me to the game as he knew it was a great sport that could be played for life, and also teach me about life. A great memory I had playing with my Dad was when he and his buddies were playing nine holes and they invited me to play. They were playing for money so I did not want to embarrass myself. I started out with three bogeys. Then settled down, and birded the last four for a 35. I remember my Dad being proud and I will thrilled.
What is your current home course?
My current home course is wherever my next flight takes me. On a lot of airplanes.
To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
My most proud accomplishment would be the awards I have won for a handful of courses I designed. It is always nice to be recognized not only by golfers, but by the golf media that truly endeavor to understand the design and the intentions of the project.
What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
SLOW PLAY!!!!! Everyone in golf should go to Scotland to learn how to play golf at the speed it should be played. They will no tolerate slow play there. You either learn or you will embarrass yourself. And, time is the biggest reason golfers don't play as much -- not money.
What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
7 iron. It just sets up nice. Driver when hitting it well..........although I do feel guilty at times that equipment is likely enabling me to hit the ball longer than my skill.
What is your favorite golf destination?
Scotland -- St. Andrews specifically
What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
Pine Valley and Augusta National
If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
St. Andrews
If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
Overall -- simply the rules. USGA is trying to go down this road a bit. But, could still go further. Ie. Out of bounds rule............should be played same as lateral hazard. Dumbest rule in golf.
Dream foursome (living)?
Tiger, Brooks Koepka, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player
Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Old Tom Morris, his son, Willie Park and Alistair Mackenzie..................Donald Ross meet us for drinks in bar after with William Flynn, Billy Bell, Walter Travis, C.B MacDonald, Seth Rayner and all those dudes from the Golden Age.
Favorite 19th hole drink?
Single Malt Scotch from Islay
18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions
1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Long Putt
2) Having Round of Life OR Hole in One?
Round of Life
3) Golfing at the crack of dawn OR twilight?
Twilight..............the "gloaming"
4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Power draw is what I like to hit.............but, wish I could do the power draw without fear of snap hook!
5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Bev Cart
6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Bushes
7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Hot DIggity Dog
8) Around the green, being in sand OR thick rough?
Sand
9) Walking OR riding?
WALKING !!!
10) Do you carry traditional 3 iron OR hybrid?
Hybrid now.............finally gave up the delusion I could hit my 3 iron.
11) Do you prefer long par 3 OR long par 5?
Long par 3
12) Pants OR Shorts?
Shorts
13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
BOTH
14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Beatles
15) Play for fun OR play for money?
Money
16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Bump
17) Lay up OR gamble?
Gamble...........unless the wagers are too high
18) 18 holes OR 36?
36
Revised: 12/07/2018 - Article Viewed 13,076 Times
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.
Contact Brian Weis:
GolfTrips.com - Publisher and Golf Traveler
262-255-7600