https://golfclubatlas.com/feature-interview/feature-interview-with-jeff-warne/One failing of GolfClubAtlas.com has been a lack of Feature Interviews with Head Professionals. We take a step toward remedying that today by posting this monster length one with Jeff Warne, PGA Head Professional at The Bridge on Long Island.
This interview falls neatly into two sections. Part One is Jeff's progression from a top amateur in Georgia to golf professional. He is quick to say he isn't a student of golf course architecture (let's face it: that expression is sometimes code for a player who can't break 90 and owns 10 architecture books) but someone who has come to appreciate what does and doesn't resonate with his own on-course experiences. He cites Athens CC, Palmetto GC, Augusta CC and ANGC for helping to shape his tastes early on. Later, he worked at places as diverse as Long Cove, Doral, The Atlantic and Sleepy Hollow and toured courses in the UK and Ireland during his off-season. When you move around that much, family support is vital and he has been very fortunate in that regard. Overall, his broad playing experiences became the primary drivers of his likes/dislikes and have been augmented by things like Tom Doak’s writings and GolfClubAtlas.
Part Two involves his time at The Bridge and what has been accomplished there since his arrival in 2001. First, he takes great pride in their junior golf program. Be it the new Brian Schneider par 3 course or the relaxed club atmosphere, kids are finding that golf is actually a pretty cool thing to pursue. Junior golf is the sport’s lifeblood, so that is great to learn. Yet, GolfClubAtlas is a golf architecture site and the meat of Part Two details the unbelievable (!) change that has occurred to The Bridge over the past decade. Super star Green Keeper Gregg Stanley and his crew deserve tons of credit as does Jeff. The appeal of the in-house work lies in its freshness. It doesn't look like your favorite architect's 25th or 45th course: it enjoys its ‘own voice’ and defines The Bridge. That's a very good thing when you are surrounded by world class golf.
From the photographs, it appears to me that The Bridge has gone from being a fairly prosaic course with two dimensional bunkers on the sides of holes and elevated tees that afforded 'perfect visuals' to something much yummier and wonderful – and easier to walk. The raves have been non-stop and come from all corners. The only compliant I have heard is that there might be 'too many central hazards', which of course is music to my ears. That's like saying there is too much ice cream in the freeze or too much Latour in the cellar!
I have never been to The Bridge but based on this Feature Interview, I am super keen to visit. Its amazing transformation makes for a unique tale and thank you, Jeff, for sharing both it and your story with us this month.
Best,