Monte Ortel, Assistant Tournament Director, The Greenbrier Classic

Interview With Monte Ortel, Assistant Tournament Director, The Greenbrier Classic

A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview

By Brian Weis

Below is an interview with Monte Ortel, Assistant Tournament Director, The Greenbrier Classic. 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?
I have been playing golf for 20 years - my father introduced me to the game of golf

What is your current home course?
The Old White TPC at The Greenbrier

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
I don't have just one, I would have to say being part of three world class Tournament Staffs that put on three world class PGA TOUR events: 84 LUMBER Classic, Turning Stone Resort Championship and The Greenbrier Classic

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
Slow Play

What is your favorite golf destination?
West Virginia! The Greenbrier's combination of The Old White TPC, The Greenbrier, The Meadows and The Snead (private residents - only course) provides the golfer with a golf combination hard to find anywhere else.

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
There isn't just one - Honors Course, Augusta National and Pebble Beach

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
Quail Hollow Club

If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
I don't believe I would change anything.

Dream foursome (living)?
My father, Steve Stricker, Arnold Palmer and myself

Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Ben Hogan, Bob Hope, Sam Snead and myself

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 my life - it's special when all facets of the game come together during a round of 18 holes

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

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Power draw when the swing is behaving

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Beverage Cart - you never know what you are going to get...

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Depends on what is readily available at the current time

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Hot Dog every time

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 but prefer the 4 iron

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

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Pants

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
Arnold Palmer - he lights up the room when he enters...he's something special

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Neither: Aerosmith

15) Play for fun OR play for money?
Money always adds a different dimension to the game

16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Bump and run - less room for error

17) Lay up OR gamble?
As I get older...the play tends to be the lay up

18) 18 holes OR 36?
36

Article Tags: Interview With Monte Ortel

Revised: 09/29/2011 - Article Viewed 34,289 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.