Interview With Billy Baumgartner Golf Manager The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino

A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview

By Brian Weis

Below is an interview with Billy Baumgartner, the Golf Manager at The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino. 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?
I fell in love with the game in 1999. I enjoyed hitting balls and practicing, the game at one time came to me pretty easily. I have been lucky enough to live in a climate that allows for golf roughly 340 days per year. I do not play as much as I used to or would like anymore but still love the game.

When did you start golfing and who introduced you to the game?
I started in 1999. I started out as a part time cart guy and my Head Pro, Chris Altese got me into the game.

What is your current home course?
The Bridges Golf Club

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
Starting from the bottom and working myself to the top of my profession.

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
I cannot stand when someone does not rake a sand trap after they have played from it.

What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
My 6 iron has always been my go to club...I have more trust and confidence in that club than any other. When I need to keep one in play and move it straight down the fairway...she is the one I go to...

What is your favorite golf destination?
I have enjoyed Las Vegas and Destin FL.

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
I would love to play Augusta National either in the month of or after The Masters.

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
One of my all time favorites is Hattiesburg CC.

If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
I think for the most part, the rules are pretty solid...

Dream foursome (living)?
Phil
Tiger
Rory/Bubba

Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Bobby Jones
Ben Hogan
Tiger

Just to see the battle between Hogan and Tiger...

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions

1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Putt

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

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

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Fade

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Beverage cart

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Bushes

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Wrap

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

9) Walking OR riding?
Riding

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

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

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Shorts

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
Palmer

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Elvis

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?
As many as possible

Revised: 01/18/2014 - Article Viewed 33,832 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.