Since becoming Head Golf Professional at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio earlier this year, Jason Marciniec has hosted PGA Tour events during back-to-back weeks and maintained the highest standards of his boss, Jack Nicklaus.
Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio is often referred to as “Jack’s Place.” That’s because it’s the creation of Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer to ever play and one of the game’s most decorated course designers. The Golden Bear acquired the 220 acres in 1966 and construction of the golf course started in 1972. Muirfield Village was officially dedicated on Memorial Day, May 27, 1974.
While the classic American parkland golf course is nothing like its namesake—Muirfield Links in Scotland—Nicklaus named it to pay homage to the site of his first British Open title in 1966.
Having the legendary Jack Nicklaus as a boss could be daunting, to say the least, and hosting a prestigious PGA Tour event each year—the Memorial Tournament—is a lot of work. But Jason Marciniec, Muirfield Village’s Head Golf Professional, has been thriving since assuming that position in June, even with this year bringing a second tournament event just a week ahead of the Memorial.
In this “Pro Talk” interview, Marciniec relates how he’s hit the ground running since starting his new position in the middle of what’s already proved to be a very busy and challenging year.
Club + Resort Business: Can you describe a typical day at Muirfield Village?
Jason Marciniec: Nothing at Muirfield Village Golf Club is typical. Haha. With our membership being both local and national, we get different faces and questions every day. A member might be here just to have a milkshake, or they could be here on their only trip of the year because they live in California. So making sure I get to interact with the members and their guests is my top priority. A lot of this is done either on the putting green before they go out to play, or after the round, when I get to help them find that special shirt to take home.
C+RB: How did you react when you learned the PGA Tour would be at the club for back-to-back tournaments?
Marciniec: The entire staff at Muirfield Village was excited by the news, because we know how to make the impossible happen on a regular basis. To be part of back-to-back PGA Tour events, which will most likely never happen again, was extremely special for all of us. The week prior to the two events, we hosted The Bearfoot Classic, which is our member-guest—so needless to say, we had quite a stretch of golf!
C+RB: The Memorial was supposed to be the first tournament since the restart to have fans. How did preparation change when you learned there would be no fans in attendance?
Marciniec: We knew there would not be any patrons when we learned we were hosting the Workday Charity Classic, so changes to our preparations were minimal. The expectations and level of perfection set by Jack Nicklaus never change, whether it is a regular day at the club or hosting 157 of the best players in the world.
C+RB: What adjustments did you have to make regarding merchandise for the events?
Marciniec: Well, needless to say this was the biggest challenge we had to address. When the PGA Tour suspended play, I put all of the merchandise for the Memorial Tournament on hold. Once I learned we were going to have some patrons, the merchandise orders were altered to reflect what I thought could be sold. All of our vendors and sales reps did an amazing job during a very tough time to ensure we did not get inundated with merchandise.
Then when we learned we were not going to have any patrons, all of us were shocked. So we as a staff got together and came up with a plan. We decided to extend our offsite store hours/days of operation and developed an online store for the Memorial Tournament. Derek Buckley and Garrett Wisniewski—both PGA Assistant Professionals—accomplished in three days what most would had taken a month to do. They created the online store, took pictures of the product, managed the inventory, boxed and fulfilled every online order. Helped by fellow staff members Joe Wisler and Chad Middaugh, we were able to work though the merchandise on hand.
C+RB: Even without fans, you needed to keep the Tour pros, volunteers and your staff safe. How did you ensure that?
Marciniec: Our General Manager, Nicholas LaRocca, was way ahead of the curve when it came to safety. Even before we were given the guidelines from the PGA Tour and the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], we had strict procedures for members and staff. Everyone’s temperature was taken before entering the property. Once on property, we were required to wear masks and maintain social distancing throughout the entire property. I also think Nicholas bought every available bottle of hand sanitizer, because no matter where you looked, you saw a bottle for everyone to use.
C+RB: Of the changes you’ve made to keep members and staff safe during the pandemic, will anything carry over going forward?
Marciniec: The taking of everyone’s temperature, mask requirements, and social distancing while on property will all continue. Nicholas’ top priority during these times is, and always will be, the safety of the staff and members. All of us thank him for that!
C+RB: How do you provide the best golfing experience for your members and guests?
Marciniec: We provide the best overall experience at any club in the world because every staff member knows the expectations of our founder, Jack Nicklaus. At Muirfield Village the commitment to excellence is unmatched; we want every member and guest’s expectations to be exceeded. That is why the following phrase is often said at Muirfield Village: “The answer is yes; now, what is the question?”
C+RB: Any advice you’d offer for a young assistant professional looking to one day take the reins?
Marciniec: My advise to any young professional would be to work for the right Head Golf Professional. That individual should mentor you and put you in positions to grow, not only as a PGA professional, but also as a person.
During my time with Bob Ford at Oakmont Country Club and Seminole Golf Club, I learned more from being around him than from any textbook. Watching Bob interact with members, guests, sales representatives, staff and caddies was priceless. He was the best at making all of those people feel special, and they all loved him for it. I’m where I am today because Bob Ford allowed me the opportunities to build confidence in myself, so that when I became a Head Golf Professional, I was going to be successful.
C+RB: How do you best work with other departments within the club—from General Manager and Superintendent to F&B and Membership?
Marciniec: One of the best traditions started by Nicholas LaRocca is “morning coffee.” Every morning at 8 a.m., myself, Nicholas and Chad Mark, Director of Grounds, all gather for coffee in the Captain Grill to talk about the upcoming day. It gives us a chance to ensure there are no surprises and that things continue to run smoothly. The members and guests often comment how great it is seeing us together. It is little things like this that have created a strong relationship between the three of us that could be unmatched in the golf industry.
C+RB: How can golf professionals continue to “grow the game” to make sure the industry continues to get stronger?
Marciniec: I think PGA Professionals can continue to grow the game by getting out and playing golf with their members. They also need to allow their assistants to play and work on their golf games. At their facility, the PGA Professional is supposed to be the expert in playing, teaching, and merchandising. Creating an environment at your club that supports those three areas will ensure that the game of golf has a very bright future.
Pro Talk Profile
JASON MARCINIEC
Current Position (since June 2020): Head Golf Professional, Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio
Years at Muirfield Village: 2
Years in Golf Industry: 17
Previous Experience:
• Assistant Golf Professional, Muirfield Village Golf Club, April 2019-June 2020
• Head Golf Professional, St. Clair Country Club, Pittsburgh, Pa., Oct. 2013–April 2019
• Head Golf Professional, Cattail Creek Country Club, Glenwood, Md., Feb. 2012–Nov. 2012
• Assistant Golf Professional, Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, April 2003–Jan. 2012
• Assistant Golf Professional, Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach, Fla., Jan. 2004–Jan. 2008
Education & Training: Penn State University
Honors and Awards: PGA Member since 2005
Tri-State PGA Merchandiser of the Year, 2015, 2016, 2019
Tri-State PGA Horton Smith Award (Education), 2017
Association of Golf Merchandisers Award, 2017
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