Michael Stewart

Interview With Michael (T.J.) Stewart

A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview

By Brian Weis

Below is an interview with Michael (T.J.) Stewart. Stewart Managed Clubs for over 27 years in fifteen different countries and had the opportunity along the way to meet, teach, and play with some of the World's most influential leaders.

When did you start golfing and who introduced you do the game?
My Grandfather introduced me to the game around 7 years of age. Papa would take us out to a small 9 hole course in Southern Iowa and we would play against the "old" duffers and win enough money to buy a soda at the end of the day. He always made me play the ball "down" and "summer rules", no matter what. It made me into a better player as a result of that.

What is your current home course?
My home course is Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa in Galena, Illinois. We have 63 Holes here, The North, The South, The East, and our crowning achievement "The General".

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
I was The Camp Director of a Jr. Golf Program in Tennessee called "The Little Course at Aspen Grove". PGA Tour Player Kirk Triplett came and gave an exhibition for the Jr. Campers. I was asked to join Mr. Triplett to play a few holes on the par 3 course. I could barely take the club back because I was so nervous but with all of my Jr. Campers following me I scraped it off the deck and made a hole in one! That was exciting to do that in front of my Jr. Golfers...and Mr. Triplett

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
Players misbehaving with golf carts, driving recklessly. The unfortunate pattern here is that these "so called players" were "Grey Goose induced" if you know what I mean.

What is your favorite golf destination?
Bali, Indonesia. The beautiful scenery, people, and caddies is an experience I suggest you try.

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
Augusta National

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
TPC Sawgrass

If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
Hitting out of a divot!!! It's a shame you get penalized after you hit a great shot and land in an old divot having to play out of that! Bummer

Dream foursome (living)?
Tiger Woods, Pamela Anderson, Freddy Couples!

Dream foursome (living or dead)?
My Grandfather Gene, Grandma Bernice, brother Kyle, mother Micki. Sorry, this case I need 5-some

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions

1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Long Drive. I can boom "em....never could putt!

2) Having Round of Life OR Hole in One?
Having round of life. I think it's still out there. I've been fortunate enough to get lucky a few times with the "ace"

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

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Power fade. The power draw is pretty severe therefore I'm usually hitting 3 off the tee.

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Both

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Definitely bathroom! C'mon, we are Professionals!

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Hot dog. Remember, we are very close to Chicago and Chicago dogs rock!

8) Around the green, being in sand OR thick rough?
Sand. I spent most of my golf apprenticeship in South Florida and sometimes brought my sand wedge to the beach and became pretty good. (What's wrong with this picture bringing a golf club to the beachJ)

9) Walking OR riding?
Riding. Give me a break, I'm almost 50!

10) Do you carry traditional 3 iron OR hybrid?
3 iron. Still not into the whole hybrid sensation

11) Do you prefer long par 3 OR long par 5?
Definitely, a long par 5

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Pants. My legs look like "OB stakes"

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
Palmer. He took the time and wrote a nice letter to a friend of mine when he had a personal tragedy. Class act!

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Beatles

15) Play for fun OR play for money?
For Fun. It's a game fellas!

16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Bump and run! In my old age and nerves, I might stub my toe with that flop shot!

17) Lay up OR gamble?
Gamble..No guts..No glory

18) 18 holes OR 36?
18 Holes

Revised: 12/16/2011 - Article Viewed 38,018 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying 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), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.