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A Day in the Life of ... Garth Johnston at Golf Headquarters
By Greg Peterson
From the late 1970s through the late 1980s, the 1981 Mayo High School grad worked at Soldiers Field G.C. and qualified for three U.S. Publinks Championships from 1986-88. He even tied for co-medalist at the 1987 U.S. Publinks in Cincinnati, carding an ace in a course record round of 65 at Glenview G.C. A rifle shot 3-iron to a back pin. Beautiful.
After years away working in the golf business in Phoenix, Johnston returned to Rochester in 2005. He’s been working at Golf Headquarters since his return. A typical day for Garth? A little bit of everything.
9:00 A.M.: The doors open at Golf Headquarters, Rochester’s well-known golf shop on South Broadway. It’s spring, a busy time of year at GH. Lots of linksters looking to shake the rust off their games and maybe find a new club or two. Shoppers file in and ask Johnston about the latest drivers, sand wedges, and putters.
9:05 A.M.: Help Jerry decide between a center or heel shafted putter. Or maybe one with a high MOI (Moment of Inertia) rating? Tell me Garth, what’s the difference? Which way would you go?
9:15 A.M.: Johnston ducks into the back shop and takes a look at what needs to be done—three sets of irons need re-shafting and of course the re-gripping, there’s always re-gripping. Out come the old S300 shafts from that first set of Titleist irons and in go a new set of Rifle 6.0’s. One down, two to go.
9:40 A.M.: Back on the showroom floor. “Can I try out this 21 degree hybrid club?” a customer asks. Johnston leads them to GH’s simulator. Like you’re in the middle of a video game, swatting balls into a big movie screen. Totally cool. Apparently 21 degrees is too much loft. Garth says to try 18 degrees. Chalk up another sale.
10:10 A.M.: Customer: “Can you re-grip my clubs?” Johnston: “You bet.” Customer: “How long will it take?” Johnston: “I’ll do ‘em while you wait.” Off to the back room. Zip, zip. Done. “Here you are sir, all ready. Got that extra wrap like you wanted. Aren’t these Tour Velvet grips nice?” Another happy GH customer out the door with a smile.
11:00 A.M.: Don’t even try. You CAN’T stump him. Huh? Any line from the 1980 movie Caddyshack, Johnston knows it. Frontwards and backwards. Johnston doesn’t just know every line, he NAILS every impersonation. Dangerfield, Knight, Murray, Chase, Noonan, even Maggie. GH shopper futilely quizzes GJ: “Gimme the dialogue sequence as they are making the turn in the big match at the end of the move.” Bingo. Verbatim. Don’t mess with a pro.
11:45 A.M.: One more quick re-grip job—new 1/2 cord Tour Wraps Mid-size, then time for a club fitting on the simulator. This customer is driver shopping. 9 degree loft or 11? 460 cc head or maybe smaller 440? The proper shaft? There goes 30 minutes trying out a myriad combination of flex points and torque levels. A winner? Finally, yes. Good news: your new driver comes with this sweet funky head cover. You’ll be the envy of your foursome.
12:45 P.M.: Done with lunch, knock off second set of irons to re-shaft in back shop. This time a senior golfer going to graphite. Easier on those aching joints. Johnston can relate. He’s battled a bum shoulder for years and more recently pinched nerves in his elbow and left hip. Ouch. While in the back shop, you notice Johnston’s collection of golf pics above his desk. Wow, that looks like Nick Faldo. That one is a young Davis Love III. That guy is Paul Azinger. There’s Seve, Ben and Jack. All with Garth. “I talked with all of them and sold classic golf clubs to most of them when I was down in Phoenix,” says Johnston.
1:20 P.M.: Johnston shows off a vintage wooden head driver. Sweet. Brings back the memories, golf in the 1980’s. Johnston shows off one more pic—1987 Master’s champ Larry Mize. Larry is eyeballing this very same driver. Didn’t buy it. Maybe Larry should have. Slumped after getting Green Jacket in ‘87.
3:15 P.M.: Sold in last hour: two pair of golf shoes (Footjoy, Ecco), three sand wedges and four dozen golf balls (Bridgestone, Maxfli, Titleist, and Taylormade). Answers more shopper questions on drivers and putters. Explains ins and outs of launch angle and spin rate to mother of high school golfer looking for new driver for sonny.
6:00 P.M.: Also a teaching pro at Meadow Lakes G.C. in Rochester, Johnston heads out for a one-on-one, half-hour lesson. Some nights it could be a group lesson of four, six or 12. A LONG day of talking golf, but Johnston would have it no other way. “I guess I haven’t ever been worn out from it. If you can help folks better their game, that’s pretty fun,” he says.