Interview With John Morrissett, Competitions Director Erin Hills Golf Course

Below is an interview with John Morrissett. From 1993 to 2010 he worked in the USGA's Rules Department, spending most of that time working on any changes to the Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules of Golf, answering Rules questions, teaching Rules seminars and officiating at various events. He is now the Competitions Director at Erin Hills and oversaw the 2011 U.S. Amateur. The U.S. Open comes to Erin Hills in 2017.

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?
At age 9, I started playing with my father and two older brothers. In the summer we would play nine holes in the evening after Dad got home from work. We would often bring our dog with us, and it is hard to imagine many courses allowing that today!

What is your current home course?
Erin Hills

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
Surprising everyone (including my wife at the time (who was also my partner)) with a 72 in the final round of the 1999 Renaissance Cup at Apache Stronghold in Arizona. That round enabled us to win Tom Doak's design firm's invitational.

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
I don't have that many big ones but do have a number of smaller pet peeves, such as the use of "divot" and "divot hole" interchangeably, when each term has a different meaning. Another is the expression "I could care less" when the speaker really means "I could not care less."

What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
Driver. I used not to be able to hit a driver and usually used a 3-wood, but for the last dozen or so years the driver has been the most dependable club in my bag. I drive it long enough and, usually, straight enough. There is a true rush to hitting a long drive.

What is your favorite golf destination?
England. It continues to amaze me how little talk there is in the U.S. about golf trips to England (as opposed to trips to Scotland and Ireland). The number of first-rate courses, the variety of courses (links, cliff-top, heathland, parkland), the number of prominent architects represented (e.g., Alister MacKenzie and Harry Colt), the historic Open Championship courses (Royal St. George's, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham & St. Anne's, and Royal Birkdale) and the lesser known gems (e.g., Rye, St. Enodoc, Royal Worlington and Newmarket, Woking) combine for not just one special trip but a series of memorable trips. It would take many months to play every course in England that is worth playing - and then you would want to start over and play them again.

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
It's a toss-up between Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm. Fortunately, they are next to each other on Tasmania (Australia). It sounds and looks like great property on which two of the greatest architects ever (Tom Doak and Bill Coore) did their work - what more could you want?

If you woke up tomorrow and could play one course you played before, where would you play?
National Golf Links of America. With its bold scale, variety of holes, and beautiful setting, playing there is pure fun.

If you could change one aspect, rule or thing about golf, what would it be and why?
That people would walk more while playing.

Dream foursome (living)?
(Excluding close friends and family members)
Bill Coore
Annika Sorenstam
Peter Thomson


Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Bernard Darwin
Ben Hogan (if I could stop shaking)
Walter Travis

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions

1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Hitting long drive; maybe I haven't experienced the latter enough to know how it feels.

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

3) Golfing at the crack of dawn OR twilight?
Crack of dawn in a close call.

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Power fade; bad things happen when I try to hit a draw with my driver.

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Halfway house

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Bathroom; I often play with women.

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Hot dog - less messy.

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?
3-iron (which is forgiving)

11) Do you prefer long par 3 OR long par 5?
Long par 3. There is something invigorating about teeing up a ball to play a wood to a green. Of course, in competition, "invigorating" becomes "terrifying."

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Pants.

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
Nicklaus

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Beatles

15) Play for fun OR play for money?
Fun; that probably says something about my game!

16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Flop shot

17) Lay up OR gamble?
Gamble

18) 18 holes OR 36?
36