Newsmaker: Pete Wlodkowski, Founder & CEO - AmateurGolf.com
30 Apr 2010
by Golfweek
see also: , Pete Wlodkowski Profile
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by Steve Harmon, Golfweek
Wlodkowski’s venture – a Web site geared
toward amateurs intent on playing better
tournament golf –
turns 10 at the U.S. Open. Wlodkowski (lodd-
KOW-skee), 48, of
Carlsbad, Calif., says half of AmateurGolf.com’s
20,000 members
are 5 handicap or better and half play 100 or
more rounds per
year (AmateurGolf.com partners with Golfweek
for the amateur
rankings at Golfweek.com):
How will your return to Pebble
Beach for the U.S. Open differ
from AmateurGolf.com’s launch there at the
2000 Open?
We used guerrilla marketing, handing out hats.
It’ll be a little
different this time. People will know us. Our
dream for any
of these events would be to have an amateur
contend.
What’s the status of the amateur game
these days?
Strong. The pro tours are getting so strong that
a reality has
set in. The reinstated amateurs actually have
strengthened the
amateur game. That makes the other players
compete better. The
100-times-a-year players are addicted just as
much as we ever were.
What is your target audience?
The most avid people who would be playing in a
tournament
or have an interest in a tournament. We’re
trying as we grow to
offer something for that midteen (handicap)
player. A lot of them
want to get their handicap down, but they’re
not eligible for their
state amateur. Competitive golf is not just for
the elite players.
Would amateur golf in the U.S. benefit from
more match play?
Yeah, but it’s a little tough to administer. I think
the NCAA
change to match play is tremendous. It’s all
beneficial to these
guys getting experience.
What suggestions do you have for amateurs
to get more
enjoyment from their game?
Stop worrying about score so much and go out
there with the
attitude that you’re going to keep it in play and
enjoy the game.
Play faster, play better. Don’t treat a
tournament round any
differently. If you ask me why people don’t
compete, they just
can’t handle the five-plus-hour rounds.