Dr. Tony Parker

Interview With Dr. Tony Parker Historian World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum

A Light Hearted Golf Q & A Interview

By Brian Weis

Below is an interview with Dr. Tony Parker, the Historian at The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum. The following are a few traditional and non traditional golf centric questions that I love to ask influential people in the golf industry.

Can you provide our readers a brief biography?
I am currently the Historian at the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum. Previously, I was the Curator of Golf Collections at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.

When did you start golfing and who introduced you to the game?
I started playing golf in early high school when my friend, Ed Rice, and I skipped school one afternoon to go and play. I caught the bug and have been playing golf ever since. I will admit, we did skip out of classes a few times in the afternoon after that as well.

What is your current home course?
My home course is the Old Course in St Andrews where I lived for 21 years. I currently have membership at TPC Sawgrass.

To date, what is your proudest golf accomplishment?
I guess it would have to be rising to the job of Curator of Golf Collections at St Andrews, the Home of Golf, and then moving into what I consider the top job for a golf historian, that of historian at the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum.

What is your biggest golf pet peeve on or off the course?
On the course - SLOW PLAY! Hate it.

What is your favorite club in your bag and why?
My TaylorMade RBZ 3-wood. The ball goes like a rocket off the club and I get great, accurate distance with it. It feels great when you hit it right.

What is your favorite golf destination?
It has to be Scotland. I love links golf courses and they have the best in the world.

What course is on your bucket list that you have not played yet?
Streamsong and Merion.

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

Dream foursome (living)?
Gary Player (with whom I have played and he was great!)
Annika Sorenstam
Bubba Watson (just to watch his shots)
Sergio Garcia
A strange grouping I know, but that would be a fun day on the course.

Dream foursome (living or dead)?
Bobby Jones
Ben Hogan
Seve Ballesteros
Arnold Palmer

Favorite 19th hole drink?
An Arnold Palmer

18 Rapid Fire, Off The Cuff Questions

1) Hitting Long Drive OR Sinking Long Putt?
Long Putt, I have made a 75 footer on the 11th hole on the Old Course in St Andrews and that was a fantastic feeling to watch it roll straight into the cup from a 15 foot right to left break uphill.

2) Having Round of Life OR Hole in One?
I've had a Hole in One but I would love to enjoy the round of my life - bogey free and birdie loaded.

3) Golfing at the crack of dawn OR twilight?
Crack of Dawn - get out before the slow players and enjoy the solitude of the day.

4) Hit a power fade OR power draw?
Power fade - can't help it, that is my normal flight path with the driver.

5) Beverage cart OR halfway house?
Halfway house - take a break and not slow down play.

6) Bathroom OR bushes?
Where ever nature calls!

7) Hot dog OR wrap?
Depends of the type of wrap? If Chicken Caesar Salad, then wrap, if not, hot dog.

8) Around the green, being in sand OR thick rough?
Sand.

9) Walking OR riding?
Walking (Europe) riding in the USA - too much distance between green and the next tee on American courses.

10) Do you carry traditional 3 iron OR hybrid?
Neither. It is 5 wood then 6 iron.

11) Do you prefer long par 3 OR long par 5?
Long par 5 - always a dream of a birdie or eagle. I don't even entertain thoughts like that on any par 3.

12) Pants OR Shorts?
Shorts, though not everyone appreciates my fine legs!

13) Palmer OR Nicklaus?
The King! Always!

14) Beatles OR Elvis?
Hmmmm, tough one that. Being a good Southern boy I like Elvis, but the Beatles are great and I really like their songs.

15) Play for fun OR play for money?
Depends on the opposition. A couple of guys I play golf with it has to be for money, others just for fun. Prefer fun, but like taking money off of one individual in particular.

16) Bump and run OR flop shot?
Bump and run - I spent 21 years playing golf on Scottish Links courses, no way can you play flop shots but love bump and run.

17) Lay up OR gamble?
Gamble - no guts, no glory.

18) 18 holes OR 36?
Prefer 36, but will settle for 18. Any golf is better than none.

Revised: 11/07/2016 - Article Viewed 31,292 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a 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). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.