UP CLOSE: Ellendale golf pro enjoying life on the links

For Rob Bradley, a ‘day at the office’ is a day on the golf course.

As the certified golf professional at the Ellendale Country Club, the Houma resident gets an opportunity to live out his dream job.

But it isn’t always easy, as Bradley admits. In many ways, it’s a labor of love.

The SportsNet caught up with Bradley last week to discuss bogeys, birdies and life on the links.

SportsNet: Would you say you have a dream job?

Rob Bradley: (laughs) My answer is convoluted. Yes and no. I love being a golf professional and wouldn’t want to do anything else, so it is my childhood dream. But it is a very demanding profession. (At Ellendale) I have 560 stockholders to keep happy, and it’s very multifaceted in that we run a golf shop, do all the inventory and buying, conduct golf lessons, run golf tournaments, hire personnel, have board meetings, golf committee meetingsŠ it’s very demanding. Then you also work holidays and weekends.

SN: Walk me through a typical day.

RB: I get here at about 7:30 a.m. on a weekday and 7 a.m. on weekends. On tournament days I get here at 5 a.m.

SN: Why so early?

RB: We have to set everything up and have to stage 65 golf carts. Then you have to make sure carts are labeled for golfers and that they have their hole assignments, rule sheets, tournament format sheets and make sure their golf bags are on there.

SN: When do you leave?

RB: It depends on if it’s a one shotgun or a two shotgun tournament. If it’s a two shotgun, we’ll typically get out of here at 7:30 at night.

SN: Has golf always been a big part of your life?

RB: Since I was 15, I’ve been with it full-time. I traveled all over the country and worked at eight different facilities.

SN: Is it hard telling your wife you’ve had a stressful day at work when you work on the golf course?

RB: I’ve been married to my wife, Patti, for 10 years, and dated five years before that so she has a good handle on golf and the demands of the industry. You have to have that in this profession because there is a high divorce rate. The wives are almost like golf widows. You work a lot of weekends and holidays, and in season, you’re here whenever you’re needed. But at the same time it is the greatest profession in the world.

SN: A poor round, however, can cause a little anger. Ever throw a club in disgust?

RB: An honest answer is I’ve never thrown a club in 30 years of doing this. (Laughs) I’ve wanted to before, though.

SN: You must have really nice clubs.

RB: (Laughs) Oh yeah. I have nice clubs and I take the image of a PGA golfer very seriously. I hold it very dear to my heart. I was awarded Professional of the Year this year by the Louisiana Professional Golfers Association.

SN: You mentioned your wife, but do you have any children who have a connection to the game?

RB: A daughter named Gabrielle (10 years old). She just won two U.S. Kids Golf Tournaments this summer. She also swims with the Ellendale Orca swim club and has placed first in every event this summer.

SN: Where does she get her athletic genes?

RB: It’s a combination. Both families are very athletic.

SN: Let’s get some opinions. What did you think of the U.S. Open?

RB: Oakmont was brutal, but at the same time I find it interesting to see tour players play similar to amateurs. Amateurs can finally look at the tour players and identify with them and see that they’re human. (Laughs) Some of those pros were hitting some bad shots.

SN: Think Oakmont (the host course, located in Pennsylvania) would be a tough course to play?

RB: Absolutely. (Laughs) I’m sure I’d be very humbled.

SN: Tougher than Ellendale?

RB: Yes. That would be very fair to say.

SN: What makes Ellendale’s course unique?

RB: I believe it is Louisiana’s golf course. When you play there, you experience bayous, Spanish moss, alligators, turtles, snakes – it’s all visible. There’s no mistaking where you are when you play golf at Ellendale. If you play at other courses in Louisiana, honestly, they could be compared to any other course in the country. They don’t depict Louisiana. This one depicts Louisiana best.

SN: So what did you think about the rave reviews it received after the CapitalOne Classic last month?

RB: I think it was well-deserved. We prepared well in advance to have them. Four years ago we spent $1.9 million renovating the course. We’re now starting to see dividends of that investment now. It’s definitely one of the nicest golf courses in Louisiana.

SN: Who is the most exciting golfer to watch on TV these days?

RB: Tiger Woods. I watched him recently at the Masters and watched him practicing. It was phenomenal. I was watching him hit 20 balls with a 60-degree wedge and he was making them all stop on a dime. The guy is a true artist with the golf ball.

SN: Anyone else come close?

RB: A guy I truly admire is Jim Furyk because of his work ethic, how physically fit he is and the rigorous workout programs he puts himself through. He’s probably the most flexible player on tour. So Furyk deserves a lot of credit.

SN: Big fan of &#8220Caddyshack,” or any other golf movies?

RB: Absolutely. I think &#8220Caddyshack” is so stereotypically accurate toward the people you’ll meet in the golf industry. It’s wonderful. I once had the entire movie almost memorized. Me and the people I used to work with used to act out some of the characters.

SN: Which character would you imitate?

RB: (Laughs) It would change, depending on the mood. Say you were calling the superintendent, and you would deliver the famous line from Bill Murray – &#8220When you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness. So I got that going for me, which is nice.” (Laughs)

SN: Any other movies?

RB: I liked &#8220Tin Cup.” I thought that was very good. And on a serious note, I really liked &#8220The Greatest Game Ever Played.” That was wonderful. And &#8220Happy Gilmore” was hilarious.

SN: Do a lot of golfers like that movie?

RB: (Laughs) When Bob Barker knocked out Adam Sandler, it was priceless. The overwhelming majority of golfers that I know have a great sense of humor. It all goes with the game.

SN: Any misconceptions about golf?

RB: For years, there have been various announcers on the PGA Tour that are more funny and lighthearted than they used to be – ones that have bring a whole different perspective on announcing. You used to remember the days when your dad would fall asleep on La-Z-Boy watching golf, but now it’s a lot more exciting to watch.

SN: So what is it that makes golf such a great sport?

RB: Great question. I bet God’s a golfer. (Laughs) It draws out the best in people. It’s a game that’s reflective of life in that the rough represents the rough things you go through. It represents the challenges you have in life, relative to risk you are willing to take is going to determine your reward. I think it’s a true reflection of life and it attracts the most competitive and successful people in life as a result.

SN: And how long will you continue to play?

RB: Until I die.

Houma resident Rob Bradley eats, sleeps and breathes golf at the Ellendale Country Club.