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Perfection: A good lesson

Mark Herrmann

April 13, 2008

Doug Mauch, the head professional at Wheatley Hills Golf Club in East Williston, sets a very high standard for his pro shop. It is a standard he learned at one of his previous jobs, at Augusta National Golf Club.

There, he recalls from his stint as an assistant 10 years ago, the motto was, "Make it perfect."

Mauch sees the fruit of that attitude when he watches the Masters. "Every dime they take in is pumped back into the tournament," he said, indicating that Augusta's reputation as a stodgy institution couldn't be more wrong. He said the goal always has been to create a perfect golf experience.

He spent the 1996-97 season there, in a role much different from the one assistant pros have on Long Island or most places. Mauch and his fellow assistants never gave lessons. Their job was to make sure everything went smoothly for members and their guests - including selling merchandise. Best yet, they were allowed to play nine holes here and there.

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Mauch, an assistant at Maidstone in East Hampton before Augusta, later became the first head pro at the Tradition Club in La Quinta, Calif., an Arnold Palmer-designed course. Palmer actually took a lesson and said on a national media conference call that Mauch was the first real teacher he had had since his father.

"Honestly, I started crying," said Mauch, a Rockville Centre native who wanted a job close to home.

He loves watching the Masters, noting that Augusta National is vastly different than it was when he was there. "It's more of a U.S. Open-type course now," he said. "You have to hit it a certain length just to get to the right plateau."

Mauch insists that the changes benefit Tiger Woods more than anyone and predicts Woods will reach double digits in green jackets.

And he knows about special achievers in sports. His late grandfather, Gus, was the trainer for the 1961 Yankees and 1969 Mets. Mauch gets a kick out of looking at pictures of those teams in his office every day.

He gets a bigger kick out of one memory from Augusta. "My favorite day ever was once, in the afternoon, I got to go out on the back nine all by myself," Mauch said. "It was the most amazing experience of my life. I got to 11, 12, 13 and it was so peaceful, so quiet. I said, 'What am I doing here?'"

Outings

The 13th annual New Ground Golf Tournament, benefiting homeless families by providing services and education designed to help families become self-supporting and independent, at Hamlet Golf and Country Club, Commack, May 5. Call Jo-Ann, 516-564-4764, ext. 141 ... The 11th annual St. Ignatius Loyola, Hicksville Golf Classic, May 27, at Town of Oyster Bay Course. Cost of $185 covers golf, breakfast, lunch, goodie bags and prizes. Cocktail party and dinner to follow at The Woodlands on the course property. Proceeds benefit St. Ignatius School. Call the rectory, 516-931-0056.

Super show at MSG

The New York Golf Super Show at Madison Square Garden will be Friday through Sunday. Includes discounts on equipment (and hitting cages to try it out), exhibits focusing on resorts, clothing designers and training aids. Former Knick John Starks, an avid golfer, will be signing autographs Friday 6-8 p.m.