JOE T: A SERVANT OF THE GAME
The game of golf recently lost a gem, a servant of the game and part of a family whose golf DNA is among the deepest in history. Joe Turnesa, Jr., otherwise known to all as “Joe T.”, was one of the most respected people in the game, the guy you could easily find in the white sport coat.
A tribute to Joe T. was recently published in Global Golf Post, but it only came from the PGA Tour side of his influence. I can’t let this gentle giant’s story remain incomplete.
Joe T. was a true friend to the LPGA Tour and its players, supplying Titleist product on site when no other companies did. When I came on tour in the late ’80s, players had to haul all of their golf balls, gloves, etc., with them from tournament to tournament or arrange for someone at home to ship that equipment ahead to tournaments. Cumbersome, expensive, and complicated, to say the least.
Joe changed all of that with the hiring of a female caddie on tour who could access locker rooms and put those supplies in player lockers, even making golf ball changes when a player switched balls to the Titleist brand or within the Titleist line.
On a personal note, Joe took the time with me, as a college senior, to help lay the groundwork for a budget as a young professional without sponsorship on tour. He also helped me understand the travel required, the challenges of maintaining a healthy diet on the road, and the need for getting away from golf when you were getting a bit fried and road weary.
Joe also played a big part in getting female input on golf ball development at Titleist. I was part of the R&D for the ProV1, the golf ball that changed the game, and thrilled to be among those who knew that ball as the “Titlleist 0” in that time.
He was a man who paid great attention to detail, even as it came to gloves and shoes. When the company decided to cease glove manufacturing in the U.S., Joe knew the sizing and thickness would not be consistent, something that would be a real challenge to not only the players on his Titleist staff, but every consumer. I remember a night in Hawaii when he came over to my rented condo with hundreds of new gloves to try on, making sure they were the best fit for me … and then he was on to do the same for other players, some not even on his staff. He also had me visit the Brockton, Massachusetts, shoe manufacturing plant to understand the detail that went into crafting those amazing Footjoy Classics.
The late ’80s and early ’90s were not a time of big purses on the LPGA Tour but expenses were really the same as being on the PGA Tour. Joe knew this and had a bonus pool each week for his Titleist staff. Highest finishing player got $1,000, and every player who made the cut got some money. He even paid bonuses if your umbrella and visor saw TV airtime. Every bit helped, and he knew it from traveling the world of golf, logging millions of miles helping not only the superstars in the game but those struggling on the mini tours.
Joe T. also took his staff players to dinner at least once a year, always a magnificent meal. One particularly memorable dinner was outside Boston, and the meal of choice was caesar salad, chateaubriand for two, and bananas foster. As a tribute to our friend, Joe T., that female caddie I mentioned and I will be going to Boston this fall and will have that same meal.
Here’s to you, Joe T. You served all of golf well and set a standard like no other.
