We headed across the New York/Connecticut state line to The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT, to catch up with Director of Instruction Tom Johnson. When Tom and his wife, Caitlyn, relocated to the East Coast from San Francisco, CA, Tom was given the opportunity to be the first-ever Director of Instruction at The Witch, building the program from the grass up.
Tom parlayed his early interest and success on the course into a scholarship at Northwestern University, golfing alongside Luke Donald, then already the #1 ranked amateur in the world. “Playing at Northwestern,” Tom says, “my teammates and I had a front-row seat to greatness watching Luke Donald’s practice habits and the way he competed.” The two would go on to win a Big Ten Championship together, earning Tom Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
The game has changed over the years, though. “Back then, it didn't really matter if you won several times or were a First Team All-American; by the time you turned professional, everyone started from the same starting line. Now, guys are graduating straight from college onto the PGA Tour. That really changes the way they compete and think about every single start,” Tom says.
Making his way onto the PGA Tour, Tom saw his dreams coming true. He says, “I felt thrust into the highest ranks all of a sudden—at my first tournament, the Sony Open in 2007, I rolled up to the driving range and Vijay Singh was hitting balls just a couple stalls down from me.”
Tom found himself at a crossroads, feeling himself beginning to burn out after five years of touring—yet he wasn’t remotely ready to give up on golf. “I decided to stay in golf because I had a lot to give back to the game,” Tom says. He took a job at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park Golf Course, finding his voice as an instructor. “I was introducing brand new golfers and juniors to the game, giving them a solid foundation and confidence to get out on the golf course. Giving the gift of the game brought tremendous personal reward and fulfillment.”
That philosophy serves Tom well at Stanwich. “Unlike Meadow Club or Olympic Club [renowned San Francisco-area clubs where Tom taught during his time in the Bay Area], it’s been a lower-tech, organic approach here—and that’s been really refreshing. While I occasionally use a launch monitor and video, I focus on getting people onto the green grass and taking them on the golf course.”
Tom sums up what makes him a great golf instructor—and what makes him Good Company: “My instruction is built on the same principles that guided my own journey. I believe every golfer is just a few adjustments away from more consistency. We strive to be brilliant at the basics.”
It all returns to giving back to golf. “Giving the gift of the game brings tremendous personal reward and fulfillment.”
Here’s to Tom, to creating new opportunities, and to Good Company.
