VVolumeolume 331,1, NNumberumber 5500 TThursday,hursday, DDecemberecember 224,4, 22015015 HHappyappy HolidaysHolidays THE Page 2 December 24, 2015 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. Home Sweet Home For Golf Pro, Long Beach is Where He Always Wanted to Be by Kayla Weiss When Brian God- “When he came to frey left Long Beach Chesterton for the after fi nishing college, fi rst interview, he had he didn’t quite know some extra time to kill, where life would take so he decided to drive him...nor that it would around the area, to get bring him back to the a feel for the kind of only place he’s truly environment he could called home. be bringing his family Today, the resident into...and he just fell PGA Head Golf Profes- in love with the area, sional at Long Beach so much so that he de- Country Club for al- cided to accept the job most 13 years has cre- in Chesterton with- ated a life for himself out even interviewing that not only involves out in California,” he his wife, Julie, and said. “He told my mom their three children, that it was perfect, so but also the chance we moved to Indiana, to live, work and play where we ended up in the community he living at Stop 18 in calls home. Long Beach.” “This is where I al- Ironically, the house ways wanted to be,” at Stop 18 was right he said, “and not many across the street from people can say they are the original pro shop able to do what they at Long Beach Country want to do at the place Club. The Godfreys re- where they want to be. mained there for a few I feel pretty blessed.” years before moving to Originally from Stop 23, where Brian Boston, Godfrey’s par- lived through college. ents moved to the area “It was incredible when he was just 6 to be able to grow up weeks old. His father here. We always loved took a fl ight here from being outdoors and Boston for a job inter- spending time at the view in Chesterton, beach,” he said. “There then intended to hop was such a different on another fl ight for Photo by Bob Wellinski dynamic back then, a second job interview Brian Godfrey, the PGA Head Golf Professional at Long Beach Country Club, compared to how it is in California. poses at the course’s tee area. today. It’s still a fan- THE December 24, 2015 Page 3 tastic place to raise a family. I just notice that there are more seasoners and less full-time residents.” When he was 12, Brian began working at the country club, where he got his fi rst taste of having a job in the community he loved. He’d started playing HHomeome MMattersatters golf when he was 11. The county club’s golf pro, Jack Seyring, left an indelible mark on him. “You’re pretty impressionable when you’re 11, and CCleaningleaning SServices,ervices, IInc.nc. I was intrigued by the whole golf pro world here,” he said. “These guys here, they loved what they were doing, and they loved where they worked. VVacationacation RRentalental CCleaningleaning “As I got older, it struck me, why wouldn’t I love doing that?” PProfessionalrofessional CCarpet/Upholsteryarpet/Upholstery CCleaningleaning Godfrey worked at the country club every sum- OOpenpen HHouse/Showingouse/Showing CCleaningleaning IInteriornterior & EExteriorxterior WWindowindow WWashingashing PPowerower WWashingashing ((Decks,Decks, DDrive/Walkways,rive/Walkways, SSiding)iding) OOn-Siten-Site oorr OOff-Siteff-Site LLineninen SServiceervice GGutterutter CCleaningleaning MMove-In/Move-Outove-In/Move-Out CCleaningleaning CConstructiononstruction CClean-uplean-up 10% discount SSpring/Fallpring/Fall DDeepeep CCleaningleaning for new customers IInterior/Exteriornterior/Exterior PPaintingainting DDeckeck SStainingtaining FFullull HHVACVAC SServiceervice ((Licensed)Licensed) PProfessionalrofessional HHomeome RRepairepair SServiceervice Brian Godfrey has been the resident PGA Head Golf Professional at Long Beach Country Club since 2003. Photo by Bob Wellinski FFullull LLaundryaundry SServiceervice mer until he graduated in 1983 from Indiana Uni- versity-Bloomington at 22, receiving a bachelor AA/C/C FFurnaceurnace CCleanlean & CCheckshecks of science degree in public affairs. From there. he didn’t immediately enter the world of golf. First, he RRentalental CCheck-in/Check-outheck-in/Check-out SServiceervice was employed by the state election board, then he sold World’s Finest Chocolate for a year. However, RResidential/Monthly/Bimonthlyesidential/Monthly/Bimonthly CCleaningleaning he missed being around golf. Living in Indianapolis would prove to be a turn- DDon’ton’t SSeeee WWhathat YYouou NNeed?eed? JJustust AAsksk UUs!s! ing point. First, and foremost, it was where he met Julie. Celebrating their 28th anniversary Dec. 12, their journey together started with a haircut. Licensed/Bonded “We actually met when she was working as a Home Matters & Insured Cleaning Services, Inc. hairdresser,” he said. “I went into the salon where she worked one day, and she ended up being the 219-898-2592 2101 Franklin Street one to cut my hair. I went back once every month to homemattersinc.com Michigan City Continued on Page 4 THE Page 4 December 24, 2015 where he worked for another fi ve years. Continued from Page 3 Home Sweet Home “All of this time, moving around through all of get my hair cut by her. It was great. Like little pre- these different clubs and golf-related jobs, in the dates before I could even get the nerve up to ask her back of my head I always remembered how the out on a real date.” Long Beach Country Club had worked and oper- Career-wise, his fi rst big break came when he ated,” Godfrey said. “Long Beach is so much of a was hired as the assistant golf pro in October 1988 community – it just has such a different feel from as assistant golf pro at The Hoosier Links. In July all of these other clubs I had been working at. But I 1990, he became the assistant golf professional always had it in my head that Long Beach was the at The Links Golf Club, an 18-hole champion golf place that I wanted to be. course in New Palestine. He was promoted to head When Tom Sperling, golf professional in May of 1992. former head golf pro at Long Beach Coun- try Club, retired, God- frey received a call from someone at the club, ask- ing if he was interested in the job. After more soul searching, Godfrey accepted the job. “I always loved the size of the community,” Godfrey said of Long Beach. “You don’t feel like you’re swallowed up by a big city. The people An elementary school photo of Brian. here are really friendly, and we’ve made so many new friends since moving here. Brian and Julie Godfrey pictured with their three children: Today, he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Gibson, 11, Wilson, 10, and Dominic, 5. It’s where he and Julie raise their three children: Gibson, 11, Wilson, 10, and Dominic, 5. The coun- Life with Julie and at The Links was good, but try club also affords the opportunity for Julie and after some soul searching, he decided to leave the him to work together. She serves as the pro shop’s position for one of lesser rank, as assistant to PGA merchandise buyer, selecting clothing and accesso- Pro Jim Ferriell Jr., at Crooked Stick Golf Club in ries for women and overseeing how merchandise is Carmel in March 1993. displayed. “I thought that it would be a better place...to get a “And all three of our kids go to Notre Dame, head pro position at a bigger club,” he said. where my siblings and I all went to grade school. It’s Godfrey remained just so wild to see your there for the next two kids go to the same years before being of- grade school you went fered the head pro po- to. It all still looks the sition at a new club in same, but now when I South Bend, Blackthorn walk through the halls, Golf Club, where he re- I feel like a giant. It’s mained for fi ve years. the same, but different. During his time in Times have changed, South Bend, the assis- but the feeling has not. tant athletic director at “I think that it says the University of Notre a lot that my brother, Dame would frequently sister and I all came visit, asking Godfrey back to Long Beach in what entailed starting our own time,” Godfrey and maintaining a suc- said. “We have such a cessful golf program. tie to the community. After all the inquiries, There’s just no other Godfrey was offered place that feels like the general manager home.” position at Warren Golf Brian’s seventh-grade class photo from Notre Dame School (he’s in the Course at Notre Dame, top right corner). His children now attend the same school. THE December 24, 2015 Page 5 %ŐŒHŐ+ & &4Ő Bobbie Cavic C 21 2014 CENTURION Broker Associate INDIVIDUAL AWARD RECIPIENT Licensed in IN & MI T Each office independently MIDDLETON CO, INC.