There are times, rare as they are, when a legacy doesn’t merely speak for itself; it reverberates thunderously and from so many corners of the country. Such is the backdrop to the announcement by Brendan Walsh that he would step aside after this, his 28th year at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
As Director of Golf since 1998, Walsh’s star has shined so bright that it’s likely not even up for debate that he is a role model of the highest order. “He has invested himself so selflessly in his people that if you were to line up the people coast-to-coast who call themselves one of Brendan’s people, well, you’d have a long, long line,” said Andy Fisher.
The Head Professional at Kansas City Country Club, Fisher proudly calls himself “one of Brendan’s people,” not simply because he served on Walsh’s staff at TCC in 2009 and 2010 but because even to this day, “no matter when you need him, he’s there.”
To study the Brendan Walsh story is to marvel at quality layers that involve a heartwarming family upbringing in the Philadelphia area (one of 15 children born to William and Barbara Walsh), a steady and impressive progression in the PGA world (Sankatay Head for one year, five years as an assistant at Ridgewood, seven seasons as head pro at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn.) which led to the uncanny relationship with the membership at The Country Club.
“He will always be a big part of our club, our family,” said Lyman Bullard, president of TCC. “He does everything he can to make our club and our reputation what they are and he has earned the right to leave on his terms.”
Saying that he is “blessed” that The Country Club has created a position as a TCC Ambassador in 2026 and 2027, which will include helping with the transition, Walsh said he would have better control of his calendar after this year to pursue opportunities. He wants to continue to mentor and help his fellow professionals and to consult.
“I still have a lot of energy in the tank,” said Walsh, 62. “I’m in awe that I’ve created a career around a game with a little white ball. It can be a demanding business, but I’ve loved every minute of it and I’m grateful to The Country Club for all they have done for me and my family.”
Hired in 1998 and in place for the memorable Ryder Cup that took place one year later at TCC, Walsh has with impeccable dignity piled up a legion of admirers and supporters over parts of four decades. The praise from those he mentored was easily unleashed when word was announced to The Country Club membership April 3.
“He was the ultimate role model,” said Nate Ollhoff, a member of Walsh’s staff from 2003-08 and now the Director of Golf at Interlachen CC in Edina, Minn. “He did everything the right way for the right reason and never took a short cut.”
Daniel Joseph, now the Director of Golf at Somerset Hills in New Jersey, interned at TCC in 2006 and was an assistant from 2009-15. “To me, TCC was the pinnacle,” he said, and in Walsh he found a leader who not only talked of setting expectations but spelled everything out.
“It was nice to have that clarity. Yes, he expected a lot of us, but he was our biggest cheerleader.”
If the smile is always present when Brendan Walsh is at work, it's because he truly has "loved every minute of it." Should he have a favorite view of his office, it might be when he takes a glance at "the tree" (below) that helps keep track of where so many of his former assistants are employed and carrying on the same principles that inspire Walsh every day.
Walsh from the outset understood that he could prosper as a PGA professional, but only if he fostered a passion to see his assistants carry on principles and ideals that are the game’s foundation.
That Walsh embraced such a passion for this mission blew Fisher away. “My 30,000-foot view of Brendan is more unique, because I was older than most of his assistants,” said Fisher. He was a head pro at Dayton CC in Ohio and looking to move upward in the business when he reached out to Walsh. Fisher was honored that Walsh was willing to consider him, even more gratified when the TCC Director of Golf offered him a spot on his staff.
“Brendan interviewed me and my wife and I felt he was taking a huge risk on me,” he said. “My year with Brendan wasn’t just career-changing, it was life-changing.
“What comes to mind is that quote (from Maya Angelou): ‘I don’t remember what he said or what he did, but I don’t forget how he made me feel.’ ”
Bullard was a young member at The Country Club when he first met Walsh and what jumped out at him was this: “He would look you in the eye when he shook your hand and he had a memory like a steel trap.”
There is a story that stuck with Bullard, about how during a member-guest involving 60 guests a gentleman had an issue with his driver. No surprise, the guest received help from Walsh. When the golf was finished for the day, Walsh sought out the guest, who buoyantly praised the driver. A short time later, the guest found that the driver had been sent to his club by Walsh. There was zero cost. Vintage Walsh, there was also zero fanfare.
“When I think of the phrase ‘paying it forward,’ I think of Brendan Walsh,” said Bullard. “He has all the intangibles.”
Fisher said his two years on Walsh’s staff feels like 20 because the impact, the learning curve, and the personal interaction was that significant. And it stretched far beyond golf, too. “We talk family, we talk life issues,” said Fisher. “He cares about his people, and not just in a golf sense.”
It is our greatest game, golf is, and while numbers dominate out consciousness, people are at the heart of the game. Club professionals, much like superintendents, are grossly under-appreciated yet supremely integral. The best ones embrace those ideals that are timeless – dignity, respect, integrity – even if they are sometimes overlooked by players who have lost their way.
Brendan Walsh for 27 years at The Country Club and throughout his time as a PGA professional has maintained a firm grasp of the basics drilled home by his father, William “Sarge” Walsh.
“My dad was old school,” Brendan once said, “and while he wasn’t one to offer a lot of praise, he was an incredible role model for me.”
Sharing passion in equal parts for competitive golf, giving back to the J. Wood Platt Scholarship Fund, and his allegiance to being a daily communicant at church, William Walsh passed away at age 91 in 2014 but would no doubt be smiling proudly to know that Brendan – the proud brother to Michael, Matthew, Timmy, Danny, Chet, Andrew, Stephanie, Minna, Bridget, Monica, Tez, Hilary, Moira, and Lexy – has done it the right way for the right reasons for a long time.
For proof, just check out that line of “Brendan’s people” which stretches for a long, long way.
