Why This Pro Golfer Chose Quality Of Life Over Grinding On Tour
As a PGA Tour golfer Dean Wilson won the 2006 International, had 21 top-10 finishes and amassed over $8 million in earnings (he won 8 times on the Japanese Tour). Wilson was also known as one of the pros (Aaron Barber the other) grouped to play with Annika Sorenstam at the 2003 Colonial Invitational. But many hadn’t seen Wilson since leaving the Tour in 2012.
SI.com golf writer Alan Shipnuck writes that Wilson played in his group at Bandon Dunes. What’s so refreshing is how Wilson seems totally at peace after leaving the Tour five years ago. Why? Let Shipnuck explain. BTW, thanks to Craig Rosengarden for the heads up.
Dean walked away from the Tour pretty much cold turkey in 2012, burnt-out by the travel and cutthroat ethos. “It started to really bug me how, during tournament rounds, no one ever talked to each other because they were grinding so hard or because they were pissed off,” he says. “Honestly, I looked forward more to the practice rounds—they were more fun.” He had taken good care of his money, so he settled into an early retirement in San Diego as a carefree bachelor. He joined a couple of swank country clubs but, barred from competing in the member-guests and club championships, never felt quite at home.
Then, on a whim, he decided to check out Goat Hill Park, bringing along his faithful yellow lab, Toby. The Goat is a 4,454-yard par-65 located in a scrappy corner of nearby Oceanside, and nurturing the course—along with the kids in the surrounding neighborhood—has become a passion project for Linksoul founder John Ashworth. He and Dean have become fast friends, and it was Ash who brought him to the UTI. Having grown up on a humble muni on Oahu, Dean fell in love with Goat Hill’s chill vibe, and it’s where he now plays most of his golf. “I’m going back to my roots,” he says. He even paid his $50 to become a member, allowing him to compete in—and win—the club championship. Instead of overpowering the course, Dean has switched to throwback equipment, to help heighten the challenge. “I’ve fallen back in love with the game,” he says. “It’s so refreshing to play where I want and when I want, using whatever funky equipment I like and surrounded by people who are having fun.”
Dean has become a strong supporter of the caddie program that Ashworth has launched at the Goat, and he gets as much out of playing with the kids as vice versa. “They all look up to him,” says Ashworth. “Dean’s a great example to them of how far this game can take you even while you stay true to who you are.”
Pretty cool there Dean. Pretty cool.
