Vietmeier Still On Go In The Snow
Robinson Resident Putting Competitors On Ice
By John E. Sacco

The last thing most golfers want to see is snow - it is an almost certain impediment to anybody's game.

But Gordon Vietmeier does not mind the flakes. In fact, the more the better, as far as Vietmeier is concerned, provided they arrive in the appropriate months.

Vietmeier, of Robinson, the assistant professional at Mt. Lebanon Municipal Golf Course and one of the Tri-state area's finest golfers, makes part of his living helping his brother, Glenn, who owns Country Club Gardens - a landscaping, contracting and snow removal business. Gordon helps with the snow removal. His clubs are on ice at that time.

"That's how I make some extra money," said Vietmeier, who finished third (the second-place pro) in the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational (formerly the Pittsburgh Open) last July at Wildwood Golf Club in Allison Park. "Since I quit going South in the winter, I've been doing the snow removal."

Vietmeier, 33, admits that he is quite ready to plow into the golf season and get back to teaching rather than sweeping. But he has undergone a transformation in recent years.

He still loves golf in all three phases in which he is involved - playing, teaching and watching. Nowadays, though, he spends less time working on his game and more with his wife, Jill, and two young children, daughter Abigail, 3, and son Logan, 1.

Vietmeier said he is a better golfer now, more relaxed and confident. The results back him up. Vietmeier ranked third on the points list among golfers in his section last season, just missing out on Tri-State PGA Player of the Year honors.

"I had a real good season," he said. "My play was steady. I started out slow and played well from the one-third mark to the end. I felt I had a chance to be Player of the Year. I could have been real close, a stroke here or there."

Vietmeier doesn't do much in the off-season anymore to improve his game but he seems to keep getting better.

"With some of the scores shot these days, you have to keep getting better," he said. "You have to be prepared and you can't fall asleep. If you have to go hit balls in the dark, that's what you do to improve."

That family has become such an integral part of his everyday life is not surprising. Vietmeier always has valued family. He grew up with four brothers on 35 acres next to Chartiers Country Club. Three of his four brothers reside in Robinson as well. Another lives in Churchill. All are golfers and grew up sneaking on the course at Chartiers Country Club.

Vietmeier lives, what he describes, as a "drive" away from his parents. He jokes that a little green constructed on the family property that he and his brothers used to practice on for hours, and never is no more than a short distance and a lawnmower away from being back in play.

What Vietmeier is serious about is getting the opportunity to be a club professional. He has had good interviews in the past but hasn't been able to land the job he truly would love.

He no longer has visions of playing on the PGA Tour, but plans to remain immersed in the game.

"Growing up and working for pros, you just think that guy is somebody," Vietmeier said. "It's a nice position to be in. People look up to a golf professional. It's a good living.

"When you start, there's the aspiration to play on tour. It would be great to be out there. But I haven't tried the past three years. You get kind of content with what you're doing. It's not that golf is not important, but not as important as it once was.

"It would be nice to be the head pro somewhere, still being able to play the game well enough to get the recognition and respect of members. I have had some good interviews but things didn't pan out. A lot of younger guys are getting those jobs. It's not an easy area to land a job in. Sometimes I wonder why it hasn't happened yet, but I'm still trying."

Vietmeier, who begins his fifth year at Mt. Lebanon this season, is proud of what he and club pro Matt Kluck have accomplished. He gets great joy teaching the game and seeing his pupils get better.

"Everyone seems willing to learn the game," he said. "They're getting a little more serious about it. That's good for the industry."

And an inspiration for Vietmeier, who is looking for an even better 2001.

"My putting seems to be improving," he said. "My short game seems to be getting better. My ball striking has always been good and it is getting better. If I can improve overall, it would give me a chance to move up (in the points standings). I have two more spots I can move up. There's room for improvement."

As long as the snow stays away.