The People of Bobby Jones Links

Meet Piet Birch | Facilities and Procurement Coordinator | Bobby Jones Golf Course  

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1. How long have you worked with Bobby Jones Links?

Hard to believe but it will be three years in October.

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2. Where did you grow up? Tell us about it.

I was born in Western NC, but spent my early childhood between Decatur, AL and the family farm in Oxford, AL. Both are small towns and I pretty much stayed outside with my friends riding bikes, playing sports and exploring. My Grandad loved golf and kept his own driving range mowed as well as a “field of dreams” practice diamond for my baseball team which were both pretty cool to have as a kid.  When I was 12, we moved to Atlanta just in time for my Dad and I to watch the Braves win the 1995 World Series and experience the 96’ Olympics.

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3. What are your passions outside of work?

For the last 6 months it’s been buying and renovating my first home along with my girlfriend which was a lot of fun, but very time consuming and exhausting. Now that we’re moved in, I can get back to playing a ton of golf, hiking, fishing, and hopefully traveling and seeing some live music. I also love to snowboard and used to work at Snowbird resort in Utah. Nothing like a bluebird day and a foot of fresh powder!

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4. What’s the best meal you have every had, where was it, and why was it memorable?

That’s a tough question. I love to eat and most of my favorite meals are home-cooked with family or local Burger joints. One that really sticks out as memorable though would probably be on a family trip in Jackson Hole.  We rode snowmobiles way out in the park to this really old log cabin overlooking the Tetons and had a delicious country dinner by a fire with cast iron steak, vegetable soup and homemade cheese biscuits.

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5. Who inspires you in your life and why?

I’d say it’s definitely my parents. They’re both extremely hard workers, successful, always thinking of others and don’t take themselves too seriously. My Mom is incredibly smart and a great listener and my Dad is very adventurous and will make friends everywhere he goes. I think they both sacrificed a lot working to raise our family and I’m very grateful for them.

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6. What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?

It would have to be some of the hikes and lines I’ve done snowboarding out west. Trekking up on a narrow ridge in high winds then having to navigate down rocky chutes and cliffs is a rush reward like no other, but has definitely had me question my sanity more than once looking back.

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7. You’ve been with Bobby Jones Links since the redesign of Bobby Jones Golf Course. What has stood out about your experience with them?

They truly value their team members and that same culture is reflected back to how we treat our customers. There’s great camaraderie here and it’s nice working for a company that is always striving to grow and improve every day.
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8. What is your favorite movie? Why?

Another tough question here because I have so many! Maybe Forrest Gump or a River Runs Through it. Both tell their story so well along with great acting and filming locations. I also love movies with a narrator looking back reflecting on their life.

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9. If you could have one superpower, what would you choose?

Definitely time travel so I could go back and experience all the great moments in history and maybe try and stop a few of the not-so-great moments.

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10. What’s still on your bucket list?

That’s a long list and it includes taking a golf trip out to Bandon Dunes, through hiking the Appalachian Trail and scuba diving in Belize.

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