New Elmwood Country Club golf professional Jay Giannetto does not have the problem that long-time holder of the position Joe August had when he took the job in 1953. He will not have to acquaint himself with the club and course or introduce himself to a membership he does not know.

The new Elmwood pro brings with him his newly-won award as Pro of the Year by the Iowa Golf Association.

Sure, he won’t know all the members, but having grown up in Marshalltown and played Elmwood as a member of the Marshalltown High School golf team, he will know many members and most of the quirks of Elmwood’s unique layout, with its collection of good short par-4 holes.

Giannetto was selected by the Elmwood Board of Directors to replace another Marshalltown native and long-time Elmwood pro Jerry Johnson, who retired at the end of 2014 after 30 years directing the golf program there.

“I am a little intimidated by it,” Giannetto says, when it was pointed out that his predecessors had each served 30 years or more in the position. “But,” he notes, “it was a great opportunity to return to Marshalltown and give something back.”

Giannetto attended Indian Hills for two years after graduating from MHS and moved to Mississippi State for his final two years of college.

“After playing golf down South, [becoming a golf professional] seemed like the next logical step,” he says.

He then took a job in 2004 at the Newton Country Club, working two years for head pro John Shawver where, he says, he learned how to be a club professional.

“I learned how important it was to take care of the members and grow the game of golf,” Giannetto says “and not get wrapped up in too much outside stuff.”

From Newton, Giannetto moved to the Ames Country Club, where he has been for nine seasons. One emphasis there has been on junior golf, starting with 4-6 year olds and maintaining their interest until they were teenagers, keeping up their interest through high school in an effort to grow the game that way.

“I’ve had luck in the past making golf a fun environment for the kids. It’s important to let the kids know that the golf course is a place for them,” Giannetto adds.

“I hope that what I’m able to do here will have a positive impact and I’ll be able to stay as long as the guys before me,” says Giannetto. “I want to get in a position to keep Elmwood moving forward and have a positive impact in the town where I grew up.”

Jay and his wife, Brandi, were both raised in Marshalltown and will return soon with their five children: Jade, Elle, Carter, Mia and Nora, ranging in age from 15 to 2.