Jack Berry, renowned sports writer talks about fellow Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Glenn Johnson who passed away recently and was an important mentor and friend of Emily’s, as he was to many. Mahalo for listening to the talk story or reading the story and nice tribute to Glenn that Jack wrote and I have included below. GLENNBy Jack Berry The PGA Tour had Doug Sanders. The European Tour has Ian Poulter. The LPGA has Paula Creamer. But for all out color and pizzazz, we had Glenn Johnson of Grosse Ile. Johnson arrived in Charlevoix for the Michigan Amateur in a Cadillac top down convertible packed with clothing changes for three double round days of match play. That was confidence and that was Glenn Johnson. “I had fun with the clothes. I hated to play (after a morning round) without cleaning up,” Johnson said. “One time a guy asked me why I was always changing colors, why I didn’t wear black or white. I went out that afternoon in red, white, blue, black, everything. He was 2 down after the first two holes. “I liked match play. I enjoyed the psychology, watching the opponent. I had more fun without saying anything,” Johnson said. “I’d look at their grip and they’d be thinking ‘Is something wrong with my grip?’” There was no one like him in Michigan golf and he passed away to the green course in the sky on Dec. 11 at the age of 92. The later years were difficult but there were so many good times, so many matches won and memories like the Michigan sectional qualifying held at Birmingham Country Club for the 1972 United States Open at Pebble Beach. Chuck Thorpe, the confident young brother of the PGA Tour’s Jim Thorpe, and Johnson were tied after regulation. Thorpe, a brash smasher, figured to win on the first hole. A par five. Thorpe didn’t use a tee. He’d stomp his heel into the ground and place the ball on top of the upturned turf. But he only made par and so did Johnson. The second hole was a short par four with the green short of the river, unlike today’s position. It was driveable but Thorpe didn’t drive it, made bogey and Johnson won with a par and was off to Pebble Beach. Johnson played the Monday and Tuesday practice rounds before “immense crowds.” He’d called Arnold Palmer and asked to play with him. Johnson knew Palmer since he played in the prestigious Grosse Ile Invitational in Arnie’s amateur days. After the two Palmer rounds Johnson hooked up with defending Open champion Lee Trevino on Wednesday, his third round with two of golf’s superstars on one of the most famous courses in the world. That was Glenn. Johnson didn’t play golf until after service in World War II as a pilot, teaching men how to fly the B-24 Liberator bomber, and then college at Michigan State. He won nine letters in sports at Grosse Ile High School, had three years in at Michigan State before the military service and returned to play quarterback his senior year. He played against Miami in the Orange Bowl stadium, played against Santa Clara on the West Coast and said that rules permitted only one substitute per quarter so “If you were first string, you played about 50 minutes every game.” Johnson’s father was a captain in Ford’s lake freighter fleet and the family settled on Grosse Ile in 1927. Glenn naturally took to the water and sailed the Port Huron to Mackinac race and was first mate on a winner. He was a lifelong fisherman with a boat docked by his house. He finally connected with golf “because the practice tee was 200 yards from my house” and said he worked hard at it. His short game was especially sharp. “I didn’t hit it that far but I knew where to hit it” and match play was his game. Johnson won five Michigan Amateur championships, second only to six by Chuck Kocsis. When the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame was established, Kocsis was in the first threesome with World Golf Hall of Famer Walter Hagen and Oakland Hills professional Al Watrous. Johnson was in the second threesome with two-time Masters champion Horton Smith and PGA champion Walter Burkemo. Four legendary professionals and two superb amateurs formed the first six members of the Hall of Fame. When Johnson came to golf, he came full force. He played in 43 Michigan Amateurs, at one point won 23 straight matches, qualified to play in 17 United States Golf Association championships, was low amateur in the 1981 Open at Oakland Hills, and won 15 Grosse Ile club championships. As a senior he helped form the Society of Seniors, an organization of the best senior amateurs in the country. He won the Eastern Seniors five times and a North and South Senior. He looked out for young players at Grosse Ile, and Emily Gail, a top junior, said “Glenn was a huge factor in my being encouraged to be a good female athlete. He was a great mentor and friend. I called him a couple weeks ago as I would do a couple times a year to tell him how much I appreciated his encouragement. He helped me learn how to love hitting balls and practice which I still do.” And because Johnson also was a skier, two of Michigan’s best holiday golf tournaments were established. “I skied at Boyne Mountain and became friends with (owner) Everett Kircher. He had a golf course and Labor Day weekend was deadsville. I told him he had all those empty beds and he should start a two man tournament.” Kircher took the advice, made Johnson co-chairman and the Kircher Cup is nearly four decades old with a full field every year. Then Johnson, assisted by the late Bucky Brower, real estate salesman and something of the unofficial mayor of Boyne Country, talked Kircher into starting a tournament in another “deadsville” period, Memorial Day weekend. Now it’s the Nike State Pro-Am. Besides his golf, skiing, boating, and interest in the Red Wings – he had seats right behind the goal in the Olympia Stadium days, Johnson was an accomplished artist. One of his favorite subjects was clowns and one of his paintings is in the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame collections of members’ memorabilia. Grosse Ile members and friends of Johnson celebrated his 90th birthday at the club and unveiled an exhibition of his many trophies, medals and awards received over the years. There’s a full length painting of Johnson with trousers as colorful as a tropical garden. “I’ve had a fantastic run,” Johnson said when he was a guest of honor at the 100th Michigan Amateur in 2011 at the Heather course, his favorite, at Boyne Highlands. Fittingly, he was wearing a sweater of many colors.

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