Q&A with this month’s #PlattProfile, Michael Mitnick.
Mitnick talks about his golf social media pages where he gives tips and tricks to fellow golfers.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Q: How old are you?
A: I am 19.
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: Ohio State University.
Q: When do you graduate?
A: I graduate in May of 2024.
Q: What is your major?
A: Finance.
Q: How did you decide on that major?
A: Since I was a young age, I knew I was interested in business so I figured the broadest and most general understanding of business and how to manage money was finance. It just spoke to me because I like numbers and seeing how all that works.
Q: Do you participate in activities in school? Clubs?
A: Yes, I am in a professional development organization called PGN also known as a business fraternity. I am also on the club golf team here.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: So, I run my golf social media which takes up a lot of my time right now and I play guitar which I have been playing since I was five. And playing golf whenever I can.
Q: Tell me a little bit more about your golf social media.
A: It started back in 2018 with my buddy when we started posting trick shots on social media. And it started to get picked up by SportsCenter and they were posted on Golf Channel and then the Steve Harvey show reached out. So, us little sophomores in high school were flown out to LA and we were guests on the Steve Harvey show. That’s how it started and then it kind of died down a little bit. Then, I started it back up when Covid hit. I went on to TikTok and I was able to grow my TikTok so now it is close to 250,000 followers. I am just posting different golf content, tips, and skits, trying to relate to the everyday golfer. And then I built my Instagram (@thatgolfgrind) where I am around 56,000 followers posting a lot of the same stuff. It has been a really cool experience and I have been able to work with a lot of cool brands and I have some cool stuff coming up. Just focusing on the overall goal of growing the game of golf and reaching as many people as possible.
Q: What golf club do you caddie for?
A: Galloway National Golf Club.
Q: How long have you been caddying?
A: I believe this will be my fourth year so four years.
Q: How did you start caddying?
A: Growing up playing competitive golf, I was always surrounded by the game. I saw caddying as a good opportunity not only as a way to earn some extra money but to just be surrounded by golf even more. I was able to make some relationships over there at Galloway and I had the opportunity to caddy there and I have been doing it every summer since. I was able to caddy for some pretty cool people and caddy for the LPGA event that comes down there. I love caddying, I do it every summer, and it is something that is just part of my life now.
Q: What is your favorite thing about caddying?
A: Honestly, my favorite thing is just being outside on the golf course and being able to help people with my knowledge of golf. It kind of transfers over from the social media page where I am able to give people tips on social media and I get direct messages saying, “Wow, that really helped me.” And I am able to transfer that over to the golf course while I am caddying to help people out on the course there.
Q: How did you hear about J. Wood Platt?
A: I heard about J. Wood Platt as I was coming into college as I was looking at scholarships to apply for. I believe it was just online and I saw it as a really great opportunity that fit right in with who I am and what I am doing so I thought it was a good opportunity to apply.
Q: What are your long-term goals? Think 5 to 10 years
A: In 5 to 10 years I hope to be working for myself in some capacity. Whether it is continuing with my social media or starting my own business. I am very entrepreneurial and hope to use my skills and be able to work for myself.
Q: What is something that happened to you while caddying that you will never forget?
A: When I was caddying for a woman in the Shoprite LPGA Pro-Am, at the end of the round, she told me that she wants her kids to grow up and be like me one day. This was really heartwarming to hear and made me feel proud about who I became. She asked to speak with my mom on the phone and tell her that she raised a good son.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self as a caddie or a new caddie just starting?
A: I would tell myself to take every opportunity or loop that comes your way. You never know what connections you are going to make out on the golf course. It will also help you gain experience out on the course.
Q: How has J. Wood Platt changed your life?
A: J. Wood Platt has allowed me to connect with a great network of people in the golf community. They have allowed me to apply for internships and meet people I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for J. Wood Platt. Additionally, they are helping contribute toward my college education which is motivating me to perform to my highest potential.
J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust
The Trust’s mission, which has remained constant since its inception in 1958, is to financially aid deserving caddies in their pursuit of higher education. The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created by GAP through the efforts of then President Walter A. Schmidt; Leo Fraser, President of the local section of Professional Golfers Association of America; and Albert Keeping, Golf Professional at Gulph Mills Golf Club. It was named in honor of Philadelphia’s premier golfer of the era, J. Wood Platt. Not only was Mr. Platt an accomplished player, but he was also the Trust’s co-founder and first contributor.
