As you read this, Chris Currie is probably having his best day at Pinehurst.
Break his stride for a few minutes, and you’ll see he’s chatted with the gentleman from Indiana who needed a locker for his travel bag. He’s introduced himself to the appreciative fellow from New England, redirecting him down the hall and to the left to find the 91st Hole for a cup of coffee. He’s greeted one of the assistant golf pros he runs into most of the six days a week Chris works as the locker room attendant in the main clubhouse. (“How ya doin, young man?”) The locker room is spotless.
He’s presented a foursome from the west coast with a tour of the hallway, sharing many of the stories that come with the photos on the wall and the trophies in the case.
Actually, make it two tours, with two foursomes.
Check the watch, and it is 11:38 a.m. on Friday. Chris Currie, 38, is off to another one of his best days.
“It’s about the people. The guests,” Chris says. “To see how excited they are to be out there on our courses. That gets me excited, which may be hard to believe because I’m already excited. But that really does fuel my energy.”
It’s an energy felt by anyone who comes into contact with Chris, who is always searching for a connection. He wants everyone to feel welcome. To be excited or enthralled rather than overwhelmed and nervous. To be at ease, and perhaps a little in awe at the same time. But at the heart of it, to just be a golfer and have a good time, a good day.
“Essentially what I do is to try to give everybody that U.S. Open experience,” he says. “I don’t care whether you’re a janitor or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, you’re just as special as the next person who comes through that door.
“A lot of times this place is a bucket list item, so this may be a one-time event for them. You never really know who you’re talking to. They may not ever be able to come back here. That’s the people who you can tell really appreciate it.”
Chris Currie just wants our guests to have their best day.
Like him.