Joseph Schiano has been golfing for eight years, and has never let up his intensity and love for the game.
Joe’s golf career started with strong inspiration from his family, including his grandpa, who was once ranked the second best golfer in the vast city of New York. The rest of his family and friends have been behind him since day one as well, through tough road trips and the hardest of practices.
This season, Joe had a “rollercoaster” season, starting with high scores and some bad losses for the team as a whole. But as soon as the “good luck beanie” came on, everything changed. A bit later in the season, Joe dominated the division with huge rounds such as -2,-2, E, -2, leaving the rocky start completely in the past. He competed all the way to counties, where he placed 42nd out of 132 golfers. Joe is no stranger to success – since starting off at the Junior PGA program at Timber Point, he has participated and placed in Junior National and Metropolitan tournaments, even winning 6 out of 17 tournaments. He was also the number one golfer in East Islip’s division.
Despite these accolades and how easy Joe might make it seem, golf is an extremely difficult game. For many golfers, the thoughts and nerves you have during that swing is the most difficult part. Not for Joe.
“I try my best not to go with any swing thoughts,” Joseph said. “Thinking too much will make you hit a bad shot.” Lucky for Joe, he tends to “black out” when swinging, ensuring trust in muscle memory and practice.
As for those who are new to golf, or not as good as he is, he had these tips: “Stick with it. Golf is a long game to play; it is definitely a fun game to play, but practice is important if you want to play golf.” He also mentioned having the right clubs. “Having the right clubs is very important. You don’t have to go expensive, but having good brands like TaylorMade and Callaway help.”
Alongside his long-time coach Rich Hofer, Joe works at local golf store South Shore Golf in Oakdale, making golf a very large part of his life. Does Joe ever get sick of golf being the pinnacle (golf joke) of his life? “No. Golf has been my life for 8 years now. I was told if I want to play golf in college, and also work, I have to live golf. I have not gotten sick of it.” Aside from weekend rest days, work towards his golf dreams are nonstop.
Joe most definitely wants a future in golf, beginning with his goal to play collegiate golf at a D1 level. After that, he wants a career in either sports broadcasting, going pro, or owning a golf shop of his own.
Joe Schiano’s story is only on the first page. Whether we see Joe playing in the PGA, broadcasting it, or selling vital clubs for the best of the best, there is a world of good rounds ahead of him, on and off the course.
