Michigan Golf Journal January 2021

19 January 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com a little more. I try to get out once a week in the summer. I enjoy going to putt, I enjoy going to hit balls. Doing those things with my son are great. My handicap has fluctuated mainly between a 12-and- 14. It’s not as good as I would like it to be, given my mental midget mind in some of those pressure situations.” Q You were born in Detroit, raised in the U.P. and you coached in Grand Rapids. Is there a region of Michigan that is your favorite for golf? A “I’ve been all over the state, and I don’t know if one region is necessarily better than the others. I would say we are really lucky here to have so many great golf courses in the state of Michigan. It’s really amazing, and sometimes you forget how spoiled we are. As you move across the state there are so many to choose from… I just feel real blessed for all the great golf courses we get to play and that I’ve had the opportunity to play.” Q When the team travels on the road to warm climates, do you take your clubs, and does the topic of Michigan golf come up with people in other states? A “I’ve only played golf one time on the road, when we had a chance to play Pebble Beach. There was a quirk in the schedule where we had multiple days off in California. But, I also have a hard time mixing work and pleasure so I try to keep my pleasure, which is golf, in the summertime, to stay focused during the hockey season. But coaches Dan Bylsma and Adam Nightingale and I … we’ve been almost an ad for Michigan. We tell anyone who will listen to come enjoy the great summer weather in Michigan, or about the wonderful sunsets. I’d say we work part time doing PR for the state of Michigan.” MGJ Blashill Press Conference Photo credit: Dan Mannes, Detroit Red Wings