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Passion for Golf Leads to Career in Broadcasting

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When Peter Wendt was growing up, he and his grandpa would hit golf balls together in his backyard. What began in those backyard sessions with his grandpa, has now developed into a deep love and talent for golfing.

Wendt is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire from Lake Mills, Wis. with a broadcast journalism major and a minor in geography. His dad and his grandpa instilled this passion in him. He grew up going to golf tournaments and meeting some of the best golfers in the area.
             

His grandpa, Willie Wendt, won over 25 club championships and two Wisconsin State Senior Championships. Now Wendt is following in his footsteps as a member of the UW-Eau Claire golf team.

“He is a fantastic golfer. He keeps people loose,” said UWEC golf coach Jim Maguire. “This year he matured quite a bit and the guys are able to count on him this year. He has grown up a lot and is a leader.”
           

Wendt has also been able to use his leadership skills by helping his dad teach junior golf to children ages 9-13.
           

“I think it’s pretty cool to help the little golfers,” said Wendt. “It’s good to give back to the country club. We once were in junior golf and college kids helped us. Now we’re those college kids helping them.”

In addition to his exposure to golfing from his family, Wendt’s friend Dan Beard inspired him to become a broadcast major and to get involved with cameras and production. Beard runs a TV camera filming network golf tournaments around the world. Beard has taught Wendt some of the ropes of production and allowed Wendt to work with him on some of his projects.

“Peter is one of my best friends,” said Beard. “I have an 8-year-old and Peter is one of his best friends too.” Beard explained that Wendt worked with his son in the junior golf program at their country club and that his son looks up to Peter.
  

Wendt had the opportunity to combine his desire to work in production and his passion for golf working under Beard as a RF technician for the Professional Golf Association and the Ladies Professional Golf Association tours. His job was to set up the cameras and run cable throughout the course. He also worked as a sideline assistant for NFL films covering the Green Bay Packers’ training camp and has also worked for NBC Sports and ESPN.

“I learned many odds and ends about broadcasting a golf tournament on a national network as well as meeting many different people along the way,” he said. “I realized I want to become a cameraman someday and that it is something that I want to do for a longer time and hopefully make a career out of.” 

Wendt’s father, Dave Wendt, said that he thinks that Wendt will become a successful broadcast journalist one day. “He has potential because he is good at interacting with people,” he said. “He is very friendly. He is good with electronic equipment and usually picks up on things fairly easily.”

Wendt admitted that his geography minor was chosen just because that was what he all ready had the most credits in. However, he says that he loves traveling and learning about other cultures. He says that his geography classes have taught him about different cultures and how and why they are there.

While Wendt has never been outside of the country, he has done a lot of traveling throughout the United States. He and his friends on the golf team did not even take spring break off of golfing, as they traveled to Florida to try out their skills on the courses there.

Wendt says that public affairs isn’t something that he thinks about a lot unless if affects him personally. For example, he finds it unfortunate that the government takes away so much money in taxes when putting in the time and effort to complete a job. Wendt said that he did not find the subject to be so boring one instance when he received around $2,000 after taxes for a paycheck that was originally around $3,500.

On the other hand, he finds a lot of public affairs to be boring. He says that people tend to speak in a monotone voice and that it seems like most people do not really want to be there. Although he has never been to a governmental meeting, he says that his perception of them being boring is based upon seeing parts of governmental meetings while flipping through through the channels.

Wendt said that he and his family had never really discussed politics all that much as he was growing up and his dad agreed. “We encouraged Peter to look into things and make up his own mind,” he said.   

“I am neutral,” Wendt said nearly exactly reflecting his dad’s response to the same question. “I just vote for who’s ever going to make this nation better.” 

Beard also stated, “We haven’t talked about politics but he is socially responsible in the community.”

Wendt suggests that government meetings would be more interesting if they were more lively and spontaneous and that maybe government officials could try and make people laugh a little bit.

Wendt did not know exactly what that would look like in a politician. However, his friends and family described Wendt with the same qualities that he hopes for in a politician.
Maguire describes Wendt as “fun loving. He likes to have a good time. He is a nice guy and would do anything for anyone. Fun to be around.”
 

“I think Peter is going to do well as a broadcast journalist,” said Beard. “Everyone he has worked with likes him.”