Graylyn Loomis '10 Tees Up Career in Golf Writing
Greenie alum covering the sport he loves for Hilton Head, S.C., magazine
This is a big week for golf. Then again, every week is a big week for golf in the life of Graylyn Loomis '10. After graduating from Christ School eight years ago (he was part of a Greenie state-championship team as a senior), Loomis attended the University of St. Andrews. Loomis was able to squeeze in more than 180 rounds on the Old Course in between his classes and caddying in Scotland. Presently, Loomis is Digital Editor for Links Magazine and has been writing about the sport he loves since 2011. Loomis will, of course, be in Augusta, Ga., to provide coverage of The Masters starting Wednesday.
Question: Did you ever think you'd be writing about golf for a living?
Answer: No, I didn't. It's funny. I didn't even plan to start blogging but I got paired up on St. Andrews' Old Couse with a random guy from Texas one day. He suggested I start a website writing about my golf experiences. He e-mailed me every month for three months asking if I had started it. That kind of got me going and kickstarted it. Right from the get-go, I was into it. I never thought it would turn into a career necessarily. After returning to the states, I was picked up by Links, and I've been working here for the past two and a half years. I never really intended to get into golf writing, but it was always kind of in the background.
Question: Tell me about Links Magazine, and what does the role of Digital Editor entail?
Answer: Links is a relatively small company. We are based out of Hilton Head, S.C. The Digital Editor position has grown to include quite a few things. I assign and edit all of the content for our digital product, which is the website. I write for the print magazine and the website.
Question: I'm sure you get this question a lot, but what are some of the more memorable courses you have played?
Answer: Right off the bat, my general answer is any evening I spent on the St. Andrews' Old Couse, playing until dusk just before the sun set. There was one round my senior year (of college) where we teed off at 7 p.m. and I made a hole-in-one on the eighth hole. When I think back on it, it was the perfect evening for golf. Here in the states, I get to travel a lot for work. Some of my most memorable trips haven't been too far from Asheville. I grew up going to Pinehurst, N.C., a lot. Everything really came full circle for me. When I was taking those Pinehurst trips back in the day, I was playing against Jeff Krieger (a 2012 Christ School graduate) in many of those junior events. What ended up happening is I got dropped off at Christ School one day to ride to a tournament with Jeff and Mr. Krieger. It was the first time I had ever been exposed to the campus. I decided very quickly where I wanted to go. I think it all happened in two days.
Question: Do you have a pick for which player is going to win The Masters?
Answer: I've got to say Tiger Woods. I don't know if he can do it, but I think it would be great. My other outside pick would be Justin Rose. He's really playing well right now. I'll be there Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and then we have (The RBC Heritage tournament) next week in Hilton Head. The Heritage is really laid back compared to (The Masters).
Question: What stands out when you think about your experience at Christ School?
Answer: Honestly, I think back on all the friendships I made with faculty, staff, and students alike. All those relationships, eight years later. Christ School people are still some of my best friends in the world. Honestly, I think that decision to go to Christ School was probably the best thing to ever happen to me. I never would have considered going to St. Andrews without the help I got from my advisor and Kirk Blackard. I never would have met my wife or found this career. It all stems back to Christ School.
