GIANNI PANARO INTERVIEW
We had the pleasure of meeting the director of the golf course of MIRA Riva Toscana Golf Resort & SPA, a golf reality recently born in one of the most characteristic areas of Tuscany.
Gianni Panaro, 41, is married and the father of two splendid children Diego, 12 and Anastasia 8, to whom he tries to pass on his passion for golf.
1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU PLAYED GOLF?
I started playing in 2007, at the age of 34, a few years before Diego was born.
2. HOW DID YOU GET CLOSE TO GOLF?
It all started by chance when I accompanied a German friend of mine to a golf club and from that day my passion for this sport was born! After that day of golf I decided to start taking lessons and it has all been growing ever since. To date, I have to be honest, I still thank my friend for letting me discover this fantastic sport.
3. WHO IS THE GOLF CHAMPION YOU ADMIRE MOST?
The golf champion I admire most is definitely Tiger Woods, the best American golfer of the modern era. Another American golf champion is Jordan Spieth, famous for being the youngest winner since 1923.
4. HOW LONG DO YOU SPEND TO GOLF ON AVERAGE?
I would like to devote myself much more to golf but unfortunately for work and family commitments I can not. Initially, I believed that working within a golf resort could be the ideal opportunity to play more often, but it wasn’t. Working in this environment takes a lot of effort, but at the same time it gives you a lot of satisfaction and it is the job I love. Dedicating myself a lot to my work, as soon as I have free time I prefer to dedicate it to my family.
5. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT THIS SPORT GIVEN YOU MOST IMPORTANT?
This sport gives me the opportunity to work in amazing places and with spectacular views. The thing I appreciate most about this sport is working perpetually in contact with nature and, to be honest, it gives me a lot of tranquility and serenity. Finally, the thing I love most is being in contact with countless people every day.
6. WHAT IS THE MOST FUNNY ANECDOTE OF YOUR LIFE RELATED TO GOLF?
I don’t know if it can be considered an anecdote but it is certainly the funniest thing that has happened to me! During one of my first practice range sessions with the teacher and his assistants, we had to do an exercise that consisted of passing the ball between two iron poles, positioned just over 1 meter from me. After preparing and concentrating, it’s time to strike. I hit just one of those poles and the ball shoots back hitting me exactly “where the sun doesn’t shine”.
7. WHICH GOLF CLUBS DO YOU CONSIDER BEST?
I think it is an excellent opportunity to introduce the best Italian Golf Clubs: Borgo di Luce I Monasteri Golf Club and Acaya Golf Club. If I can advise you, still under development, but I’m sure it will be one of the best golf courses: the circuit inside Riva Toscana Golf Resort. The ideal place to play golf and enjoy your relaxing holiday, in the Tuscan Riva there will be the opportunity to play golf immersed in the typical Maremma landscape … in short, the “golf paradise”.
