You've Been Served: Jason Totos on 20 years in the hospitality sector and caddying for Jack Nicklaus

Jason Totos is Director of Golf with Carton House, Co Kildare since November 2018. Here he gives us an insight into her working life.

I’ve been working in hospitality for 20 years and found myself in this industry as a result of my love for golf.

From a very young age, I always knew I wanted to be involved in golf and during my placement, I was exposed to the different career routes that one could go down.

Unfortunately, my golf game was never going to allow me to compete with the top professional players, so I chose golf and club management.

It’s hard for me to recall a better memory than caddying for Jack Nicklaus when he opened a golf course in South Africa. I was a young 23-year-old and busy with my PGA training.

It was a big eye-opener seeing a legend up close for 18 holes and getting to talk to him a bit about his game and how he manages himself around a golf course. In the last year I also got to participate in my first Captain’s Drive-In.

It’s not at all common in South Africa so I really enjoyed the festivities and vibe around the event.

This year it was great to meet Shane Lowry at Carton House soon after his Open win but the most special moment for me would have been shaking Nelson Mandela’s hand at Fancourt in 2005 after we hosted a 46, 664 concert in aid of Aids awareness. Bono performed at the event but I had no chance of getting to see him!

The best part of my job would have to be the interaction with different people on a regular basis.

I get to meet people from all around the world and it’s generally while they are busy doing something they enjoy and are passionate about.

I guess what generally surprises me is the local Irish traditions that everyone else is so used to. As an example, I was talking to colleagues just last night about how strange I thought it was that people would bring in treats/cakes on a day for someone else’s birthday.

They all, and I’m sure many reading this, thought I was absolutely mad for thinking that the person celebrating the birthday would be bringing in the treats.

If I wasn’t in this industry I think I may have had a go in the culinary field. I’m not very good in the kitchen, as my wife continues to remind me, but I do enjoy having a go every now and then. It may be the wine you get to drink while you’re in there that helps!