Joe Zanotti
He had always been an avid golfer, but when Pittsburgh native Joe Zanotti found himself spending a lot of his time overseas for work, he decided to find a way to golf overseas. At the time, work had Joe Zanotti stationed in Vietnam, where golf courses are far from plentiful.
While working with Hyundai Corporation, however, Pittsburgh resident Joe Zanotti was asked by one of their staff to play a Saturday round of golf at the Long Thanh Country Club outside the city Of Thu Duc—an offer Joe Zanotti eagerly accepted. Joe was introduced to an afternoon of golf a bit different than his usual golf round in the USA.
Joe Zanotti mentioned that the golf clubs in Asia tend to be very plush with lots of amenities. A foreign business man tends to be treated very well at the clubs. After a nice lunch, Joe Zanotti was assigned a caddie, a young petite woman. Some golfers in the foresome even had 2 or 3 caddies each, all typically short petite women. Joe Zanotti wondered how any of these ladies could carry a large heavy bag of clubs until he realized that they put the bag on a pull cart. That seemed like a better situation.
Joe Zanotti was also amazed at how much clothing the female caddies wore. Even though the golfers were sweating like crazy, the women dressed so as not to get a tan. Joe Zanotti describes their attire as khaki pants, long-sleeved shirts, towel around their neck, and a hat. Some even wore scarves around their faces, Joe Zanotti said, but still, none of them seemed to break a sweat while pulling a heavy cart!
Joe Zanotti was impressed with how well the caddies seemed to know the game. After only 2 holes, they seemed to understand each player’s skills and could select the proper club for them. They also had an incredible ability to read the breaks in the greens. But, none of the female caddies actually played the game. He also noted that the other Asian golfers were rather harsh to their individual caddies, knowing his golfing friends in Pittsburgh would just be glad to have a caddy at all. At one point, he helped one of the caddies pull the bag cart up an especially steep hill and was reminded by his companion that it was the caddy’s job, not his.
At the end of the game, Joe Zanotti asked what a customary tip for a caddy was. His colleague told him two dollars per caddy was sufficient. Feeling that wasn’t nearly enough for the work she’d put in, the Pittsburgh native gave his caddy two dollars publicly, then pulled her aside and gave her ten dollars.
“These girls worked so hard and were so pleasant,” Joe Zanotti concludes.
About Joe Zanotti
For Joe Zanotti, family heritage has always been important. Growing up in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Joe Zanotti was always aware of his Italian and Slovak heritage enjoying the culture, foods and curtoms. In fact, he spent many weekends and long summer weeks at his grandparents’ house in the nearby mill town of Braeburn.
Joe Zanotti has lived in Pennsylvania most of his life, mostly near Pittsburgh. After graduating from Burrell Senior High School, Joe Zanotti attended the Pennsylvania State University, where he majored in civil engineering. During college, he was an invited member of both the Chi Epsilon Honorary Society and Tau Beta Pi Honorary Society, both national engineering societies for honors students. Joe Zanotti attended graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied structural engineering.
An experienced structural engineer with more than 31 years in the field, Joe Zanotti often travels throughout the USA and overseas for work. Joe Zanotti is currently employed by Camp, Dresser, & McKee, Inc., a worldwide engineering firm based in Pittsburgh. Joe Zanotti’s work often stations him in many Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam and in Middle-East countries such as Israel. He considers working overseas, such as when he helped rebuild a Catholic church in tsunami-damaged Banda Aceh, Indonesia, an experience that has been life changing.
Prior to Camp, Dresser, & McKee, Joe Zanotti was project design manager for MPS Corporation in Leetsdale. He worked as a structural engineer for Sargent & Lundy Engineers in Chicago, as well as Dravo Engineers in Pittsburgh. His professional associations include the American Society of Civil Engineers, International Concrete Repair Institute, for which he serves on the board of directors, and American Concrete Institute, for which he is a subcommittee member on the national level.
An avid golfer, Joe Zanotti has had the privilege of golfing everywhere from overseas in Asia to many top courses in the USA. Joe Zanotti began golfing at the age of fifteen, at a tiny 9-hole course near his house where greens fees were only $3-$4 a day. For years, he was part of an annual golf retreat comprised mostly of former Pennsylvania State graduates. Joe Zanotti is an avid cook and would maybe enjoy attending chef school when retired. He is a lover of great wine and while he wouldn’t consider himself a connoisseur, Joe Zanotti keeps 40-50 bottles of wine in his basement at all times.
Born in 1958, Joe Zanotti currently resides in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, where he has lived since 1988. Joe Zanotti is registered as a professional engineer in eleven states, including Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Indiana, and the District of Columbia. He is single, with no children, has a brother, sister, nieces and a nephew and both of his parents are still alive.
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