Swinomish Golf Links is proud to welcome Wade Iacolucci (pronounced “i-ko-lu-chi”) to the team as director of golf. Wade brings more than 28 years of experience working at golf courses around Washington State and now looks forward to developing Swinomish Golf Links.

Growing up in Snoqualmie Valley, Wade began golfing at an early age with his grandma. What started as a fun pastime quickly became his drive to succeed. Within one year of playing golf, every day, Wade broke 80 at Mount Si Golf Course and continued to improve his game. After playing golf through high school and college, Wade became a golf professional in 1988 and joined the Professional Golfers’ Association in 1993.

Golfing runs in the family. Wade’s wife and two sons are all golfers, and they get together to play regularly. In 2015, Wade’s oldest son, 22, qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship in Chicago — one of the largest amateur tournaments in the world.

Among Wade’s proudest accomplishments is when he coached young, new golfers at Cle Elum High School. He said that watching them develop the confidence to compete and seeing them succeed was incredible. His strong leadership led him to receive their Coach of the Year award four years in a row.

Wade believes golf teaches players three core skills: preparation, frustration management and fortitude, the ability to come back from adversity. He said that golfers fail more than they succeed and that golf challenges each player to continually do better. His determination to triumph and grow makes Wade a positive influence on those around him.

Having grown up playing at a similar 18-hole, par 72 course, Wade is excited to have found his home at Swinomish Golf Links. He looks forward to experiencing the active community at the golf course — a place where both locals and visitors can play, laugh and share friendly competition.

“I want Swinomish Golf Links to be something that the tribe is very proud of,” Wade said. “I look forward to working together as a team and seeing how we grow.”