Greg Orzeck

Greg Orzeck Pennsylvania AI Research Inc Exton

Greg Orzeck is the Director of Business Development and co-founder of AI Research Inc., a boutique clinical research organization in Exton, Pennsylvania. Orzeck started the company nearly a decade ago with his wife of 18 years, and the pair have continued to grow AI Research into a highly respected research monitoring team that prides itself on providing business partners with world-class clinical research support services for all phases of clinical trials, while hiring only qualified registered nurses.

Orzeck attended Temple University in nearby Philadelphia for his undergraduate studies, graduating in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations. He now enjoys spending time with his wife and two dogs, and likes to go fishing and golfing with friends whenever he can find the time.

What is your hobby? 

In my spare time, I love to golf, fish, and work in our garden. Another one of my favorite extracurricular activities is keeping up with my professional development and continuing education responsibilities. I keep up with my area of expertise through reading professional journals, attending seminars, and taking the occasional class either on-line or traditionally.

How did you first get into golf? What are your earliest memories of the sport?  

A friend of my father who was an avid golfer bought me my first set of golf clubs when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I would practice hitting balls in a field with a shag bag, going back and forth for hours at a time. I also worked as a caddie when I was younger. Working as a caddie taught me a great deal about competing, character and getting along with different personalities on and off the course. Caddying instills and helps you understand integrity, honesty and hard work. You develop a true appreciation for the game, unlike some others that get into golf later in life.

What inspires you to continue playing on a regular basis?  

Few things are more frustrating, discouraging and occasionally embarrassing as playing a bad round of golf. The truth is that the never-ending challenge of the game of golf is exactly what keeps me coming back time after time to try to improve my game and accomplish new goals. It doesn’t matter whether your trying to break 70 for the first time or break 90 for the first time, all golfers have a goal in mind that they are working hard to reach.

What life lessons has golf has instilled in you?

In the game of golf, the only competition you face is yourself. The greatest golfer does not analyze how another golfer plays; he works on improving his own game by developing consistent habits that generate consistent good results. The smart golfers, take tips, understand that it’s a game requiring constant growth and learning, and they don’t let ego get in the way of improving their game when others offer up constructive criticism. The same is true in life. The more open we are to learn, the humbler we remain, the more fulfilled we become as we grow and become better than we were the day before. When you focus on your own game, and you remain open to growing, learning and being adaptive, you gain the brilliance and means to create new values. Being humble and hungry for growth will enable you to add something to the pie that is missing… making a bigger pie. Much like the game of golf, for us to experience sustainable success in life, requires we focus on developing ourselves to be consistent, productive, resilient, and above all people who add value to others. The key ingredient to growing as an individual is much like improving your golf game. Focus on yourself, develop your own qualities, become consistent, productive, improve your own game.

Tell us about your favorite courses to play, and what makes them so enjoyable.  

Growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs affords us some of the best golf courses in the country. Stonewall is my favorite place in the world to play. Others are Philadelphia Cricket, Merion, Caves Valley, Aronimink, Gulph Mills, Winged Foot and the list can go on and on. I’m a big fan of traditional tree lined fairways and classic design.

It seems as though golf is becoming more and more popular with younger generations. Why do you think that is?

I think golf has become a ‘cool’ sport to play now versus when I started playing. I think we can attribute a lot of that to Tiger Woods who grew up playing junior golf. This amazing sport has brought out the best in young men and women today, as it teaches many valuable life lessons.

For someone looking to get started in the game, what would you recommend?

I would recommend the obvious; a good mentor, teacher/coach, decent equipment and a place to practice and play. Practice, persistence and listening are key. In golf, instant success is very rare. People succeed by daily practice, persistence and through being open to listening to their teachers or mentor. In life, it is important to know that we rarely reach our goal in one shot or stroke. By practicing, making corrections along the way, being open to coaching and being persistent, we can tackle most of life’s tough challenges. One of the most important life lessons young people can learn from golf is to be gracious and respectful. Golf requires you to show courtesy to others and that you communicate with respect.

What tour pros do you try to model your game after?

I like the swing thoughts from Ben Hogan and Harvey Penick.

What’s in the bag?

Titleist 917 Driver, Ping 3-wood, Titleist hybrid, Srixon 965 irons 4-PW, Titleist Vokey wedges, Scotty Cameron putter.