Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2024 - 29

I
t's become a daily ritual for millions
of Americans: scrolling through the
silly,
cringeworthy and unbelievable
videos that are regularly published
on social media. Golf enthusiasts have
easy access to countless clips of trick
shots, highlights from the professional
game and plenty of the lowlights of
struggling amateurs.
But perhaps one of the most popular
golf channels on social media over
the last year and a half is St. André Golf
(@standregolf), a series of comedy
sketches which poke fun at the relatable
and everyday episodes on the golf course,
such as the ranger who takes their job too
seriously or getting paired up with the
dreaded single.
A critical component behind St. André
Golf's rising success has been Hannah
Aslesen, an Edina, Minnesota, native
who got her start at Interlachen Country
Club-not on the course, but inside the
storied clubhouse.
" That was my first introduction to
golf, " says Aslesen, a former pole vaulter
and basketball player who graduated
from Edina High School
in 2009.
" I
worked there in high school and then
after college, I moved back home and
started serving full-time in the dining
room and in the Bobby Jones Room. "
It was at the University of Wisconsin
where Aslesen first performed on
stage, and upon graduating, found herself
unsatisfied with a job in sales. She
then dove into improv and comedy
in Minneapolis.
" Comedy was always such a unique
way to bond with people. It's such a great
diffuser, and improv is unique because
it's so in-the-moment, " she says. " Is there
a way to translate what I think is funny
on a universal wavelength so that everyone
is laughing at a collective thing? That
always felt so connected and inspiring. If
I can do anything with people, I'd love to
make them laugh with me. "
It didn't take long before she began eyemngolf.org
ing
something bigger and more fulfilling,
so she packed up her car and moved
to Atlanta.
" I've had this mantra of when a city
stops surprising me or I'm no longer interested,
then
it's time to move, " Aslesen
says. " That curiosity led me [to Atlanta],
where I was fortunate to get involved with
some improv within a couple of days-
and within a couple of months, I was performing
regularly. "
In August of 2022, Aslesen's friend Aaron
Chewning contacted her to gauge her interest
in the prospect of comedy sketches
depicting the tales of the ordinary golfer.
Top: Tiger Woods Bottom: Jason Day
" Aaron has a degree in production, so
he's always been behind a camera. He's
also written a number of commercials.
He hired me on a couple of projects previously,
and the chemistry was always
really good, " Aslesen says. " He asked if
I liked golf and what my relationship to
it was. Then one day he went to a coffee
shop to write a sketch about golf and
ended up writing 15 of them. "
Early on, Aslesen says the goal was
to amass more than 10,000 followers in
six months.
Summer 2024 MINNESOTAGOLFER 29
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2024

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