Joshua Manske: Back to the Farm after Pro Golf Career

Listen and subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts

The family farm required the same characteristic that helped Joshua Manske thrive on the golf course: patience. Agriculture was never really something Manske left behind. But it was something that patiently waited for him to return.

Manske grew up on a fifth-generation farm in north central Iowa. Now that his golf career has ended, he has returned to the farm and unintentionally created two identities.

“Yeah… in my life now… I have a whole section of people that are like, ‘Oh, you played professional golf,’ and I have a whole section of people that only know me as ‘Golfer Josh,’” Manske told American Farmland Owner from his office in Algona, Iowa.

“So, it always makes it fun.” he said.

Manske Family Farmers

Manske grew up in Iowa’s Prairie Pothole region, (shallow wetlands formed thousands of years ago by melting glaciers) surrounded by agriculture on both sides of his family. Farming and land stewardship weren’t just occupations, they were also generational identities.

“We’re fifth generation,” he said. “That goes on my mom’s side.”

His father and grandfather operated a drainage business, while his maternal grandfather farmed for decades, starting with horses and living long enough to witness autonomous machinery.

“I mean, Grandpa farmed with a team of horses,” Manske recalled. “And then we went to the Farm Progress Show… and we were wheeled up to this tractor… and he goes, ‘I know what that is. That’s an autonomous tractor.’”

That moment stuck with the grandson, a vivid illustration of agriculture’s evolution and a reminder of how deeply embedded it was in his life.

Even as a child, Manske showed signs that farming was more than background noise.

“I recorded (in a notebook) as like a 10-year-old kid, the closing price for corn and soybeans,” he said. “I did that through high school… just pen and paper.”

Joshua Manske, Professional Golfer

Still, it was golf that first defined his professional path. Introduced to the game at just two years old, Manske quickly showed talent along with a bit of childhood mischief.

“I may or may not have taken out a couple of windows as a young person with my plastic golf clubs!” he joked.

That early knack turned into a decorated college career, where he became a three-time All-American before advancing to the professional level. His career took him across the globe.

“I’d say at least a half a dozen [countries], if not more,” he said.

Among his most memorable experiences: competing at Royal Troon in Scotland and representing the United States internationally.

“There is nothing cooler than representing your country,” Manske said. “Having the USA on your bag… that is just one of the coolest things of all time.”

Injury Ended Joshua Manske’s Professional Golf Career

But like many athletic careers, Manske’s time in professional golf came to an abrupt and difficult end due to injury.

That forced a painful realization. “It’s not getting better… still not getting better,” Manske said of the acknowledgement that his body would no longer allow him to golf professionally.

The realization forced a pivot, one that many athletes struggle to make when their primary identity is suddenly taken away.

“You’re kind of like… what are you going to do?” he said.

Manske initially explored other options, including obtaining an insurance license. But the transition wasn’t about finding just any job. It was about rediscovering something more meaningful.

Returning to the Farm

Opportunity came in the form of a return to the family’s agricultural operation. Coming back to the farm was a natural fit, not a family fallback.

“I’ve always loved ag,” he said. “Even when I was playing professional golf, I remember taking Iowa Farmer Today magazines overseas with me.”

That connection never faded. Trips home often included time with his grandfather, where they would read markets and talk through the realities of farming life.

So, when the chance came to return, he embraced it fully.

“I’m like, well, I’ve always loved ag,” he said.

Multiple Jobs Needed to Support Life on Family Farm

Today, Manske’s life reflects the complexity of modern rural America. Rather than stepping into a single role, he’s built a diversified career that spans multiple facets of agriculture.

“I tell people I wear a lot of hats. That is the God’s honest truth,” he said.

His work includes farming, farmland management, farm real estate, and involvement in the family drainage business. It’s a model that’s increasingly common for those committed to staying in small-town America.

“It’s kind of like… how can I make the income I’d like to make while doing the things that I like to do?” Manske explained. “It takes a lot of that in order to make it work.”

That entrepreneurial mindset has been key.

“I’ve got a little bit of the entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. “Starting new things… I enjoy the challenge.”

Still, the workload can be overwhelming.

“There are days where… the list just continues to get longer and longer,” he admitted.

The Journey Back to the Farm

Manske’s path—from farm kid to global golfer and back to agriculture—is less about reinvention and more about rediscovery. Even during his years abroad, agriculture remained a constant thread.

The fairways may have taken him around the world, but it was the farm that ultimately brought him home.