Brunton’s Serious About Kidding Around

3 Responses to “Brunton’s Serious About Kidding Around”

1. Michael Schurman on February 2nd, 2012 11:51 am
   

   Thank-you Dallas;
   Now if every influential organization in Canadian Golf sent it to their membership with constant monthly reminders to forward it to their MP maybe we’d get some action. Nothing works better with MP’s then a huge deluge of mail. Maybe there’s a method to involve the players at our Clubs as well.
2. Michael Schurman on February 3rd, 2012 4:55 pm
   

   In response to Michael Mather’s questions. The old days.

   As someone who has worked in the business for a long time, I find it difficult to keep from constantly referring to the past. However, the problems we face today existed in the 1960′s too and some people had answers that would work today. What also exists is the requirement to make a personal sacrifice.

   When I was an assistant golf professional from 1964 to 1969, most of the top Head Professional ‘Jobs’ were held by guys who had had them for a long time. Usually, when one of those ‘come open’ there was a shuffle among 1/2 dozen or so clubs; the competition was fierce. There were 2 basic ways to be considered; be an outstanding player or have experience working for one of the 20 or so very influential Head Pro’s from very established Clubs. How it worked was the President of the Board of Directors at a very established Club would support an up and coming Assistant at his Club. In most cases, that same President would be the President or CEO of a huge company. The VP at said company would be the President of the Board of Directors at a 2nd tier Club and would be the Chairman of the Search Committee. The ‘big’ President would, in most cases be close friends with the Head Golf Professional at his Club. Naturally, the HP’s young Assistant would have the inside track on the job because of the influence the ‘big’ President could exert on his VP at the 2nd tier club. In short, it was an “Old Boys Club”. I hope this is not so messy that you don’t understand. Needless to say, I didn’t qualify; I played on the Canadian Tour and won a few small things but I wasn’t a star and neither were my Clubs of employment. So what to do?

   I developed a plan to promote myself. Something rarely if ever done before. I volunteered to write Golf Instruction in several newspapers. I volunteered to appear on TV late at night to talk golf and I taught FREE golf lessons. The lessons were taught as part of the Night School in Adult Education Programs in High Schools. I taught 30 to 50 people a 2 hour lesson, in the gymnasium using whiffle balls and doormats which I transported from school to school during the winter months. Over a 7 or 8 year period of teaching 4 nights a week for 10 weeks before Christmas and then another 4 nights a week for 10 weeks after Christmas, I developed a teaching reputation that was sound enough to attract the attention of the Executive Director of the Ontario Golf Association. He helped me to participate in the new Junior Golf camps that were held at Canadian Forces Base Borden and I also (through the OGA) taught an annual clinic for Blind Golfers. I did both for 10 years and my plan worked! I became the Head Instructor for the OGA.

   The OGA was the most influential Association in amateur golf in Ontario and consisted of one representative from every golf club in Ontario. Ultimately, the President of the OGA become one of the most influential people in the Ontario Golf scene. Now perhaps you can see where I’m going with this so I won’t bore you anymore with my life story.

   However, guys like me joined with guys like George Clifton, who joined with guys like Bert Turcott etc. and eventually the ‘world of golf’ was fun. We played golf with our members and took them away on golf junkets; we held ProAms to help each other at their Club. We did endless hours of volunteering but we also found ourselves sitting in the Board rooms of some of the most powerful people in the country to help with their charities. Money was only a way to keep score. It seemed the more you volunteered, the more money appeared from various sources.

   AND THAT’S THE WAY IT WAS! Was it perfect; far from it! Did it work; golf grew 10 fold during that period! People had fun! Golf Professionals made money. It was sacrilege to purchase equipment outside your own Pro Shop and IF you did, chances were that another member would tell you about it. For all of you who wish I’d stop talking about the past, forget it! I lived during the greatest era golf has known and was it ever fun!!!!!
3. Michael Mather on February 4th, 2012 1:28 pm
   

   Mr. Schurman…all of us who’ve been around the game for many years remember those days…but we aren’t in those days…I hear what you are saying about getting out & volunteer but i don’t think you’ve made any suggestions or ideas from your response to answer the question I put forth to Kyle…maybe I missed it?
   MM

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