Golf Becomes A Go-To Expense With Tax-Deductible Status

I’m hoping golf regains tax-deductible status and becomes a legitimate business expense in the eyes of governments because it will have a huge impact on the golf business. I was in the golf business when it had that status. At Angus Glen, in the early days, companies could write off golf, so the gold cards [...]

Dick Grimm Should Be An Icon For All Ages

I was sorry to hear that one of my great mentors, Dick Grimm, won’t be present tonight at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando to receive the George Cumming Distinguished Service Award and become a PGA of Canada lifetime member. Dick’s health is the first priority, but I was ecstatic to hear that he [...]

Orlando Show Is A Good Venue For Team Building

The PGA Merchandise Show may have changed over the years with our Canadian reps doing some a great job of getting to us, but I also look at the Orlando show as a good team-building session. Some of our guys are going down and I’m going to join them for a couple of days. The [...]

Golf Canada Should Hire Credentials Over Nationality

I believe that if we are to become a force in the game of golf, we have to go on credentials rather than nationality, so personally, I’m not disappointed in the hiring by Golf Canada of Tristan Mullally from Ireland to coach Team Canada women’s golf. We have some great teachers in this country and [...]

Member Surveys Are Constructive, Not Destructive

This is the first year that we’ve done a formal member survey. We always talk to the members, which you have to do in any aspect of your operation, to know what’s going on. However, there may be something underlying that members don’t want to talk to you directly about, so you’re going to hear [...]

Gordon Stollery Inspired Family Environment At Angus Glen

It was because Gordon Stollery loved life that he became larger than life when he was in a room, always laughing, always jovial and usually with time for everybody around Angus Glen. That’s how I will always remember him after the shocking news of his passing yesterday. When I worked at Angus Glen, I would [...]

Holiday Parties Are About More Than Money

With the golf season done, we’re into the festive season, but at the same time, keeping an eye on next season, which will be upon us quicker than we think. This year, Michael Burgess is doing a Christmas concert for us and we also had one of our members do a “Putting On The Ritz” [...]

After No Ontario Show, I Look Forward To Orlando

With no Ontario PGA show this year, I’m especially looking forward to attending the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando at the end of January. As I’ve said in previous blogs, the staff won’t let me buy anymore, but I am going to the show anyway because one of the things I like to do is [...]

Expanding Your Vision Leads To Long-Term Success

It’s hard to believe, but I’m going into my 30th season as a golf professional and my 34th season in the golf industry. I spoke recently to a class at Toronto’s Humber College and got talking about when I first came into the industry, all of my idols were great players and great teachers. Sure, [...]

Courses Sold To Developers Isn’t All Bad News

With the over-saturation of golf courses in certain areas of the country, we are likely to hear more about golf courses being sold to developers for residential use. Do we treat that as bad news for the golf industry or a market correction? The obvious casualty in such situations is the staff. Part-time staff at [...]

Weather Turned Into A Good News Story

From recent discussions I’ve had, rounds were down this year at many Southern Ontario golf courses and most people believe the weather had a great deal to do with that. In April and May, it just seemed as if it rained every day. I think it rained something like 21 days in May. I’m not [...]

We Wish You Well, Heather Howell

Tuesday evening will be a special time for me, not only because I’m going back for a visit to Angus Glen, where I worked for years, but also because the Ontario PGA is paying tribute to retiring director of operations Heather Howell at its 2011 awards night. We both started at the same time 29 [...]

There Are Good News Stories Out There

Looking ahead to 2012 as we do at this time of year, because we’ve had some new members join us and membership sales are going well, I know our board will be expecting an increase in top line and probably steady as she goes in expenses. I think that everyone’s in a tightening-the-belt mode, but [...]

Off-Season Trips Help You Know Members Better

I’m looking forward to a trip to Sage Valley in South Carolina that some of us from Coppinwood are taking with members. It’s fun because the trip takes place after our golf season is over in Toronto. I didn’t get a chance to play with many members because I didn’t play much golf overall, so [...]

My Wife’s Right. I May Never Retire

I’m 48 and haven’t set a retirement age yet. My wife always says to me, `I can’t ever see you retiring,’ and I agree with her, so that’s my go-to statement on this subject. I’m having fun. I’m enjoying work. There’s really no need for me to look at a number right now because I [...]

Prep Work Gets Done, But We Play It By Ear

We’re planning to close down the first week of November and as October winds down, we’ll get our final aeration done while the weather is still pretty good so we can get the course put to bed and get it ready for spring. It’s tempting to push the envelope just a little, but if you [...]

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