Golf’s Grumpier Than Ever About HST

Four days later, the message delivered in Monday’s blog entitled Golf Gets Grumpy About HST is stronger than ever, a point that is emphasized by Shawn Hunter, regional director of the Eastern Ontario/Outaouais chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association.

“Following discussions conducted by the NGCOA Canada with its Ontario members, it was determined that the vast majority of the 640 members in the province of Ontario oppose the introduction of the OHST by the Ontario Government,” wrote Hunter in an e-mail.

Discussions with Doug Ferne, the regional director for the NGCOA’s British Columbia chapter, and GNN blogger Kyle German, illustrate that the opinion is no different on Canada’s west coast.

Kyle’s blog HST? How Do I Put This Politely? is currently up on the home page where Kevin Thistle also chips in with an Ontario perspective today in the blog HST May Mean Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain. Read more

Meet GNN’s New Blogger

Chances are that, if you’re in the Canadian golf industry, you’ve met Kevin Thistle, now general manager of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., after a 16-year stay at Angus Glen in nearby Markham.

If you haven’t touched base with Thistle, one of the great promoters in the game, he’ll find you sooner or later. With his energy, he tends to get around very quickly.

If you don’t often get the chance to discuss what’s happening in the industry with the charismatic Thistle, GNN has taken care of that.

Thistle will contribute a regular GNN blog, beginning today. In the debut appearance of Kevin’s Blog, Thistle discusses corporate golf and how important it is to start preparing now to lure tournaments to your facility in 2010.

Welcome aboard Kevin. We at GNN hope we can keep up.

Catching Up With Kevin Thistle

Calling Kevin Thistle to talk about Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., still seems to be an uncomfortable fit after years of discussing Angus Glen, a facility in nearby Markham he helped build into a corporate and public golf haven since 1993.

Seemingly, Thistle is out of his element with the move to a private club that ran into financial problems earlier this year and has since been taken over by an ownership group that includes 40 members.

However, selling and marketing prowess goes a long way whether it’s public, corporate or private golf and Thistle is renowned for such qualities, which will come in handy in the years ahead.

For one thing, the previous situation at Coppinwood illustrates what is going on at many private clubs in Canada and the United States, with declining memberships.

“I think it has been the issue in Canada and the States,” said Thistle. “I think that, now that the economy seems to be coming back, people are actually joining clubs again and not just this club. Read more

Thistle Moves to Coppinwood

Whether it’s through longevity or quality of work, sometimes it’s natural to associate a person with the place that has employed him or her.

In the case of Kevin Thistle, it was for both reasons that he became a familiar face and voice at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Thistle announced yesterday that he had resigned as president of Angus Glen to become general manager of Coppinwood in nearby Uxbridge.

Cailey Stollery, daughter of Angus Glen owner Gordon Stollery, will serve as Angus Glen president in the interim. All of the Stollery family will have a place in his heart, according to Thistle.

“I could go on for hours about how much I love Angus Glen,” said Thistle, 46, whose home touches on to that golf course. “Gordon Stollery has been unbelievable to me. Cailey Stollery, the staff at Angus, it’s like family. I was a kid when I joined Angus Glen. My two boys were born there and raised there.

“It’s a very emotional decision. I let Gordon know and I broke down,” said Thistle, who first joined Angus Glen in 1993 as head professional and moved to director of golf, general manager, vice president and president.

“I thanked (Stollery) for helping me grow into the golf pro and the golf marketer that I am and for helping me every step of the way, for helping my family. I have a wonderful life, I have a wonderful family and Angus Glen was a huge part of that,” he said.

During Thistle’s stay, Angus Glen hosted the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Opens, the 2001 Canadian Women’s Open and the 2001 Skins Game. Angus Glen also opened a new North Course after the original South Course opened in 1995 and received several honours from national and international publications.

Thistle’s promotional skills played an important role in Angus Glen becoming one of the most popular high end facilities in the Toronto areas, known particularly for drawing corporate tournaments and events through not only its golf product, but also its customer service.

The challenge at Coppinwood will be in stark contrast to his experience at Angus Glen. Coppinwood recently went through an ownership change after financial difficulties and is now owned by a group of members. It’s believed that Thistle will get some equity in Coppinwood as part of his deal.

His focus will now be on recruiting new members to the private facility, a Tom Fazio design that is three years old.

“I think, with the restructuring, they’re in a great position to attract members now. It’s a great golf course, a great facility,” he said, admitting that the cost of membership has dropped significantly with the new group of owners, but he says his enthusiasm goes beyond price.

“The new ownership group has said, `Hey, we’re committed to this long term and we want to build a great place.’

“The culture there is unbelievable. I’ve played in the member-guest the last couple of years there. I know 30-40 members personally and it’s just a wonderful group, it’s an exciting group. They’re just a bunch of dynamic people who love golf,” said Thistle.

“To me, we’re writing a new chapter. Coppinwood is a blank canvas right now.”

Promotion is All About People

A conversation with Kevin Thistle will have you swearing off coffee, for he is a fast-paced, handshaking, smiling bundle of energy, which has worked big time for him over the years as he has moved from head pro to personable president of Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. since first being hired in late 1993.

Those who don’t know him that well would say that Thistle is a natural born salesman. Those who do know him well would agree, but stress that he’s genuine, someone who would stop and talk to about anybody, not because they can do him a favour, but because he’s a people person.

That’s really what promotion is all about, according to Thistle, who touched on that topic with groups of Professional Golf Management students at Humber and Georgian Colleges in Southern Ontario recently.

“We’re using the word promote and I agree, but I said to them in maybe a couple of different words, it’s all about relationships. It’s getting out there and getting to know everybody and you’re not just promoting yourself, but you’re promoting your golf course,” said Thistle, who recalls the early years of his career. Read more