Page 28 - GBC Fall 2022 Eng

By way of background, Leonard was in school for Journalism when he put it on hold to take care of his ailing mother, who tragically passed, leaving Leonard, at age 23, to take over ownership of Hammond G&CC and operate the family business. His grandfa- ther had built it in the late 70’s on property that had been in the family since 1884. He credits an amazing team, already in place, who helped him navigate the business and doesn’t know where he would be without their support those first few years.
Leonard wanted to do more than just “run” or keep up the family business and questioned what his legacy would be and how his imprint on the earth would be remembered. He wanted something more than a golf course with golf, tourna- ments, and the odd Food and Beverage event to make the
business profitable. He always had bigger, “outside the box” ideas. Supporting Len, who is openly gay, is not only his partner Sebastian, but also his business partners Brad, Aaron, and Stephane, along with an amazing management team and staff.
In 2019, Leonard was approached by Aaron, co-owner of Broken Stick Brewing Company, who was looking for a location change out ofthecity.They,alongwiththeotherco-ownerStephane,collaborated on the idea to build a fully functional brewery right in the clubhouse which would provide specialized, and exclusive, draft inhouse, and canned beer for the facility and to sell to the local community or golfers heading home.
The Brewery drastically changed the atmosphere of the standard 19th hole restaurant into a must visit place to enjoy unique beer brands and to dine for the golfers and locals alike, 12 months of the year. They took it one step further and use different botanicals and ingredi- ents directly from the 200-acre property to create their unique flavours, including spruce tips, sumac, hops and wild berries which is expanding as they start their own Edible Garden project. Some of the creative beers I stumbled upon were Smell the Flowers bière de table, Question- able Caddie blonde ale, a 9.8% Belgian Golden Strong Ale and their Happy To Be Here Cream Ale that recently won an Award at the Ontario Brewing Awards.
“The great part about all of this, is that these projects and ideas are from a group of likeminded people who I’ve been lucky enough to work and partner with. Some are my ideas, and some aren’t, but that’s what has enabled us to grow and diversify ourselves to offer a unique experience,” says Leonard.
28 Golf Business Canada