Page 18 - GBC summer English 2025

Shawn J. Hunter
Shawn has been a Regional Director with the NGCOA
Canada in both the Southwestern Ontario and Eastern
Ontario/Outaouais Chapters for the past 18 years, during
which time he has been actively engaged in a wide range of
members’ issues, including advocacy, sales, marketing, and
HR. Contact him at shunter@ngcoa.ca or 519.777.3098.
ELBOWS
UP!
At the 2025 NGCOA Canada -
Southwestern Ontario Chapter Spring
Warm Up, I led an open forum session
with our regional membership. A
consistent theme emerged: how can
facilities align with growing golfer
expectations to “Buy Canadian,”
given the current trade climate? This
article was inspired by that discussion,
and although Ontario-focused, these
insights apply to operators nationwide.
18
Golf Business Canada
As the 2025 golf season is now upon
us from coast to coast, one thing
is clear; Canadian consumers are
paying closer attention to where
their money goes. With growing
cross-border trade uncertainty and
a mounting grassroots movement
to “Buy Canadian,” golfers are
increasingly looking to support
homegrown brands. For golf
course operators, this presents both
a challenge and an opportunity:
how can you align your purchasing
decisions with consumer demand
while maintaining quality, afford-
ability, and operational efficiency?
The NGCOA Canada’s trusted
Golfmax partners, both Canadian
and international, remain
committed to providing you with
the best quality and value. While
the NGCOA Canada supports the
Buy Canadian movement, it is
also important to recognize that
some key Golfmax partners, like
Club Car, The Toro Company, and
Rain Bird – though headquartered
internationally, maintain long-
standing Canadian distribution
networks. These businesses employ
thousands of Canadian workers in
Canadian-based offices and play a
vital role in our supply chain and
the broader Canadian economy.
To make the shift toward
Canadian brands easier, NGCOA
Canada has compiled a list of
trusted Golfmax Suppliers that are
proudly Canadian, employing local
workers and contributing directly
to our economy. Please see the
detailed Golfmax list on page 24.
THE BUY CANADIAN
MOVEMENT
A recent Angus Reid Institute
study1 found that 85% of
Canadians have already replaced
or plan to replace U.S. products
with Canadian alternatives. While
much of this shift has been seen in
grocery aisles, the trend extends