Page 43 - GBC summer English 2025

Brian Schaal, the President, General
Manager & Executive PGA Professional
at Copper Point Golf Club.
He says the introduction to the
game at a young age can provide value
for kids on and off the course. “These
junior golfers will become members
someday, and some of them will
become staff members.”
A RIPPLE EFFECT IN THE
COMMUNITY
Copper Point’s impact on junior golf has
stretched into the community, playing
host to a high-school golf team on
Wednesdays and Fridays after school.
Schaal says the number of high-school
golfers participating has increased
year-over-year. “When we started
that program, we were having trouble
getting four kids to come out, and now
we usually have over 32 kids from the
school come to play, with 8-12 of them
being girls.”
Take A Kid To The Course provides
several incentives for parents looking
to introduce their kids to the game.
Schaal points to the uninterrupted
time that parents get to spend with
their children on the course away from
work and school, and the lessons kids
can take from golf into the rest of their
lives.
“One of the biggest incentives of
the program is creating an opportunity
for parents and kids to spend time
together away from work and school,
away from technology. Kids get the
chance to learn the game, learn the
rules and etiquette, and learn how to
respect the course and the equipment. I
love seeing a junior taking their hat off
and shaking hands with their playing
partners on the first tee.”
Schaal says offering this program
reaches far beyond the financial
incentives of a free green fee for
juniors. He says providing access for
kids to play offers so much more in
return.
“Look after the community and
the community will look after you. We
do not look at the program as simply
giving away a free green fee. If we did
not run this program, families would
not come here at all. Families come and
play golf here because of this program.
It is not just about offering free golf. We
are creating more revenue through this
program because these families drive
food and beverage revenue, as well
as merchandise and equipment sales.
It’s a win-win situation for us and the
parents.”
“You never know where this
can lead to, for a kid,” says Schaal.
“Someone who participated in the
program could go and play golf on a
scholarship somewhere one day, or even
play professionally on the PGA Tour or
LPGA Tour.”
CREATING A SUSTAINABLE
FUTURE FOR GOLF
Another area that Take A Kid To The
Course has helped contribute to is the
growth and sustainability of the game
for the future through the introduction
of new golfers.
“Now is the time to bring in new
golfers to maintain the amount of people
playing the game, not when the golf
courses are empty. We need to secure
the future of golf for the next 10, 20 and
even 50 years”
For courses that have not
implemented Take A Kid To The Course
into their junior golf programming,
Schaal believes that every facility can
find the time and space to bring more
juniors to the course.
“Some courses are going to say
that they are booked solid and that they
do not have room for this. We all have
room for this. Whether it is afternoons
or evenings after school, it does not
have to be 9 or 18 holes. Give them one
hole, or two or three holes to go out
and give golf a try. We all have space to
implement a program like this.”
REGISTER TODAY
Facility registration for the 2025
Take A Kid to the course program is
open now. NGCOA Canada Members
can register for free at www.ngcoa.ca
or by contacting Luke McGrath at
lmcgrath@ngcoa.ca.
Fearless Paloma
2 oz. Mezcal
½ oz. fresh lime juice
¼ oz. Simple Syrup
Fennmans Rose Lemonade
Lemon wedge
Add the Mezcal, Lime juice and simple
Add the Mezcal, Lime juice and simple
syrup into a glass filled with ice and ssr.
Top with Fennmans Rose Lemonade.
Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Golf Business Canada 43Members’ Clubhouse