Page 26 - GBC summer 2016

With a community partner like Canadian Tire, whose national ‘Jumpstart’ program has given kids across the country the chance to access sports opportunities they may not have been able to, plus a committed and focused management group, the success story of the junior clubhouse is one that will shine brightly for years to come.
THE TOWN
Perth Golf Course is unique insofar as it is located in the middle of the town’s downtown core. With a population of less than 6,000, Perth has a strong community feel to it, and golf is right at the centre of it.
The course is one of Canada’s oldest and it has long been a pillar in the community. An opportunity like this for the next generation of golfers – and citizens – of the quaint historical town about an hour from Ottawa was something too good to pass up.
“If I walked out the back door of the clubhouse at 2:20 p.m., I’d hear the bell go off at the school and you could literally count down the time before the skateboards came down the path and the bikes came along behind them. There they were, every day,” explains former Director of Golf at Perth, James Paterson.
Paterson, who is an industry veteran in the Ottawa area, enjoyed leading Perth through its 125th anniversary celebrations and helped support the development of the junior clubhouse from a golf course perspective throughout the year.
He is a key member of the Thunderbird Management Services Inc. (TMSI) team that oversees a number of golf courses in the Ottawa area, including Perth. In fact, TMSI is the largest golf-course operator in the National Capital Region, and they’ve found great success at Perth.
“Perth was a really strong addition to our ever-growing roster of clubs,” explains vice president of TMSI, Rob Knights. “It’s historical, it’s beautiful, and it’s doing great things for the future of golf like the junior clubhouse. We couldn’t be happier with our working relationship.”
“With 60 kids using the golf course, golf inherently has some good things that can help develop kids
and their ability to interact with people.”
Paterson says the junior club- house was a key addition to the club because it allowed the junior members to feel like members of the Club. It also kept youngsters away from any of the late-afternoon banter that could come up from some of the older members after a few drinks in the sun.
“They didn’t even want to be part of that everyday conversation or near that everyday clubhouse area,” he says. “They relished having their own spot that wasn’t available to everyone.”
THE ClUBHOUsE
In years past, a junior membership plus club storage and driving range access was around $900. For many families in the Perth area, where the median income is $27,935 according to online data, it was difficult for them to sign children up for golf.
26 Golf Business Canada