Page 10 - GM Summer flipbook 2024

uCOVER STORYuTHE CGSA WELCOMES JOHN MCLINDEN, AGS, CGSA PRESIDENT
The school of important as
John has been making an ice rink in front of his house for the last As a lifelong KISS fan, John and his family excitedly attended a concert seven years. Pictured is John flooding the rink on a cool, sunny day. a few years ago. Pictured (left to right) is John’s wife Stephanie, daugh-
The CGSA is pleased to announce
that John McLinden, AGS, will serve as the 56th President of the CGSA. We step into John’s world for a moment, as he shares his thoughts on our association and his strategic vision; how he started in the turf industry; and how we can benefit from his immense experience over the years.
Like most people in our industry, the appeal of working outdoors helped shape John’s decision of wanting to work on a golf course. At the age of seventeen, John got his first job at an executive golf course called Don Mills Golf Centre and he was hooked. For three summers, he
biked to work every day and began to learn about maintaining a golf course. He then moved on to the Emerald Hills Golf Club where he spent another three seasons on the maintenance crew.
In 1990, John accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent at the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto, when his late friend John Stein, the Superintendent at that time, offered him the job. The two had become close friends a couple of years earlier when they met while playing hockey. When the Assistant’s position became available, John Stein contacted only one person and that person was John McLinden. McLinden
fondly remembers, “That he learned very quickly that no matter how much schooling anyone has, the school of life is just as important as any textbook when learning and progressing as a Golf Course Superintendent”.
Stein taught John that hands-on experience and knowing your property like the back of your hand will make you a successful Superintendent.Johnusesthatadvice today when mentoring new turf enthusiasts and further explains to themthatthereisalotofcommitment and loyalty required in the turf profession. He encourages individuals to “ask questions”, to “not be afraid to
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ters Abigail and Avery, and himself.