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GBC: How and when did you get into the golf business?
Jeff Calderwood:
My entry into golf was 1985, on the supplier side. After attending Carleton University, I worked in the soft drink, radio, and advertising industries for a few years. I had the entrepreneurial spirit and really enjoyed developing projects right from the beginning, so I started a small marketing agency and we built a decent client list that included several dozen golf courses.
Seven years later, one of those clients, Mark Seabrook, General Manager of Canadian Golf & Country Club, called to ask if I would be interest- ed in a management contract to do some group purchasing for a few golf courses in the Ottawa area. That initial seed of an idea evolved to become the NGCOA Canada that we have today.
GBC: You must have enjoyed that new manage- ment contract because you’re still at it 25 years later...
Jeff Calderwood:
I like a challenge and I am very driven to succeed. With the NGCOA Canada, both of those dynamics have been consistently in play every day since we started. It is not easy to build a not-for-profit trade association from scratch, without any initial capital to work with, and it’s not easy to manage one in today’s golf market.
Over the past 25 years, the personal relation- ships that I have developed, from coast to coast and around the world, have been wonderful. It’s golf after all! I have really enjoyed the entire experience.
Enjoying old and new memories with Mark Seabrook.
GBC: What would you say are your greatest strengths as a leader?
Jeff Calderwood:
I am probably more visionary than most, reaching for solutions that don’t already exist and are not always obvious. I have a knack for creativity that helps bring a good idea to life. I have also been told that I am a good communicator, which I think is critical for any CEO. Professionalism is on the list as well, which builds credibility and confidence. Hopefully, those strengths contribute to our brand and the culture within the NGCOA Canada.
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