Let's Play Golf!

Let's Play Golf!

I'm passionate about golf. I'm also passionate about doing stuff on the Internet. So why it's taken me this long to combine the two, I'm not quite sure.

In the last couple years I haven't played nearly as much golf as I would have liked to, but I'm making an effort to dive back into it.

My first exposure to the game was at age 4 when my Dad Randy started working as the General Manager of the Emerald Park Golf and Country Club just outside of Regina. He did a bunch of other stuff in his role as GM like selling residential lots and managing a bunch of other properties, but the golf course side was the part I liked. I got to hang out in the pro shop, hit balls at the driving range, and chip and putt all day long.

By the time I was 12 years old I was spending so much time at the course that my Dad decided to put me to work. I took a couple shifts every week working in the back shop – picking range balls and stuff like that. I remember my first paycheque for $93, it was huge.

It was about that time that I started playing competitively on the Saskatchewan Junior Golf Tour. I won a few one day tournaments, but nothing too major. Having said that, I have competed in a bunch of provincial and national tournaments and I think those experiences have really helped me understand the game.

When I was 16 my family picked up and moved to the other side of Regina, where my Dad was involved in the start up of Deer Valley Golf and Estates. I worked in the golf shop there for a few years where I really got to know a few things about all the different golf products out there. The only problem was that I was starting to work full time in the summer and got frustrated playing a much harder Deer Valley Golf Course. The confidence I had in my golf game dwindled and the scores I was shooting really showed it. Don’t let anyone tell you that golf isn’t mental. I went from applying to university golf programs in the U.S. to almost giving up the game. It just wasn’t much fun anymore.

That’s when I decided I needed a bit of a change of scenery. I headed out west to work at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course just outside of Calgary, Alberta. I met a bunch of great people (including my wife) and spent two of the best summers of my life there. In the process I learned a ton about the golf industry from one of the most successful operations anywhere in the world. I also learned how to enjoy the game again. Everyone was just pumped about playing golf every day, so we practiced and played all the time.

I realized that it didn’t matter if I shot 83 or 73 as long as I was trying to improve, but more importantly, as long as I was having fun. Now just about all of the golf I play is with my wife or with my family.

Luckily my whole family loves to play, with my younger brother Luc being the most successful (he just transfered to Minot State University golf team after spending a year red shirting at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix).

Long story short, I love golf and I hope to use this blog as a chance to spread that love around a bit. I'll use it to post golf course reviews mostly, but I'll also post about all other things golf. I'll try to use a good balance of text, photos, and video. Hopefully it's enjoyable for you, as I know it will be for me.

Hit it well.

Sean Stefan

LetsPlayGolf.ca