BAC K N I N E ◗ MARC COUSINEAU
Of The People, For The People CGSA member and WOGSA President John Taylor loves turfgrass, connecting with colleagues ◗ It was more than 20 years ago that the idea for a Canadian golf course manager’s hockey tournament was born on a napkin. “I was playing golf one day with a Scott Dodson, the superintendent at Park Country Club in Buffalo, and we were avid hockey players. So we were talking after the round and we were saying that with so many guys in the industry who play hockey, we should organize a tournament. We drew it up on a napkin and ran it that same year,” says John Taylor, one of the main organizers of the annual event. “We always like to remember that first year,” says Taylor, the superintendent at Grand Niagara Golf Club, “because it was in January and there was a horrible ice storm that day. The first game was at 8 am and all the players showed up at 7 am, ready to play. That’s when we knew we had something that might work.” It’s been two decades since that first tournament and it’s still going strong, just one more part of Taylor’s amazing trackrecord of excellence and dedication on and off the golf course. Taylor, a 30-year CGSA member, started his career as a superintendent when he was 19-years-old, a time when most people are still figuring out what career path is right for them. Taking over the management of a golf course and an entire team at such a young age left Taylor with no room for boredom. “We learned off the seat of our pants,” says Taylor, describing his early days at Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club. “I failed at a lot of thing and got right back up and tried them again and kept rolling. It was quite a learning experience and quite a learning curve to face, but it all worked out for the best.”
Taylor spent 18 years at Twenty Valley before taking the superintendent position at Hunters Pointe Golf Course in Welland. After eight years at Hunters Pointe, Taylor ended up at Grand Niagara, where he’s been since 2008. Taylor has had many proud moments in the last 30-plus years as a superintendent, including helping to rebuild the clubhouse and install a brand new irrigation system at Twenty Valley, and taking over at Hunters Pointe, which was a newly-opened course at the time. But some of Taylor’s most fulfilling moments have come away from the greens and fairways of his course. Taylor, the president of the Western Ontario Golf Superintendents Association and a former president of the Ontario Golf Superintendents Association, says his participation in industry groups has been well worth the investment. “One of the biggest things I’ve ever gotten from being a member of an association is the networking,” says Taylor. “I’ve met many great people from associations that I still call friends today. Of all the things I’ve done over the years, that’s what I value the most, the contacts I’ve made and the people I can call when I need help and who will come out of the woodwork to do so.” Taylor is always striving to keep up this tradition of connectedness as president of the WOGSA. “We run a very low-key organization… and our big goal is to get people together. I always say that you can learn a lot by just sitting around with a bunch of people, having a beer.” With a golf course to manage and plenty of extracurricular activities to keep
“The first game was at 8 am and all the players showed up at 7 am, ready to play. That’s when we knew we had something that might work.” John Taylor
JOHN TAYLOR, SECOND FROM LEFT, AFTER A ROUND AT PARK COUNTRY CLUB IN BUFFALO.
Taylor busy, it may seem unbelievable that he can fit any more on his plate. But he can. The veteran superintendent spends time each week passing on his love of golf courses to the next generation of enthusiasts as an instructor at Niagara College. Taylor has taught golf course architecture for 10 years at the school and says it’s an experience unlike any other. “It’s been thoroughly enjoyable to help the students,” says Taylor. “It’s a totally different experience than what you do at work and I really like doing it. Hopefully at the end of the day the students get something out of it too.” Although Taylor can’t tell what lays ahead for him, one thing is certain; his passion will always reside in his profession and the people who make it special. “At the end of the day, being a superintendent…is a tough habit to break,” says Taylor. “I don’t know what the future holds…but I’m sure I’ll always be involved somehow. Hopefully I can keep giving back and having fun with my fellow supers.” GM
JULY/AUGUST 2014 | GreenMaster 37