Connor Averell - 2023 Class "A" Assistant Professional of the Year
Being employed as a Golf Professional in Canada can be a challenge, due to a shortened season from April to November.
Building your career in Collingwood, a small town north of Toronto with a population of just over 20,000 can be an even bigger one, with fewer opportunities year-round.
Connor Averell, Associate Professional at OslerBrook Golf and Country Club, realized that, and decided it was time to pursue an opportunity outside his comfort zone.
“I just felt like I needed to do more than just my full-time job”, says Averell.
Averell took on a position as Food and Beverage manager at Devil’s Glen in Duntroon, a local ski club, 15 minutes away from his home facility, which gave him the chance to gain skills that would easily transfer to his golf professional career.
Best of all, he continued to develop his portfolio all season.
“This role gave me the opportunity to work with department managers, lead a team, hiring/onboarding, payroll, and understand other parts of the business I wasn’t accustomed to”, says Averell. “It was truly a learning experience that I cherished”.
This past season, Averell continued his “out-of-the-box” thinking. This time, at his home club.
He created the inaugural OslerBrook Pro Member Event, a pinnacle opportunity on the course calendar, with 36 PGA of Ontario professionals teaming up with OslerBrook members for a day of camaraderie and fun.
An event that drew high praise from the membership.
“It was open to both men and women and everyone had a blast”, said Averell. “We have a big event (called the Men’s Ryder Cup) and this event captured a lot of excitement with so much good feedback”.
Averell alluded to the charity component of the event where professionals donated foursomes to their respective courses as an added value of engagement, and it ended up raising $4,375.00 for the Georgian Triangle Humane Society.
“I hope it left a lasting impression on the club”, added Averell.
He describes himself as a self-motivated individual and when it comes to his goals, he says he is highly competitive.
“I believe in surrounding yourself with people who push you to grow and become your best”, says Averell. “I am always looking to see what others are doing whether it's taking PGA of Canada courses, books, podcasts, or any type of professional development that I think will make me a better professional”.
He has set high expectations for himself with his long-term goal to become a Head Golf Professional or Director of Golf, but right now his focus is to continue to build his resume and help other Assistants believe, that with hard work comes success.
One of his short-term goals, to be recognized by his peers, came to fruition after being named the 2023 PGA of Ontario Class “A” Assistant Professional of the Year this past October.
“This award is something I had always hoped to be in the running for, and to win it is a bit surreal”, said Averell. “As I progress in the industry, I believe that will be great for my resume”.
Where is he planning to display the award?
“Once I’m in a position with my own office, I’ll display it proudly in there!”, said Averell.
If you are interested in contacting Connor, he can be reached at caverell@oslerbrook.com.
We will continue to highlight our 2023 PGA of Ontario Award winners throughout the off-season!
Please visit our PRO-FILES page on our website for more!