GolfNorth Properties Inc.

Explore Your Game

Golf is a game for a lifetime. What other game allows players of different skill levels, of different generations, or wildly different amounts of experience to get out together and enjoy a day in nature? All while playing a game that can be as serious, or as frivolous as you want it to be. There are health benefits too—studies show that golfers live longer, are healthier, and have a higher quality of life.

GolfNorth is all about golfers serving golfers. Founded in 1994, GolfNorth Properties was created with the vision of providing golfers like us, with more options to explore all the endless facets of the greatest game on earth. Whatever your budget. Whatever style of course appeals to you. GolfNorth has the perfect place, for your perfect round.

Whether you play every day, are a weekend warrior, or only dust off the clubs once a year for the annual tournament—GolfNorth has a membership or green fee program that will fulfill your golfing desires. It’s all about fun—you tell us what you’re looking for, and we’ve got the golfing experience for you. And if you aren’t sure what you want, we’d be happy to make some suggestions. Our goal is to provide you with the greatest experience in daily green fee play, golf memberships, tournaments, banquets, weddings or corporate functions—we love golf, and we want you to love it too.

If you need some help with your game, the GolfNorth Academy has instructors who can take you to whatever level you wish to rise to. And if you’re looking for a golf getaway with friends or family—well we have some options for you there too.

If you already love golf as much as we do, or just think that you might want to give it a try, and you can’t find what you’re looking for on this website—contact us, and our Concierge Service will be happy to help you. Every day is a great day at GolfNorth.

Meet The Team

President & CEO

Shawn was appointed as the President, CEO, and General Counsel of GolfNorth Properties Inc. in November 2010. Prior to that time, Shawn held a variety of positions since joining GolfNorth in 2003; the most recent being the position of Executive Vice-President and General Counsel. Shawn’s corporate and commercial experience includes some of the largest acquisitions and dispositions of insurance brokerages in the country. 

Shawn has a B.A. from Carleton University, an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario along with a Master of Laws in Banking & Finance from Osgoode Hall Law School. Shawn is also a former part-time professor of law at Conestoga College, located in Kitchener, Ontario. When not playing hockey during his spare time, Shawn enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, including skiing, golfing, fishing, and hunting.

Chief Operating Officer

Mike found his passion for golf at an early age while working his way up through the ranks in various facets of the business from off course retail and golf equipment manufacturing to golf course management. Even though Mike graduated from Conestoga College with a Mechanical Engineering Technology Diploma, he continued to pursue his love of golf.

Mike joined GolfNorth in 1998 while he was the manager at Beaverdale Golf Club in Cambridge, which was GolfNorth’s third acquisition. From there he continued to build on his experience while developing a multi-course infrastructure for the company.

Mike was raised in the Hespeler part of Cambridge, Ontario and now lives with his wife Deb in Paris. Playing the game of golf will always be a priority for Mike along with travelling and spending time with family.

VP, Business Development

Mr. Turner is the Vice-President, Business Development for GolfNorth, overseeing GolfNorth’s business development strategy, corporate relationships and company-wide merchandise sales. Mr. Turner is a PGA Executive Professional and currently sits on the National TaylorMade Advisory Council and is a former
member of the WLU Golden Hawk golf coaching staff. Before joining the GolfNorth team in the fall of 2003 he was the Project Manager, Golf Professional and General Manager for Whistle Bear Golf Club.

He worked closely with the course and building architects; and made initial contacts and agreements to host the Nationwide Tour event in July 2004. He attended Faulkner State College and the University of South Alabama where he attained a Business Administration Degree while on a full athletic scholarship.
Mr. Turner has been a member of the PGA since 1994.

VP, Chief Agronomist

Doug took a summer job on a golf course grounds crew in the summer of 1986, got his first Superintendent position shortly thereafter, and has been with GolfNorth since 1998 (there were three courses in those days).  He graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours BSc in agriculture(OAC ’90) and would rather discuss turfgrass science and golf course design than do pretty much anything else. Additionally, he teaches personal and environmental pesticide safety to Ontario farmers,has served as a Municipal Councillor since 1997, coaches high school football, and plays guitar for a band called Safe As Milk.

VP, Corporate Controller & HR Director

Lynne has worked in the golf industry since 1997 and with GolfNorth since 2004.  She has been central to the development of GolfNorth’s Head Office functions (Payroll, Accounting, Budgeting), and is responsible for financial reporting, human resources, and accounting for all locations within the GolfNorth portfolio.  She holds an MBA from Athabasca University, a diploma in Human Resource Management, a Post Baccalaureate Diploma for Management, and was awarded CHRP and CHRL designations through the Human Resources Professionals Association of Canada.

Director, Marketing & Communications

Shelby has been with GolfNorth Properties since May 2012. She is an avid golfer and participates in many events during the season, including a ladies league. Shelby believes that golf (and any form of recreation) is the key to a healthy and happy life. With a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management, majoring in Recreation from Vancouver Island University, a Marketing Designation from the Canadian Marketing Association and an Event Management Post Graduation Certificate from Niagara College — this job was made for her. She is currently pursuing her MBA from Gordon Lang School of Business (UofG) with the expectation of completion in the summer of 2023. Shelby is passionate about marketing, recreation, and business development and is extremely excited to be working with creative individuals to help communicate the benefits of recreation and golf!

Director, Information Technology

Tyler is part of the technology team at GolfNorth, where he helps build, implement and maintain many software applications. He holds a Global Business and Digital Arts degree from the University of Waterloo and is passionate about finding creative solutions to difficult problems. Tyler is constantly searching for better, more efficient ways of improving everyone’s daily work operations using technology. In his spare time you can find him on the golf course or  playing fetch with his puppy, Divot.

Executive & Legal Assistant

Jaclyn has been in the golf industry for 8 years now starting in the hospitality side at various private clubs while completing her undergraduate degree. She joined GolfNorth in 2018 starting in Tee Reservations, in 2019 she was promoted to Membership Coordinator and in 2022 she started her current position. Outside work you will find her going on hikes with her dog, spending time with friends and family, or shopping for home décor. She also loves wine, Taylor Swift, and the occasional golf game with her fiancé.

Payroll Administrator

Michelle joined GolfNorth in January 2023 and is happy to be working in the golf industry. She has worked in the fitness and construction industries for most of her career in various roles, including supervising two departments and specializing in the training of many company-wide projects. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys golf and baseball, with one of her life’s goals being attending games at every single Major League Baseball stadiums (her total is currently 7). 

Accounts Payable Administrator

Maradele has just celebrated her first year with GolfNorth in the Accounting department. She is a mom of 18-year-old twin boys and 3 fur babies. In her spare time, you can find her hiking with the dogs, watching her favourite sports team the Pittsburgh Steelers, or relaxing with family and friends. She also loves music, travel, and chasing her ball around GolfNorth’s great courses.

Senior Graphic Designer

Sara Nadalin began her career at GolfNorth back in early 2018 and is in charge of developing the visual brand identity for the company and all of its subsidiaries, as well as all front-end website design. Never having golfed before working for us, she has enjoyed learning the sport and is excited to get back on the greens with her husband each season. Outside of work, you can find her running around after her two toddlers, born in 2020 and 2021.

Marketing Coordinator

Dylan is a part of the marketing team at GolfNorth, where he helps bring together creative marketing strategies, technical execution of campaigns and an understanding of marketing analytics. He enjoys golfing, preferring early morning tee times to begin the day. Dylan has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing Major from the Lazaridis School of Business at Wilfrid Laurier University. Outside of GolfNorth, Dylan is a marketing consultant to local small businesses and in 2019, he and his wife Julianna started their own candle company in Waterloo, Julianna Candle Co.

Content Creator & Digital Marketing Assistant

Ty recently joined the GolfNorth Marketing department and is responsible for curating and creating content for all course pages. He is a photographer and videographer with 6+ years of experience, who is passionate about sports cinematography. Ty completed his undergraduate degree at the RTA School of Media at Ryerson University, and completed a graduate program at Seneca College in Sports Marketing. In his spare time, Ty enjoys watching sports, travelling and listening to music.

Membership & Travel Coordinator

Michelle is new to the golf world but brings years of customer service experience into her role with the GolfNorth team. She is a movie and theatre buff who often enjoys having a cold beer on a warm patio. Michelle is a graduate of the Radio Broadcasting program at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario.

Ecommerce Administrator

Paul has always known he wanted to work in the Golf Industry. He first joined GolfNorth after graduating in 2007 from the Niagara College Business Administration Professional Golf Management program where he worked at Burford Golf Links as a Pro Shop Associate. After leaving to work in the retail business, he returned to the GolfNorth team in January of 2022 with a deep retail background and is now responsible for operating the online retail store northernathletics.ca. In his free time, Paul enjoys golfing, snowboarding, and staying busy with his wife Mandy and their two boys at a beach, park or just hanging out in the backyard at home.

Tee Reservation Manager

Scott possesses extensive Hospitality & Retail industry experience—POS, IT, and Operations. He has used his skills at golf courses, retail establishments, pubs & restaurants, and software businesses. Scott’s academic background includes a B.A. and Diploma in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Scott was born in White Rock BC and has lived for many years in Waterloo ON. But always looks forward to traveling west whenever possible to visit family and friends, the ocean, and the many beautiful golf courses the province provides.

Leasing Your Golf Course to GolfNorth

If you are an owner, operator, a real estate agent or adviser representing an owner, operator or municipality, GolfNorth welcomes you to contact us to discuss the possibility of leasing your golf facility to GolfNorth. In today’s world of increasing operating costs, such as wages and maintenance equipment, not to mention tighter government regulation and the day-to-day challenges of operations, golf course owners are finding it more difficult every year to generate a reasonable return on their investment.

We work closely with interested parties with a view to successfully partnering with them to improve profitability while, at the same time, injecting capital to ensure the long-term improvement of their properties. GolfNorth’s lease solutions offer owners guaranteed minimum rent and relieves them of all operating concerns. If you are seeking the opportunity to lease your golf facility, we invite you to contact us!

In Ontario, GolfNorth currently leases Grey Silo Golf Course, Hornby Glen Golf Club, Ironwood Golf Club, Loch March Golf Club, Rebel Creek Golf Club, The Club at Bond Head, The Oaks of St. George Golf Club, and Uplands Golf & Ski Club. In British Columbia, GolfNorth leases MaraHills Golf Resort along with Shuswap Lake Golf Course. In Nova Scotia, GolfNorth leases the world-renowned Cape Breton Highlands and Keltic Lodge from Parks Canada. Current lease arrangements range from 5 to 42 years.

Why lease to GolfNorth?
  • Increased profit.
  • Elimination of operational headaches and concerns.
  • Increased free time to enjoy life or focus on other business interests.
  • Professional property and golf course management by the leading Canadian operator of semi-private/public golf facilities.
  • Owners continue to own 100% of their golf courses and property to allow them to fully participate in the property appreciation.

The question is not, “Why Lease to GolfNorth?”… The question is, “Why are you not already leasing to GolfNorth?”

Please contact us at: info@golfnorth.ca

Press

The Globe and Mail: Restoring glory to Cape Breton’s iconic Keltic Lodge (July 18th, 2016)

The Record: GolfNorth helps young players develop a love for the game (July 13th, 2016)