Phil Kavanagh

Head Golf Professional

Islington Golf Club, Ontario

The Ultimate Multi-Tasker

Most golf professionals are fortunate to have one great mentor in their business life.

Phil Kavanagh, head professional at venerable Islington Golf Club in Etobicoke, Ontario, has had three: Bob Kennedy, Edge Caravaggio and Trevor Fackrell.

After turning pro at age 21, he leaned on each mentor’s wisdom, and also used working at their clubs (Indian Wells in Burlington, Ont.; Trafalgar in Oakville, Ont.; and Burlington Golf Club in Burlington, Ont.) as stepping-stones to his own success.

“Each of these gentlemen was instrumental in my growth as a golf professional, and I still maintain close ties with each one,” he says.

Kavanagh’s first head pro job took him to Dundas Valley in Dundas, Ontario, and in 2002, he became the seventh head professional in Islington’s 86-year history.

History is important at Islington. The Stanley Thompson layout is a hidden gem in the west end of Toronto, a 6500 yard (back tees) course that is tougher than it looks – as competitors at the 2008 Men’s Ontario Amateur can attest.

Kavanagh thinks a club professional has to be a five-tool person: a businessman, an administrator, a teacher, a mentor, and a player.

At the end of fulfilling these roles at work, he focuses on his role as husband and dad and spends time with his wife, Judie, and their two boys, Jake and Zachary.

Kavanagh credits his dedicated staff for making his workday easier, and imparting the highest level of service to serve the membership is always the most important job, he says.

“A long time ago I was taught two great lessons: listen and treat people the way you would like to be treated,” he adds.

Kavanagh has been involved in selling TaylorMade as far back as the Pittsburgh Persimmon driver. TaylorMade adidas is the top selling manufacturer and a popular product line with his members, he says. “There’s no doubt the increase in my sales can be directly attributed to the improvement in quality, technology and style in the adidas shoe and clothing lines. And TaylorMade clubs have always been strong sellers.”

Kavanagh says he can always count on the aptly named sales representative, Mike Taylor, to make sure the shop carries the most current products and keep the shop on top of the latest trends.

His favourite hole at Islington?

The signature 11th, a 212-yard par 3. “It also happens to be the only hole at Islington where I’ve scored a hole-in-one.”

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