Birthdate:
Shortly after I got those clubs, I left my job as a reporter and editor for The Canadian Press in Toronto to become managing editor of Score Golf Magazine in 1985. I wasn't much of a golfer back then, but apparently I was a hell of a writer and editor.
In 1991, the Royal Canadian Golf Association recruited me to create their Member Services and Communications departments, and to revive Golf Canada magazine, their national members' magazine which had been defunct for a decade. After successfully re-launching Golf Canada and serving as its inaugural editor, I was named executive director of the Ontario Golf Association. That "administration aberration" ended when I returned to fulltime writing in 1995. My wife, two kids (now three) and I moved to Midland, Ontario, on the shores of Georgian Bay.
From its founding in 1998 until its editorial reorientation away from sports in 2001, I was the golf columnist for the National Post, one of Canada's two national daily newspapers, after writing golf for the Toronto Sun.
When the National Post decided to decimate its sports department, Rogers Sportsnet was kind enough to offer me the position of on-air golf analyst and golf columnist for www.sportsnet.ca. I had some television experience, having provided commentary for The Golf Channel, TSN, Global TV, and Headline Sports/The Score.
I spent most of 2007 and part of 2008 as editor in chief of eMedia, an Internet company that was trying to develop several websites including GolfCourses.com and Hockey.com. Although the attempt was not successful, it provided me with tremendous insight into the online world.
A couple of years ago, I finished my eighth book, the fourth volume of The Great Golf Courses of Canada series. Over the past 15 years or so, I've written those books, plus The Grand Old Game: A Century of Golf in Canada (commissioned by the Royal Canadian Golf Association to celebrate its centennial), The Great Golf Courses of America, The Pro Golf Scouting Report, and The Kids' Book of Golf. I'm proudest of the last one, because that's the one my son and two daughters helped me write.
Aside from that, there have been other highlights, ones that I think helped develop the game of golf in Canada. I was the organizer and chairman of the Canadian Golf Summit, moderator of the Golf Development Seminars in British Columbia, initiated and chaired the International Golf Business Conferences held in Ontario, and chaired the 2002 National Golf Course Owners Association conference. I helped found the Georgian College Professional Golf Management Program in Barrie, Ontario, and was the program's communications instructor for two years.
I've spoken on golf in Canada, the United States and Scotland. A member of the course-ranking panel for Golf Digest magazine, I've been fortunate enough to play more than 500 courses around the world. I've written literally hundreds of articles on golf for magazines, newspapers and trade publications across North America.
Along the way, I've managed somehow to win a few awards, like the National Newspaper Award when I was with The Canadian Press, and two outstanding achievement awards from the International Network of Golf. I also served as chief judge in the sports-writing category of the National Newspaper Awards.
In 2000, I won the media division of the Hassan II tournament in Morocco and received a massive memento that looks like the grille off a 1956 Buick Roadmaster. I've got a couple of other pieces of hardware like the Lake Jovita opening pro-am and our club's match-play championship a couple of years ago.
But the trophy I am proudest of is a tiny silver tee, the George Knudson award, given to me by the late Peter Gzowski for helping him with his charity tournament in support of literacy.
May 23, 1952
First media job:Reporter, Atikokan (Ont.) Progress, 1977
Career highlight:1979 National Newspaper Award, making Score Golf Magazine all Canadian in content, organizing 1989 Canadian Golf Summit, reviving Golf Canada magazine, writing eight books, masquerading as a television golf analyst.
Special interests/hobbies:Golf, cooking, watching my family play hockey and basketball.
Bio: Bio in John's own words: The golf world can blame an ACL injury back in the early 1980s for my appearance. Basketball had been my life until my battered knee finally blew up. My fiancée's parents got so sick of my moaning about not being able to play competitive sports that they gave us golf clubs.Shortly after I got those clubs, I left my job as a reporter and editor for The Canadian Press in Toronto to become managing editor of Score Golf Magazine in 1985. I wasn't much of a golfer back then, but apparently I was a hell of a writer and editor.
In 1991, the Royal Canadian Golf Association recruited me to create their Member Services and Communications departments, and to revive Golf Canada magazine, their national members' magazine which had been defunct for a decade. After successfully re-launching Golf Canada and serving as its inaugural editor, I was named executive director of the Ontario Golf Association. That "administration aberration" ended when I returned to fulltime writing in 1995. My wife, two kids (now three) and I moved to Midland, Ontario, on the shores of Georgian Bay.
From its founding in 1998 until its editorial reorientation away from sports in 2001, I was the golf columnist for the National Post, one of Canada's two national daily newspapers, after writing golf for the Toronto Sun.
When the National Post decided to decimate its sports department, Rogers Sportsnet was kind enough to offer me the position of on-air golf analyst and golf columnist for www.sportsnet.ca. I had some television experience, having provided commentary for The Golf Channel, TSN, Global TV, and Headline Sports/The Score.
I spent most of 2007 and part of 2008 as editor in chief of eMedia, an Internet company that was trying to develop several websites including GolfCourses.com and Hockey.com. Although the attempt was not successful, it provided me with tremendous insight into the online world.
A couple of years ago, I finished my eighth book, the fourth volume of The Great Golf Courses of Canada series. Over the past 15 years or so, I've written those books, plus The Grand Old Game: A Century of Golf in Canada (commissioned by the Royal Canadian Golf Association to celebrate its centennial), The Great Golf Courses of America, The Pro Golf Scouting Report, and The Kids' Book of Golf. I'm proudest of the last one, because that's the one my son and two daughters helped me write.
Aside from that, there have been other highlights, ones that I think helped develop the game of golf in Canada. I was the organizer and chairman of the Canadian Golf Summit, moderator of the Golf Development Seminars in British Columbia, initiated and chaired the International Golf Business Conferences held in Ontario, and chaired the 2002 National Golf Course Owners Association conference. I helped found the Georgian College Professional Golf Management Program in Barrie, Ontario, and was the program's communications instructor for two years.
I've spoken on golf in Canada, the United States and Scotland. A member of the course-ranking panel for Golf Digest magazine, I've been fortunate enough to play more than 500 courses around the world. I've written literally hundreds of articles on golf for magazines, newspapers and trade publications across North America.
Along the way, I've managed somehow to win a few awards, like the National Newspaper Award when I was with The Canadian Press, and two outstanding achievement awards from the International Network of Golf. I also served as chief judge in the sports-writing category of the National Newspaper Awards.
In 2000, I won the media division of the Hassan II tournament in Morocco and received a massive memento that looks like the grille off a 1956 Buick Roadmaster. I've got a couple of other pieces of hardware like the Lake Jovita opening pro-am and our club's match-play championship a couple of years ago.
But the trophy I am proudest of is a tiny silver tee, the George Knudson award, given to me by the late Peter Gzowski for helping him with his charity tournament in support of literacy.