Grey Bruce Golf News

New Manager

Customer service focus at Owen Sound club

The primary focus at Owen Sound Golf and Country Club this season will be on customer service, says new general manager and chief operating officer Bob Pryor. The former clubhouse manager at Hamilton Golf and Country Club plans to start by introducing orientation sessions for all employees so they are given enough information to handle basic customer questions about the club. "The staff will be empowered to make our customers happy," Pryor said. This "Disney World" approach to service means, among other things, an end to preferred parking spots for senior staff, opening up places closer to the golf course for members and guests. The 47-year-old Pryor, who began his duties March 25, also plans to develop a strong junior golf program, find ways to make women more comfortable at the club and establish closer ties with the community. His ideas for community involvement include contacting schools or community groups about building birdhouses on the golf course and holding a large family barbecue event next year for members and the public which would include a fireworks display. Pryor has 22 years experience in the golf business - all of it at Hamilton GC&C - and served 15 years as the clubhouse manager there. He has also been involved in numerous high-profile events in Hamilton, including the 2003 Canadian Open and the 1996 Du Maurier Championship, a PGA Senior Tour event. He also was a member of the organizing committees for President's Invitational events in 1986 and 1994. These events featured many of the top PGA Tour players of the time playing in a Pro-Am-style event organized by the main sponsor of the Canadian Open to entice players to play in the Open, which was held a few days later. Pryor recalls the 1986 event had a "Hall of Fame" lineup that included Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Johnny Miller. His fondest memory of his time in Hamilton was when he received an Eskimo carving with his name engraved on it for "going above and beyond the call of duty" during the 1996 Du Maurier Seniors event. The carving came from the president of DuMaurier, who apparently heard about Pryor tracking down 6 bottles of the hard-to-find Johnny Walker Blue Label scotch in response to a request from Senior Tour player Chi Chi Rodriguez. He also has fond memories of sharing a drink with Brad Faxon in the locker room after Faxon missed a 4 ½-foot birdie putt during a playoff and ending up losing the 2003 Canadian Open to Bob Tway. "He was one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet," he said. While he has met many famous golfers and other celebrities through his work at the prestigious Hamilton club, his biggest brush with celebrity came during the 1997 Juno Awards. Show host Jann Arden picked him out of the crowd, led him to a stool set up near the audience and sang a parody of her hit "Insensitive" to him. And while the cameras rolled, giving him two-minutes of national TV time, all he could think about was "don't pass out." Coming to Owen Sound after living most of his life in a big city is a realization of a dream both he and his wife share. "We wanted to get out of the rat race. This (Owen Sound) is what we always aspired to," he said. He has two step-daughters and three dogs and is in the process of relocating his family to the area. He takes over from Paul Smith, who left the position in February after 26 years at the club.