PRO-FILE: Steve Bryant
2024 CLUB PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
“When someone new starts, I want to know where they see themselves in five or ten years,”
“Then I ask, how can I help you get there?”
Steve Bryant didn’t grow up on the golf course, and he certainly wasn’t planning on making a career out of it. In fact, golf wasn’t even part of the picture until his late teens. Like many kids, he bounced between sports.
His father, who is South African, was unfamiliar with the classic Canadian sport of ice hockey but still gave it a try with Steve. His parents quickly realized how expensive hockey could be, so they bought him a pair of basketball shoes and signed him up for the YMCA weekend league instead. He also played soccer in the summers, as both were more affordable sports at the time.
This changed when he was 17, after a few friends invited him out to a local golf course in Oakville. He borrowed clubs from a friend, lost most of his golf balls, and struggled through the round like any first-timer would. Still, something about the game pulled him in.
“I absolutely fell in love with it right from the start,” he recalls. “It was challenging, but it was fun, social, and you were outside with your friends. I got hooked quickly.”
Golf came naturally to Steve, and as his passion grew, so did the realization that if he wanted to play more, he would need to find work at a golf course.
This was during the recession, when jobs weren’t easy to come by, but Steve applied everywhere he could. Eventually, Terry McGee at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club gave him his first opportunity on the grounds crew. That summer job would quietly lay the foundation for a lifelong career.
Funny enough, on that same crew were both Steve’s current Superintendent and his past Superintendent at Cutten Fields.
These PRO-FILE interviews have demonstrated that the golf industry truly is the epitome of “it’s such a small world.”
As part of the grounds crew at Mississaugua GCC, mornings started early, and evenings often ended on the range or course.
“It was basically get up at 5:00 AM, go to work for 6:00 AM. We'd hang around after we finished at 2:30PM until 4:00PM, so that we could play. We went to the range, and played almost every day. So I got quite good at it, but I never had the intention of getting into golf as a career.”
Steve went on to study psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University, with aspirations of becoming a sports psychologist or physical education teacher.
“I thought being a phys Ed teacher was like the greatest job ever because you just play sports all day. So that was kind of the intention.”
It was a family friend who first suggested he consider golf as a career; a thought that had never really crossed his mind. After university, that idea stuck. He applied once again to pro shop roles and landed a position at Glendale Golf Club under Ian Clarke, a mentor who would shape his professional journey for years to come.
“Ian really looked after us,” Bryant says. “He taught me not just about golf operations, but about leadership, and how to build people. Who you learn from matters.”
From there, Bryant’s career progressed steadily through assistant professional roles, program development, teaching innovation, and eventually leadership positions. Today, he is the Director of Golf at Cutten Fields, where he will enter his 15th season in 2026, and was honoured last year as the 2024 PGA of Ontario Club Professional of the Year. He was also awarded the PGA of Ontario Retailer of the Year and the Pat Fletcher PGA of Canada Retailer of the Year in 2019.
Yet despite the accolades, Bryant remains grounded in what matters to him most: people.
A value that guides Bryant is attention to detail and his belief in doing things properly, not just adequately. Whether it’s the presentation of the pro shop, the execution of an event, or the atmosphere created for members and staff, nothing is approached with a “bare minimum” mindset.
“Attention to detail shows you care,” he says. “It leaves a lasting impression.”
This philosophy extends far beyond golf and his professional career. It influences how he treats relationships, leads his team, and shows up as a husband and father. Bryant takes immense pride in his family – his three children, his wife (who also works in the golf industry) and the life they continue to build together.
“Work hard, take pride in what you do, and ask for help when you need it,” he says. “I try to instill this in my youngest one. Like when we go to hockey, I say to him all the time, I just want you to try as hard as you can. I don't care how many goals you score, it makes no difference. But get out there and give it your best, the success will come.”
Some of Bryant’s proudest achievements have come not through titles, but through problem-solving and innovation. Early in his career, he worked for Jason Wyatt at Sunningdale for five years as an assistant. He helped pioneer an indoor winter program so that professional staff could continue teaching year-round instead of being laid off. With little more than nets, mats, and determination, the first winter program launched, and it still runs today.
Later, at Cutten Fields, he introduced a sim-based indoor facility with one key goal in mind: protecting staff employment and professional stability.
“I didn’t want our assistants laid off every winter,” he explains. “It’s not good for them, and it’s not good for the club.”
That same mindset led him to develop what began as a modest online pro shop, originally designed as a simple marketing tool so members could easily browse inventory during the off-season. Today, that platform has grown into a significant revenue stream and a true passion of Steve’s.
“If I didn’t own the shop, I probably wouldn’t have taken it on,” he admits, since it is a lot of work. “But it’s become something I’m really proud of.”
Bryant believes great leadership starts with understanding what motivates people and helping them chart a path toward their own goals.
“When someone new starts, I want to know where they see themselves in five or ten years,” he says. “Then I ask, how can I help you get there?”
Several professionals who once worked under Bryant have gone on to become head professionals themselves, something he considers one of his greatest achievements.
His leadership philosophy traces back to his early years under Hall of Famer Ian Clarke, who mentored a generation of successful professionals. Bryant sees it as his responsibility to carry that legacy forward.
“You don’t build this industry alone,” he says. “You build it by lifting others.”
Steve was one of six or seven professionals who worked under Ian and later went on to become head professionals, alongside peers like Mike Sebrosky, Evans Mahoney, and Jamie Westenburg. “That says a lot about him as a mentor, because everyone stayed in the business. They’re successful; they picked up what he taught, and they carried it on,” Steve says.
Outside of the golf industry, Steve has learned the importance of slowing down. He and his wife share a love of wine and often escape to Niagara, or even Napa, to explore new wineries and spend time together.
Steve laughs as he explains, “Everyone always asks me, ‘Are you golfing?’ when I tell them I am travelling. And I’m always like, no, I’m getting away.”
This is something Steve has made an intentional effort to prioritize over the last 10 years. At the heart of that shift is his wife, who Steve credits as the biggest influence on the person he is today. She has helped shape not only who he is at home, but also who he is as a professional, continuously challenging him to see things differently.
Bryant feels passionate about giving back to fellow professionals and the association. Whether through committee work, sharing insight on e-commerce tools, or simply being available for advice, he views mentorship as both a privilege and a responsibility.
“I’ve been in this industry more than 25 years, and I still love it,” he says. “If someone needs support, I want them to feel comfortable asking.”
Walking in the footsteps of the leaders who shaped him, Steve Bryant defines success not by accolades or titles, but by the people he’s helped shape along the way, and the many he’s still yet to impact.
Written by: Jerri McRogers, PGA of Ontario
Steve can be contacted here.
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