Ryan Moore - 2023 Apprentice Professional of the Year

Ryan Moore is not just climbing the ladder of life; he's scaling it with an unwavering dedication to achieving his golf dreams.

It wasn’t that long ago that Ryan's older brother Kyle, a guiding light in his life, started introducing him to the game. Kyle would tee it up at Millcroft Golf Club, and Ryan, nine then, would explore the golf course, which would soon become his sanctuary.

“After a while, I grew tired of searching for balls and started playing. We stumbled upon some hand-me-downs that had once belonged to Kyle - a set of ladies' Jazz clubs; they were blue and yellow. From that moment, my life has been a passionate affair with the game of golf, a journey that has only grown more thrilling,” recalls Ryan, whose father Darcy was an avid golfer and took the boys to the range often to instill a passion for golf in them.

Moore quickly began volunteering at Millcroft once a week during the school year -sweeping up the back shop, picking up garbage, and cleaning golf balls were a few of the highlights. The following summer, he’d volunteer two shifts a week from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and then play golf until dusk - the best part of the deal was he could golf for free!

“I believe I was playing around 150 rounds a year. Whatever the exact number, I was at the golf course pretty much every day,” says Ryan, who volunteered for two seasons.

He stepped up, working two seasons in the back shop and then climbed another rung with a one-year stint behind the pro shop counter before deciding to pursue golf as a profession.

After a summer in the back shop at Greystone GC, Ryan attended Humber College for the three-year Business Administration Professional Golf Management Program. He graduated with honours in Spring 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic reared its ugly head.

“Heading into college, I was looking for a private club experience, so Greystone was a great first step into that side of the business,” says Ryan, who grew up in Burlington and lives there today.

“Then the opportunity to work at Credit Valley G&CC came along the following summer, and I have never looked back. The funny thing is, I had never heard anything about the club before I applied for the back shop position, and it’s turned out to be an amazing place to work and develop as a young professional.”

On the recommendation of Doug Lawrie, the Director of Instruction at Credit Valley at the time, Jake Rose, the Associate Professional at Credit Valley, approached Moore at a Humber College networking event and asked him to submit a resume - and a new door opened!

Ryan earned his stripes working two seasons in the back shop at Credit Valley, followed by four years as an Assistant Professional. He earned his PGA of Canada membership card on his first PAT attempt, playing into the Association at TPC Toronto in July of 2020.

“I’m continuing to improve my game and become more competitive, but I’ll never forget that day. At the start of the day, I told my playing partners not to tell me how I was doing during the round. As we walked up to the tenth tee, one of my playing competitors said, ‘You shot a 38 on the front,’."

"That’s all it took to get in my head. I went bogey, double, bogey, bogey, bogey over the next five holes. I had to par out over the remaining holes to get my card. I birdied on 15 for a little breathing room, but I took a provisional off the tee for the next three holes. I didn’t have to use any of them and parred each to make it through. It was a wild finish.”

The rest of the summer was bleak, with no member events and a closed pro shop due to the pandemic, but four years later, it’s a distant memory for most.

“Each step of the way, I have always tried to learn as much as I can, believing that there’s always an opportunity if you’re willing to work for it,” says Ryan, who was promoted to Associate Professional at Credit Valley G&CC earlier this year. “In 2023, I spent more time at the club than I ever imagined I would, and it was a great experience.”

The year started with a six-day trip to Arizona for the professional golf team. They teed off for four rounds at Desert Mountain GC, Troon Country Club, Dinosaur Mountain GC, and Verde River Golf and Social Club, which the club covered in appreciation for their hard work. It brought them together, and the pros greatly appreciated the gesture.

After spending three seasons working with Casey Ward, Director of Instruction, and leading the junior programs and summer camps, Ryan handed over those duties to others and took on additional responsibilities in 2023. He assisted with the club’s two charity events, the Al Balding Charity Pro-Am and the Liz Ferrier Charity Pro-Am, which raised about $250,000 for Hospice Mississauga.

With Head Golf Professional Patrick Yashar in his third season at Credit Valley, the entire professional team joined 2023 men’s league play for the first time since pre-COVID-19.

“We had one pro on each team with 240 members in the league. We were the eighth-place team going into the playoffs and made it to the final two. The team rally and everyone pulling together was a lot of fun. It was a terrific way to connect with some of the members and for them to see me out on the golf course playing the game rather than working in the pro shop.”

Moore capped off 2023 by being named PGA of Ontario Apprentice Professional of the Year.

“Ryan is innovative and creative, frequently suggesting thoughtful out-of-the-box ideas to improve events, create new merchandise items, and increase the overall efficiency of the club’s golf operations,” Ward says. “Watching Ryan’s exponential growth over the years has been a pleasure. He possesses rare leadership qualities that have garnered the trust and respect of all employees, both above and below him. Ryan leads by example and has inspired other back shop staff to follow his path into the professional ranks.”

One of the future goals he set at Humber was to be an Associate Professional at a top-100 course in Canada by the time he was 25. Ryan, who turns 25 in April, received that promotion earlier this year in recognition of his dedication to his profession and Credit Valley GC. His next goal is to climb to the Head Professional/Director of Golf ranks by age 30.

For 2024, Moore has been given the responsibility of overseeing the Women’s Section at Credit Valley, including the Women’s League. He will be looking to teach more lessons, learn more about club fitting, and hopefully find time to play a few rounds of golf with his brother Kyle, a teacher who works part-time in the pro shop at Copetown Woods Golf Club during the summer months.

It will be interesting to watch Ryan climb that ladder to new heights!

Written by: Brent Long

If you are interested in contacting Ryan, he can be reached here.

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