Chris Dickenson and Mike Martz form Dynamic Duo that Brought Two National Awards to Whistle Bear Golf Club
By Shelby Dechant
All eyes were on the Ontario Golf Academy at Whistle Bear Golf Club this award season as the club celebrated two of its pros being recognized at the 2021 PGA of Canada National Awards.
Chris Dickenson, the Head Teaching Professional at the Cambridge, Ontario club, topped off a monumental year by being named Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year.
Colleague Mike Martz, a PGA of Canada Class "A" Professional at Whistle Bear Golf Club, was recognized for his major contributions to the sport over the years, being named Ben Kern Coach of the Year.
Dickenson
2021 was a memorable year for the Ontario native. Dickenson was named both Junior Leader of the Year by the PGA of Ontario and Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year at the PGA of Canada’s National Awards.
Dickenson was key to growing the highly esteemed junior program at Whistle Bear Golf Club. In total, over 450 juniors were put through various programming in 2021, including a girls and boys club, a “Toonie Tuesday” junior league (Dickenson worked with the club to secure 10 tee times every Tuesday morning during the summer for the juniors) and a competitive players team. Dickenson coached the competitive players to 47 wins at various tournaments throughout the country in 2021.
In addition, Dickenson was imperative in the creation of the Michael Gligic Scholarship, with support from Titleist and Levelwear, which provided the recipient with a golf membership, as well as a year-long coaching package, clothing, and golf clubs. Dickenson also helped many of the juniors who were feeling down during the pandemic with a “Let Us Play” campaign and helped them send over 250 letters to members of parliament, paving the way for the reopening of golf in the province last Spring.
Dickenson said, “I'm not just representing myself, I'm representing our entire junior program, the Whistle Bear Golf Club, and Ontario as a whole. My name is on the award, but so many other people have gone into this. And it's just a testament to Whistle Bear’s mission statement, we want to be the best family-oriented facility in the country and my goal is to continue to work towards that by growing the junior program.”
Martz celebrated his colleague's achievement and was quick to praise the young award winner.
“I mean this as an endearing term… Chris is a classic overachiever. He is very technical, and he is learning every day. There is no one else more deserving of this award,” said Martz.
Martz
Martz has been a champion for inclusivity within the sport for three decades. The award for coach of the year was well earned by the self-proclaimed lifelong learner.
Martz never stops his pursuit of learning to grow stronger in his craft. While Martz has coached a long list of professionals and amateurs alike, many of whom are NCAA champions, it’s his work towards making the game more inclusive that truly makes him a role model.
For 12 years, Martz spearheaded the Golfers with Disabilities program, each summer introducing 20 children and young adults with mental or physical challenges to golf. Martz also coached Natasha Stasiuk to victory at the first Ontario Disability Golf Championship. His students know him as a harder worker, a mentor and a leader who always puts his students first and is passionate about their success.
Martz has been developing his coaching method for 30 years. He says his technique is simple - he wants his students to be able to do two things: problem solve and critically think.
“I often tell people that if they can’t do that after my coaching, I will give them their money back because I haven’t done my job,” said Martz, “if they get out there and something goes wrong, and they have no idea what to do, they're just dependent on their coach. And I mean, it's a great business model, but I don’t want my players to be coach addicted.”
Dickenson was not surprised to hear his colleague’s name called out for the distinguished award.
“When Mike won his award, I could not have been happier for him. He is just so deserving of everything he's received. He's the definition of what a professional is,” said Dickenson.
Martz was also named PGA of Ontario Coach of the Year for 2021.
Success at Whistle Bear
Despite a small age gap, the two award winners call themselves the “perfect pair”.
“I'm a lifelong learner and I study more about how people learn, and how to convey information and Chris is really strong on the technical side. So I think that between the two of us we've become the perfect hybrid,” said Martz.
Dickenson said Martz has not only been a great colleague but also a mentor, a friend, and a sounding board.
“Mike is one of the best in the country, I am so fortunate to have him by my side…Three years ago I didn’t know Mike, now we talk every single day,” said Dickenson.
The pair together have helped grow the Ontario Golf Academy at Whistle Bear Golf Club into one of the most sought-after programs in the country. Both pros claim it comes from all of the staff, members, and owners coming together to uphold an unspoken list of values that fosters an environment of passion, learning, and friendship.
“Going to work every single day with people that are as passionate and as driven as the golf professionals at Whistle Bear Golf Club inspires you to try and be a little bit better every day. And we inspire each other,” said Dickenson. “it's such a great work environment it's almost hard not to succeed. And I think that stems from the top-down, from our ownership, our general manager and our director of golf, they just set such a great example that it's hard for us not to succeed.”
Martz echoed Dickenson’s sentiments, stating that the results of their students, both juniors and adults, and the positive work environment all the staff have created has helped them find the success they did in 2021. But most importantly, they have fun.
“We come to work every day and we actually laugh. We have fun and I think that has played a major part in our success,” said Martz.
It Takes a Village
Dickenson and Martz both claim that they would not be receiving these awards without the help of a few influential people along the way and the golfers they have had the privilege to teach.
“A few handshakes have led me to where I am today. Without those mentors and their experiences, I would not have this award. My name is on the trophy, but it’s really theirs too,” Dickenson said.
Martz said mentors like legendary golfer Mary Ann Hayward helped him earn the distinguished title of National Coach of the Year.
When asked what advice Martz would give young coaches he said, “if you have a client that comes in front of you no matter what age they are, give them what they want, not what you think they need, listen to what they are asking of you.”
And of course, they both recognized how influential they have been to each other the last year.
“I tell [Chris] I’ll let him know if he's making young man mistakes, and, well, he does the same for me. We have a really good relationship. I have been a member of the PGA of Canada for more years than he has been alive, but we really do learn a lot from each other,” Martz said.