Michael Schurman
About
OTHER INFORMATION
In 1970, he played the Canadian Tour and the Atlantic Provinces Tour with 3 top 10 finishes including 7th place in the Alberta Open and Low Professional in the Pro-Am portion of the B.C. Open. Over the years, Michael has held the course records at Meadowbrook Golf Club (67, tied with George Knudson), Pines of Georgina (68), Deerhurst (Lakeside) (64), Fort William Country Club (65) and shot 7 under par 20 on the Meadowbrook par 27 course. He has recorded 5 holes-in-one and 3 double eagles and won 8 Low Pro honours in local Pro-Am events; the most recent at Wolf Run Golf Club at age 65.
Michael served 3 terms on the PGA of Ontario Board of Directors (12 years) and 4 terms on the PGA of Canada Board of Directors (16 years)
He is also a founder of the Golf Management Program taught at Humber College (which became the first PGM course in Canada) and was a professor in a similar program at Durham College and is a founder of the Junior Development Program of the Golf Associations of Ontario where he taught for 10 years.
In 1988, he became the youngest person to earn the category of Master Professional (NOTE there are fewer than 100 Master Professionals in the combined history of the USPGA and the PGA of C) and in 1993 he won the Ontario Club Professional of Year Award. At that time he was the only PGA of C member ever to: acquire the category of Master Professional (without being grandfathered), hold the position of President and earn the Club Professional of the Year Award.
On the business side of golf, he was the President of a group called Professional Golfers of Ontario that imported golf equipment into Canada and was President of a company called Dynamic Golf that owned and operated a chain of 14 retail golf stores across Canada. Another of his interests is custom club making/fitting which led to a consulting agreement with PING Manufacturing Company and the development of methods currently used in making custom-fitted clubs and becoming a Charter Member of the United States Professional Golf Club Repairmen’s Association.
Michael has enjoyed a very successful teaching career that has produced numerous Club Champions, Provincial Champions and top-playing professionals. His career of teaching junior golfers has spanned 50 years. He founded and taught the Ontario Blind Golfers Association for 20 years. Michael is credited with introducing over 5000 new golfers into the game through various programs.
In 2018 he conducted the research Pilot Project for the PGA of Canada that led to the new Employment Program, from 2016 to 2020 he was the Chair of the Founders Committee and the Selection Committee of the PGA of Ontario Hall of Fame. In 2016 he founded and continues to manage the PGA of Ontario Reunion Match Play Championship ( a 40-player league for Life Members) and the Annual Fall Final. He also is the founding Editor and Publisher of the PGA of Ontario Reunion e-newsletter (The Reunion Review). Most recently. he created the PGA of Canada Alumni Association and subsequently is the editor of the Alumni Advocate, a nationwide e-newsletter. This is the only association of its kind of any PGA anywhere. The membership includes +1800 PGA of Canada members and more than 200 industry-related participants and has over 100 Ambassadors overseeing and conducting events for the membership.
In 2020 he was inducted into the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame and in 2021 he was inducted into the PGA of Ontario Hall of Fame in the Charter Class.
He lives with his wife Diane, in West Grey, Ontario.
PGA of Canada Hall of Fame
PGA of Ontario Hall of Fame
Past President PGA of Ontario (1985-86)
Ontario Club Professional of the Year 1991
Master Professional
Life Member