Sudbury Living - Summer 2008 - 48

n re c re a t io n Life is a fairway for the BY TODD ROBSON Yawney brothers his year marks a silver anniversary for the Yawney brothers. For the past 25 years, Mike and Sam Yawney have seen their family-owned business, Golf Sudbury, grow to include four local courses, a golf academy and a retail outlet. “We had always dreamed of owning a golf course together,” said Sam. “Honestly, what better way to make a livelihood? “And being in the golf business now for almost a quarter century has taken us to places we’ve never dreamed of.” Growing up on Walford Rd., just down the street from Sudbury’s Idylwylde Golf and Country Club, Mike and Sam were exposed to golf early. In 1983, Sam was a course pro at Cedar Green. His older brother, Mike, had recently been laid off from Inco. Pine Grove Golf Club (Countryside Golf at the time) was in receivership. The brothers saw an opportunity. “At that time interest rates were so high, so we gathered up what money we had for a down payment and took out a mortgage on our own course,” said Mike. “We knew this was what both of us had wanted and we T knew we wanted to do it well.” And since then, neither Sam nor Mike Yawney has looked back. The brothers went on to purchase Cedar Green Golf Course in Garson in 1989 and further expanded the business into a higher calibre course with the construction of Timberwolf, which opened in 1999. “Before we opened Timberwolf in 1999, there was nothing like it in Northern Ontario,” explained Sam. “In the 1990s, the golf market was headed to higher-end and longer yardage facilities. We set out to build a premier golf course for Sudbury that we could market both here at home and to golfers from outside of the north.” And that idea was gold! In 2000, Timberwolf was named the Best New Canadian Course 2000 by Golf Digest and one of Canada ‘s Top 10 Best Values by Score Golf Magazine in 2002 and 2003. The brothers acquired Stone Hill Golf Course, just off of Long Lake Rd., in 2005. With four courses operating under the Golf Sudbury umbrella, it is estimated the Yawneys’ properties are responsible for 48 Sudbury Living Summer 2008 sudburylivingmagazine.ca

Sudbury Living - Summer 2008

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