DENNIS KAVELMAN IS INVESTED IN THE FUTURE OF CANADIAN GOLF
Dennis Kavelman was born, raised, works, and has played most of his amateur golf, in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Yet, his vision and mountainous aspirations to advance the amateur game extend right across the country. And if you have ever met Dennis Kavelman you would probably attest that if he’s set his sights, he will realize his goals.
Just as he has been a key part of the growth of Research in Motion, one of the world’s fastest growing and highly successful technology companies, he aims to be a key partner with the RCGA in their attempts to raise the profile of amateur golf in Canada.
A graduate of Waterloo Collegiate and Wilfred Laurier University, Kavelman began his business career with accounting firm KPMG and then moved into the fast-paced, high tech, world of Blackberry.
Dennis Kavelman
“I grew up playing golf at the Conestoga Country Club back in my junior days, and while I wasn’t very good, I loved the game. Later I partnered with some area golf professionals, first Mike Turner and then later, Jimmy Walker and soon got my handicap down to the point where I could play in a few tournaments. I’ve always been a very competitive individual and golf is a great game to challenge yourself,” says Kavelman.
After becoming a member at Kitchener’s Deer Ridge Golf Club, he began to enter provincial and national amateur events, while continuing to practice, winter and summer, whenever time permitted.
“For me it was a huge accomplishment to qualify for provincial and then national level tournaments,” he adds.
“Most of the events were well run and had strong fields, particularly at the provincial level. A few years ago I got very excited when I qualified for a major Canadian amateur event. When I arrived I was surprised that there wasn’t a full field, the golf course wasn’t exactly what you would call ‘championship’ caliber and the winner didn’t receive an exemption into any other meaningful events.
Quite honestly, the experience let me down. I’m sure it was also a letdown for others who had taken the time and spent their own money to play in these type events.”
So Kavelman decided to do something about it.
“I just had a feeling that if these events had more resources and a higher profile then golf at the grass roots level might take notice and participation and interest might improve,” he added.
Kavelman has taken on, as a volunteer, the chairmanship of the RCGA Amateur Championship Committee. “I still have a great deal to learn about the inner workings of the RCGA but I have found the organization to be very responsive to good ideas and to be very focused on making golf stronger across the country. Our committee has set a five year plan and so far we are very excited with the progress we are making and the support we are receiving from sponsors such as RBC.”
Kavelman’s plans include increasing the participation in the various amateur events, improving the quality, the quantity and the strength of each field, including more international players, selecting the best available Canadian golf courses to stage the events, providing the players with a first class on-site experience, and attracting more spectators with better local marketing.
He adds, “I hope to make each event just more ‘like a major’, whether it’s the Men’s Amateur, the Girls’ Junior or the Men’s Senior. They are all important.”
In 2010 Kavelman has already started to make his mark by expanding the Canadian Men’s Amateur to include two golf courses, The London Hunt and Redtail in order to give more players a chance to participate. Players will have the opportunity to play both courses as part of this year’s national championship.
In all, the RCGA runs 15 amateur events each year. Generally, they are well run events under the leadership of Brent McLaughlin and his RCGA staff. They just need more resources.
Now with the efforts of Dennis Kavelman, his committee and The Kavelman-Fonn Foundation, he has committed his money and his time to making the amateur golf experience much better for Canadians. And he has given himself five years to do it.
Knowing Dennis Kavelman I’d put my money squarely behind him.
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