\u201cIt was a great honour and a thrill to be considered in that group of people,\u201d says Wogden, who served as head golf professional at the Barrie Country Club, retiring at the end of the 2018.<\/p>\n
Wogden started his career as an assistant professional at South Muskoka Curling & Golf Club in 1979 while finishing at Humber College, participating in one of the very first golf management programs.<\/p>\n
He moved onto The National Golf Club of Canada in Woodbridge, working with Ben Kern in 1981 where he spent \u201c10 incredible years\u201d and was encouraged us to play and improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really gave me a great foundation for my career,\u201d he says of the experience.<\/p>\n
From there he became the inaugural head professional at Royal Woodbine Golf when it opened in the fall of 1990. But within a couple of years it went into receivership.<\/p>\n
With a two-year-old at home and a second on the way, Wogden considers himself fortunate to soon land in Barrie.<\/p>\n
\u201cBarrie Country Club was one of the few golf clubs looking for a professional for the \u201892 season,\u201d he recalls. \u201cBarrie Country Club took a chance on me and it paid off wonderfully for the both of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a year of commuting from Toronto, the Wogdens found a home nearby looking over Cartwright Park which they adored. He recalls that first Halloween when they expected 40 to 50 kids, losing count after 220 children came to their threshold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were quickly welcomed to the new neighbourhood,\u201d he recalls.\u00a0\u201cIt worked out so well we never moved.\u201d<\/p>\n
When he arrived, the club had restricted play to those over 12 years old and women were not allowed to play until mid-morning on the weekends. And smoking was permitted in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe board was receptive of my ideas\u201d to lower the age, he says.<\/p>\n
Equality of membership followed a couple of years later. Smoking was then banned in the pro shop and later it was prohibited in all areas.<\/p>\n
He remembers one of the golfers, Dr. Harold Smith, playing well into his 90s. At age 91, he got his first hole-in-one.<\/p>\n
Younger golfers now play regularly resulting in a more family-friendly atmosphere, which includes all ages. The club has long hosted women\u2019s days, bringing together golfers from across Simcoe County. There\u2019s also a one-day junior tournament with 120 golfers representing their respective clubs.<\/p>\n
Just over decade or so ago, the crew at the club reviewed the many events hosted at the Barrie Country Club, realizing that included every provincial championship but never a national one. So, in 2014, Barrie hosted the week-long Canadian Men\u2019s Mid-Amateur Championship for golfers aged 25 and up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt put Barrie on a national level as a host for a national championship,\u201d Wogden says with pride.<\/p>\n
The Barrie club had originally existed as a nine-hole facility on the property that is now home to city\u2019s jewel, Sunnidale Park. In 1969, it moved to its current, larger facility on St. Vincent Street, which included five sheets of curling.<\/p>\n
By the end of the century, the clubhouse needed to be replaced. The club passed a motion in 2006 to build a new clubhouse and end the curling program, demolishing the rink to make space for the new clubhouse. Former mayor\u00a0Willard Kinzie\u00a0had the honour of throwing the last stone at the Barrie Country Club.<\/p>\n
Members transitioned to the new, larger\u00a0facility that provides an envious vista of the course well ahead of the club\u2019s 100th anniversary in 2013.<\/p>\n
Now, in retirement, Wogden remains active. The induction puts him back on the PGA selection committee, helping to evaluate future members on their overall contribution to the sport.<\/p>\n
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