b'EVERY DAYSA GOOD DAY .FORGolf may be the sporting worlds mostintriguingyetexasperating game. Intriguingbecauseitssosim-ple: making contact with a stationary ball is an easily acquired skill; each holes ultimate goal is plainly markedandaneveninggame.OneofmyI moved back to Arizona to chase with aag frequently visible from theteammates and I decided to play amyPGAdream,hesays.When starting point. round of golf in between.That wasthatdampened,Ibecamemorein-Exasperatingbecauseitssomy start. terested in the business side of golf. I dicult:inspiteofthatsuper cialRecognizing that he had a talentcould still be immersed in the game, simplicity,alifetimeofpracticefor the game, Murray began gol ngthe people, the atmosphere.wont achieve mastery for even thecompetitively at the junior level.HisMarriottHotels,wherehed most dedicated student of the game.nextstep,ashadbeentrueforhisworkedwhileattemptingtoturn Thereisnoperfectionamong professional,o eredMurrayanrst, happened purely by chance.golfers;extraordinarymightbestIcaddiedforaproataPGAadministrative position.The young describe its highest bar, even amongSenior Tour event in Calgary.He wasman watched and listened carefully professionals. well connected at US colleges and putover the next four years as the chain But its this very dichotomy, whichmy name forward after learning I haddeveloped its golf course portfolio.provides the games attraction.It getsa low handicap on the same course heHeappliedthelessonsheab-in your blood and never goes away. was playing.A week later, I got a callsorbed to the next stage of his career: ItcertainlyneverhasforPortfrom Arizona Western College. Canadian Paci c Hotels, undertaking PerrysMurrayBlair.FirstasaGolf at the college level carries asa similar business model to Marriott, player and later as an executive, heshigh a pro le in the US as the schoolscame calling.Over the next decade, as beeninvolvedinthesportmostoffootballprograms.Murrayplayedthe chain was rebranded Fairmont, hislifetime.ThisSeptember,hellfor Arizona Western for two years be- Murray oversaw the companys golf bechasingthatelusiveperfectionfore completing his educationandcourses around the world.It proved againinOntariosSeniorAmateurplaying a third seasonat Ferris Stateto be a match made in heaven.Championship tournament. in Michigan. Itravelledalot,playedsome The beginnings of his love for theWhenhegraduatedwithagreat courses.I also had the opportu-game were driven by circumstance. Bachelors of Marketing and a minornity in that job to golf with celebrities: I grew up in Calgary and hockeyin Golf ManagementMurray facedMichael Jordan, Alice Cooper, Kevin was my passion as a kid, he recalls.a crossroad: should he become a pro- Costner. My team was playing in a summer- fessional golfer or utilize his adminis-time tournament and had a morningtrative skills at a golf club? Please turn to page 40FOCUS - OCTOBER 202039'