b'Chris and Kendall(continued from page 17) A lot of local people may not even be aware that the ChrisearnedmembershiponOntariosteamattheChrisiscandidabouthercontribution:Herworkfacilitysevenhere,Chrisexplains.Wenowhavea prestigiouscross-borderWilmingtonCuptournament.ethic made this happen. presence on a Port Perry Facebook group, because social There, he found college recruiters were watching. His comment was cryptic, so the explanation fell tomedias a great place to get known.And were plan-I researched a number of locations with scholarshipsKendall. ning to partner with local businesses, engaging in weekly in mind, he says.And wound up at the University ofHe was nicely saying Im a bit of a workaholic, shecontests:Come to Sandbaggerz, have the chance to win Akron in Ohio. laughs.And Im not afraid of hard work. a gift card that kind of thing.Five years at the school provided him with an educa- Kendalls path to the golf industry channeled throughWhat the world will look like in spring is anyones tion in International Business and a wealth of experienceChris. guess, Chris admits.in collegiate golf.While he fared well, establishing someHe introduced me to the game and I loved it.YourOf course the pandemic and the governments restric-records at the school, his time with Akrons team was alsoskill level doesnt matter, and you can enjoy four orvetions are signi cant factors in our opening.sobering as he looked toward his future. hours of casual conversation.Its a great way to bringAnyone tackling a sizable project will surely agree that Sure, it was my dream to make a career in golf and playpeople together. you can only work on those items over which you have on the PGA tour.But I realized I wasnt good enough. The couple agreed there was much work to be done tocontrol.Still in winters grip, Chris and Kendall continue Perhaps he couldnt see the future on tour, but he didreach their vision.Slowly but surely, the list of renova- to surge forward with their reno-see a future as golf pro, starting at Pickerings Cherrytions grew longer. vations as well as re ning their Downs. WeputinnewteedecksandconcretepadsforafuturevisionofSandbaggerz, Itaughtmen,women,andkids,heremembers30-person hitting area, Chris explains.Then we turnedcon dentintheirsharedbelief of the position.And found time to enter some localour attention to the mini-putt, which needed paint andthat if they do their part while tournaments. repair. theweatherscold,fate But his time would soon be devoted elsewhere. At one point, we decided: Lets do this!Kendallwillsmileonthem I married and we had a son, so a job working a hun- adds.And not long after, it was lets do that.Wereby doing the rest whenitdred hours a week didntt my new priorities.Aftervesuper-excited.nally years at Cherry Downs, I left for a normal job. Part of that enthusiasm stemmed from their sense thatwarms.But you The itch to rejoin the golf industry never subsided.the Port Perry area needed the kind of entertainment out- have to imagine When the Port Perry driving range came up for salevelet they planned to provide. that, more so than any years ago, Chriss interest was piqued, but ultimatelyIts the sort of family entertainment we needother year, theyre looking he found another buyer had beat him to the punch. here, they agree.Theres nothing else quiteforwardtospottingthatBy Scott Mercer,Focus on ScugogI put in an o er, but missed out.But I kept mylike it.rst robin.eye on it. Both keep the project moving forward in Last June, his 12-year-old son reported thatspite of full-time jobsChris running a con-the property had gone on the market again.structioncompany,Kendallasa re ghter This time, Chris would not be denied.andworkingoppositeshifts.Those But at the same time, he quickly recog- challenges havent dampened their excite-nized that if he was successful in hisment.Detailed planning continues while purchase, this would be no turnkeythe renovations proceed, Kendall says.operation. Well be hands-on owners.Well IwentthereontheCanadahave friends and family working on site. Day weekend.There was no oneAndmuchaswehaveavision,well intheoceplayerswereonthestayopentonewideas.Weretotally honours system.And it sure wasntcommunity-focused.the way I remembered it. Inanticipation,thecouplehas Enter Kendall. Mini Golf anyone? launched a social awareness campaign.Spring.Come in and see us for a fresh new look!Trophies, Awards, Roxanne& Angela atCorporate PromotionsEmbroideryGraphic Design Engraving Screen PrintingPineridge Impress905-985-2839135 North Port Road,Call 905-982-2150 to book an appointmentPort Perrywww.pineridgeimpress.ca 1881 Scugog Street, Port PerryYour Name is Our Business (Next to Dairy Queen)Walk-ins Welcome18FOCUS - APRIL 2021'