Golf Business Canada 10 Golf Business Canada 11

How did you transition from the real estate business to opening your first golf course?

I didn’t know what a golf ball was until 1957, six years after I first arrived in Canada! I was building a house near Credit Valley Golf Club and someone broke one of my windows with a golf ball.

The golfers immediately approached me and said they would pay for the damage. I contacted my insurance agent and he said that golfers were the nicest, most honest people in the world. And, he was right.

So, after I discovered what golf was, I rented some clubs and played for the first time at Peel Village Golf Club in Brampton. My friends also started to invite me to play, and since I was in the real estate business, many business associates and customers would invite me as well.

Golf Business Canada sat down with Iggy Kaneff, founder and owner of the KaneffGolf group, to discuss his personal story, the visions and operations of KaneffGolf group, and the future of the golf industry.

How did you get started in the construction business?I immigrated to Canada from Bulgaria via Austria in 1951 with empty pockets. I arrived at Union Station in Toronto with $5 and unfortunately was immediately swindled by a dishonest taxi driver who overcharged me, leaving me with absolutely no money! Also, I barely spoke English, which was challenging in obtaining employment. I didn’t have any money and was hungry to work; I even slept in a garage in Mississauga for the first four months.

Shortly after arriving in Canada, I started working for a construction company called The Shipp Corporation in Mississauga. The owner of the company, Mr. Shipp, was building 45 houses at once and that was really impressive to me. He gave me an opportunity to work and learn from him. He taught me how to be a builder. I am very thankful for that opportunity.

When did you decide to go into the real estate business on your own? I was very impressed that my boss could sell 45 houses in two weekends. I decided real estate was a business I would like to be in. He also sold the houses before he built them. Therefore, he needed to borrow very little money to build them. He had a strong reputation and people trusted him and therefore wanted to buy his product.

I learned the importance of the experience you provide to customers and the connections you make. If people know you and trust you, then they will buy your product. Once I have learned and understood those values, I was comfortable to go out on my own.

Those are also the same values I apply to our KaneffGolf group. We always aim to do better than we did in the previous year, both from a top line perspective but also in improving on our service to customers. It has been 25 years since we started operating golf courses and we have been very successful. We take customer service very seriously. Each customer is looked after like he or she is our most important customer. We treat them with white gloves.

Published quarterly and distributed to every golf course operator in Canada, Golf Business Canada is a

uniquely targeted and comprehensive look into all the departments of a golf operation. To send your feedback on this edition, please contact

the editorial team at ngcoa@ngcoa.ca.

Golf Business Canada

Iggy KaneffInnovator. Entrepreneur. Industry Leader.

Golf Business Canada 12

You are investing five million dollars into Lionhead Golf Club & Conference Centre’s clubhouse renovation. What’s your vision for justifying that size of an investment? When you have an investment of that size, you do not expect to make it up in one year. The golf course is building an overall experience for the golfer; it is not solely about the golf. The clubhouse contributes to the golfer’s experience.

If you have a good product people will be willing to pay for it. My opinion is that no matter what kind of investment you make in the golf course it contributes to the golfer’s experience. As part of our renovation, we are opening a new restaurant called Iggy’s Grill • Bar • Patio. All of our improvements, whether it’s the locker rooms or the food and beverage area, contribute to the overall experience of the golf course and surrounding community, and that is why it is a wise investment for us.

I enjoyed golf and was pretty good at it, so my friends said I should join a club. So, in the late 1950’s, I applied to join a prestigious private club in the area. They told me they didn’t accept Bulgarians at their golf course. Twenty years later, they tried to give me the golf membership for free and I refused to join. I kept my social membership, however I refused to join as a fully-fledged member. I decided I would build my own golf course and eventually I did.

I started with one golf course with 27 holes, and then I built the other ones. It has turned out to be a very good business. I consider myself very fortunate because Canada gave me an opportunity that you cannot get anywhere else in the world. I owe a lot to Canada. Canada did everything – not me. It is very easy to harvest after you put the seed in the ground. But where you put the seed in – that is the question. Canada was a very good soil to harvest.

Most Canadians are very hardworking people. To come to another country, you have to be ambitious and you have to work hard because you want to have the same thing that your neighbour has. My neighbour had a television, so I wanted a television. My neighbour had a car, so I wanted a car. The soil where we are putting in the seed is fertile. Whatever effort you are putting in for this country, you get rewarded.

You place a high value on personal relationships. Is this part of the business culture with all aspects of your operation, including employees, suppliers, government officials, politicians and the media?Yes. I am on good terms with the government at the local, provincial and federal levels. They know who I am. They know I am doing my job in this country and working hard to provide jobs for other people.

This philosophy is also true with my customers in both real estate and golf. This is the way we approach everything. With every business, you have to support the community. If people think you are a pillar in the community then you have to act that way. You cannot expect people to respect you when you do not contribute to that community.

Can you give us an update on Caledon, your newest property?Ten years ago we purchased 340 acres of land and wanted to build something nice. We didn’t anticipate that it would take this long to come to fruition. There has been some delay but we are continuing to work on our plans for a golf course there. We also have plans to include a resort component where guests can come and stay. It will be a beautiful property once it is completed.

What is the secret to success in managing a portfolio of six, soon to be seven, golf courses?A lot of it has to do with having the right people on your team. First of all, Boris Uvakov, my General Manager, has worked with me for a very long time. I am the godfather to his children. We are family. He is running a good team. When Boris is here I don’t worry at all.

Kevin Pauley is another employee who has worked for us for practically 20 years and I know I can count on him. We treat each other with respect and work together to manage our courses successfully.

Golf Business Canada 13

Is your family also involved with your business? Yes. My wife, Didi is a very smart woman and is the President of the Kaneff Group of Companies. My daughters, Anna-Maria and Kristina also work with the Company. Kristina is a lawyer and Anna-Maria has an MBA.

They are both very smart girls and when you have a businesswoman and lawyer in your company, they don’t miss too much! My daughters started working when they were twelve and eleven years old. They are better than me, love the golf business and love being a part of the Kaneff Group.

Will the business pass through to your family in the next generation?No question about it. This golf course will still be here in 50 years. I am very happy about it.

“At noon, I have lunch with someone different each day and at 1:00pm, I golf. I play 18 holes of golf almost every day, but never with the same people. “

Is it true that at 89 years old you come in to the office and play golf every day? Yes. Every morning at 7:00am I am at a construction site and then at 10:00am I go to my office, which is at the golf course. At noon, I have lunch with someone different each day and at 1:00pm, I golf. I play 18 holes of golf almost every day, but never with the same people. I play with bankers, lawyers, insurance people, but I don’t play with people I don’t like.

I love what I do and am motivated to do more for my family, my company, and my community. My grandfather lived until 107, and I expect to live until 110! The only problem with my golf game at this age is that the golf course seems to be getting longer each year … or maybe I just don’t hit the ball quite as far as I used to.

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November 18-20, 2015 • Hilton Meadowvale Conference Centre, Mississauga

“The golf course is building an overall experience for the golfer; it is not solely about the golf. The clubhouse contributes to the golfer’s experience.“

Can you elaborate on your involvement with charities and foundations? We are very supportive of charities and foundations. My first introduction to charity was over 45 years ago. A friend of mine told me he was going to visit his disabled son in a church basement. I was curious so I accompanied him to the church. In the church basement, I saw 75 children sitting on the floor on mats. I told my friend they should have chairs and a carpet to sit on.

So, I decided to have a golf tournament to fundraise for the community. Since then, I have been supporting the community through the Ignat Kaneff Charitable Foundation’s annual golf tournament; to date we have raised over $3 Million, and we are marking the 48th annual I. Kaneff Foundation Golf Tournament at Lionhead Golf Club & Conference Centre in late July.

I have also been sponsoring baseball, soccer, softball, and hockey teams for the last 40 years. I also give scholarships and have made major donations to York University, the University of Toronto, and to the University of Ruse in Bulgaria. I am thankful to Canada because I still have a debt to pay to the country and as long as I live, I will try to pay that back.

Every year, the KaneffGolf group donates over 5,000 rounds of golf to various charities for fundraising. This country gives us so much and the people who are fortunate enough to succeed; they should share something. Sharing is the best form of personal satisfaction.

Golf Business Canada 14

Six facilities in OntarioLionhead Golf Club & Conference CentreA 36 hole facility in Brampton featuring the championship Masters and Legends Golf Courses. The Legends plays over and around the Credit River on 14 of the 18 holes, creating the highest course rating (77.5) and slope rating (155) in Canada! Prime Time Green Fee rate of $155; 4,640 to 7,402 yards

Royal Ontario Golf Club An 18 hole facility in Milton, which unfolds over an old equestrian centre that has a dramatic hilly terrain, dotted with wetlands in lower lying areas of the Sixteen Mile Creek river basin. Prime Time Green Fee rate of $120; 4,044 to 7,074 yards

Royal Niagara Golf ClubA 27 hole facility in Niagara-on-the-Lake, which uses the spectacular natural terrain to create a stunning layout as it is nestled between the 120 year old Welland Canal, the beautiful Bruce Trail and the Niagara Escarpment. Prime Time Green Fee rate of $90; 4,350 to 7,100 yards

Carlisle Golf & Country Club A 27 hole facility in Carlisle, which reminds you of South Carolina with its gentle rolling fairways lined with natural whispering pine trees. Prime Time Green Fee rate of $67; 4,350 to 7,100 yards

Century Pines Golf Club An 18 hole facility in Flamborough, with delicate approaches to small undulating greens that demand precision shot making. Prime Time Green Fee rate of $57; 4,296 to 6,635 yards

Streetsville Glen Golf ClubAn 18 hole facility in Brampton, with a focus on fun, makes it a perfect place to network with fellow golfers or enjoy a round with your family. Prime Time Green Fee rate of $40; 3,466 to 4,002 yards Contact Karyn Tindall at 416-805-6760 or Karyn.Tindall@Sodexo.com for more information

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What do you think golf needs to do better to attract more juniors to the game?Young people are the future for us. We have many programs for juniors. We offer junior golf clinics and camps during the summer, and programs that allow juniors to play for free when accompanied by an adult. At our courses we have a specific place for juniors to practice so they feel comfortable. At our halfway house we also have a special place for them to sit down, eat, and chat. Without young people there is no business for any of us. We need young people … they will be running the show. We have to show them the door and let them open it themselves.

In your opinion, what are the key issues affecting the future of golf?From an economic perspective the governments have to start treating the golf business as a serious business. For example, if you take your client to a hockey or baseball game your company can write off that expense, but with golf, the government doesn’t allow the same write off.

Golf is an excellent tool for business people and is no different than other sports and activities that benefit from the tax deduction. People don’t realize that today, golf is very good medicine for all people; you are outdoors, walking, enjoying your friends’, families’ and colleagues’ company! If we didn’t have a place to relax and chat about business then where would we do it? We have to push the Parliamentarians to make sure they commit themselves to putting us on equal footing of other sports.

In 20 years from now, we are going to face quite a bit of pressure from the municipality taxing the properties. We fought to postpone the taxes and reduced the taxes quite a bit, but they are still way too high. We need to do more politicking. We have to lobby. Unless you bring an issue to government’s attention they will not know it is an issue.

The future of golf courses will depend how much we lobby. The government needs to realize that we are employers and are providing work for people and entertainment for our customers. We also provide leisure and health benefits for people. It will be up to us to lobby the government and make sure golf is treated fairly and taken seriously as a business.

Golf Business Canada

Golf Business Canada Magazine would like to thank Mr. Kaneff for sharing his personal story and his unique insight into the golf industry. We wish him all the best with the Caledon development and look forward to seeing him on the links!

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Photos by Peter A. Sellar

“From an economic

perspective the governments have

to start treating the golf business

as a serious business.“