Moving to Victoria has turned golf into a year-round activity for Rob Cruise.
Now the head professional at Highland Pacific golf course in View Royal/Saanich, Cruise, 33, started golfing at the age of five in Manitoba.
He spent his childhood summers living in a cabin at Dauphin Lake Golf Club.
“I was fortunate to be five cabins away from the course,” Cruise said. “It was my backyard in the summer.”
What used to be a six month season has doubled now that he is in Victoria.
Although his passion is hitting the links in the fresh air, Cruise spends a lot of time indoors working with staff. He over sees the golf shop and other golf operations.
“I’d love to sit down with anyone and talk about golf,” Cruise said. “It’s good to come to work and have a passion for the game.”
Cruise has been working at the golf course for about three years in various positions such as golf instructor and in the pro shop. In November he was promoted to head professional.
“He is the best for the job and has proved himself reliable,” said course general manager Doug Hastie.
“He enjoys helping people and answering questions from new golfers to people who have been golfing for many, many years.”
In his golfing career Cruise has played for provincial and national teams, competing in junior and amateur events.
He attended the University of North Carolina on a golf scholarship from 1998-2000 and turned pro in 2001.
The first professional tournament he was the 2001 Fernie Pro-Am. The last pro tournament he won was the 2011 Pender Island Charity Pro-Am.
Cruise has competed in the Vancouver Island Golf Tour and has won several times, including the 2010 Tour Championship at Bear Mountain. He has also won numerous professional events on the Okanagan PGA Tour and the Kootenay PGA Tour.
“I have been highly competitive since I started playing,” Cruise said, noting that his hometown of Dauphin, Man., had a competitive junior golf program.
Highland Pacific is working on building up its junior program and offers two levels of junior memberships and summer camps.
Previously Cruise worked as a the club professional at Trickle Creek Gold Resort from 2004 to 2007.
His best ever game was at Trickle Creek where she shot 10 under par. At Highland Pacific his best game was 66 on the par 71 course.
Cruise moved to Victoria to keep the woman of his dreams, who is now his wife, Jessica Cruise.
“We are the newest golf course in Victoria. We are trying new things and look at other courses and see what has worked and what hasn’t worked for them,” Cruise said.
Aside from being an 18-hole championship course, Cruise also noted that “It’s the driest golf course in Victoria.
“It wasn’t rushed when it was being built and they made good drainage where it was needed.”
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