Feature: Heart Award Winner Wyatt Dedicates Life To Family, Golf
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com
Above Photo: Jason Wyatt and son-caddie Tanner greenside at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open pro-am. Photo: Facebook.

The London and area golf industry is a tight-knit community proud of its people and its amenities – in that order. The same can be said of Sunningdale Golf and Country Club head golf professional Jason Wyatt, winner of the LondonOntarioGolf.com Heart Award for 2025.

In fact, long before Wyatt held the reigns of his current post, people have always come first with him. Even as a 13-year-old Sunningdale staff member cleaning members’ clubs in the back shop, Wyatt was both driven and fascinated by customer service – tending to the needs of others within an industry he continues to both love and respect.

Jason Wyatt with the Heart Award. Photo: LondonOntarioGolf.com.

The Canadian golf industry points to late Londoner Denzil Palmer as the quintessential golf club general manager. The former Greenhills Country Club GM, best recognized as GM at The Royal Montreal Golf Club for 28 years, lived for family and the golf industry. And although Wyatt, 48, has many more years ahead of him at Sunningdale where he has served a membership for 35 years, the same can be said about this highly-respected golf professional.

He is, in fact, the gold standard for Canadian golf professionals. LondonOntarioGolf.com is proud to have his name etched on the Heart Award as its 15th annual winner.

The 2011-established Heart Award honours members of the Southwestern Ontario golf community who give back to golf while growing the game. Since 2015, LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2004) has been published in its entirety at parent publication LondonOntarioSports.com, London’s Trusted Source for Sports News & Information.

Wyatt is the third member of the Sunningdale family to win the Heart Award. In 2023, recently-retired golf course superintendent Tim Webb captured the award. And in 2013, Ontario Golf Hall of Fame inductee Patty Howard – Sunningdale’s Director of Golf 2001-2013 – won the Heart Award. Howard was Canada’s first female head golf professional at a mixed club – London’s West Haven Golf and Country Club (1990) – and one of Wyatt’s key mentors during his career.

A Day In The Life Speaks Volumes About Wyatt

In late-September 2024, this scribe had the opportunity not typically afforded a golf journalist. At Sunningdale G&CC to cover the Junior Tyson Tour championship invitational, I worked in a temporary office within Wyatt’s quarters for eight hours and thus was privy to his interaction with staff, members and guests on a very busy day filled with a junior tournament, members’ tee times and a myriad of other duties including pro shop sales, overseeing associate and assistant golf professionals, coordinating with turf management staff and putting out fires along the way. I didn’t need more fodder for proof that Wyatt was a true golf professional, but I walked away that afternoon thoroughly impressed by his patience, his problem solving and his compassion for others.

Jason Wyatt. Photo: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioGolf.com.

No one recognizes those traits more than Howard, who remains a member at the historic north London private country club.

“I had the good fortune of working with Jason while he was an assistant professional, an associate professional and then a head golf professional,” she said. “I believe some of his strongest attributes are his passion for his career, and his attention to detail and commitment to excellence which are second to none. He inspires his staff just by showing how much he cares about his work at Sunningdale.”

Said Wyatt, “Patty Howard was the best mentor any professional could ever have. She taught me how to become a great leader, mentor and professional. Without the knowledge that Patty afforded me, I don’t know if I would be in the position I am currently in.

“I believe to be successful you need incredible mentors,” Wyatt added, “and Patty taught me everything there is to know about the game. She is also a great friend.”

Perhaps you can go back to Wyatt’s youth in order to further understand why he exudes both confidence and humility. His parents, Doug and Shirley Wyatt, were thrilled when Jason’s grandfather, Norman Wyatt, introduced the youngster to golf at the nine-hole, par-3 Holiday Golf Course in Southampton. A few years later, the Wyatt family moved to London where Jason would continue his life-long involvement with the game of golf.

In 1990, then Sunningdale had golf professional Ron Healy hired the 13-year-old Wyatt to wash clubs, and it was then that the young teen “fell in love with the industry.” Healy, who died in 2020 just days after celebrating his 75th birthday, enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a professional at Brockville Country Club, Miskinaw Golf Club (Fort McMurray, Alberta), Sunningdale and, most notably, as head pro at The Beaconsfield Golf Club in Montreal for 22 years beginning in 1968.

“I’m forever grateful that Ron provided me the opportunity to join Sunningdale Golf & Country Club as an outside services team member,” Wyatt said. At age 17, he was promoted to the golf shop. By 2002, he received his Class A designation with the PGA of Canada while receiving the Tex Noble Award for achieving the highest Class A exam grade in the nation. He’s a former PING National Fitter of the Year, and a 20-time Regional Fitter of the Year. In 2023, Wyatt captured the PGA of Ontario Club Professional of the Year Award.

Sunningdale Golf and Country Club

Working at one private golf club during one’s entire career is almost unheard of in Canadian golf, but here we are as Wyatt begins a 35th year at the historic Sunningdale club, host of the 1966 and ’67 Supertest Ladies Open. Initiated by then club president Jim Thompson, the Supertest event marked the first time an official LPGA Tour tourney was held on Canadian soil. The Thompson family continues it ownership of the club – like Wyatt, a gold standard within the Canadian golf industry, thanks to its people-first mandate.

“The Thompsons have been spectacular to me and my family, allowing me to grow a life that I love here. I’m forever indebted to them,” said Wyatt, whose immediate family includes his wife, Lisa, a former Sunningdale employee who golfed on scholarship at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida and who captured the Junior Tyson Tour girls championship, and their son, Tanner, 14, a talented junior baseball player.

Of course, Wyatt’s second family consists of staff, members and guests at Sunningdale where he knows work-life balance is a critical element of the oft-times stressful career within the seasonal Canadian golf industry.

“When I look back at my career at Sunningdale, I hope the legacy that I will leave is one of positive change for our industry,” Wyatt explained. “During my career, we as a team have been able to provide a work-life balance which was not present when I was an assistant. In 2005, we adjusted to a five-day work week (following a system implemented by Howard that offered staff one extra day off per week), and now have transitioned to a four-day work week for our professional team.

“Being able to provide a work-life balance in an industry that didn’t provide it in the past is something very special. Working on employment packages that are more lucrative and sustaining to our team will hopefully continue to place Sunningdale at the top of the golf industry as it relates to creating a highly-skilled and experienced team,” he said.

In fact, Sunningdale was the first golf club in Canada to implement a four-day work week, which Wyatt said is key to helping his young assistant golf pros “move through their programs, attain their goals, and still be able to spend time with their families.”

No fewer than 13 of Wyatt’s former assistants and associates have moved on to obtain posts as head golf professionals. One of those pros, Steve Bryant, Director of Golf, Cutten Fields in Guelph, called Wyatt “a great mentor who instilled in his staff the need to pay attention to every detail, be prepared and provide an amazing experience. These were things I have taken with me to my current position in golf, and they have led to a successful career.

“Jason was always supportive and generous with his time when it was needed and never swayed from his commitment to making the work experience enjoyable for his staff,” said Bryant. “I try to do the same at Cutten Fields. Jason has always been very service- and experience-driven. The members and guests at the club always come first with Jason and he devotes so much of his time to making sure that happens every day. He is extremely proud to be at Sunningdale and I have always admired his dedication to his club and members.”

As a testament to his leadership and his keen business eye, Wyatt also created the Sunningdale Winter Golf Academy to give his professional staff year-round employment and to add value for Sunningdale members.

Meeting Challenges Without Hesitation

(L-R) Lisa, Tanner and Jason Wyatt. Photo: Facebook.

As one of Canada’s premier golf clubs, Sunningdale played host to the PGA Tour Canada Tour Championship in 2013 and ’14, both years riddled by weather right out of the Wizard of Oz. Tornado-type winds and rain played havoc with the course – I know: my pro-am foursomes scrambled to the clubhouse both years just in time before falling like the many majestic trees in the club’s valley. With Wyatt literally right in the thick of the storm, which included a tournament week of course management, logistics on and off the links and, of course, playing the gracious host of this prestigious tournament, his mettle was tested. With the help of his Sunningdale team, including Webb, he passed the test to a tee.

“During those two years, the biggest challenge was obviously the weather. Both years, we had major storms that caused severe damage not only to the property, but also to the infrastructure around the course. Our team came together and provided a great experience for the players, despite the challenges that were presented to our club.

“I have been very fortunate to have a working relationship with Tim Webb for over 30-plus years,” added Wyatt. “Tim is the consummate superintendent and is always smiling while out at the club. He is an expert in his craft and extremely detailed. This has never been more apparent than during our recent construction phase at Sunningdale. I consider him not only an incredible co-worker, but also a friend.”

The course construction phase Wyatt spoke of is monumental in the history of Sunningdale (est. 1934). Heading into a seventh major reconstruction year, Sunningdale continues its reshaping which saw a new 18-hole championship layout open for play in 2022. The original Stanley Thompson layout and six new Doug Carrick-designed holes contributed to this new course.

In addition, the Thompson family has sold 20 acres of its Sunningdale property for residential development, meaning the once 36-hole club will eventually house only one 18-hole course. But as with everything Sunningdale does, that championship layout will be amongst the best in Canadian golf.

“It’s an interesting time for the club,” quipped Wyatt. “The city coming closer to us creates new opportunities for attracting potential members. All these changes keep me engaged.” He explained, “There aren’t really any challenges faced due to the change in course layouts. As a team, you need to be organized and follow through on a number of items such as communication, score card changes, rating changes, mapping and other items.”

Jason Wyatt’s foursome at the Old Course at St Andrews. Photo: Facebook.

When it comes to connecting with the community as a whole, Wyatt has never shied away from meeting that challenge, too, in particular when it comes to supporting not-for-profit groups. Sunningdale traditionally hosts about a half-dozen notable charity golf tournaments each year. Wyatt is not simply a tourist during these events; rather, he is an involved participant, lending support beyond his call of duty as head golf pro. Under Wyatt’s tenure, the first Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive tournament in 2007, held at Sunningdale, raised $562,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario. Weir won the Heart Award in 2014 thanks in part to his philanthropy, including that 2007 fundraiser.

From 2011 to 2019, Wyatt was a key player with the Peace of Mind Charity Golf Tournament which raised more than $150,000 for children’s mental health programs in London, including Mind your Mind, Vanier Children’s Services and St. Joe’s Children’s Mental Health Program.

The Greatest Game

Of course, at the very heart of the golf industry is the game itself, and Wyatt is no different from any avid golfer who lives and breathes the game.

“I have had so many great opportunities to create incredible memories with this great game. Two great experiences include playing St. Andrew’s, Scotland with three friends and shooting 69. It is a day I will never forget and I was very fortunate to share that experience with them.

(L-R) Corey Conners, Tanner Wyatt, Jason Wyatt at 2024 RBC Canadian Open pro-am. Photo: Facebook.

“In 2024 I was fortunate to be provided a spot in the RBC Canadian Open Pro-Am where I had the opportunity to play with Corey Connors and (American) Justin Lower. This was an experience of a lifetime, which was even more meaningful to have my son, Tanner, on the bag caddying for me, and my family in attendance walking inside the ropes with me. I cannot thank the team at Levelwear – including executive vice president Herbert Ngo – enough for their generosity in providing this opportunity for me and my family,” said Wyatt.

When he’s not at work or on the links with family and friends, Wyatt enjoys family time away from golf, watching Tanner pursue his baseball dreams and, during the winter months, curling with Alon Shatil, part of the ownership group at East Park Golf, winner of the Heart Award in 2015.

“Winning the Heart Award is such an honour,” Wyatt said. “The game of golf has been my life, and to continue to grow the game, change the golf industry and continue to mentor young professionals is still my passion. I believe these are the pillars of the Heart Award.

“I feel my career still has a long road ahead. I truly hope to continue to build on my career at Sunningdale and within the golf industry, and one day retire at the club where I began my career. Very few golf professionals can state they only worked at one facility for their entire career.”

Wyatt said golf has already provided him with “a lifetime of memories, from my early years playing with my grandfather, to meeting my wife, Lisa, and now playing the game I love with our entire family. The core principles of golf have always been close to my heart, and I look forward to many years ahead on the links!”

When LondonOntarioGolf.com established the Heart Award, we had people like Jason Wyatt in mind as potential winners. On May 2, we look forward to honouring him with his award in order to inspire other young golf professionals to give back to the game as much as he has.

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Award-winning writer, photographer and broadcaster Jeffrey Reed has covered the game of golf in Southwestern Ontario since 1980. A three-time author, Reed penned the 2018-published book, The Canadian Seniors’ Golf Association, Celebrating 100 years of Seniors Golf 1918-2018. He established the Heart Award in 2011 in order to honour members of the London and area golf community who give back to golf while growing the game. Reach him at jeff@londonontariogolf.com.