The Red Deer Golf and Country Club will swing into the season with a new look in 2018.
The club officially announced new head professional Dean Manz on Wednesday, who will be taking over for long-time pro Ken Frame.
Frame served as the head professional at RDGCC for 23 years and general manager Don McFarlane said after some deliberation this winter, they decided it was time to bring in a fresh face.
“We’re lucky that Ken Frame was a detail guy and did a terrific job for the Red Deer Golf and Country Club. Due to circumstances, the change has been made,” McFarlane said.
“It was a mutual decision between Ken, his family, and the board. He’s staying in Red Deer and he’s going to be a member here, we’re looking forward to that.”
Manz, a Saskatchewan native who most recently was the head professional at Wascana Country Club, one of only two private courses in that province, knows he has big shoes to fill but is excited to get started.
“I want to say thank you to Ken and all the hard work he’s down for the last 23 years. It put me in a position to succeed. I’m thankful to him and his staff. I know I have big shoes to fill but hopefully I can meet and exceed the members’ expectations,” he said.
He will also be joined in Red Deer by his assistant pro from Wascana, Kirk Evans. The duo worked together in Saskatchewan for seven years.
“He was my third in command at Wascana and he came with me. He’s super excited. He knows exactly what my expectations are and It’s going to be great,” Manz said.
Manz, 34, worked at Wascana for the last 1o years and he was named PGA of Canada’s Retailer of the Year in 2015. He was also the 2017 Professional of the Year in Saskatchewan.
McFarlane said that Manz’s retail expertise was a big part of why they wanted to bring him on board.
“He’s a good merchandiser and he is member focused. He’s going to engage our membership. He’s young, he’s the right age group we think,” Don McFarlane said.
“We’ve introduced some new lines into the golf shop. We’ve always focused on member services.”
Manz added that not only is the course a fit for him, moving to Red Deer was a major shift for his wife, Amanda and his three children Kenton, Piper and Quinn.
“My family and I are really excited to be in Red Deer and part of the community,” Manz said.
“It was a tough decision to leave Saskatchewan but at the end of the day the opportunity to work for Don McFarlane was a great opportunity.”
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