Joe Murphy moves to Thornhill as GM & COO
Vaughan, ON — One of Canada’s most storied and prestigious private country clubs has announced the hiring of a new General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, an appointment that’s certain to attract notice across the country.
Thornhill Golf & Country Club, at the north end of the Greater Toronto Area, will welcome Joseph Murphy as its GM and COO, starting in March 2016. Mr. Murphy has served as GM and Chief Executive Officer at Toronto’s St. George’s Golf & Country Club for the last seven-and-a-half years, and other local private clubs prior to that. In the process, he has earned a reputation as one of the country’s most talented and effective club management professionals.
“The members of our club are, basically, ecstatic with this appointment,” said Thornhill Club President Adrian Hartog. “We have been extremely fortunate to have had Michael Chadsey manage our facility for the last four years, and we wish him a long and happy retirement. We’re excited and confident that Joe Murphy will continue to build on a fine legacy and history, and take our Club to an even higher level of service in the years to come.”
Thornhill G&CC was founded in 1922, and remains in its original location on the west side of Yonge Street, north of downtown Toronto. It has recently completed a $5 million expansion and renovation project, augmenting and improving its facilities and services. The Club’s nationally-ranked 18-hole championship golf course was designed by renowned Canadian course architect Stanley Thompson.
Joe Murphy is certainly no stranger to historic Canadian golf clubs. In addition to two separate management stints at St. George’s, he has also served as GM at Toronto’s Scarboro Golf & Country Club, Islington Golf Club, and Clubhouse Manager at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario.
“I’m just delighted to be moving to Thornhill, and excited by the opportunity to maximize the new facilities and renovations at this outstanding Club,” Mr. Murphy said. “Leaving St. George’s will not be easy, but I’m sure the members there understand that new challenges are energizing, and most club managers know when it’s time to move on. This was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.”
Both Mr. Hartog and Mr. Murphy agree that private clubs must continually provide their members with services and facilities that meet or exceed those that they can find in their neighbourhoods, like restaurants, fitness clubs – even golf courses. The “prestige” of joining a private club is no longer as important a factor in enticing a new member; what the club offers, and its level of personal service, are paramount.
“No matter how impressive its history, or committed its membership, every club has to continually consider its current offering, and its future,” said Mr. Hartog. “We’re in a very competitive environment, with private clubs across the GTA recruiting new members more actively than ever before. So it’s essential that we stay on top of the country club market by hiring someone of Joe Murphy’s calibre and impeccable reputation.”
About Thornhill Golf & Country Club
Founded in 1922, and located approximately 40 minutes north of downtown Toronto, Thornhill Golf & Country Club is recognized as one of the premier facilities of its kind in Canada. Featuring a nationally-ranked championship golf course designed by legendary designer Stanley Thompson, the Club also maintains a shorter 9-hole layout. The main course acquired a unique pedigree when, in 1945, the legendary PGA Tour professional Byron Nelson won the Canadian Open at Thornhill, the final win in a string of 11 consecutive victories that remains an unmatched achievement to this day. The Club also provides its members with dining, curling and new fitness facilities, a newly-renovated tennis centre, and (soon) an outdoor swimming pool, set in lush, manicured gardens and grounds.
