CL’s golf pro serves as a role model to others

BY Ted Horton

Pat Kemball, Canyon Lake’s director of golf, grew up in a small town Northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where hockey was king. He was quite a hockey player as a youngster and advanced within the sport to where he was traveling away from home a great deal as a young man with NHL aspirations.

No one in Pat’s family played golf but his mother used to love to watch it on television and she had encouraged him to get some left-handed clubs when he was 11 years old.

Pat was hooked on the sport and spent every possible hour during the next six summers at the Pine Falls Golf Course, mentored by Golf Professional Jerry Hollins. Before attending college, Pat was working in the local paper mill and Jerry suggested that he consider golf as a profession.

He joined the Canadian PGA and decided to gather experience working for two years at the John Blumberg Golf Course as an assistant professional and then moved to neighboring Pine Ridge Golf Club.

Pat continued to excel at golf, winning the 1988 and 1990 Province of Manitoba Assistant PGA Championships and the 1988, 1992 and 1994 PGA Provincial Championship. He was named the Manitoba PGA Player of the Year five times. He played in a few events on the Canadian Tour but never won big. He was soon awarded the head PGA professional job at Pine Ridge and remained there for six years.

Deciding that he needed a change in his personal life circumstances, Pat decided to pack up the car and head south to Temecula for a winter of California golf instead of hockey.

He found employment at the SCGA Golf Course where he met his wife Brenda, then an employee of the SCGA and now manager of SCGA Member Outings.

The next summer, Pat had to return to Pine Ridge Golf Club to complete his contract but returned the next winter to accept a job as a teaching professional/manager of a golf range in Menifee while resolving immigration issues.

A year later, Pat was hired as the head golf professional at the SCGA Golf Course and married to Brenda. Fore Magazine celebrated their union with the article “Canadian Boy Meets Southern California Gal.” They have been married for 20 years now.

Four years later, SCGA named Pat general manager where he served for six years until the club was sold in 2010.  He responded to an RFP for director of golf at Canyon Lake Country Club and the rest is history.

In the U.S., Pat has continued to gather awards. In 2016, Fore Magazine awarded Pat with the recognition of Best PGA Pro in Southern California. In 2018, he was again recognized as the SCPGA Inland Empire Teacher of the Year and, in 2006, he was recognized as the Bill Strausbaugh Award winner from the Inland Empire Southern California PGA.

Pat’s home course of Pine Falls Golf Course honored his achievements as a PGA professional and posted a picture and plaque to his tribute on their trophy wall.

Along with his love of the game and the opportunity to teach the sport, Pat enjoys golf course design, gardening and a little adult (read old men’s) hockey.

PGA Master Professional John Hardy said it best, “Patrick is one of the most respected golf professionals in our profession. He is a role model to those that follow and one of the nicest human beings. Canyon Lake is extremely fortunate to have him. I am also fortunate to have him as my friend.”

We agree and are pleased that the POA has renewed his contract for another five years. Eh!