Wild run continues for Grizzlies Hickey as he leads one of countries elite Golf Program’s

Time as a New York Ranger, CPGA Pro, eight years plus as a professional hockey player and experience caddying for the likes of Moe Norman and Nick Westlock - Greg Hickey has had an eventful life in sports. The Grizzlies Golf Coach boasts more stories than there are tee boxes at his newly renovated Orillia Golf and Country Club, and they are a big part of the Georgian Golf's recent run of success.

At the age of twelve, Hickey knew he wanted to work on a course. Having already immersed himself in baseball, basketball and hockey the Brantford native's entry to working in golf began with a fight. After a scrap with a local kid (in which Hickey came out the definitive winner) earned him entrance to a local "caddie shack", he began his career on the course with poise. While golf remained his passion throughout his teenage years, Hickey's dream of being a club pro was temporarily put on hold when he was drafted ninth overall by the Hamilton Red Wings.

His time in professional hockey included stints in the NHL, OHA, AHL, IHL, SHL, ACHL as well as Germany and Switzerland. After the impressive run had ended, he had the itch to get back into golf. An opportunity presented itself when he parlayed a relationship with course manager Paul Kennedy into a job at Deerhurst Golf Club.

He would get another opportunity at Nobleton Golf Club years later, where he became the Director of Golf and Head Golf Pro; after another notable stint, his arrival at Orillia Golf and Country Club came. The building was down, greens were dead and clubhouse a mess, but Hickey believed he could revitalize the place and turn it around.

"I took it one step at a time, cleaned up the mess, put lipstick on the pig so to speak" he said. By last July he determined he had a business, and the course looks beautiful today. At the same time as he was taking on the renovation at Orillia, he joined the Grizzlies program as Head Golf Coach. Over the past two seasons the program has continued an impressive tradition of success and Hickey's a huge part of that.

"It's all about focus, staying in your game" Hickey says, having led the program to an incredibly successful 2015 campaign. This past season included a pair of CCAA National medals, an OCAA Provincial Championship and three total Provincial Medals, as well as numerous podium finishes during the OCAA's regular season. "Creating a team atmosphere, it's about relationships and our success as a collective unit"

Last year the Grizzlies boasted two of the country's top golfers in Matt LeMay and Emilie Tyndall, both of whom will be returning in 2016. LeMay just wrapped up an incredibly successful two-week run that you can read about here, and also works for Hickey at the course. Tyndall was a CCAA All-Canadian, OCAA Champion, National Bronze Medalist and Georgian's Female Athlete of the Year. The Grizzlies will be hosting the OCAA Championship this season, and it is shaping up to be a special year.

For Hickey, the success of the program is a continuation of what has been an incredible life in sport. Throughout his career he has consistently succeeded and been passionate about what he is doing, traits that carry over to Georgian Athletics. "I'm a doer more than a talker" he says Hickey, a statement that rings true to this day.

For more information on Orillia Golf and Country Club visit http://www.ontariogolf.com/courses/orillia/orillia-gcc/