07/16/2026
Nicely done!
18 Holes! 18 Questions!
Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly Golf
Bio: In 2021, after 28 years of working as a Club Pro at four different courses in three different parts of the province, including Terra Nova, my favorite place in the world, I retired from course work and hung out my shingle for Paul Kelly Golf. I was not sure what to expect when I launched my business. But I was soon overwhelmed with the response. In 2022, I received Callaway’s Top 100 Fitter award for North America and have gotten it four years in a row. I also received the Top 50 Teaching Professional award for Canada twice. In 2026, my work as a golf instructor, club fitter and instructor continues. But what I like now is that I dictate my own hours, so I have as much work/life balance as I want. I don’t think of retirement. I love what I do and see no reason to stop. Valerie, my wife of 33 years, has been a huge supporter of my career. It is an industry that has demanded a lot from me and my family from sun up to sun down. But I feel both my adult children, Erin and Liam, are proud of how I have modeled a strong work ethic and demonstrated professionalism in the industry. Even my dog likes my career and puts on a happy face whenever golfers come calling for help with their equipment or game.
1. What is your full name?
Paul James McGrath Kelly. I was named after my father and my father’s father, both named Paul Kelly and my mother’s father, James McGrath.
2. Where were you born? Where do you live today?
I was born in St. Clare's in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I am the oldest of 5 children. I moved to Logy Bay in 2000. It’s country living on an acre of land close to the City of St. John’s and the ultimate in convenience and privacy.
3. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
There are so many things in my history that don’t appear to line up with becoming a successful Golf Professional. I drove a tractor trailer back and forth across Canada for a living when I was in my 20’s. I co-managed a bar/restaurant with my brother for many years. My mother and father have never seen me hit a single golf ball. I don’t watch golf on TV or even follow professional golf. From week to week, I couldn’t tell you what tournament was on, or who won. I have a Black Belt in Taekwondo.
4. Are you a member of a golf club and what club? Who do you regularly play golf with?
No. I spent almost 30 years working as a Club Professional and during that time I rarely saw any other property besides the ones I was working on. At this point in my life, I don’t want to be tied to one spot. Maybe in the future.
This is a bit of a strange one as I don’t really play on a regular basis. If I get out 2-3 times a month that would be it. My playing partners fall into two different groups. Friends who I grew up with, and clients who became good friends. Frequent partners include Dave Philips, Ron Whitten, Ted Williams, John James and John Meaney. Most of my games involve me just showing up at a course and getting paired with whoever is going out. I’ve always liked that about golf. Whether here, or when traveling, you can go to a course on your own, and within a few hours you can walk away with a new person in your network.
5. What's your favorite course that you have played? What course would you like to play anywhere in the world?
My favorite course is Terra Nova. It’s a special place for so many reasons. I was the Club Pro there for 6 years and played almost every day during that time. I never stopped smiling the whole time I was there. Kokanee Springs In British Columbia would be my second choice as it is Terra Nova in the mountains and it is where I spent my Honeymoon. Everyone says Augusta National and that would be on the top of my list, but it will never happen, so Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand would be my choice. The layout is unbelievable.
6. Where and when did you start golfing?
I was living in Calgary, and Dave Brown, who was a close friend, took a couple of us to Turner Valley. It was the very first time I played golf or was on a golf course. I didn’t think much of it, and it didn’t make an impression. A couple of years later I moved home to St. John’s and played a few games on the Hill, Pippy Park. I fell in love with the game almost instantly. I went to Woolco at the mall and bought a 7 piece Northwestern set for $79 and played that 9 hole to death for the next few years.
7. Can you (briefly) tell us your most memorable golf experience.
My most memorable golf experience was traveling around Scotland by myself with just a knapsack and a set of clubs. I would play a course then jump on a train and go to another town and play another course. Then I would get on the train again and go to another town, so when I woke up, I was ready to play another course. During that trip I played the Old Course, The New Course and several other public courses. During supper one night a man sitting next to me invited me to play at his private course. I discovered he was John Tanqueray, the President of Tanqueray and Gordons Gin. His course was The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, which is the oldest established golf club in the world (1735) and ultra private. I played it the next day. During that trip I had no agenda and no set destination. It was incredible.
8. Can you (briefly) tell us your funniest golf experience.
We still talk about this all the time. Dave Philips and I played Terra Nova in a rainstorm that made the Priest scene in Caddy Shack look like a sunny day. It was beyond ridiculous. The rain was so heavy that we decided to keep going just for the stupidity of it. Halfway through, we came upon a single golfer named Sven. He was playing by himself in a monsoon. We joined up and laughed nonstop through the rest of the round. One of the best days ever.
9. What is your greatest golf accomplishment?
This is so easy to answer. My greatest golf accomplishment is building a career and supporting a family from something I love. Over 35 years ago I started doing simple club repairs in the basement of a townhouse and that grew into a long career that is stronger than ever.
10. How do you like to relax?
I really do love golf but don’t get out as much as I should or as I want. My days are so busy with teaching, fitting, club repairs, creating online content and filling orders that the days get away from me. I really enjoy spending time in my golf workshop. There is something soothing about turning on some music and taking a set of clubs apart and rebuilding them. I also really enjoy my own quiet time.
11. What is your most treasured golf possession?
Another easy one. When I was at Terra Nova, the province hired a photographer to shoot the course for a tourism ad. One of those shots was of me Teeing off on the back tees of #2. It’s the best photo ever. The water was perfect, the sun was perfect, the colors were perfect. That photo was taken in 1997 and is still used by Terra Nova in some of its marketing. I have a seven foot copy of it on my wall at home.
12. What is your best/worst quality on the golf course?
My best quality is that nothing disturbs me when I am playing. There can be music playing, people laughing and talking, planes flying overhead and mowers running all around me. I never understood the need for silence. My worst quality is that after 3 hours I lose focus, and my mind starts to wander. The faster I can play, the better I can play. Some of my best rounds were played in under 2 hours.
13. What 3 professional golfers would complete your dream foursome for a round of golf?
This is a difficult one as I have just as much interest these days in social media golf as Professional Tours. I love creating content and trying to figure out the algorithm and what people want. I really like Danny Maude’s approach to instruction, so I’d like to spend a day with him and talk shop. Nelly Korda has the best swing in golf so watching that up close for 18 holes would be amazing. Fred Couples would round out the group because who wouldn’t want to play with Fred.
14. What 3 Newfoundlanders, past or present, would you like to join you at a dream dinner?
My father passed away a few years ago and he was the one who cooked and hosted family dinners. I really miss his opinions and his loud singing. I would round it out with my childhood best friend Doug Whitten who I only see every few years, and my son Liam who lives in Toronto and I don’t see at all. Doug and I would take care of the stupid conversations, and Dad and Liam could battle back and forth on politics. It would be a great night.
15. Have you ever had a hole-in-one? What is your best score ever? When and where?
I have never had a hole-in-one but I do have an Albatross on #2 at Terra Nova and I hit all 18 greens in regulation while playing Westchase Golf Club in Tampa. Not the same as a Hole-In- One but probably just as rare or rarer. I shot a 68 at St. Andrews at Westcliffe in Colorado back in 1993. Amazing what playing at 8000 feet elevation can do for your game. The rattlesnakes and elk certainly kept me alert! I also shot 69 at Terra Nova twice.
16. What is your favorite/least favorite golfing hole on a Newfoundland & Labrador golf course?
My least favorite hole would be #1 at Grand Falls. #15 at Terra Nova is not only my favorite hole in Newfoundland, it’s also my favorite hole anywhere in the world. It’s not fancy or spectacular and isn’t a great scenic hole, but I love it. I think it goes back to how it was in the beginning when it was #3 and was only half as wide as it is now. Making a par on that hole was a huge accomplishment. In its current form I love the shape that promotes a big draw off the tee, and the gamble of going for it in two or laying up and trying to hit a short wedge into a sloping green. From the time I tee off on #1 I am looking forward to that hole.
17. What do you think is the worst rule in golf and how would you change it?
I don’t like the Stroke and Distance Rule. It slows down play, and is an excessive punishment.
18. What advice would you give to a young golfer starting to play golf today?
I feel I have a good perspective on this as I have taught beginners how to golf for almost 40 years. Day after day I hear people say the same thing. “Golf is so difficult and there are so many things to remember.” No, it’s not. It’s just another sport no different than hockey, tennis, baseball or soccer. In any sport, athletic, free flowing movements are always better than complex thoughts and rigid, multiple step processes. Learn to “swing through the ball”. Also, find an instructor who can teach you about Ball Flight Laws. If you know the exact reason why a ball does what it does, you can fix it. If you don’t, then you are likely to end up down a YouTube rabbit hole looking for miracle cures that will only confuse you. Finally, and most importantly, play with people who do the most laughing and tell the best jokes, as that will never get old.
08/18/2026
08/05/2026
07/26/2026
07/19/2026
07/15/2026
07/04/2026