HAMMONDS PLAINS: Daylan McNamara is a quick study.
Less than a decade after hitting the course for the first time, the native of Petit de Grat is not only a Professional Golf Association (PGA) of Canada member, but also the owner of Hole9Golf – an innovative performance centre in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia.
“I had never played golf – it wasn’t really a sport I was interested in,” McNamara told The Reporter.
His friend had to coax him to be part of the foursome that day.
“I had a great time while I was out,” he remembered.
To say that McNamara was bitten by the golf bug would be an understatement.
“I played pretty much every day – whenever I could,” he said of his schedule over the next year or so.
With that level of commitment, McNamara’s explained that his game “progressed really rapidly,” noting that one of the keys to his improvement was teeing off with players who were “better than me.”
“I would learn a lot from them,” he said.
Those days on the course had a deeper meaning; it was about more than striking straight tee shots and sinking putts. He received myriad health benefits.
His introduction to the sport came at a key time in his life; three years after he ended his career with the Canadian Armed Forces, on a medical discharge, in 2013.
“I worked with them pretty much full time,” the graduate of Richmond Academy says of the start of his time with the military, which began as a 16-year-old reservist.
McNamara, who fashioned a leadership career as an infantryman, was deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment.
After that tour of duty, suffering with his mental health, the Canadian veteran received a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.
While on his journey to recovery – one McNamara noted is part of his daily life – he completed a two-year business administration program, concentrating on financial services, before embarking on a short time in the banking industry.
“I wanted to share my love for the game with people,” he explained of hoping to make golf the focal point of his career path.
McNamara, with a partner, did just that with the launch of Hole9Golf – an entrepreneurial venture focused on “creating a community with golf.”
“It took off,” he noted of the Hammonds Plains based golf performance centre.
McNamara leads a team of certified professionals and affiliate businesses that help players – of all ages and skill levels – train like athletes.
Hole9Golf offers coaching and fitness programs, along with mental performance and medical consulting, geared towards helping clients reach their golf goals. That effort also benefits from a facility equipped with state-of-the-art launch monitors, indoor putting green, gripping station and countless other training aids.
McNamara explained that someone’s Hole9Golf experience begins with a screening aimed at identifying any physical strengths and limitations that could affect their swing.
“We want to help you build a swing that supports what your body is capable of, without increasing risk of injury,” he added.
The customized programs that they offer, McNamara said, focus on providing clients with the tools to “play better golf sooner,” rather than having to put in “endless” practice hours.
Along with developing Hole9Golf in recent years, McNamara continued to hone his golf skills. In 2020, he became an official member of the PGA of Canada, adding that milestone to his extensive list of certifications in the sport. One year later, he fashioned three top-10 finishes in local PGA events, along with teeing off in the PGA Tour Canada’s PEI Open.
“We need to be on the course,” he said, noting that’s where he spends most of his time, helping elite athletes apply what they have learned during their continuing Hole9Golf experience.
Describing them as “the future of the game,” McNamara added that he loves working with young players.
“I always find the time for them.”
He also spends plenty of time watching his students compete, admitting that a planned 45-minute visit to a tournament often ends up lasting several hours.
“I feel like a dad,” McNamara offered, with a laugh, of his mindset in those moments.
Daylan McNamara (left) provides tips to one of his young students at Hole9Golf.
Along with those paternal feelings, he has gained so much from his ongoing golf journey; not only has he excelled professionally, but also personally – his mental health one of the beneficiaries.
McNamara explained that nothing compares to time on the course, when it comes to the relief he gets as part of his “constant battle” for mental wellness; the tranquility of walking the fairways while soaking up the beauty of nature.
“It is something that I struggle with every day,” he said of living with PTSD, noting that weekly therapy sessions remain part of his routine.
Nevertheless, he is proud of his progress, including exponential improvement when it comes to his “comfort level” in public. He credited his Hole9Golf team for being key to that development, describing them as “super supportive.”
“I am not as anxious, which is really exciting,” McNamara said.
Moving forward, along with his daily work to maintain his mental wellness, he is focused on continuing his mentorship with young athletes. He also wants to start working more with PGA Tour professionals.
“That would be really exciting.”
For more information on Hole9Golf, visit: www.hole9golf.com.