Colwood golf superintendent achieves Canada’s highest industry honour

Colwood golf superintendent achieves Canada’s highest industry honour

Published 5:45 am Tuesday, July 7, 2026

A view of the grounds at Olympic View Golf Club in Colwood, where superintendent T-Jay Creamer has led the turf management team for six seasons. (Photo courtesy of Olympic View Golf Club)

Olympic View Golf Club superintendent T-Jay Creamer has earned the CGSA Master Superintendent designation. (Photo courtesy of GolfBC)

Only 31 Canadians have earned the highest professional designation available to golf course superintendents. T-Jay Creamer is now one of them.

The sixth-year superintendent at Olympic View Golf Club has earned the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association’s (CGSA) Master Superintendent designation, recognizing excellence in management, leadership and professional development.

“It’s been really neat to have a lot of recognition, people reach out and such,” Creamer said. “But I haven’t had the chance to fully process it yet. It’s mid-season for me, so it’s part of the just go, well, this is awesome. I’m glad I was able to do it.”

To qualify, candidates must hold an Accredited Golf Superintendent designation, complete five years as a superintendent, earn continuing education credits and pass a three-hour exam covering leadership, environmental stewardship and business operations. Recipients must recertify every five years.

Creamer’s journey started long before his professional career.

Born in Victoria while his father, Dave, worked at Royal Colwood Golf Club, Creamer grew up in the Comox Valley after his family moved north.

His father spent his career as a superintendent before retiring from Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community, where Creamer and his two younger brothers worked under him. Although his father has passed away, Creamer keeps pictures of him in his Olympic View office and knows he would be excited about the accomplishment.

“He really helped me fall in love with the game as a kid,” Creamer explained.

“I was a course rat for sure, hanging out with my buddies and living around the golf course,” Creamer said. “Right out of high school, I decided that I wanted to do this.”

He completed a turfgrass maintenance diploma at Kwantlen University College and a bachelor of science through Penn State’s online program. He then spent 15 years at Victoria Golf Club, including nine as assistant superintendent, before taking over at Olympic View in 2019.

While many assume a superintendent’s job is just growing healthy grass, Creamer said that is only a fraction of his role.

“I think most people think it’s all about growing grass, and that’s probably one of the smallest portions of my job,” he said. “A lot of my time goes into leadership and mentorship of our young team and helping foster and grow a culture here, an environment that everybody wants to be around.”

Building that culture is vital for a crew that routinely arrives at 4:30 a.m. to work in unpredictable coastal weather.

“You walk in and maybe you’re not having the best day, but everybody else in there chips you up and then you’re going to do the same thing for them when they’re down,” Creamer said.

Creamer oversees up to 30 employees while managing major projects, such as the recent reconstruction of Olympic View’s seventh green to long-term sustainability initiatives.

A post shared by Olympic View Golf Club (@olympicviewgolf)

“I think as a golf course superintendent, I have a responsibility as a steward of the property here to make sure that not only is it a value to the community and to the nature around us for now, but also to generations to come,” he said.

Creamer credits his success to support from employers, teammates and mentors, including longtime Uplands Golf Club superintendent Brian Youell, who also holds the CGSA designation.

“I’ve been really fortunate through my entire career to have those people around me,” Creamer said. “People like Brian have helped pave the way.”

Now, he hopes to do the same for the next generation of turf management professionals.

“As much as I enjoy growing grass, I found that I actually enjoy growing people even more now,” Creamer said.

Creamer will be formally recognized by the CSGA during the Canadian Golf Course Management Conference in February 2027 in Nova Scotia.