ABOUT US
OUR MISSION
As an indoor golf facility, we offer golfers of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to play golf indoors, and have as much fun with their golfing partners as they do when playing outdoors.
We want to make the experience realistic and challenging, and have invested in the best simulator technology on the market developed by Full Swing Golf in California. We strive to maintain our simulators in perfect working order at all times.
Hopefully you will enjoy the results of hitting some great shots. And just like outdoors, you may get frustrated if you hit a poor one. That’s the love-hate relationship most of us have with this great game of golf.
We want our service to be the best. The majority of our staff have substantial experience in the golf industry.
Their mandate is to make sure you have a full understanding of how to play on the golf simulators. They must also ensure that you enjoy the atmosphere of our clubhouse, and our food & beverage services.
In addition to the above, we want to provide an excellent facility to practice your game. We offer PGA lessons through the King Golf Academy operated by our PGA Head Pro John Watson.
As owner of this business, I have put my heart and soul into trying to make your experience the best possible at all levels. If you have had fun and enjoyed the comradery of your playing partners, I would say we have succeeded. I would like to guarantee good scores, but I have to leave that in your hands.
Cheers, Dru Lafave
30th ANNIVERSARY TEAM
Front row: The Lafave Family.
Tara, Dru, Gwen and Joanna.
Back row (left to right): Julian Myers, Nick Workun, Pro, Manager Jeff Smith, PGA, Director of Golf, John (JR) Watson, PGA, Jake Bryson, Pro, Tyler Epp, PGA.
Missing from photo, Katie Lillie and Tracy Ye.
Read staff bios below.
GOLFOMAX HISTORY
1995. At the age of 44, owner Dru Lafave was living in Montreal working as an accountant. He came across a small indoor golf centre nearby and tried a round of golf on their Full Swing Golf simulators. He enjoyed it so much that he joined a weekly league. This experience led him to explore the opportunity of operating his own centre. Read more ….
Having grown up in golf and played competitively, his golf knowledge and business background were very helpful in researching the best products on the market and best location. He determined the Full Swing golf simulators were far superior to any others at the time, and then decided the Ottawa area would be his best bet for a location. Dru moved with his family over the summer, and opened up for business October 14, 1995 on Merivale rd. with a 6,700 sq ft facility.
The Plan. The original business plan was to start with 5 golf simulators and grow to 7, have a hitting net area with 3 stations for practice and lessons, and a small retail section.
Launching the indoor golf facility. We ran various advertising campaigns, including a press release to the media. In mid December 1995, the Ottawa Citizen sent their business writer Burt Hill over to interview Dru. The January 2, 1996 edition of the Citizen carried almost a full-page report on the front of the business section. From that day forward, Golfomax began to run at close to full capacity almost all the time. Avid golfers would call up for a tee time and have to go on waiting lists every day.
Growth. Over the years, with the great demand to play, we added 3 more simulators to our indoor golf facility, bringing us to a total of 10. In order to do this, we had to eliminate the hitting net area and retail all together.
Competition. In the years that followed, many people would come by over the winter and see how busy we were. Some came to view our business as an opportunity for themselves, and opened up to compete against us. This was a challenge, but in the end almost all our competitors failed and went out of business. Their products and service could not compare to ours.
NEW LOCATION. In 2010, after 15 years on Merivale Rd., we found an opportunity to move to our new location on Baxter rd. Reasons included: better rent conditions with slightly more space, better access off the Queensway, and a chance to renovate our facility with a fresh new look and feel. The space also allowed us to add another golf simulator for a total of 11, making us the largest indoor golf facility of its kind in Canada. With Dru’s daughter Tara being a professional Interior Designer, she was instrumental in the design, architectural specifications, and décor of our new facility. The overwhelming response has been that everyone loves our new home. Great job Tara.
THE STORY ABOUT OUR GOLFOMAX LOGO.
THE STORY ABOUT OUR GOLFOMAX LOGO
My younger brother Richard Lafave passed away in 2010 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 54. He was an avid golfer, who had the opportunity over the years to play many of the top 100 courses in the world, including several PGA tour courses, and many that have hosted the Majors. In his last year, he was invited to Augusta National to see the Masters and also toured the clubhouse and Butler cabin.
When Richard learned in 2009 that his cancer was terminal with less than a year to go, he made a Bucket List. In addition to special plans with his wife Jane and three children, Chris, Meg and Michael, he had a wish to go on a final golf trip to play many of the British Open courses.
In August 2009, Richard and I, and two of his friends, journeyed to Scotland and England. I had just torn my rotator cuff six weeks earlier and wasn’t sure if I would be able to play, but “I had to go”. Richard wasn’t sure he would be able to play much either, with his weakening condition and the side effects of the heavy pain medications he was on. But he was going, no matter what.
Well, incredibly, we played 7 rounds in 7 days.
Prestwick, Turnberry, Carnoustie, St. Andrews Old Course, Royal Troon, Royal Lytham & St Annes, and Royal Liverpool.
While on our journey, we took well over 500 pictures. I put together a book of about 75 of my favorites to remember my time with Richard, and gave him a copy for Christmas. One of the pictures is of Richard at Turnberry, where Tom Watson had almost won the Open just a month earlier. It was his 54th birthday that day. It’s a picture of him teeing off on a par 3, with the Island of Ailsa Craig in the background. He had a great swing. This was his favorite in the book.
My daughter Joanna created a new logo design from this picture. Every day, I am reminded of Richard, with so many wonderful memories.
Dru Lafave
THE SENIOR TEAM
DRU LAFAVE - OWNER & FOUNDER
Dru moved with his family from Montreal to Ottawa in 1995 to start GOLFOMAX. Following more than 20 years working as an accountant (CMA), he found an opportunity to operate his own business in a field that he loved and had experience in.
Golf Background:
He grew up playing on a 9-hole course in the Laurentians and won several Junior and Men’s Club Championships. He also worked a few summers in the pro shop and played competitive junior golf at the provincial level.
When Dru decided to open up GOLFOMAX in 1995, he took a golf teaching program with the Canadian Golf Teachers Federation (CGTF). He wanted to be able to give his customers tips to enjoy their golf more, and this led to teaching lessons locally for about 5 years.
Dru joined Greyhawk Golf Club here in Ottawa when it opened in 2002. In the inaugural club event, he shot a course record 67. That rekindled his passion for the game. He gave up his professional teaching work and soon returned to playing competitive amateur golf. He played in many club competitions over the years, winning three Senior Club Championships, and many match play events, and earned several top 10 finishes in Men’s Club championships.
Other accomplishments:
2004 – Finished 3rd in the Ottawa Citizen 72-hole Amateur Championship with a final round 70 at Eagle Creek.
2005 – Won the OVGA Class A field day at Renfrew Golf Club with a score of 71.
2006 – Won the OVGA Senior Tournament of Champions.
2010 – Won the #1 ranking on the Club EG Slammer Tour with match play wins in the Fall event at Smuggler’s Glen.
2012 – Won the OVGA Ottawa Valley Golf Association Senior Championship.
2013 – T25 at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. 72-hole event held at the Briars Golf Club. Nifty 69 in the final round. The old guy still has a little golf in him.
2014 – T3 at the Quebec Senior Championship. Played the Canadian Senior at Capilano, BC. Missed the cut. Bummer ;(
2015 / 16 – Played Canadian Seniors in Medicine Hat and Niagara Falls. Made the cut, but nothing too spectacular.
2017 – Kanata Golf Club: Won the Senior Club Championship, Gross Match Play Championship, and Net Senior Match Play Championship. The old guy still has a little Game.
2018 – Kanata Golf Club: Won the 2 Man Gross Better Ball 36-hole Championship with partner Wayne Mountford. Won the season-long Men’s Night LMRCC league 2 Man Net Match Play Championship with partner Richard Getz. Fun times.
2023 – Kanata Golf Club: Captured his second Senior Club Championship with a final round 69 and winning a 4-hole playoff.
JOANNE LAFAVE (Dad's Favorite Oldest Daughter)
Joanna has worked part time for us from time to time in customer service almost from the beginning. She is a Graphic Design Artist with a career spanning over 20 years. In her spare time, she produces all our GOLFOMAX marketing communications. She also played junior golf at Beaconsfield Golf Club in Montreal for a few years. She is a busy mom with teenage daughter Gwen who works a few shifts at the Max in her spare time.
TARA LAFAVE (Dad's Favorite Youngest Daughter)
Tara has worked part time in customer service almost from the beginning as well. She is a professional Interior Designer who in recent years has worked as senior lead on the parliament West Block restoration project. She was instrumental in the architectural specifications, design and décor of our new indoor golf location on Baxter Rd. The overwhelming response has been that everyone loves our new home. Great job Tara.
GWEN BELLAN (Grampa Dru's Granddaughter)
Gwen is Joanna’s wonderful daughter. She has worked at the Max part time over recent years while attending high school.
Dru taught Gwen how to play golf at a young age and has a great swing. Gwen also enjoys equestrian riding, skiing and track.
JEFF SMITH, PGA, MANAGER. 25+ YEAR EMPLOYEE
Jeff began work at GOLFOMAX as a co-op student in 1997. After completing High School, he started to work for us full time. He gradually took on more responsibilities over the years and has become Owner Dru Lafave’s right hand man. Jeff is sometimes called “MacGyver” because of his uncanny ability to find efficient solutions to fixing any kind of problems.
2018 was a special year for Jeff. He married Sarah and they now have a wonderful daughter Charlotte.
Golf Background: Jeff grew up playing junior golf at Poplar Grove, and competed in junior club and OVGA events. He played as a member of Greyhawk Golf Club and finished 4th in the 2011 Club Championship. In 2024, Jeff added PGA pro to his credentials.
JOHN (JR) WATSON, PGA, DIRECTOR OF GOLF. 24+ YEAR EMPLOYEE
JR joined Golf-O-Max in 2001. He grew up playing his junior golf at Larimac, another 9-hole course, and over the years held memberships at Tecumseh, Champlain, Eagle Creek, Hautes Plaines, and Camelot, winning several of their club championships.
JR worked many years in the financial sector and teaching finance at Algonquin. His passion for golf led to a position as General Manager at Eagle Creek, and then he decided to turn professional in 2000, becoming a PGA of Canada Class A member.
His professional bio includes:
✓ Associate teaching professional at Eagle Creek and Edelweiss golf clubs.
✓ Teaching engagements in the U.S., Cuba and Jamaica.
✓ Winner of Ottawa CPGA Spring Open, and several Pro-Am events,
✓ Offers teaching and coaching programs for players of all ages and skill levels through King Golf Academy and kinggolf.ca
✓ 2014: Won 2 Ottawa zone Senior (getting old at 50) PGA championships.
✓2016: Won PGA Ottawa Zone Summer Open Senior Division, Senior Zone Championship, and Senior Player of the Year!
✓ 2017: Won PGA Ottawa Zone Summer Open Senior Championship.
✓ 2018: Won PGA Ottawa Zone Pro Pro 2 Man Senior with Dave Kalil.
Tyler Epp, PGA
Tyler is an Associate Pro at Rideau View Golf Club and has worked at the Max over the winter months for many years. One of his passions is running junior golf programs.
In 2024, Tyler won the PGA Canada – Ottawa Zone Player of the Year award. CONGRATS TYLER !!!
Nick Workun, Touring Pro
Nick joined the Max in 2021. His amateur golf career highlights include ….
He decided to test his skills as a touring professional in 2022, joining the East Coast Pro Tour. In July 2024 he won A Quebec tournament with a great score of 6 under 66. Congrats Nick !!!
Julian Myers
Julian is a new member of the team. He has a deep passion for golf and enjoys playing competitively at a very high level with a “plus” handicap index. He plays at Eagle Creak GC and works there as part of the food & beverage team. He is great at enhancing our guest experiences, whether sharing stories about the game or serving up a refreshing beverage.
He also enjoys fishing, as can be seen in photo catching a whopper out of the pond at Eagle Creak.
Jake Bryson, Touring Pro
Jake is a new member of the team. His bio will be uploaded soon.
Young Gwen with a great follow through wearing pink dress and cowboy boots.
Gwen getting her first golf lesson from her grampa Dru.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
We regularly support the following organizations and individuals.