Dave Hollinger

When Dave Hollinger took over the full-time University of Waterloo Varsity Golf Program coaching duties, he wanted to continue to build on the great tradition the team had enjoyed when he was a captain in the late 1960s. In winning three provincial titles in his four years there, Hollinger realized the importance of a tightly knit group. While he is a tremendous teacher of the game of golf and its fundamentals, his philosophy has arguably had a bigger impact on the team’s success than anything technical he has brought to the table.

“We’ve taken the team concept to great heights,” says the retired elementary and secondary school Physical Education teacher, who holds a Master’s in Education. “Everything we do is as a team. There are no individuals on this team. And the kids have bought into that.”

While attending the University of Waterloo, Dave was a member of the golf team from 1969-1974 and captained from 1971-1973. The team won the Ruttan Cup (aka the OUA Championship) in 1969, 1970 and 1972. The team was also a five-time winner of the University of Waterloo’s invitational tournament. Individually in 1970, Dave was the silver medal winner at the OUA individual golf championship. He was inducted into the University of Waterloo Hall of Fame in 2000.

Dave won numerous events in one year including what is known locally as the Amateur Golf Slam – the Doon, Elmira, Dundee, and Rockway Invitations. He also won club championships at Conestoga and Deer Ridge along with numerous tournaments.

Dave began his 16 years of coaching with the University of Waterloo Varsity Golf Program in 2003 as an assistant coach, along with Jack Pearse to head coach Doug Painter. After two seasons, Dave became head coach, and Pearse continued on as a ‘Coach Emeritus’. Under Dave, the program continued its winning ways, capturing twelve OUA championship medals (seven gold, three silver, two bronze) and nine out of ten-top ten finishes at the Canadian University/College Golf Championship, winning a silver medal in 2012. Dave is a seven-time OUA Golf Coach of the Year winner and has served three times as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the World University Golf Championships.

In 2011, the golf coach’s association of Canada introduced the “Jack Pearse Coaches Award”, presented to the coach who has contributed to the growth of post-secondary golf. Dave was the inaugural winner. Dave retired as university coach in 2013, handing over the head coaching duties to Brad Sims. He continued to be a part of the staff and returned as head coach from 2014-2017. He remained involved with the program until his second retirement in the summer of 2019, and was recognized as the winningest player and coach of any sport in University of Waterloo history.

Dave has given back to golf in the Region of Waterloo in several ways. He was instrumental in the development of the Jack Pearse and Dave Hollinger Warrior Golf Endowment, established in 2000 to provide funds for golfers at University of Waterloo. Dave has also been an important member of the President’s Golf Tournament Committee that has helped raise over $1.1 million for the Warriors Excellence Fund and Women’s Sport Initiative.