A pair of former golf course superintendents have launched a specialty firm to serve golf courses throughout Canada.
Stephen Hicks (at right above) and Jordan Kitchen (at right below), both former greenkeepers with a combined 41 years of experience in the golf industry, have launched HK Golf Services Inc. The firm is dedicated to supporting golf clubs through infrastructure projects of every scale.
HK Golf Services offers the following services:
- drainage planning and design
- hands-on renovation and construction support
- topographical surveys and mapping
The firm was founded to fill a need for practical expertise that helps superintendents and club leadership navigate complex capital projects.
“As superintendents, we lived the process — the budget pressures, the on-the-ground realities, the need to get infrastructure right the first time,” Hicks said. “We built this firm to be the partner we wished we’d had.”
Hicks has 23 years of golf industry experience, including extensive work leading agronomic programs and on-course improvement projects such as drainage, irrigation, and green and tee renovations. He earned an associate’s degree in turfgrass management University of Guelph and a bachelor’s degree in math and statistics and French from Acadia University.
Kitchen has 18 years of experience in the golf industry with a proven track record of planning and executing large-scale course renovations from initial site assessment through construction completion. He also holds an associate’s degree in turfgrass management from Guelph, where he also earned an MBA with an agribusiness specialization. He was host superintendent of the 2024 RBC Canadian Open Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Services
Drainage Planning and Design. HK Golf Services follows a six-step methodology — from initial client consultation and aerial review through total station surveying, soil investigation, autoCAD design, and on-site implementation support.
Project Support. During renovation and construction projects, HK Golf Services acts as the club’s representative, providing construction quality control, material testing, feature layout with GPS grade verification, as-built drawings and budget tracking with progress reporting — keeping work on spec, on schedule and on budget.
As-Builts, Topographical Surveys and Mapping. The firm delivers standalone as-builts, topographical surveys, soil investigation, and project consulting for clubs that need reliable base data before committing capital. Deliverables include autoCAD contour maps, feature plans, area calculations and actionable recommendations.
“Accurate base data is the foundation of every successful project,” Kitchen said. “Whether a club needs a full drainage master plan or just a clear picture of what they’reworking with before committing capital, we’re here to provide that practical, ground-level support.”
