08/13/2026
18 Holes! 18 Questions!
Ethan Efford
Bally Haly Country Club
Bio: I was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and have a younger sister named Brooklyn. I grew up swinging little plastic clubs around the house, but my love for golf came after my dad took me to the driving range for the first time when I was 7 years old. I still vividly remember my first ever shot and I have been hooked ever since!
I played a lot of different sports throughout my childhood, but I was average (at best) for most of them. I played my first NL Provincial Championship at age 11 and loved the feeling of competitive golf which is something I still carry today. In grade 10 I decided to give up the other sports and focus on golf. I graduated from Gonzaga High School in 2021 and was fortunate to receive an offer to play NCAA DI Men’s Golf at Utah Valley University, following in the footsteps of a longtime mentor, coach, and friend of mine, Blair Bursey. I moved to Utah just two months after graduating high school at 17 years old and spent four years playing and studying at UVU.
In May of 2025 I graduated from Utah Valley with my Bachelor of Finance degree and moved back to St. John’s for work. Currently, I am a Junior Investment Analyst with Provident10 and have been there a little over a year, and I am working towards my CFA designation.
N. B. Ethan recently captured his first Newfoundland and Labrador Men's Amateur Golf Championship at Harmon Seaside Links, finishing at 3-under par over three rounds (72, 70 and 71) to claim the provincial title. His consistent play throughout the championship earned him a memorable first victory in one of the province's premier amateur golf events.
1. What is your full name?
Ethan Isaac Efford
2. Where were you born? Where do you live today?
I was born in St. John’s, NL and today I live in the same house I grew up in!
3. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I have a color defect with the colors red, green and brown, (red-green colorblind) so red flags give me some issues.
4. Are you a member of a golf club and what club? Who do you regularly play golf with?
Yes, I am a member of Bally Haly Country Club. I usually play with my good friends Brandon Powell, Dylan Yee, and Nick O’Reilly, but will play with anyone who has an open spot or would like to play. My dad, Dean, is also a member now so I try to play with him as much as I can as well.
5. What's your favorite course that you have played? What course would you like to play anywhere in the world?
Any of the five courses at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Oregon, but I have a soft spot for the original Bandon Dunes course. My top pick would be Augusta National, but I would also love to play Royal County Down Golf Course in Northern Ireland.
6. Where and when did you start golfing?
I began golfing when I was 7 years old at the original Clovelly golf course and learned the game from Jamie Moran through the junior clinics there.
7. Can you (briefly) tell us your most memorable golf experience.
Getting a collegiate team win at Palm Valley in Arizona. 3 out of 4 of our counting scores birdied their last hole to win by one shot over Marquette. I was lucky enough to be one of the 3 birdies!
8. Can you (briefly) tell us your funniest golf experience.
One of my teammates was recording a swing video for another guy, and when he sliced it my teammate recording continued to pan the camera up and to the right into the sky. By the time he stopped recording he basically had the camera pointing at the moon. It was hilarious.
9. What is your greatest golf accomplishment?
I would say winning my first tournament off the island. It was a Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) tournament at Fox Harb’r Resort in Nova Scotia, and I won in a playoff with my family and grandparents watching. That was the first moment when I realized that I wanted to compete at a higher level.
10. How do you like to relax?
I don’t do well with relaxation, but when I am I’m usually listening to music and having a coffee or drink. I also really like to watch movies and shows.
11. What is your most treasured golf possession?
I used to have a valuables pouch where I kept my favorite ball markers and one marker I had was the shape of an F-22 Raptor and it was from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. My valuables pouch sadly went missing and since then I have tried to not get attached to physical stuff.
12. What is your best/worst quality on the golf course?
My best quality is my determination and grit, my worst quality would be my negative self-talk.
13. What 3 professional golfers would complete your dream foursome for a round of golf?
The three would be Tiger Woods, Payne Stewart, and Scottie Scheffler.
14. What 3 Newfoundlanders, past or present, would you like to join you at a dream dinner?
I would love to sit down with Craig Dobbin, Terry Ryan, and my grandmother Bishop (who passed before I was born).
15. Have you ever had a hole-in-one? What is your best score ever? When and where?
I have never made a hole-in-one while my lowest score ever is a 63 which I shot just a few days ago at Blue Devil Golf Club in Calgary.
16. What is your favorite/least favorite golfing hole on a Newfoundland & Labrador golf course?
My favorite hole is probably Hole #11 at Humber Valley Resort and my least favorite hole was Hole #17 at the old Bally course, and Hole #11 at Terra Nova.
17. What do you think is the worst rule in golf and how would you change it?
I think the worst rule in golf is getting penalized for being “late” for your tee time when you are still there before the listed time. If I tee off at 11am, and I show up at 10:57am and am ready to hit my ball when my name is called, why should I be penalized when my round hasn’t even started yet?
18. What advice would you give to a young golfer starting to play golf today?
Be patient, stay humble, and don't take the game too seriously. Golf will teach you a lot about yourself, especially how you respond to adversity. Learn to control your emotions, respect the game and the people you play with, and don't obsess over results, if you do, you'll eventually stop enjoying it.
