She wasn't really interested in the sport as a youngster.

In fact, it wasn't until Carly Peister competed for the University of Waterloo that her passion took root.

Today, less than a decade later, her passion for golf is in full bloom.

"I absolutely loved that experience of playing at university. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today if I hadn't had that experience," said the 27-year-old Peister, an upbeat teaching professional at the Merry-Hill Golf Club.

"My coaches (Carla Munch-Miranda and Chris Miranda) and teammates made it such a great experience, it really got me into the love of golf and wanting to share my knowledge and experience with as many people as possible."

Peister teaches players of all ages and skill levels at Merry-Hill but the majority of her students are females and many of those, she said, are either new to the game or struggling to improve. Players from Merry-Hill's hugely popular women's league, which has more than 200 registered players, also turn to Peister for help.

In addition to individual lessons, she has developed several programs that run throughout the golf season including the popular FLO (For Ladies Only) beginner and intermediate clinics. She also offers junior camps, short-game clinics for couples and in May staged a parent-child golf school.

"When I see a smile on their face after hitting a good shot, it's so exciting to know I've helped someone learn something new," said Peister.

"It's a great job, I absolutely love what I do."

Peister has been working at Merry-Hill since 2003, starting in the back shop and over the years moving on to the pro shop and restaurant. Her grandfather, Glenn Peister, purchased 25 per cent ownership of Merry-Hill in the 1980s and acquired the remaining shares in the spring of 1993. Al Peister, Carly's father, and Don Stalkie, her uncle, are current partners in the business (McLean-Peister) that also owns Innerkip Highlands Golf Club.

Peister, whose original career plan was to become a high school teacher, graduated from Waterloo with a Bachelor and Master's degree in Environmental Studies. For her graduate thesis, the St. Mary's High School alumna calculated water use on golf courses in Ontario and predicted how current water use could change in the future due to climate change projections.

Peister played in the 2012 Canadian university/college championship at Cordova Bay Golf Club in Victoria, B.C., and has played at many of Canada's finest courses since developing her love of the game.

During a memorable trip to Africa that included cage diving with great white sharks, she was able to play Ernie Els' signature course, Oubaai, and take on the "Extreme 19th" hole at Legends Golf and Safari Resort. Players require a helicopter to access the tee box on Hanglip Mountain, 400 metres above the Africa-shaped green below, and are allowed to hit six balls on the par-3 hole.

Peister only teaches during the golf season and spend the winter months planning for the next season, as well as working on website upkeep and marketing.

"I like to say that I've done everything there is to do at the golf course, except cut the grass," she said. "I've never done the maintenance side of it."

All in all, she said, it's been a wildly enjoyable experience for someone who "didn't really like golf" as a child and made the Waterloo golf team as a walk-on with limited playing experience.

Her coaches took a chance and helped her improve and now she's doing the same for others.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

mbryson@therecord.com,

Twitter: @BrysonRecord