Jeff Palmer has gone full circle with his golf career, about to return to the Victoria area where he first officially began in the business back in 1992.

Having started his apprenticeship at Olympic View Golf Club under Doug Mahovlic, Palmer is venturing back from Asia to take on the position as director of instruction at the popular Colwood course, which features the Golf B.C. Academy.

Palmer, 41, his wife Karin and 18-month-old son Mackenzie David, will return from his current stint as director of golf at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai where he oversees about 150 staff members, including 120 caddies.

“My wife and I knew this was a serious decision,” said Palmer, a native Edmontonian who moved to the Island at age 10, attending Frank Hobbs, Arbutus Jr. Secondary and Mount Douglas. “It is a big move. But at the end of the day it was a decision based on the lifestyle opportunity and an opportunity to become re-established in the golf industry in Western Canada at Olympic View in conjunction with the academy.

“Victoria will be a great place to raise our son as the environment is so much more healthy. Returning to Victoria is surreal in itself after being gone for so long and returning to Olympic View Golf Club, the club where I started my career, is ultra-surreal. But, it’s also a great feeling as I will be able to bring an entirely different skill set to the club.”

His role at Olympic View will change dramatically as he focuses on teaching, coaching and developing learning programs.

“But the business principles remain the same — to motivate people to achieve a higher level of performance and grow the business, to be the best we can be,” he said.

“My time in Asia has been amazing in terms of learning and making contacts. Learning a new language and being challenged by both the local and business culture has encouraged me to use both sides of my brain.”

Palmer said playing host to two World Golf Championships at Sheshan International has also allowed him to grow both personally and professionally.

“The most exciting part of my current position is the challenge presented by the language barrier. It makes life interesting,” he said. “The most exciting part of my new position at Olympic View is the chance to help to grow the business and learning programs there in a very competitive market.

“I am also very excited about coaching new and developing players as this is the essence of ‘growing the game,’ ” added Palmer, who is slated to return by month’s end.

His resumé is intriguing and exciting, having worked at Cordova Bay Golf Club in 1998, which led to a position at Shanghai Links Golf and Country Club, a Jack Nicklaus design. He spent nearly five years there as head pro and director of golf (also voted as the teacher of the year in 2002).

In 2003 he was hoping to return to Victoria, but was enticed to a different island, as director of golf at Big Island Country Club in Hawaii until 2006. From there he remained with Intrawest Golf, which opened the first Raven-branded golf club in Canada at The Raven at Lora Bay in Thornbury, Ont., a Thomas McBroom and Tom Lehman design along the shores of Georgian Bay.

“This was an amazing experience as I had the chance to start a club from the ground up and had the chance to create friendships with Tom McBroom, Tom Lehman and some of Canada's best golf writers. It was also a great experience because I reported directly to the GM of the Westin Trillium House Hotel, Don Shindle, and learned a lot about that side of the business,” said Palmer, who worked in the back shop at Uplands as a 14-year-old.

Shortly after opening Lora Bay, Sergio Garcia played an exhibition event there and the club also played host to the 2007 World Telus Skins Game featuring Stephen Ames, Retief Goosen, John Daly, Colin Montgomerie and Geoff Ogilvy.

Due to change in ownership, Palmer returned to Shanghai and the Sheshan International Golf Club, home to the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament.