During the past few days, I was fortunate to be a part of the Annual General Meeting of Golf Canada. It started on Wednesday the 10th and finished with an awards dinner on Saturday the 14th. I am on the Investment Committee and the Competitions Committee and am really impressed with the professional execution of the organization’s Committee and Board meetings. Governance is adhered to explicitly, due in part to the need for Golf Canada to report to and follow the policies of Sport Canada.
During the meeting, a new membership model was proposed – one which will be implemented in stages over the next three years. I am in favour of this model and I strongly recommend that all golfers in Canada get connected with Golf Canada, with at least the free version of membership. Today we have 300,000 members out of an active golf population of over 1,500,000, in addition to approximately 3,000,000 “interested golfers.” There will be more on this membership model in the next couple of months as a new website will be developed.
Every profession has a governing or regulatory body that has its members’ interests at heart. To be part of these organizations, one must pay annual fees. Accountants, lawyers, investment professionals, doctors, teachers and unions all have fees they must – and expect – to pay. In the same way, all sports need funding to handle rules, compliance, growth, archives, championships, player development, and the organization itself. Golf is no exception.
Did you know that Golf is the highest participation sport in Canada?
Hockey is second. More info here. And yet, only 10 per cent of golfers provide funds for its governance – this needs to change…and it will with the new membership model. The link below is a summary note from Scott Simmons CEO of Golf Canada.
Annual General Meeting Golf Canada – Click Here
Congratulations to Doug Alexander on a wonderful year of leadership. Paul McLean has some big shoes to fill and I’m sure he will have a fabulous term. If you wonder what the Governing Body of Golf in Canada is doing, please click on the committee report link for a list of Committees and a list of the volunteers who work countless hours for the betterment of the game. There are also 2014 highlights and 2015 objectives for each committee. I am WOWED at the dedication these volunteers and staff members show in making golf such a great lifelong sport.
Committee Reports – Click Here.
Golf Canada is helping to create heroes. Corey Conners form Listowel, Ont. and Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., both made it to the finals of the U.S. Amateur in 2014. Nick Taylor won on the PGA Tour and Graham DeLaet is ramping up his PGA career. Below are just a few of the accomplishments from our players in 2014.
Golf is now an Olympic sport and will be in the Pan Am games in Toronto this summer. Cheer on our heroes and support Golf Canada – the organization that sets the stage for fun and achievement in our sport.
Kelly Roberts is Senior Vice-President, Portfolio Manager with National Bank Financial Wealth Management. He is a member of both the Investment and Competitions Committees with Golf Canada. The London, Ont. native is a two-time winner of the Ontario Amateur Championship (1972, 1973). Roberts was elected to the Golf Association of Ontario’s Hall of Fame in 2006.