Golf facilities across Canada play an essential role in creating opportunities for junior golfers to develop and succeed. Especially for juniors who have competitive aspirations, the opportunity to play and practice at an accessible facility is a critical ingredient in their journeys.

Time spent at the golf course during childhood builds the skills required to succeed in competitive golf. And the work ethic cultivated by effortful practice develops a strength of character in a young person that is transferrable to whatever future endeavors they may pursue – whether related to golf or not.

Accordingly, providing a determined young person with the access to play, practice, and pursue their golfing dreams at a welcoming golf course can change the trajectory of their life. My own path was dramatically changed by the opportunities afforded to me as an employee with course access at Donalda Club and a sponsored junior member at Bayview Country Club in Toronto. The chance to play and practice at these facilities was the foundation that ultimately led to a golf scholarship at Stanford University. Many golf facilities across the country recognize the impact they can have on young people and have made it a priority to provide juniors with affordable course privileges. Thank you!

However, there are still barriers for some competitive juniors to gain access to adequate golf facilities. The increased popularity of golf has made courses very busy, and in some cases, facilities have managed this heightened demand by limiting junior memberships or scaling back course access. In some major metropolitan areas, the only way for competitive juniors to gain regular course and practice facility access is through family club memberships that require a significant investment.

Increased demand for golf in Canada has created prosperity for our industry and positively impacted the overall health of our sport. But it has also introduced a new set of choices about how junior golf will be prioritized by facilities. Will public courses continue to sell junior golf memberships when the opportunity cost is significant? Can members-only clubs admit even just a handful of non-family “sponsored” juniors for practice and playing privileges when tee times are already in extremely high demand? Can a facility provide its course to host a junior championship?

In one sense, these are challenging decisions to make in today’s extraordinary environment. However, when viewed through a long-term lens, the future health of golf participation in Canada – and also the future opportunity for Canadians to emerge as touring professionals – is dependent on courses across our country choosing to prioritize access for junior golfers. This is why Golf Canada is urgent about expanding First Tee across Canada and is grateful for the philanthropic support enabling this growth. If junior golf access is limited now, we will see problematic impacts on participation in the future.

Accordingly, Golf Canada wishes to more prominently thank the golf facilities and programs that are stepping up and already making a significant positive contribution to junior golf in Canada. To publicly and formally recognize their impact, beginning in 2022 a new series of awards called the Golf Canada National Awards for Junior Golf will be presented to celebrate facility achievements and create a heightened national awareness for how golf facilities can effectively support junior golf in their respective communities.

Awards will be presented to facilities and programs who are setting a national example by creating affordable and accessible junior membership opportunities, serving as a host location for tournaments, introducing new golfers to the sport, and developing nationally successful competitive players. Award winners for the 2022 season will be announced at the Golf Canada’s 2023 Annual General Meeting. Please see the detailed summary below for more information about the Golf Canada National Facility Awards for Junior Golf, including award categories, nomination process, and timelines.

Along with most golfers across Canada, we believe that all juniors who are passionate about golf and serious about their competitive development should have affordable access to a facility where they can pursue their dreams. We are grateful for the facilities who share this vision and already support junior golf in a significant way. Thank you! We look forward to recognizing you publicly and celebrating your leadership so it can be followed across Canada.

Go Canada Go!
Kevin

The Golf Canada National Facility Awards for Junior Golf

The following awards will be presented:

Junior Golf Opportunity Award
Awarded to a facility that provides exceptional access and membership opportunities for junior golfers. Special consideration is given to facilities with strong non-family sponsored junior programs and facilities with fundraising programs to help athletes compete at provincial, national, and international competitions.

First Tee Program Location of the Year
Awarded to a First Tee Program Location that demonstrates excellent enrollment in First Tee programming and makes a significant impact on growing participation among new juniors within its community.

Youth on Course Program Location of the Year
Awarded to the facility that provides the largest number of Youth on Course green fee subsidies to junior golfers in the calendar year.

Competitive Junior Program of the Year
Awarded to a facility or academy program with many junior athletes competing in provincial and national championships and earning strong results in those championships.

Grassroots Junior Program of the Year
Awarded to a facility or academy program that is excelling at creating new junior golfers through local programming.

Tournament Host of the Year
Awarded to a facility that gives back to junior golf by embracing the opportunity to host junior competitions. The facility creates an excellent tournament experience for players and involves the local community through volunteers and fundraising support.

NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

Week of May 30 – Individual Golf Canada Members and Golf Canada Member Facilities are notified of the National Facility Awards for Junior Golf program in 2022.

September 6 – Applications are opened to all individual Golf Canada members and member facilities to nominate facilities for each award category. Facilities are encouraged to apply themselves.

October 31 – Deadline for Golf Canada to receive all nominations using the online nomination portal.

November 2022 – Nominations are reviewed by the Golf Industry Advisory Council, Sport Committee, and Amateur Championships Committee. Members from these groups will be asked to rank nominees using a matrix provided by the Golf Services department. Volunteers with an affiliation to a nominated facility will be recused from discussions relating to that facility.

December 2022 – Staff from Golf Services, Amateur Championships, and High Performance departments will work together to review all feedback and determine a final ranking of nominees within each category. Staff with an affiliation to a nominated facility will be recused from discussions relating to that facility. A short list of finalists will be published in each category.

February 2023 – Award winners will be announced and recognized at Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting.

March 2023 – Awards will be shipped to each recipient and a press release will be created for all award winners.

NOMINATE A FACILITY

AWARDS

A plaque will be provided to each award-winning facility on behalf of Golf Canada to recognize the award and celebrate its contributions to junior golf in Canada.

Facilities will not be eligible to win in the same award category in consecutive years.

The performance of Canadian golfers on the world stage has improved significantly since the implementation of the Team Canada player development program in 2005. Canada is currently represented by 13 players with status on the LPGA or PGA TOUR, a substantial increase from the eight players with major tour status when the national team program was launched. Since 2014, members or graduates of the Team Canada Young Pro Squad have produced 50 professional tournament wins worldwide. 

Canada is positioned to take another leap forward in global golf achievement. Today, Golf Canada is announcing an enhanced commitment to the Team Canada player development program. Our goal is for Canada to reach 30 players with status on the LPGA and PGA TOUR by 2032, completing our transformation into a truly world-class golfing country where Canadians are regularly in contention on both tours. 

The pursuit of this ambitious goal is made possible by significant new philanthropic support from a group of generous donors who are making major gifts to fund enhancements in the Team Canada player development program—beginning with an investment of $13.5 million through Golf Canada Foundation to support the strategic goals of the program. 

Paul McLean, CEO of Turf Care and former president of Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation has made a lead gift of $5 million to increase the breadth and depth of financial support for Canadian players across the stages of development for the next ten years. Paul has been a pillar of the Canadian golf community with close relationships to many Canadian touring professionals. We are grateful for Paul’s leadership and support. 

Major gifts have also been committed by The Kavelman Fonn Foundation, John Francis, Jean Monty, David Kaufman, Steve Lister and Dr. Molly Rundle, and a pair of donors who wished to remain anonymous creating an initial pool of $13.5M in incremental funding to support new player development investments over the next decade. These generous donors are part of the Golf Canada Foundation Trustee program, which provides critical philanthropic support for important Canadian golf initiatives such as player development and First Tee. Golf Canada Foundation is continuing to identify Trustees who are interested in supporting the Team Canada player development program and expanding First Tee across Canada. 

Our ambitious strategy for player development is based on extensive research over the past year along with input from stakeholders in Canadian high-performance golf – including those involved at the very highest levels of the professional game. The full analysis and strategic plan can be read in draft form here. In addition, we invite you to attend Golf Canada’s virtual annual general meeting on March 2 for an in-depth presentation about the future of the player development system in Canada. 

In summary, Golf Canada’s updated player development strategy includes the following priorities: 

• Sharpen the specific focus of the player development system on the objective of increasing the number of Canadian players on the LPGA and PGA TOUR, with the goal of 30 players on these tours by 2032. 
• Foster an open and inclusive culture of collaboration among all stakeholders in Canadian high-performance golf – including players, coaches, facilities, professional tours, and provincial associations. 
• Invest in Canada’s player development system at a level that matches and competes with aspirational peers like Australia and England. 
• In partnership with PGA of Canada, increase the depth and diversity of Canadian coaching talent. 
• Broaden the player development system at the junior level by including more players in the national program and creating a national talent identification system for the most promising early-stage juniors. 
• Combine late-stage amateurs and young pro players into an expanded Team Canada cohort that is singularly focused on helping players to launch and sustain successful professional golf careers. Team Canada – NextGen, currently called the National Junior Squad, will include both juniors and developing amateurs. These changes will occur in 2023. 
• Provide housing and training facility access in the US for transitioning professional players. 
• Increase the breadth and depth of support for young professional players. Assign funding based on an individualized analysis of specific player needs. 
• Pay particular attention to off course support in areas such as mental health. Ensure a supportive environment that is in full compliance with Safe Sport policies. 
• Create a need-based system of financial aid for junior and amateur players in the player development program to ensure that financial assistance is provided to families with the most significant financial needs. 
• Build a digital library of educational resources featuring Canadian tour player role models that is available to aspiring Canadian players and their families. 
• Refine the analytics used to evaluate player development progress. Emphasize a data-driven and methodical approach. 
• Re-evaluate the infrastructure and pathway for Canadian professional women’s golf. Develop alternatives to the four-year NCAA pathway while maintaining educational opportunities for the most advanced women. Increase the number of domestic professional playing opportunities for women. 
• Especially emphasize how we can support the development of Canadian golf champions from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, building on the more diverse participation base that will be created by First Tee – Canada. 

These items will be implemented over the course of 2022 and 2023. One of the first enhancements to occur will be the creation of a national infrastructure for identifying and developing the most promising early-stage juniors in Canada (i.e., ages 10-14). Over time, this infrastructure will increase the volume of high-performing juniors in Canada who have the potential to develop into LPGA and PGA TOUR players. 

To move forward with this system enhancement, Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally will transition to the newly created position of National Talent Identification Director. In this new capacity, Tristan will provide additional resources to parents and coaches who work with the most promising young juniors in Canada and provide direct coaching to identified early-stage juniors who don’t otherwise have local coaching support. He will also facilitate the development and implementation of local talent identification camps in every province. Tristan’s globally recognized technical skills and extensive experience with elite players will be a significant asset for helping to accelerate the development of Canada’s most promising young juniors. 

Tristan’s transition into this new role will occur gradually over the next several months. A search will begin immediately for a head coach to oversee the women’s program and for an additional assistant coach to complete the remainder of the women’s coaching staff. 

Many people across our country are deeply passionate about Canadian golf and excited for Canada to continue its emergence as a world-class golfing country. Every stakeholder in the Canadian golf industry is involved in developing Canada’s top players in one way or another. Golf facility operators create affordable opportunities for competitive juniors to access courses, PGA of Canada professionals provide important mentorship and coaching to young players, and partners and philanthropists provide critical support so the Team Canada player development program can be resourced for global success. Our goal is to unify the entire Canadian golf community behind this player development effort, as our Canadian players have the best chance to emerge on the world stage when everyone is part of the journey with them. 

If you’d like to ask questions, provide feedback about our plan, or find out more about becoming a donor to the program, please send us an email using this link. 

Go Canada Go!

Kevin Blue, Ph. D. Chief Sport Officer