ST ANDREWS, Scotland – A new manual giving guidance to golf clubs and golfers on ways of improving pace of play has been published today by The R&A.

The manual will be distributed to The R&A’s 152 affiliated organisations around the world and every golf club in Great Britain and Ireland. It will be available to download from The R&A website, www.randa.org/paceofplay, where further information, resources and related videos can also be viewed.

The new manual provides practical guidance in the three key areas of management, course set-up and player behaviour.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “There is no doubt that pace of play is a key issue for golf today and one on which many golfers have strong views. Through the research exercise and the conference we gained some valuable insights into the views of players, administrators and officials involved in all levels of golf.

“We fully recognize that in a sport as diverse as golf there is no one-size-fits-all approach and so the new manual outlines approaches which have proved to be effective and offers some thoughtful solutions to day-to day pace of play challenges which can arise in golf. We hope the manual will prove to be a useful reference guide for clubs, competition organizers and players alike.”

The R&A carried out an extensive international survey into golfers’ views on pace of play in 2014/15 which attracted more than 56,000 responses from golfers in 122 countries. One of the key findings of the research was that 60% of golfers said they would enjoy golf more if they played in less time.

The findings were discussed at the Time for Golf conference last November, which was attended by professionals and administrators from throughout the world of golf and those discussions helped shape the new manual.

European Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher took part in a discussion session at the conference. Welcoming the launch of the new manual, he said, “I think this is an important step forward in providing some practical ways of improving pace of play. It was fascinating to hear different perspectives on pace of play at the Time for Golf conference and there was definitely a feeling that we should share some of the best approaches to dealing with the issue with a wider audience. The new manual gives some great examples of best practice and I would definitely recommend it to anyone involved in golf.”

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The final round of the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club unfolded in much the same way as the previous two – with the Junior Boys and Junior Girls fields in pursuit of Tony Gil and Mary Parsons. Neither would be caught as the pair completed wire-to-wire victories to open Golf Canada’s championship season.

Team Canada Men’s Development Squad member Tony Gil matched his opening-round 66 with another six-birdie performance. “I managed myself really well, strategically and mentally,” said the product of Vaughan, Ont. “Tee to green, I was really solid. I made a couple of long putts for birdie. Overall this week, my ball-striking was on point. I only made two bogeys which was quite nice. I’m pretty happy with how I played.”

The significance of the victory was not lost upon Gil. “This is my last CN Future Links event, so it means a lot to cap it off with a win. This was a huge confidence booster. To know that I’m shooting that low – this experience will be really useful for the World Junior coming up.” The Toyota Junior Golf World Cup will take place at Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota, Japan from June 11-17.

The 18-year-old Gil finished 16-under 200 – 10-strokes clear of Conaire Kehoe of Calgary, who tallied five birdies to match the 69 he posted on the first day. Two Calgarians finished tied for third at 5-under: Brendan MacDougall, who carded a 68, and Development Squad member Alexander Smith, who made four birdies, including three across a bogey-free back nine.

When asked about her play throughout the tournament, Mary Parsons credited her preparedness for the victory. “I felt I played pretty well. I stuck to my game plan and didn’t try to change anything out on the course.”

“I really wanted to start the (Golf Canada) season off strong because I’ve had a bunch of Top-5 finishes in the season openers,” added the 16-year-old when reflecting on the importance of the win. “I really wanted to make this one count because I want to make Team Canada this year. I just played my game and I just wanted to have a good showing this week.”

Entering the final round, Parsons from Delta, B.C., held a six-shot advantage over Team Canada Development Squad member Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont. Parsons finished with four birdies on the day to hold off Currie, who was unable to catch the leader despite a seven-birdie 3-under 69. Fellow National Team member Grace St-Germain surged up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 5-under performance to finish T3 alongside British Columbians Sumie Francois of Burnaby and Amanda Minni of Delta.

All competitors within the Top-6 in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S. Joining Parsons in playing their way into the national amateur championship were Currie, St-Germain, Francois, Minni and Courtenay, B.C., native Abigail Rigsby.

As the competition’s top-six finishers, Gil, Kehoe, MacDougall, Smith, Chandler McDowell (Springbrook, Alta.) and Gavin Ciulla (Surrey, B.C.) have earned entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. McDowell claimed his exemption on the first playoff hole, while Ciulla emerged victorious on the third extra hole. The national amateur championship will be hosted by Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L., from August 1-4.

Tony Gil (Chuck Russell/ Golf Canada)

Five additional CN Future Links Championships will cross the country this summer:

• May 27-29 – CN Future Links Ontario – Midland, Ont. – Midland Golf & Country Club
• June 3-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Beauceville, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville
• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship can be found here.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Blue skies and a beaming sun set the stage for the second round of the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. Mary Parsons and Tony Gil continued their fine play at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club, as each extended their leads atop their respective divisions.

Mary Parsons collected five birdies, including two across a bogey-free back nine, to reach 3-under 69 on the day. The native of Delta, B.C., is now 9-under for the tournament and tops the Junior Girls Division by six strokes. Team Canada Development Squad member and Mississauga, Ont., native Chloe Currie maintained her hold on second with a 1-under second-round performance that included five birdies.

An eagle and five birdies propelled Amanda Minni, also of Delta, B.C., from T6 into third-place at 2-under. Sumie Francois from Burnaby, B.C., collected seven birdies to card the low-round of the day – a 5-under 67.

Women’s Development Squad members Tiffany Kong (Vancouver) and Grace St-Germain (Orleans, Ont.) are tied for seventh at 3-over 147 alongside former teammate Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C. Fellow British Columbians Hannah Lee of Surrey and Kathrine Chan of Richmond round out the National Team contingent and sit T12.

Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., opened the second round with consecutive birdies and would go on to collect four more en route a 4-under 68 performance. The Team Canada Men’s Development Squad member is four strokes clear of Surrey, B.C., product Po Su. The 16-year-old Su tallied nine birdies on the day to climb into second after beginning the round at T24. Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta., is third after shooting 69.

Calgary’s Alexander Smith, a member of the Men’s Development Squad, shot 68 to move into a tie for sixth. Completing the Team Canada quartet in attendance are A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., and Charles-Éric Bélanger of Quebec, who are T14 and T29, respectively.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division will receive exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. In the case of ties, exemptions will be awarded via a hole-by-hole playoff. All finishers within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will gain exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship to be played at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

The final round of competition will see the Junior Boys Division begin the day at 7 a.m. PT before the Junior Girls take to the course at 11 a.m. PT. Additional information, including start times and scoring, is available here.

Golf Canada gave Special Olympics BC (SOBC) athletes and coaches the opportunity to showcase their abilities and hone their skills at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship in Kamloops on May 11.

Twenty-five golfers from SOBC – 100 Mile House, Kamloops, Kelowna, Quesnel, Surrey, Trail, and Victoria opened the day with a nine-hole competition, followed by a clinic for the athletes and SOBC coaches with a PGA of Canada professional to cover key lessons from the day.

The top-scoring female golfer was SOBC – Victoria’s Kelsey Simpson, and the top-scoring male golfer was Ryan Courtemanche of SOBC – Kelowna.

Golf is one of SOBC’s fastest-growing sports, and the support from Golf Canada provides great opportunities to help build the game.

“For the past two years we’ve been working with Golf Canada on a partnership, and this is the outcome of that partnership. This is the first time that Special Olympics athletes have been a part of their series,” Special Olympics Canada Vice President, Sport, Blair McIntosh told CFJC.

There are now 1,675 registered Special Olympics golfers nationally, including approximately 400 in B.C. The Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games in Vancouver had the first National Games golf competition, and Special Olympics Team Canada 2015 marked the first time the national team included golfers.

This spring and summer, there will be great SOBC competition on greens and fairways around the province as Golf Regional Qualifiers are being hosted by SOBC – Creston (May 14), Kamloops (June 18), Surrey (July 2), Sunshine Coast (July 10 for Regions 4 and 5), Victoria (June 12), and Quesnel (June 25 to 26). For all except SOBC – Sunshine Coast, this will be their first time hosting Golf Regional Qualifiers. Competitors are seeking to advance to the 2017 Special Olympics BC Summer Games.

SOBC – Kamloops golfer Andrew Mitchell told CFJC that he first started playing golf at age six or seven, but subsequently stepped away from it, and Special Olympics brought him back in.

“I like being able to get out with friends and family members. It’s just kind of a fun game to play. You get better at it as you go,” Mitchell said.

SOBC – Victoria’s Scott Jones seemed to have a great day on the links in Kamloops.

“This is a great life. Golf is my dream, golf is my business, golf is my blood. Golf is my everything,” he told CFJC.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships opened Golf Canada’s 2016 competitive season today at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club. Tony Gil and Mary Parsons each shot rounds of 6-under 66 to lead the Junior Boys and Junior Girls Divisions, respectively.

Gil, who is beginning his third year as a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, tallied four straight birdies between holes seven to 10 en route to a bogey-free round. The native of Vaughan, Ont., holds a three-stroke lead over Khan Lee of Surrey, B.C., who sits T2 alongside Calgarian Conaire Kehoe at 3-under. Kehoe, notched an eagle and four birdies on the day, including three across a bogey-free back nine.

Four players are tied for fourth, including Development Squad member A.J. Ewart. The 17-year-old bogeyed the third hole, but added three birdies on the day to reach 2-under. A product of Coquitlam, B.C., Ewart sits knotted with British Columbians Michael Crisologo (Richmond) and Gavin Ciulla (Surrey), as well as Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta.

Completing the Men’s Development Squad contingent are Alexander Smith of Calgary and Charles-Éric Bélanger of Quebec. Smith sits T24 at 1-over while Bélanger is T44 after an opening-round 76.

Delta, B.C., native Mary Parsons notched an eagle on the par-5 second hole and added eight birdies to finish with a 66. The 16-year-old is four shots clear of two members of Team Canada’s Women’s Development Squad: Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., and Tiffany Kong of Vancouver. The pair each collected three birdies on the day and were bogey-free across their final 14 holes.

Two British Columbians – Tiegan Taylor of Kelowna and Abigail Rigsby of Courtenay – carded rounds of 1-over 73 to open the tournament at T4. Taylor collected a trio of birdies on the day, while Rigsby’s bogey on the final hole broke her string of 17-straight pars.

Grace St-Germain, who claimed the Junior Girls title at this event in 2015, is T6 at 2-over-par. British Columbians Kathrine Chan of Richmond and Hannah Lee of Surrey – who are T16 and T22 respectively – complete the quintet of Women’s Development Squad members at the event.

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division will earn exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L., from August 1-4. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via a hole-by-hole playoff. All competitors in the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will gain exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The tournament will be conducted from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S.

The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls Division tee-off at 7 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 8:50 a.m. Additional information, including pairings and up-to-date scoring is available here.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Golf Canada’s 2016 competitive season will begin with the Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships. Hosted at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club in Kamloops, B.C., the competition spanning May 13-15 will feature a field of the nation’s top junior-aged golfers.

The CN Future Links Pacific Championship is the first in a series of six junior competitions presented in partnership with CN. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on Thursday, May 12 before the competition gets underway. Founded in 1996, The Dunes at Kamloops is an excellent example of the craft and care that are characteristic of course architect Graham Cooke’s designs.

“Golf Canada could not be more pleased to open the 2016 championship season in Kamloops. The CN Future Links Championships are fantastic platforms for Canada’s premier junior golfers to showcase their skills,” said Tournament Director Dan Hyatt. “The Dunes at Kamloops is in tremendous shape and we look forward to seeing this strong field challenge the course.”

Team Canada’s Development Squad will be well-represented at the season-opening event. The National Team contingent will be led by Grace St-Germain of Orleans, Ont., who will be on-hand to defend the 2015 Pacific Championship title she earned at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. The 17-year-old will be joined by the four remaining members of the Women’s Squad: British Columbians Hannah Lee (Surrey), Kathrine Chan (Richmond) and Tiffany Kong (Vancouver), as well as Mississauga, Ont., native Chloe Currie.

Four of the five members of the Men’s Development Squad – Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.), Alexander Smith (Calgary), Charles-Éric Bélanger (Quebec) and A.J. Ewart (Coquitlam, B.C.) – will attempt to make it two consecutive years in which a National Team player has claimed the Pacific title after Waterloo, Ont., product Trevor Ranton claimed victory last year.

Five additional CN Future Links Championships will span the country this summer:

• May 27-29 – CN Future Links Ontario – Midland, Ont. – Midland Golf & Country Club
• June 3-5 – CN Future Links Québec – Beauceville, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville
• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division will gain exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via hole-by-hole playoff. All players within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will each earn entry into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted by The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

Prior to the championship on Wednesday, May 11, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada will hold a regional competition in promotion of Special Olympics golf. This event will provide a specific focus on the growth and development of a relatively new branch of the sport. A field of 24 local athletes will compete over nine holes. Following the event, a PGA of Canada professional will conduct a Special Olympics coaches and athletes clinic to review the morning’s key learnings.

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.

UXBRIDGE — Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the launch of a new Ontario Junior Ranking system. The new system features numerous changes from previous years including: the inclusion of results from all partner regional and national junior tours, updated points allocation for junior events meeting minimum standards, and an updated placing points allocation chart for different field sizes and competition types.

The Golf Ontario Junior Ranking system is structured with events that are categorized into maximum point values according to competition scope, length of event and relative strength of field.  Point distribution for a given event will vary based on the total number of players in the field.

For 2016, the Golf Ontario Junior Ranking will include eligible events from April 30 to August 31. The top eight points scored will count towards the player’s respective age division 2016 Golf Ontario Ranking.   Public rankings will be maintained for Junior, Juvenile, and Bantam age divisions.

A key feature of the new system allows players to play ‘up’ an age division in events where separate recognized age divisions are contested, while still scoring points across all age divisions they are eligible for.  This will better support players finding events that are best suited for their competitive needs, without sacrificing potential placement on their age-eligible season rankings.

In order to be eligible for the 2016 Golf Ontario Junior Ranking, players must be a permanent resident of Ontario, holding a valid OHIP card; be a member in good standing of Golf Ontario at a minimum level of a bronze membership; and have unquestioned status as an amateur golfer.

For junior tours to be partners on the Junior Rankings System they must sign on as partners with Golf Ontario, and adhere to the Golf Ontario ‘Tour Standards’.  A list of recognized Golf Ontario Junior Tour partners will be maintained on the Golf Ontario website.   Partner tours will receive marketing and operational support from Golf Ontario.

“This an important day for Junior golf in Ontario.  After years of work by Junior tour operators, and a workforce led by Mary Ann Hayward, we are now in a position to welcome all of our Regional and National Junior Tour partners into the Golf Ontario competitive pathway.   We know it takes great experiences at every stage of an athlete’s development to allow them to reach their fullest potential.  The new rankings system and partnership with the Regional Junior Tours will help Golf Ontario better promote and celebrate these experiences.” said Golf Ontario High Performance Director, Andrew Moss.

More information about the new Junior Ranking system can be found on Golf Ontario’s website at: https://gao.ca/new-junior-rankings

UXBRIDGE — It was a night to honour the best in Ontario golf as Golf Ontario, along with Wooden Sticks Golf Course, hosted the 16^th annual Ontario Golf Hall of Fame ceremony on May 4.

This year, three inductees joined the list of who’s who in Ontario golf as journalist John Gordon, professional/teaching pro Patty Howard and former Golf Association of Ontario Executive Director Dave Mills joined the Hall as the 73^rd, 74^th, and 75^th members. In addition, journalist Bill ‘Skip’ Johns was honoured with the Lorne Rubinstein Media Award.

The event began with emcee Mark Zecchino, from TSN, welcoming all guests who packed the reception room at Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge.

Golf Ontario President Chris Osborne took to the stage next to congratulate all of the individuals being honoured. “We acknowledge all of tonight’s inductees’ contributions and accomplishments in the great game of golf, and through this induction ceremony wish to perpetuate the memory of their place in golf history.”

First up was the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award. Presenting the award was none other than Rubenstein himself who was honoured to give the award to his peer Bill ‘Skip’ Johns. Johns, a journalist for close to 60 years, brought smiles and laugher to the crowd as he did his best “athlete” acceptance speech before thanking all who made the award possible for him.

The first inductee to be honoured was John Gordon. Gordon, a golf journalist for more than 30 years, was involved in many aspects of the golf industry. In addition to his contributions in print, radio, television and online journalism, Gordon also held roles with Golf Canada, the Ontario Golf Association (now Golf Ontario), the NGCOA and Clublink. Gordon also helped to form the Professional Golf Management Program at Georgian College and is a published author of eight books.

During his speech, Gordon spoke about his passion to make the game more accessible and affordable, but emphasized to people to have faith in the game and to stop and admire it for what it currently is.

Next, Patty Howard joined the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. Howard was a multiple-time winner as a professional and went on to become a successful teaching pro. She held numerous positions in the industry, many of which were a first for females. Her accomplishments helped to pave the way for women in golf today.

Howard talked about her passion for the game and how it continues to burn even to this day. “People don’t remember what you did but rather how you made them feel,” said Howard. It was evident from the guests, including the coach bus of supporters that accompanied Howard, that she had made an impact on many people.

Last but not least, former Golf Association of Ontario (Golf Ontario) Executive Director Dave Mills took his place in the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. Mills, who started out as a volunteer on the Ontario Golf Association Board of Directors, went on to become the association’s Executive Director and led the organization out of a period of financial instability. He spearheaded a merger with the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association to create one of the largest golf associations in the world. To this day Mills continues to be involved with the association as a volunteer.

Mills took the opportunity to talk about his favorite memories with the association including his numerous trips to championships with junior teams and mischief the players would find themselves in.

The Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada’s  new website is now up and running.

Visitors to the website—www.hyundaipgascramble.com—can easily locate and register for local qualifiers across the country. Currently there are more than 100 local qualifying sites from B.C. to Newfoundland.

The Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada is a new national series of events taking place across the country beginning this June.

The series of events expects to draw nearly 20,000 amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national final this fall at Lookout Point Country Club, with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team.

Each golfer who plays in a Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada local event will receive impressive gifting and prizing from supporting partners.

In addition to the 36-hole championship, the Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada national final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime, which includes a festival of special events, prizing, activations and a chance to interact with the latest Hyundai vehicles.

The website also features a detailed summary of the Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada event rules, policies and eligibility.

The website was designed in partnership by Saskatoon’s Green Golf Designs and Yastech Developments.

The first Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada local qualifier takes place June 5th at the home of the PGA of Canada, Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ont.

For more information about the Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada, click here.

Water is a touchy subject for golfers. The beauty they see in a sun-drenched pond or a swiftly flowing creek is often matched by the frustration they feel when their shot lands in unreachable territory. However, the issue of water features on the golf course extends beyond aesthetics and playability for superintendents. While the keepers of the course spend a large part of their time making sure the turfgrass is healthy, they also must have one eye on managing the creeks, ponds, lakes, rivers and marshes that sit on their properties.

Peering into a water feature is like opening the door to a world of information about the successful management of the whole golf course. At Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, all the water that falls on the 200 acres of turf drains into the course’s five ponds, via over 200 catch basins. This gives superintendent Dustin How and his team the perfect opportunity to measure how their inputs are affecting the property.

“Our pond health is an indication of the overall health of the golf course and our management programs,” said How, who has been at Southwood since 2009.

“Our pond quality is really an indication of how our fertility program is doing. If we were over-fertilizing or had some issues, everything runs into the ponds and we’re going to see it,” says How.

The story is the same at Legends on the Niagara, Battlefield Course, where superintendent Tom Newton frequently examines the site’s various large ponds and Usher Creek for red flags.

“Testing the water features helps us determine whether our management strategies are impacting the environment and if we are impacting it positively or negatively,” says Newton, who played a large part in helping the course become Audubon certified.

There are a few telltale signs that can help a superintendent determine if there is something amiss with the water quality. One of these indications is the appearance of algae blooms, says How. When he sees a bloom in a pond, it is usually a symptom of a larger problem somewhere else on the site. This allows the turf care team to begin searching for the problem and rectifying it sooner.

While six-legged pests are usually frowned upon in the world of golf course management, the team at Legends embraces them when it comes time to determine the health of their water features and, by extension, their turf. As part of his water management strategy, Newton and his environmental intern test for certain bugs in the ponds to tell them if the water is fit as a fiddle or in need of some love and care.

“There are different bugs or macroinvertebrates that tolerate different levels of pollution,” says Newton.

“You can use the variance of species to determine the health of the water features based on what you find. It’s just another tool we use to verify that what we’re doing is not having a negative effect on the water quality.”

Tracking water quality on the property is especially important to a site like The Rock Golf Course in Minett, Ontario where superintendent Deni Terenzio must monitor nine ponds and 12 interconnected wet meadows that drain in two separate lakes. These water features act as drainage basins for the course. They also contain isolation valves from draining the water that falls on the site to drain into the lakes, which is crucial in lowering the potential for negative effects on the environment.

“If those features weren’t there, we’d be free draining into the lake without any sort of buffer zone,” says Terenzio.

“We as turf managers place a lot of inputs on our turf and most, if not all, of those inputs are consumed before they exit our property by different types of plants that grow by the water.”

The wide range of plant life that grows around The Rock’s water features is a common sight at most golf courses. Water gives turf managers an opportunity to incorporate native species, which can be beneficial to the course, but it also gives Mother Nature a chance to sprout invasive species that wreak havoc. This double-edged sword adds a whole other element to managing large swaths of H2O for superintendents.

One of the major native species that grows around the ponds at Legends is called green arrow arum. The plant is not only an aesthetically pleasing feature, but it is also a very useful tool for the course maintenance team, says Newton.

“It’s a good plant that shows if you have healthy water features,” says Newton.

“Before the construction of the golf course, Usher’s Creek had very little of the green arrow arum in it and now it’s loaded with it. It helps us gauge the health of the water on the course and the other plant life in and around the water.”

Newton attributes the amplified growth of native species to the increased sunlight that now touches the creek.

The native species also help the team at Legends ensure a proper buffer zone around the course’s water features, further minimizing the chance of unwanted runoff into the ponds. On the road to Audubon Certification, this was one of the biggest steps for the Niagara site, says Newton.

“(Establishing the vegetative buffer zone) was a joint effort before me and the golf pro to implement the measure without affecting the playability and aesthetics of the holes too much,” says Newton.

“The biggest factor was determining how to implement it without ruining the golfer experience, but also ensuring a proper buffer.”

While it seems the more vegetation, the better when it comes to water features, that’s not always the case. Invasive species can cause more than a few headaches for turf managers who venture near their sites’ ponds, streams or marshes.

At The Rock, invasive species that flourish near the property’s approximately 20 acres of water can have a devastating domino effect on the course’s overall health. Bulrushes are the major worry for Terenzio and his crew, says the superintendent. The bulrushes grow tall and block light from reaching other, more beneficial plants around the water’s edge, while debris, such as dead leaves, can impede the flow of water through the course and cause a drainage backup.

“It’s important to manage debris, like leaves and fallen trees, because they impede proper flow,” says Terenzio, “and because the wet meadows are shallow, this will cause certain parts of the course to flood, which will affect the drainage system as a whole.”

Clearing the bulrushes and other material is a time-consuming task as it needs to be done manually. Terenzio says his team tries to cut all the bulrushes down to size by July and then monitor them until winter.

As much as invasive species can be a curse, native species and the water itself can team up to be quite the blessing when it comes to attracting wildlife to golf courses. There aren’t many other features of a golf course that make animals feel at home as much as a well-maintained pond or creek.

The wildlife that appears on a regular basis at Southwood would not be nearly as diverse without its multitude of water features, says How.

“We went from having a farm field here five years ago to having basically a small wildlife sanctuary,” says How about the water’s effect on drawing animals to Southwood.

Wild turkeys, deer, coyotes and a variety of ducks are just a few of the animals that How has seen flock to the water features within the property.

“The wildlife we have seen on the property would not have been there five years ago when it was just an open field and it all stems from the bodies of water that we constructed.”

The influx of wildlife at Southwood extends to the water itself where flooding in the course’s first season after construction brought some unexpected house guests with it.

“The La Salle river flooded in 2009, which was the first year the ponds were in existence,” says How, “and with the water that backed up into these ponds came fish.”

The ponds are now full of species like jackfish and carp simply from the flood.

“It was really neat to create something and then see nature move in given the opportunity in such a short time.”

The march of wildlife to the water features at Legends is a similar marvel.

“The biggest thing we see from (the ponds) are the benefits they provide for the aquatic wildlife,” says Newton, “whether it’s a food source or a nesting area or a cover from predators.”

Newton says the list of wildlife that comes to the ponds is endless and includes deer, turtles and too many species of birds to count. Usher’s Creek is also home to a run of grass pickerel in the spring, which is a point of pride for Newton and his team as the fish is a species of special concern in Ontario.

Water features bring animal life, stunning views and benefits to the turfgrass, but they are also delicate parts of a golf course’s ecology. Lots can go right with ponds, creeks and marshes, but lots can also go wrong.

Newton’s biggest challenge at Legends is tweaking some of his cultural practices to match the oft-changing needs of one of his water features.

“We have one water feature that tests significantly higher for nutrient loads than the rest,” says Newton.

“It’s a challenge for us to determine why this is happening and where these inputs are coming from – whether it’s something in the soil to begin with or if it’s something we’re doing.”

Newton and his team have taken several steps to reduce the possibility of their contribution to this increased nutrient load. The first was to increase the buffer zones in the areas around the water feature. Newton’s crew has also raised the height of cut to three inches or more for the maintained turf around the feature. They also attempt to spoon-feed nutrients around that part of the course instead of going out with a tractor-mounted sprayer.

Maintaining the area around the ponds is also a tricky endeavor at Southwood where How and his crew must constantly track their activities around the water.

“The most challenging part about managing the ponds is making sure we’re maintaining our buffer zones. Those are the biggest things we keep an eye on,” says How.

Water features are as unique as the ways to manage them. Just as each water feature has its own special place on the course, its own wildlife, its own vegetation and depth, its own stories from unfortunate golfers and hardworking turf managers, each superintendent has their own advice on how to maintain these features best.

“Try to incorporate as many native grass and plant areas as possible to encourage wildlife,” says Terenzio on the words of wisdom he would give on managing water features.

For Newton, a keen eye and attention to detail are key to having a successful water management strategy at any golf course.

“The biggest thing is to establish baselines or understand what your features have to begin with,” says Newton.

“There are visual inspections, but there are other ways to get this information, whether it’s testing for macroinvertebrates or water quality testing. It sounds daunting, but a lot of the time it just means an investment in a meter and familiarizing yourself with how to use it.”

Newton also says that having a dedicated area to store and mix pesticides is critically important to ensuring the health of all water features, as well as the groundwater, at any course.

How has a unique perspective on the maintenance of water features, having been at the course when earth made way for water and the ponds were constructed out of a farm field. He says one of the most crucial aspects of managing any H2O happens before a drop of water even appears on the scene.

“It all starts with construction,” says How.

“It’s making sure that the ponds are built correctly and you have enough depth to get rid of issues like algae blooms before they happen. The shallower the water feature, the warmer it’s going to get and the more algae blooms are going to appear.”

Once the water features are up and running, or flowing, it’s important to have a controlled exit point, says How. This will help turf managers to ensure that if anything ever does go wrong, they can stop the water from exiting the property with potentially hazardous materials in it.

Despite the trials and tribulations of maintaining a pond, stream or marsh; the exact science, the murky depths and the careful observation; a golf course just isn’t a golf course without at least a little bit of water, says Newton.

“Missing that water feature is going to remove a lot of your wildlife and a lot of those natural elements in general,” he says.

“And I’ve always believed that golf is a game that’s played in nature.”