9 Rule changes that most impact the recreational golfer
As you have heard, a historic reworking of the Rules of Golf came into effect on Jan. 1.
To gain a better understanding of how it affects recreational golfers like me, I invited Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s director of Rules, competitions and amateur status, to play nine holes with me at my home club. While the round is fictional—it is minus 8 in Central Ontario and Midland G&CC is snow-covered as I write this—the new Rules are anything but.
The intent and, in my opinion, well achieved, is to make the Rules more understandable and relevant for everyone who enjoys the sport. A new Player’s Edition of the Rules and an app for your smartphone make it easy to play by the new Rules. Visit www.golfcanada.ca/rules
Hole #1 (395-yard downhill par-4)
As usual, I crank my drive into the heavily wooded area on the left of the fairway. Although, again as usual, I am sure I will find it, Helmer reminds me I now have three minutes, not five as under the former Rule, to locate it. Nevertheless, with the unwarranted optimism that has always defined my game, I decline to hit a provisional and we walk down to the bush. No luck after the prescribed three minutes. I start the walk of shame back to the tee to accept the stroke-and-distance penalty. Wait, says Helmer, now there’s an alternative. Your club has decided to institute a Local Rule which allows you to drop a ball in the nearest fairway under penalty of two strokes so you don’t have to hike back to the teeing ground. Ball lost. Time saved. The foursome behind us applauds the new Rules. You guys owe Helmer a beer. So do I.
Hole #2 (178-yard par-3 with water in front and to the left of the green)
Indecisive over club selection (I’ve only been a member here for 30 years), I come up short and my ball dribbles into the hazard, not quite in and possibly playable. Oops, says Helmer, that’s no longer termed a “hazard,” but now called a “penalty area,” pointing out I now can ground my club, make practice swings touching the ground or growing objects and I can remove that pine cone or any other loose impediment near the ball.
Hole #3 (well-bunkered 290-yard uphill par-4)
Instead of taking the 5-iron and laying up to the 100-yard marker, I try to impress Helmer, knocking the driver into one of the four bunkers protecting this (theoretically) drivable par-4. My ball is right up against the lip of the bunker and with my sand game being what it is, I ask Helmer what my options are. With a penalty of one stroke, I can drop the ball inside the bunker or, under the new Rules, drop it outside the bunker, taking a two-shot penalty. Additionally under the new Rules, you can remove loose impediments and touch the sand (provided you’re not testing the condition of the sand). You are still prohibited from touching the sand during a practice swing, or right in front or behind the ball and during your backswing for your stroke.
Hole #4 (389-yard dogleg-right par-4)
One of the toughest tee shots on the course to a kidney-shaped green that slopes severely from back to front and left to right. Uncharacteristically, I mash a drive but then hit a mid-iron to the back left of the green. Did I mention the pin position was front right? As I stand over the putt, I ask Helmer to tend the flagstick. Are you sure, he asks. Under the new Rules, you can leave the flagstick in. I gratefully accept his advice. And, if my putt had come anywhere near the hole, I am sure it would have hit the stick and gone in.
Hole #5 (419-yard uphill par-4)
A nest of bunkers on the right always makes me err to the left where, of course, my ball is somewhere in the deep rough. As we are searching, I step on my ball and move it. No penalty under the new Rules! Just replace it where it was originally or estimate the spot if it’s unknown.
Hole #6 (344-yard dogleg-left par-4)
Finally on a hole in regulation, only to discover that someone has dragged their shoes across my line of putt, making my putt more of a guessing game than Plinko. But, as Helmer points out, the new Rules allow me to tamp down these and other man-made damage to the green. Which I do. And miss the putt anyhow.
Hole #7 (195-yard par-3)
Hook the tee shot into the trees left of the green. My imagined recovery shot, a low-running 4-iron off the back foot to inches, hits the only tree in front of me and ricochets off my bag. No penalty under the new Rules, says Helmer, even if it had hit me.
Hole #8 (401-yard par-4)
My approach shot lands on the cart path to the right of the green. I take the proper relief and then start to drop the ball from shoulder height, as under the old Rules. Wait, says Helmer. The new Rule says you must drop the ball from knee height. Which I do. And then double-hit the ball. No penalty under the new Rules!
Hole #9 (402-yard uphill par-4)
As we wind up our round, I walk over to shake hands with Helmer and accidentally move my ball marker on the green. No problem under the new Rules. Just replace and carry on.
We walked our nine holes in well under two hours thanks in large part to a commitment to “ready golf,” a practice that is emphasized under the new Rules.
To learn more about the new Rules of Golf, visit www.golfcanada.ca/rules.
2018 Canadian golf review
What a year it was for Canadian golf.
Our pros won literally around the world and on just about every tour imaginable.
Our amateurs of all ages made Canada proud at home and abroad.
And, off the course, there were significant moments that are well worth memorializing as 2019 looms on the horizon.
(If we’ve unintentionally overlooked any—there were so many, after all!—please let us know at communications@golfcanada.ca)
Canadian professionals on the world stage
December
Brooke Henderson repeats as Canadian Female Athlete of the Year for both Canadian Press and Postmedia.
Jaclyn Lee opts to forego her final semester at Ohio State University to turn professional. The 21-year-old from Calgary, a six-year member of the Team Canada program, earned her LPGA Tour card in November after finishing sixth at the Q-Series LPGA tournament.
Brian McDonald, the director of golf and general manager of Fairview Mountain in Oliver, B.C., fires five birdies in the final round to claim the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada Presented by Titleist & FootJoy.
Three of four Canadians improve their Web.com Tour status at the Tour’s Qualifying event. They were led by Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., who posted a 10-under 62 in the final round. His T-8 finish earned him 12 guaranteed starts in 2019. Michael Giglic of Burlington, Ont., and Toronto’s Albin Choi ended up inside the top 40, getting eight starts. Vancouver’s Seann Harlingten maintained his conditional status.
November
Team Canada, Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, tie for fourth at the World Cup of Golf in Australia, the best finish by Canada since Dave Barr and Dan Halldorson won the event in 1985.
After setting a course record of 61 in the second round, Calgary’s Stephen Ames ends up T-5 at the PGA Champions Tour finale, the Charles Schwab Cup. It ended a great year for the 54-year-old Ames, who finished with four top-10s for the season.
Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee and Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City earn LPGA Tour status for 2019 in the final stage of Q-school. Lee finished sixth while Tanguay was T-8.
October
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is out-duelled by PGA TOUR freshman phenom Cameron Champ in the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship to finish runner-up. Champ rode a hot putter to birdie five of the last six holes to deny Conners the title.
Team Canada member Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., winner of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur, turns pro. Team Canada standout Maddie Szeryk, a resident of London, Ont. also turned pro after a stellar collegiate career at Texas A&M.
A record eight Canadian men will be in the field for the 2019 PGA TOUR season: David Hearn, Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Svensson, Roger Sloan and Ben Silverman.
September
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., secure their PGA TOUR cards for 2019 due to their performance on the Web.com Tour.
Mr. 59! Drew Nesbitt of Toronto has four eagles, including a hole in one, five birdies, eight pars and a bogey to post the first 59 in PGA TOUR Latinoamerica history in the second round of the Brazil Open.
Marc-Etienne Bussieres of Longchamp, Que., defends his title at the PGA Assistants Championship of Canada Presented by Callaway Golf.
Richard Yung, a former Team Canada member, drains a 40-foot birdie putt to win the Suzhou Open, a PGA TOUR Series-China tournament.
August
Brooke Henderson becomes the first woman in 45 years to win the CP Women’s Open. At 20, the Team Canada graduate claimed her seventh LPGA Tour victory, including a major, but none was greater than this at Regina’s Wascana Country Club. Jocelyne Bourassa won the event in 1973.
July
Peter Campbell of Nova Scotia wins his first pro title, the Beijing Championship, on the PGA TOUR Series-China.
The world’s top-ranked men’s golfer, American Dustin Johnson, wins the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is the top Canadian, tying for eighth. Team Canada member Chris Crisologo finished T45 to earn low-amateur honours.
American Jessica Porvasnik wins the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto.
June
Pierre-Alexander Bedard of Club de golf Cap Rouge wins the PGA Championship of Canada presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf at Credit Valley G&CC.
April
Brooke Henderson wins her sixth LPGA Tour title, the Lotte Championship in Hawaii.
February
Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was elected to the Boise State Hall of Fame. Along with his success at the collegiate level and on the PGA TOUR, DeLaet competed for Canada at the Olympics, the Presidents Cup and the World Cup.
January
Golf Canada announces the 2018 Team Canada Young Pro Squad: Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City), Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), Jennifer Ha (Calgary), Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver), Albin Choi (Toronto) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., wins his first Web.com title, The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.
Amateur golfers make Canada proud
December
Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que. and Maddie Szeryk a London, Ont., resident, are recognized as Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers for 2018 based on the final standings of Golf Canada’s National Orders of Merit. It was Szeryk’s fourth consecutive year topping the Women’s Amateur Order of Merit. On the junior side, Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. and Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., took home top honours on the Future Links, driven by Acura National Junior Order Merit.
Nine Canadians were named to the 2018 Global Golf Post All-Amateur teams: Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.), Second Team, Men’s Mid-Amateur; Jaclyn Lee (Calgary, Alta.), Honourable Mention, Women’s Amateur; and Julia Hodgson (Unionville, Ont.), First Team Women’s Mid-Amateur. In the Women’s Senior category, Mary-Ann Hayward (St. Thomas, Ont.), Judith Kryinis (Thornhill, Ont.), Jackie Little (Proctor, B.C.) and Terrill Samuel (Etobicoke, Ont.) were named to the first team while Allison Murdoch (Victoria, B.C.) was a second-team selection and Marie-Therese Torti (Candiac, Que.) received honourable mention.
November
Golf Canada announced the 17 athletes who will represent Team Canada as part of the 2019 National Amateur and Junior Squads.
Women’s National Amateur Squad: Jaclyn Lee, Calgary; Naomi Ko, Victoria; Brigitte Thibault, Rosemere, Que.
Men’s National Amateur Squad: Joey Savoie, La Prairie, Que.; Chris Crisologo, Richmond, B.C.; Josh Whalen, Napanee, Ont.; Brendan MacDougall, Calgary.
Women’s Junior Squad: Celeste Dao, Notre-Dame-de-I’lle-Perrot, Que.; Ellie Szeryk, Allen, Texas; Emily Zhu, Richmond Hill, Ont.; Sarah Beqaj, Toronto; Monet Chun, Richmond Hill, Ont.
Men’s Junior Squad : Laurent Desmarchais, Longueuil, Que.; Christopher Vandette, Beaconsfield, Que.; Jeevan Sihota, Victoria; Olivier Menard, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.; Kai Iguchi, Banff, Alta.
October
The Red Deer College Queens win the women’s Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national championship while Cegep Andre-Laurendeau claims the men’s title.
Celeste Dao, 17, of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. and William Duquette, 17, of Laval, Que. represented Team Canada in golf at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Ares, Argentina from October 6-18, 2018. Dao finished T13 and Duquette 28th in their respective divisions. The duo also combined to finish 22nd in the mixed team competition.
September
Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver, B.C., and Ilirian Zalli of Burnaby, B.C., claim their respective titles at the Future Links Presented by Acura Fall Series in B.C.
Team Canada Development Squad member Chris Vandette, the reigning Canadian Junior Boys champion, wins the Duke of York Young Champions at Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland.
Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, a senior at Ohio State University, claims her fourth NCAA golf title at the East & West Match Play in Michigan.
American Brady Exber wins the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at New Brunswick’s Gowan Brae Golf and Country Club, edging Peter Detemple, a native of Vancouver. British Columbia claims the team title.
Ottawa’s Camelot Golf & Country Club plays host to the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, and among the 18 countries represented, Team Italy beat Team USA in a playoff to win the team title. Team Canada One, comprised of Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Qué.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Tiffany Kong (Vancouver, B.C.) finished fourth in the team competition while Canada Two consisting of Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto, Ont.) and Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.) finished 18th.
August
Australian Sue Wooster successfully defends her Senior and Mid-Master titles at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship at Lookout Point Country Club in Fonthill, Ont., edging Mary Ann Hayward of St. Thomas, Ont., by one shot.
Hailey McLaughlin of Markham, Ont., and Yuqui Liu of Thornhill, Ont., win their respective divisions at the Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series Championship at Owl’s Head Golf Club in Masonville, Que.
Kentucky’s Joseph Deraney shoots 65 to win the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur at B.C.’s Victoria Golf Club. Two-time Mid-Am champ Kevin Carrigan of Victoria finished second.
Céleste Dao of Notre Dame de I’Ile Perot, Que., a member of the Team Canada Development Squad, wins the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Tsawwassen, B.C.
Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., becomes only the 10th player since the joint event was established in 1948 to win both the Canadian Junior Boys and Juvenile Boys Championships.
July
American Yealimi Noh, 17, wins the Canadian Women’s Amateur at Vancouver’s Marine Drive Golf Club. The teen standout earned an exemption into the CP Women’s Open in Regina where she claimed low amateur honours.
Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Glen Abbey announces the national champions: Andre Zhu, King City, Ont., Boys 9-11; Lindsay McGrath, Milton, Ont., Girls 9-11; Matis Lessard, Quebec City, Boys 12-15; Alissa Xu, King City, Ont., Girls 12-15; Gregoire Vincent, Quebec City, Boys 15-18; Taylor Cormier, Corner Brook, NL, Girls 15-18.
Owen Mullen of Truro, N.S., and Haley Baker of Mississauga, Ont., claim their respective divisions in the Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship at Twin Rivers Golf Course in Newfoundland.
June
Wesley Hoydalo of Selkirk, Sask., and Sydney Scraba of Calgary win their respective divisions at the Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship at Portage GC in Manitoba.
Robbie Latter of Mississauga, Ont., and Emily Romancew of Pierrefonds, Que., win their respective divisions in the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship at Club de golf Lachute in Quebec.
The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds win their third straight women’s title in the Canadian University/College Championship. The host University of the Fraser Valley Cascades win the men’s title.
May
Laurent Desmarchais of Longueuil, Que., and Taylor Kehoe of Strathroy, Ont., win their respective divisions at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship at Otter Creek GC.
Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Cole Wilson of Kelowna, B.C., win their respective divisions in the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship at Bear Mountain Golf Resort in B.C.
Team Canada member Celeste Dao comes from six back to win the Mexican Junior Girls Championship in a three-hole playoff.
April
Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, a junior at Ohio State, ties a 54-hole scoring record en route to winning the Big 10 Championship. It was her third NCAA title of the year.
Team Canada member Maddie Szeryk, a senior at Texas A&M, wins her second straight NCAA tournament, the Dale McNamara Invitational in Oklahoma.
Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos wins the girls’ 10-11 age division in the Drive, Chip & Putt Finals at Augusta National.
February
Jaclyn Lee of Calgary breaks an Ohio State school record with a 64 in the final round to win her second NCAA title, the Westbrook Spring Invite in Arizona.
January
National Amateur Squad member Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C., wins the South American Amateur in Argentina.
Milestones Off The Course
December
The RBC Canadian Open was honoured at the PGA TOUR’s Tournament Meetings for its “Best in Class Element”, thanks to the success of its fan experience, The Rink. For the past two years, the par-3 seventh hole at Glen Abbey Golf Club was transformed into a rendition of a hockey rink, complete with boards lining the hole, upgraded bleachers and viewing decks, with marshals dressed as referees. A net, puck and hockey sticks were available for the pros to test their hockey skills as part of Wednesday’s Championship Pro-Am.
Golf Fore the Cure Presented by Subaru announced it raised more than $425,000 for breast cancer research in 2018, thanks to the efforts of more than 13,000 participants at 175 events across Canada. Since the program’s inception in 2003, upwards of 120,000 women have raised more than $6.7 million with all proceeds donated to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.
November
Golf Ontario and the Northern Golf Association announce a partnership to grow the game in that province. As a result, all NGA members will also be Golf Ontario members, both associations will continue to invest in initiatives such as Golf in Schools, and there will be a stronger collaboration in areas such as course rating, handicapping and competitions.
The sole Canadian stop on the PGA TOUR Champions Tour, Calgary’s Shaw Charity Classic, announces it had donated a record-breaking $12.4-million donation to be shared among 182 youth-based charities in Alberta. That brought the six-year total to more than $34 million since the event’s inception, impacting more than 500,000 youth in the areas of sports, arts, health, development and counseling.
Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is inducted into her alma mater’s Athletics Hall of Fame at Coastal Carolina University. Prior to putting her playing career aside to caddie for sister Brooke, Brittany was a member of Team Canada and an outstanding collegiate golfer, leading her school to two Big South Championships.
The R&A announces that the 2019 RBC Canadian Open will be one of 16 events that will make up the Open Qualifying Series.
Longtime Golf Ontario Executive Director Dave Mills is honoured with the International Association of Golf Administrators Distinguished Service Award.
October
Team Canada Junior Women’s Coach Matt Wilson of Newmarket, Ont., is named Coach of the Year for the PGA of Canada Ontario Zone.
Former LPGA Tour player Christa Teno of Tecumseh, Ont., is named Coach of the Year by the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional association. She has been the head women’s coach at Florida’s Seminole State University since 2007 and coached the team to a national championship in 2015. Tina Tombs, a native of Montreal who played on the LPGA Tour and now resides in Arizona, is named Teacher of the Year.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is named female summer athlete of the year at the Canadian Sports Awards. She would later be voted a runner-up finalist for the 2018 Lou Marsh Award.
September
The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association names Dean Baker of Ontario’s Burlington Golf and Country Club as superintendent of the year.
August
The PGA TOUR announces that Osprey Valley, a 54-hole facility north of Toronto, will become the first member of the TPC Network in Canada. In July, Osprey Valley hosted the inaugural Osprey Valley Open, an official Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada event.
July
Bryan Crawford of Ancaster, Ont., is named Tournament Director of the RBC Canadian Open. Earlier in the year that Ryan Paul of Oakville, Ont. was named Tournament Director for the CP Women’s Open.
Canadian Pacific announces it has extended its title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open for five years, from 2019 through 2023. Golf Canada and CP also announced that the 2019 CP Women’s Open would be hosted at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.
RBC, Golf Canada and the PGA TOUR announce that the 2019 RBC Canadian Open will move to a premier date on the TOUR schedule, one week before the U.S. Open. The 110th RBC Canadian Open will be played at Hamilton Golf & Country Club from June 3 to 9.
June
Longtime golf journalist Mario Brisebois is named for induction into the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame. Congratulations as well to the many deserving individuals across Canada inducted into their respective Provincial Golf Hall of Fame in 2018.
March
Revered Canadian pro Jerry Anderson passes away suddenly at the age of 62.
A totally revised Rules of Golf is revealed for review, to be implemented on January 1, 2019.
February
Golf Canada launches the centralized program (February through May) for the National Junior Squad at its National Training Centre at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.
The proposed new World Handicap System is announced, designed to provide all golfers with a consistent measure of playing ability globally. Golf Canada will adopt all features of the new system.
Former LPGA Tour player Gail Graham and course architect Arthur Vernon Macan are this year’s inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Golf Canada announce a partnership with the Good Beer Folks at Steam Whistle, Canada’s Premium Pilsner, to become the Official Beer of Golf Canada, the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open.
January
Leslie Dunning of Calgary is elected president of Golf Canada, succeeding Roland Deveau.
Tom Zariski of Drumheller, Alta., is named Golf Canada’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year.
Golf Canada names four recipients of its Distinguished Service Award—veteran sports columnist Cam Cole alongside former Alberta Golf President Fran Marsden, long-time volunteer Florin “Fuzzy” Bergh of Edmonton, and golf historian Ron Lyons.
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Lorne Rubenstein, a lifelong golf journalist and author, receives the PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism.
Technology’s impact on golf (and how it can help your game)
If asked the question “How has technology impacted your game?”, most golfers automatically think of their adjustable driver, game-improvement irons, a ball that promises both distance and accuracy, foul-weather gear and footwear that protect them from the elements and, perhaps, a distance-measuring device that takes the guesswork out of approach shots or an electric trolley that saves wear and tear on their bodies during a round.
But we got some revealing and unexpected answers when we ask experts from various sectors of the Canadian golf industry what technology they thought was most impactful on golfers.
“The smartphone!” responded Craig Loughry, Golf Canada’s director of handicap and course rating. You need only to look at the home screen on his phone for evidence. It’s plastered with the icons for multiple golf apps. Among GPS apps, he says Golfshot seems to be the most popular, but he’s enthusiastic about others, FunGolf in particular. Tracking your game stats has become simple, again thanks to various apps.
“Remember tracking fairways hit, greens in regulation and putts per hole? Well, that’s evolved,” said Loughry. “Used properly, these apps can actually show you what areas you need to focus on to improve your game.” There are lots of these apps available, both free and subscription-based, including the one developed by Golf Canada.
More exotic is “real-time game tracker” technology that fits on your club. “It records and tells you your swing speed, specific distance of each club, tracks your tendencies of misses, tracks your position on the course—all shot by shot, including your putts. It’s really amazing technology.” A couple of examples are Arccos and Game Golf.
Liam Mucklow is the founder of the Golf Lab, based in King City, Ont., so naturally he points to things such as launch monitors, 3D motion capture and force plates as advances that have improved the ability of instructors to help golfers become better through not only teaching but club fitting as well. “These three pieces of equipment allow me, as a coach, to measure the complete feedback loop from ball flight, club delivery, body movement, and ground reaction forces. In short, it helps me make golfers better faster than ever before.”
Among others interviewed for this story, Mucklow suggested high-tech “entertainment ranges” such as Drive Shack and TopGolf will encourage more people to try the real thing. A recent report by the U.S. National Golf Foundation confirmed that.
The folks who run the real courses where you play are also proactive to ensure they are delivering the best experience possible from communicating through social media and email to organizing and running events.
“As the golf industry changes, so changes the role of the PGA of Canada professional,” notes Adam Tobin, director of golf at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ont. “For example, I’ve noticed the increase in tournament operation software that allow for easy one-stop development of tournaments, events, leagues, and every aspect that comes along with them. But the main item that has progressed is the way we communicate with our members on a regular basis. Many clubs are employing full-time communication managers and in my opinion, it is one of the most important roles at a club.”
David Main, a PGA of Canada member and a club manager, can see the question from both perspectives. He cites data management as a major advancement that impacts the customer experience positively. While this technology is largely invisible to the customer, Main said it allows clubs to better shape their service performance on an ongoing basis.
As well, he says, “I see more clubs automating the guest experience in the future. Why have someone checking you in when you can tap your membership or pre-paid guest card and get access to golf? Why have servers when you can select menu items from a tablet and pick them up at a window or have a food runner deliver it? Why can’t I scan my fingerprint to get access to my club storage, use my member or pre-paid card to access a power cart? How about facial recognition software for security and tracking member usage?
“Stuff you thought was only in the movies will soon be part of the club world.”
That’s tomorrow and beyond. But today, the most important and yet largely overlooked impact of technology is evident when you step onto the first tee and survey the opening hole. Course architects routinely employ computer software to design and redesign holes and entire layouts.
“New computer technologies that create vivid photo visualization and 3D modeling of proposed redesign plans are invaluable,” says Toronto-based course architect Jeff Mingay. “These present club members, some of whom may have trouble interpreting traditional two-dimensional overview plans of a hole, with a real-life view of the proposed changes.”
Mingay, who is also integrally involved with the construction and grow-in of his projects, cites new strains of bentgrass discovered through modern research techniques as a major development. “Superintendents are better able to present more consistently smooth, fast putting surfaces that are healthier and can better handle drought, traffic, harsh winter conditions and other stresses than annual bluegrass.”
Kathryn Wood, chief operating officer of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, reached out to her Twitter followers for answers to our original question. Thanks to the many who responded! (You can learn more from this recent USGA article)
“For the most part, I’m pretty sure most golfers don’t have even the foggiest idea of how technology is driving golf,” tweeted Brad Hutchinson, course superintendent at Ontario’s Warkworth Golf Club. “And almost every time I start to explain it, they get this glazed look like they’re thinking about putting.”
Shame on them.
Now focus! These turf professionals make every effort to make your round the best it can be.
Several respondents reiterated Mingay’s opinion of the impressive advances in turfgrasses as well as a dizzying array of items such as TDRs (soil moisture meters that allow superintendents to precisely schedule irrigation cycles and hand-watering thus improving playability and more efficient use of water), sophisticated GPS-directed sprayers and drones, plant growth regulators such as Primo Maxx, new reel-sharpening systems for mowers, communicating course updates through social media, onsite weather stations, and more.
So the next time someone tells you that golf is stuck in the Dark Ages, recite some of the above. Until, that is, their eyes glaze over.
Now you can replace your lost or damaged golf clubs at no extra cost
NOTE: This article was published in 2018. Program details are subject to change and specific amounts and details included in this article may no longer be accurate.
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No matter how many times we talk about the benefits and amenities included with a Golf Canada membership (most recently, here), it doesn’t strike home until, well, it strikes home.
A little while ago, I saw a tweet from a member at a local golf club.
“Somebody stole my putter out of my bag while I was at the range right before my match. My red TaylorMade Spider…,” he lamented, adding a few expletives directed at the thief.
At last check, that putter retails for close to $400. He thought he was out of pocket for a replacement.
The club responded immediately.
“So sorry this happened,” messaged the director of golf. “But glad you are a member of @golfcanada which includes reimbursement for these situations.”
He was unaware of that. And, most likely, so are you.
Golf Canada’s Incident Protection provides up to $2,500 reimbursement for damaged, lost or stolen equipment, among several other advantages you may not be aware of.
Like the fellow mentioned previously, you may think it will never happen to you. But it can. And will.
Like the guy at my club who placed his clubs and bag behind his car and then backed over them.
And if you’re travelling this winter or any time for that matter, your Golf Canada membership protects you.
For example, airlines may or may not reimburse you for accidental or intentional incidents but that’s small consolation.
Team Canada member Maddie Szeryk was on her way to her first tournament of the year at Texas A&M when her clubs came down the airport carousel. The heads of her driver, 3-wood and 5-wood were snapped off.
Golf and travel writer Ted McIntyre has a similar story. “As a frequent traveler, I am a master club packer but had the head fall off my driver when I opened my travel case. Can’t imagine how far they must have fallen upside down for that to occur.”
There are myriad examples. Prior to the Ryder Cup, Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen lost not one but two sets of clubs in 10 days. This summer, Graeme McDowell’s clubs disappeared during a flight and he was forced to withdraw from final qualifying for the Open Championship. Another PGA TOUR pro’s clubs went missing thanks to the airline and were discovered for sale at a used sporting goods store.
Do you play a course with adjacent homes? Do you occasionally miss a tee shot? (Rhetorical question.) If you break a window, you’re covered up to $1,000 for the damage you caused.
Golf carts are convenient but as motorized vehicles, they come with risks. If you have an incident while driving one, a Gold-level membership covers you for damages up to $2,500.
As a Gold-level member, you also receive a set of identification labels to affix to your clubs in the event that you misplace one. Anyone finding it can report it through an online notification system. You will receive an email immediately and be reunited with your club.
Along with providing an official Handicap Factor, these are the main benefits of your Golf Canada membership.
To learn more about Golf Canada membership, click here.
Think it can’t happen to you?
Most likely, these folks didn’t either but when it did, they were relieved to find that their Golf Canada Gold-level membership was there to protect them.
So far this year, according to stats provided by Golf Canada, there were 189 claims for which almost $115,000 was paid out in restitution. Of those claims, 119 were for clubs and other equipment, 39 for window damage and the remainder for various other deductible incidents.
Some examples from claimants:
“Driving cart and strap that holds bag onto cart broke and bag fell off. My driver was in two pieces.”
“Cart containing wallet, car keys, cell phone and golf equipment rolled into lake. Range finder and box of balls lost.”
“The remote-control caddie went into a pond. Retrieved right away but has not worked since.”
“Hit a drive and the ball hit a cart path and went through a residential window.”
“Push cart with clubs rolled down a steep slope and ended upside down in a water hazard.”
Track your golf handicap and compete against anyone
“I’m not good enough to keep track of my handicap.”
Craig Loughry, Golf Canada’s Director of Handicap and Course Rating, is tired of hearing that.
“The purpose of the Handicap System is to make the game of golf more enjoyable by enabling players of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis,” the Golf Canada Handicap Manual states.
“If you’re playing golf regularly, you’re keeping track of your scores in some fashion,” he points out. “You’re golfing for a reason or reasons, whether it’s for the competition against yourself or others, recreation, socializing, whatever. It obviously is a significant part of your activity schedule, so why not keep track on an ongoing basis?
“If golfers didn’t care about keeping score, then courses wouldn’t need scorecards, but they seem to have to replace thousands every year.”
Loughry is right. Everyone tracks their progress in just about every other facet of their lives, so why not in their golf games? In business or other pursuits, you expect a level playing field, right? A Golf Canada handicap factor provides both for your golf life.
Additionally, you never know when not having a Golf Canada handicap factor will come back to haunt you.
Knowing zero about your handicap can find you playing off a zero handicap.
A couple of personal anecdotes…
Years ago, I was invited to play in a pro-am. When I showed up at registration, I was asked for my handicap. When I said I didn’t have one, I was told I would have to play off scratch, from the pro tees. Some of my drives barely made the tee block from where my fellow amateurs (the ones with official handicaps) were playing from. Needless to say, I started posting every score after that humiliation.
My wife (who faithfully maintains an accurate handicap factor) plays in the member-guest tournament at a friend’s club every summer. The club sends out a friendly note leading up to the event. It says, “it is the member’s responsibility to provide a handicap factor from an accredited golf association for their guest(s). Failure to do so will result in your guest(s) playing from scratch. Please note that scorecards, letters or ‘she shoots about an 85’ are unacceptable.”
If you have a Golf Canada Gold-level membership, the lengthy list of benefits includes an official handicap factor. It’s easy to post your adjusted scores online or at any Golf Canada member course and there’s even an app for your phone. It’s easy to join online even if you’re not already a member of a club and start tracking your scores right away.
Now that I’ve persuaded those of you who haven’t maintained a current and accurate factor (you must post all scores using the easy-to-understand Equitable Stroke Control system) to get on the bandwagon, here are some other handicapping notes.
Active Seasons
Regrettably, the end of the Canadian golf season is approaching. Each provincial golf association decides on what is called the “active season” for handicap posting purposes.
By province, the active seasons are:
- British Columbia March 1-Nov. 15
- Alberta March 1-Oct. 31
- Saskatchewan April 15-Oct. 31
- Manitoba April 15-Oct. 31
- Ontario April 15-Oct. 31
- Quebec April 15-Oct. 31
- Nova Scotia April 15-Oct. 31
- New Brunswick May 1-Oct. 31
- Prince Edward Island April 16-Nov. 14
- Newfoundland and Labrador April 1-Nov. 30
Going South This Winter?
It’s never been easier to post out-of-country scores if you’re lucky enough to play in a warmer clime this winter.
“Essentially, all you have to do is simply change the Canadian flag icon to the international one and then start typing in the most unique part of the club/course name,” says Taylor Stevenson, Golf Canada’s manager of member services.
As well, says Loughry, the International Golf Network (IGN) allows Golf Canada members to link their golf membership (handicap record) from Canada to their U.S. club(s). What’s the advantage of that?
“You only need to post your score once and that score automatically gets posted into the other record. This is not only important now for our many members who travel and golf outside the country, but will be more so when the World Handicap System is implemented.”
We Are The World
In 2020, the new unified World Handicap System will be implemented to make handicaps truly consistent and equitable around the globe. The new system will feature more flexibility and reflect the changes in how the game is played worldwide.
For example, both competitive and recreational rounds will count for handicap purposes, the number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap will be reduced and, perhaps most importantly, the result will be a consistent handicap that is portable from courses to course and country to country.
There is even a calculation that considers the impact that abnormal course and weather conditions affected your score.
Click here for more on handicapping.
What golf clubs should know about hosting championships
“Where Champions Are Crowned”
Although it’s the marketing tagline for Duncan Meadows Golf Course on Vancouver Island, site of the recent men’s Canadian Amateur Championship, it could be adopted by any of the scores of courses across Canada that play host each year to provincial and national championships.
Ming Hui, owner of Duncan Meadows, says the course hosted its first event, the B.C. Mid-Amateur Championship, in 1999. Since then, the course and its members have welcomed a veritable spectrum of tournaments: provincial junior and amateur championships, Future Links events, the Canadian University/College Championship, the Canadian Women’s Tour, and even an American Junior Golf Association tournament where, says Hui, a young Paula Creamer set the women’s competitive course record before heading off to LPGA Tour stardom.
“The overall experience is fabulous,” Hui says. “Although the members have to give up their course for a few days, it’s a positive experience for everyone. It’s good for our course because it gives us exposure and visibility and it’s good for the game overall.”
At any given time, Golf Canada is in contact with hundreds of courses in order to secure sites over the next three to five years for the 30 or so tournaments they conduct each year, says Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s director of rules, competitions and amateur status.
“Lots of advance notice and excellent communication is key,” he says. “Once a course hosts an event, they realize it is a positive and lasting experience for all concerned. Some courses want to showcase major changes, celebrate a significant anniversary or get more recognition. Others may target a specific championship because they have strong players in that category and it never hurts to have local knowledge.”
Phil Berube, executive director and CEO of Alberta Golf, agrees. “We are very fortunate in that many clubs in Alberta see this as an opportunity to showcase their facility and demonstrate good will for the golf community.” He says the key is a “partnership” between the golf association, the members and staff of the host club, and the players themselves.
Finding the appropriate number and type of facility is a formidable task for Golf Canada and the provincial associations. Although smaller provinces conduct a relative handful of competitions, Ontario runs more than 50 qualifying events and two dozen championships.
“It’s a very compact season and it’s difficult to schedule them all in during Ontario’s short summer,” says Rob Watson, Golf Ontario’s coordinator of next generation and competitions.
Some provincial associations offer nominal remuneration to host clubs and that has made the experience more palatable for some courses, but there’s much more to the equation. While British Columbia, for example, does so, the association “works with host clubs to help them understand the local economic impact of hosting an event as well as revenue opportunities for food and beverage as well as local sponsorship,” according to Kris Jonasson, CEO of British Columbia Golf.
Golf Canada, says Helmer, is working toward a new hosting model that would leave behind a “lasting legacy” commemorating their contribution to the game. That legacy could include donating Golf In Schools kits to local schools or some other support for growing the game locally.
One of the most memorable events during my 30 years at my club was when I volunteered last year for a Future Links tournament that had a Special Olympics component. We have hosted a men’s Ontario Amateur and some other events over the years and, with our centennial coming in 2019, our club is pursuing another significant championship. An unspoken motivation could be that we’ve got a very good golf course that we’re sick of being referred to as a “hidden gem.”
No matter what your motivation, reach out to your provincial association or Golf Canada to see what’s involved in hosting an event.
If for nothing else, do it for golf.
Jim Clark: A champion of volunteers
It was a tweet that echoed ‘round the world.
Well, the Canadian golf world, at least.
“Leaving @RBCCanadianOpen after 34 tournaments and 11 as Tournament Chair. Melancholy moment thinking about all the memories of Glen Abbey. To @TheGolfCanada, thanks for all the wonderful experiences and friendships made.”
The author was Jim Clark (@cognashene for those of you on Twitter) and the accompanying photo showed him beside the RBC Canadian Open trophy as the sun set on this year’s championship on July 29.
Leaving @RBCCanadianOpen after 34 tournaments and 11 as Tournament Chair. Melancholy moment thinking about all the memories of Glen Abbey. To @TheGolfCanada Thanks for all of the wonderful experiences and friendships made. pic.twitter.com/qHpCxBcykY
— Jim Clark (@cognashene) July 30, 2018
Clark, 61, has been involved as a volunteer in our national men’s Open since 1984 when he joined the Caddies and Juniors Committee. The eventual progression took him through that and other committees until he was chosen to be the Tournament Chair at the 2002 championship at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.
In 1984, Bill Paul was Golf Canada’s assistant tournament director, working under the legendary Richard “Dick” Grimm. Paul, now the organization’s director of professional tournaments, says Clark had a rare combination of qualities that made him the ideal volunteer.
“Jim was always interested in all areas of the tournament and was always trying to find ways to do things better. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He has a great personality, friendly and approachable. He listens to others and if he has an opinion, he explains it in a reasoned way.
“He’s the same when he was talking to the CEO of RBC as he was when he was talking to the volunteer marshal at the seventh hole at Glen Abbey.
“He was like the champion of the volunteers.”
It’s that last statement that will resonate most with Clark, without a doubt, because it echoes one of the many legacies of the late Dick Grimm, often referred to as “Mr. Canadian Open.”
Clark recalls the first time he saw Grimm. “I saw this large man lumbering through the parking lot and I asked, ‘Who’s that?’ ‘That’s Mr. Grimm,’ I was told. ‘He runs the place.’ He looked pretty intimidating, larger than life.”
But It didn’t take long for the two to become fast friends and for Clark to put his heart and soul behind one of Grimm’s core mantras.
“Look after the volunteers,” Clark says, doing a passable impression of Grimm’s gravelly baritone. “I can hear him saying that like it was this morning.”
According to Paul, Grimm would have been proud of how Clark carried out that legacy. Increasingly, the essential role of the volunteer (there were about 1,500 at this year’s RBC Canadian Open) can be overlooked, overtaken by the attention given to the necessary infrastructure, media, corporate presence, logistical realities and more.
Special thanks to over 1,500 volunteers that help make the #RBCCO a success
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 26, 2018
“You just don’t see what we had with Jim much in pro golf anymore,” says Paul. “He made it his mission to maintain Dick’s legacy of ‘the volunteer is king.’ In many ways, Jim was the man for the people, so to speak.”
Especially when the RBC Canadian Open is held at Glen Abbey, the role of the Golf Canada tournament chair is integral to the success of the event. Countless hours are devoted to finding the right people for the right roles for the more than 20 volunteer committees required to conduct the championship.
Once the planning is taken care of, then comes tournament week with its 18-hour days. But, says Clark, he would return to his “real job” in the computer industry on the Monday following the Open feeling “energized and exhilarated. It was such a great contrast to the other 51 weeks of the year, being around the best golfers in the world and some of the finest people I’ve ever met.”
When reflecting on some of the highlights, Clark harks back to the era of Jack Nicklaus (“my all-time favourite golfer”), Lee Trevino, Nick Price and their peers. “Guys like Price would duck into the caddie trailer to get out of the public eye, grab a beer, put their feet up on the cooler and just talk. Pretty cool.”
Being inside the ropes on the 18th green at the 2000 RBC Canadian Open when Tiger hit that astounding shot on the 72nd hole was another great memory but four years later came one of the most unfortunate.
“I have to say the sadness of when Mike Weir lost in the playoff to Vijay will never go away. It was really heartbreaking.”
From the expression on his face in that July 29 photo, you can tell Clark was experiencing a bittersweet moment. And of his possible return to the volunteer ranks, as he says about the chances of the RBC Canadian Open returning to Glen Abbey, “never say never.”
With the 2019 CP Women’s Open coming up at Magna Golf Club near his Aurora, Ont., home, Clark, who remains a member of Golf Canada’s Governors Council, is “just a phone call away,” says Paul.
Never say never.
Possible Twitter alert?
Laurence Applebaum reflects on first year as CEO of Golf Canada
As Laurence Applebaum marked his first year as Golf Canada’s CEO on July 10, it would have been easy to point to a couple of recent announcements as early anniversary presents.
On July 3, it was revealed that the RBC Canadian Open would vacate its logistically problematic date the week immediately after The Open Championship in July and shift to the week prior to the U.S. Open, taking place the first week of June starting next year.
On July 9, Canadian Pacific and Golf Canada announced that CP had extended its title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, the only LPGA Tour event in Canada, for five years through 2023. The announcement was made at Magna Golf Club, the opulent and outstanding facility in Aurora, Ont., which will host the 2019 CP Women’s Open.
Just as significant was the news that the event’s charity, CP Has Heart, has raised almost $6.5 million for heart health initiatives in just four years. CP’s sponsorship also supports Golf Canada’s National Team Program (Team Canada) and the Young Pro Program which aids emerging Canadian professionals as they transition to the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour. CP is also the title sponsor of the CP Women’s Leadership Summit which will make its debut on Aug. 21 during the CP Women’s Open at Wascana Country Club in Regina.
But in an interview after the CP Women’s media conference at Magna, Applebaum was quick to deflect the credit for these notable accomplishments.
“We are extremely fortunate to have great partners like CP and RBC and so many others who support the game of golf in Canada. Without them and a supportive Board of Directors and our talented and hard-working team of staff and volunteers, I doubt very much would get accomplished at all, much less in a year.”
So giving credit where credit is due, it must be noted that the past 12 months have been, if not tumultuous, at least a “whirlwind,” according to Applebaum.
“One of the biggest highlights and I have to admit, one of the biggest surprises, was the reception I enjoyed from the golf community both within our borders and outside. I was overwhelmed by how much Canadians love their golf and also by how welcoming the global golf community, like the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the USGA and the R&A, has been to a newcomer.”
Building relationships was a keystone of Applebaum’s priority list when he came on board to lead Golf Canada. He traversed the country, listening to golfers to determine how Golf Canada could become “more relevant,” in his words.
One of the positives he noted was the reaction to Golf Canada’s new membership model. The hope is to transition all member clubs to the Gold Level by the end of next year. The Gold Level comes with a laundry list of benefits from an official handicap factor to incident protection (up to $2,500 reimbursement for damaged, lost or stolen equipment, plus other unfortunate golf-related events), discounts on merchandise and event, tickets, and more).
“I had many golfers come up to me and say ‘I’ve been a Golf Canada member for a long time but I’ve never really seen the value. But now I do.’”
Another thing Applebaum noted during his travels was that the “Canadian golf community” is anything but. It’s fragmented, to say the least.
But the good news is that when he joined Golf Canada, work was well underway on the organization’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy (by a task force headed by current Golf Canada President Leslie Dunning. Published last winter, it is a leading-edge document that, says Applebaum, “shows that we welcome all of Canada’s almost six million golfers with open arms. It’s a great outreach initiative that we are determined to live up to.”
About the same time as the Diversity and Inclusivity Policy was released, Applebaum appeared at a media conference with PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle to announce that the two national organizations have teamed up to combat and prevent abuse, bullying and harassment in golf by adopting Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace as part of a deepened commitment to the Responsible Coaching Movement.
Laurence Applebaum and PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle signing the Responsible Coaching Movement for golf in Canada
After such a hectic yet rewarding first year, Applebaum might be excused if some of the memories are a touch hazy. But that’s not the case in at least one instance.
“It had to be at last year’s CP Women’s Open at Royal Ottawa,” he recalls as his face lights up with a smile. “To see Brooke Henderson make the cut on the number and then go out on Saturday and shoot a course-record 63, well, what a great moment for Canadian golfers! It’s something I’ll never forget.”
And with that, he stands up, shakes hands, and heads into Year Two.
Celebrating 125 years of Rosedale Golf Club
Every day, tens of thousands of harried commuters inch along in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Ontario’s major artery, Highway 401. Down the Yonge Street off-ramp they inch along like lemmings, heading for downtown offices. Few realize they are just a long par-5 away from one of Canada’s oldest and grandest golf clubs, Rosedale.
Founded 125 years ago, Rosedale Golf Club evolved from the defunct nine-hole Deer Park Club. The club relocated several times before settling in its present location, cradled in a verdant tree-lined valley, in 1910. A founding club in 1895 of what then was called the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada), it played host to the 1912 and 1928 RBC Canadian Opens, the 1912 Canadian Ladies’ Championship, the 1924 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, two PGA of Canada Championships and a variety of provincial amateur tournaments.
But, as Head PGA of Canada Professional Andrew Donaldson says, Rosedale’s members are content these days with keeping their oasis in the middle of Canada’s largest city just that—a quiet enclave with a tradition of understated elegance.
“Rosedale is known, but not known, if that makes sense,” says Donaldson. “A lot of golfers have heard of it, know its reputation as a great classic layout, but just aren’t sure where it is or exactly what it is.”
Although the present layout originally was designed by Scottish-born Tom Bendelow, it was totally redone shortly after by famed American architect Donald Ross and the club is justifiably proud of that status.
Another note of historical importance is the fact that Rosedale was the home club of George S. Lyon, winner of the 1904 Olympic gold medal for golf in St. Louis. A stunning feat, no doubt, but so was his record here in the country. Picking up the game at 38, two years later, in 1898, he won the first of his incredible eight Canadian Men’s Amateur Championships
On Saturday, June 16, Rosedale Golf Club will officially celebrate its quasquicentennial—its 125th anniversary. The day will include welcoming back some of its professional alumni for a member-pro scramble, a hickory event courtesy of the Golf Historical Society of Canada, followed by a gala dinner.
Without a doubt, all will be conducted with the decorum and class that has typified stately Rosedale Golf Club throughout its admirable history and will do so into its future.
Grow junior golf and your business
If you’re looking for a poster child for Golf Canada’s “Future Links, driven by Acura” program, Stephanie Sherlock is just about the ideal candidate.
OK, so “child” isn’t appropriate any more as she will attain the ripe old age of 31 next month, but she remains my top nominee for a number of reasons.
Her first recollections of competitive golf include Future Links tournaments in her home province of Ontario and neighbouring Quebec. Those were stepping stones to a stellar junior and amateur career (she was a Team Canada member from 2006 to 2010 and twice was the country’s top-ranked female amateur) that included winning the 2007 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and a spot on Canada’s 2008 World Amateur Team. After her all-American performance at the University of Denver, she spent three years on the LPGA Tour before deciding the pro life wasn’t for her.
So Sherlock returned to her home town of Barrie, Ont., to work at the course she grew up on. Simoro Golf Links is owned by her parents, Dave and Angela.
“I wasn’t here very long before I looked around and thought, ‘Man, there aren’t very many kids here,’” she recalls. So she picked the brains of some more established club owners and pros who had thriving junior programs to discover their secret.
While a common theme was their dedication to growing the game, there was another factor: the multi-tiered Future Links programming.
The scope and depth of the Future Links concept are impressive, starting with the very young novice golfer and extending right through high-level amateur competitions. Since launching in 1996, more than one million youngsters have participated in the various Future Links programs including Learn to Play, mobile clinics, Future Links Championships, Junior Skills Challenge, Girls Club, and an awesome grassroots initiative called Golf in Schools.
Golf in Schools is offered in more than 3000 elementary and almost 350 high schools across Canada. It provides a basic introduction to golf through the school physical education curriculum and is endorsed by Physical Health and Education Canada. Almost half of the participating schools are the result of a “school adoption,” whereby an individual, golf club or corporation donates to bring the program to the school.
(For more on the comprehensive programming offered by Future Links, click here.)
Integral to the ongoing success of Future Links is a concept called Get Linked which connects schools and green-grass facilities such as golf courses and ranges. In 2017, there were more than 190 Get Linked initiatives conducted by PGA of Canada professionals across the country,
Sherlock shares her knowledge with kids in Grades 1 through 5 at five area schools via the Golf in Schools program. As a result, she says, Simoro has seen an uptick in junior and family participation.
“We’ve got to be dedicated to getting more kids into golf, not just because we care about the future of the game itself, but we have to ensure the future of our business, too. We consider it a long-term investment and it’s awesome just how much support and materials we get from Future Links.”
Her message is echoed from coast to coast.
In Corner Brook, NL, PGA of Canada professional Wayne Allen looks after three junior programs, all within an hour’s drive of his home base at Blomidon Golf and Country Club. Like Sherlock, he introduces Golf in Schools programming to five local schools every winter and has seen a tremendous impact.
“Six years ago, the nine-hole Deer Lake course didn’t have a junior program,” says Allen, who has been involved with Golf in Schools for 10 years and whose club was named the 2014 Future Links Facility of the Year. “So we started one with six kids. The next year, there were 20. That winter, we visited the schools for the first time and the following summer, we had 60 juniors in the program.”
Ten-fold growth in a couple of years. Impressive, to say the least.
The impact extends beyond increasing the participation rate among youngsters. As a result of the exploding junior programs, Blomidon introduced two new membership categories: An intermediate category for older kids and a family category.
The latter became necessary, says Allen, “because the parents would drop off their kids for golf, then go to the patio for lunch, waiting for the kids to finish. Eventually, they’d say to themselves, ‘Why am I just sitting here when I could be playing golf?’
“The growth in membership has been huge thanks to our junior programs.”
For more on Future Links, driven by Acura, contact Adam Hunter (Manager, Grow the Game) by email (ahunter@golfcanada.ca) or through Twitter.