Ashburn Golf Club has played host to several National Championships including the 1980 Canadian Men’s Amateur and two Canadian Women’s Amateur Championships in 1966 and 1985. The Club and Golf Canada are excited for the return of championship golf to Canada’s picturesque east coast.
Ashburn has also consistently played host to elite professional events. In 2014 and 2015, Ashburn marked the only Canadian stop on the Web.com Tour. The club is also the proud home of the Nova Scotia Open.
The New Course is situated beside Kinsac Lake, about 35 km north of Halifax. Designed by Geoffrey Cornish, it is guaranteed to challenge golfers of all abilities, including some of the world’s best amateur players in 2023.
The 2022 edition of Golf Canada’s successful campaign for #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards features personalized achievements and countless golf stories from across the country
OAKVILLE (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada’s #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is back, and the 2022 edition is loaded with more achievements, more milestones and more fun for every member who logged their scores this year.
Building on the success of the 2021 campaign and the hugely popular Spotify Wrapped, Golf Canada has enhanced this year’s #MyGolfYear experience with a snapshot from golf scores posted during the season. In addition to total rounds, best round, total holes played, total distance played, users will now have more personalized insights in the form of Achievements.
“Last year we saw how much Golf Canada members loved sharing their #MyGolfYear stats on social media,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Marketing Officer, Lisa Ferkul. “So, this year we really wanted to step up our game and give members even more personal achievements to be proud of when posting to social media channels.”
The full list of achievements for 2022 include:
Top Golfer: You’re in rarefied air; your handicap ranks you as one of the top X% golfers in Canada.
Every Day I’m Golfing: You played golf every day of the week this year; something you and 106,943 other Canadians did in 2022.
Golfer for All Seasons: You played at least one round in each of April, May, June, July, August, September and October.
Have Clubs, Will Travel: You and XX,XXX other Canadians ventured out and played golf in Y different cities in Canada in 2022.
#MyGolfDay: You play golf on Sundays and only on Sundays. That’s your day. No ifs, ands or buts.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: You managed to play at least a round of golf five weeks in a row this year.
Peak Summer: Canada’s warmest day in 2022 was July 28th; on that day, you and another 56,894 Canadians played golf.
Hole in One: The highest of achievements; you and just 3,089 other Canadians got a hole-in-one in 2022.
From Sea to Sea: You really get around; you and just X,XXX others played golf in Y different provinces of Canada this year.
I Am Canadian: You and 109,718 others celebrated Canada Day weekend in the best possible way: Getting in a round of golf.
Giving Thanks: An ideal Thanksgiving may or may involve turkey, but for you and 32,704 other Canadians, it definitely involved a round of golf.
Golf Supporter: You’ve been a supporter of Golf Canada and golf in Canada for more than five years—thank you!
Golf Protector: You’ve supported Golf Canada for over 10 years and helped us grow the game—thank you!
Breaking Not Bad: You scored a round under 100 / 90 / 80 / 70 this year—congrats!
New To The Club: You’re new to the Golf Canada community for 2022—welcome!
“We want Golf Canada members to see their achievements from score posting as badges of pride and measures of participation and improvement,” Ferkul said. “We also think it will be great when they receive validation of those achievements from their friends when they post their #MyGolfYear roundup on social media.”
With more than 270,000 Golf Canada members posting scores in 2022, the marketing team at the national sports organization started digging into the data that would eventually lead to #MyGolfYear months ago. Sully Syed, Golf Canada’s Senior Director of Digital Experience and Technology said that once his team started exploring the data behind the posted scores, several things caught his attention.
“Once we started getting through the score posting data, we really started learning about Golf Canada members,” Syed said. “We learned about the days of the week they play, what golf courses they play most, how far they will travel to play golf, and so much more about their golfing habits in 2022.”
The data also revealed several amazing individual member stories, like that of Jeff Forgrave—whose posted scores indicated he did a few things no one else in Canada did in 2022. Forgrave played golf in all 10 provinces, played 103 different golf courses and played in 50 different cities in 2022.
“I’m an overly avid golfer,” Forgrave admits. “I’ve previously played in all 10 provinces, but never in the same year. This year was one of extensive travels and a lot of golf.”
Golf Canada member Jeff Forgrave played golf in all 10 provinces and 103 different golf courses in 2022. New Golf Canada member Kathryn McCully logged 89 rounds of golf for the year.
While Forgrave is a longtime golfer, there were other stories from brand new Golf Canada members like Kathryn McCully of Petitcodiac Valley Golf and Country Club in New Brunswick. As a new Golf Canada member in 2022, McCully logged 89 rounds of golf for the year.
“I plan to play as much, if not more in the coming seasons,” McCully says. “My goal is to get technical with my game and do regular lessons with hopes of becoming more consistent, confident and competitive,” she says, adding, “it’s addicting to add your scorecard into the Golf Canada App and watch your handicap hopefully improve.”
With more than 270,000 Golf Canada members posting nearly 10-million scores in 2022, there is no shortage of stories from #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards. What’s your 2022 #MyGolfYear story?
To learn more about Golf Canada and the benefits of membership, visit join.golfcanada.ca
It appears modern technology is about to threaten another time-honoured golf tradition.
Yes, the days of taking wicked pleasure from hitting the screen-enshrouded ball picker at the driving range may be numbered. (This pleasure intensified exponentially if you knew the person driving said picker.)
This latest innovation is the Korechi Pik’r, an automated robot that hooks up to any existing golf ball picking unit.
Korechi Innovations Inc., based in Oshawa, Ont., for several years has been producing agricultural robots for seeding, weeding, cultivating and other routine farming tasks. In 2019, they demonstrated a unit at a golf course, thinking it would work as an autonomous mower.
Such mowers are already marketed by other, more prominent companies so the course superintendent wondered whether the robot could be harnessed to a gang-style range ball picker instead. The engineers at Korechi took that insight, rigged up a universal hitch and returned to the course.
“There were about 20 of us standing there watching this thing go back and forth across the range like a Zamboni, just scooping up every ball,” recalls Jim Clark, Korechi’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “But, we asked ourselves, is there a market for this? Or is this the solution to a problem nobody has?”
During the subsequent two (pandemic) years, there was extensive testing at the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club until, this fall, the Pik’r was revealed in what Clark calls a “soft release” on social media and LinkedIn. The reaction was stunning.
“Now I know how it feels when something goes viral,” says Clark. “Calls and emails came flooding in from clubs in Canada and the U.S. and they are still coming every day.”
Since the high-capacity Pik’r can retrieve up to 4,000 balls in an hour and run 10 hours on a single charge of its lithium batteries, Clark was somewhat flummoxed by the number of high-end clubs with relatively small memberships that expressed interest.
While high-volume ranges (15,000 balls and up daily) are the target market, Clark says it is Pik’r’s cool technology and uniqueness that intrigues these clubs. “It’s sleek, almost stealth-like. There really is a ‘wow factor’ when you see it.” (He’s right. Watching the video on the Korechi website is almost mesmerizing for a golfer.)
The Pik'r™ golf ball picking robot automates all major golf ball picking machines in the market. Learn more at: https://t.co/IOnpQwDJIC
Perhaps the element most impactful to Pik’r’s potential success is the labour crisis across every industry, including golf. In fact, the cover story on an upcoming PGA of America magazine is about staffing challenges—that’s how much it is affecting the industry.
Pik’r will be in the Innovation Spotlight section at the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida in January which is attended by about 40,000 industry professionals (pre-pandemic). The fact the robot shows up for work every day, rain or shine, may be its most attractive feature for courses and ranges plagued by staffing issues. Pik’r is available for rental only, which means a facility pays only for the months it is needed.
“Lots of courses and ranges have to close earlier than they want at the end of the season because their staff have gone back to school or whatever,” Clark says. “That won’t happen with a Pik’r.” The company also claims the unit reduces by up to 90 percent the labour and material input required.
Other advantages include the fact that it is battery-powered (no fossil fuel), lighter than most conventional pickers (less soil compaction) and can be remote-controlled through an app (no direct human supervision).
(Jim Clark, a longtime Golf Canada volunteer, is a Golf Canada Honorary Life Governor and recipient of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada’s Dick Grimm Award for significant lifetime contributions to Canadian golf.)
The short game for First Tee programming may be rooted in golf, but the long game is much more than that. The main objective of First Tee – Canada youth development programming is for participants to use the life skills learned through golf to navigate their journeys through life and opportunities thought previously inaccessible.
Golf Canada launched its partnership with First Tee in 2020, and First Tee – Canada began in 2021 under the operation of its provincial chapters, delivering programming at golf facilities, schools, and community centres.
With summer programs wrapped up, First Tee – Ontario fall programming is underway at 20 locations across the province with curriculums developed for each environment and modified to different ages and abilities.
The activities use golf as a vehicle to reinforce life skills, focused on the program’s five key commitments: pursuing goals, growing through challenge, collaborating with others, building positive self-identity, and using good judgement. First Tee – Ontario provides instructors with interactive training, equipment, and turnkey lesson plans to deliver safe and inclusive programming.
jalani morgan/ golf canada
Golf Canada’s commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusivity in golf is a driving force behind the growth of First Tee – Canada and its provincial chapters. The aim is to break down existing barriers to sport participation, particularly in traditionally marginalized communities, and ultimately diversify golf’s participant pool to more closely reflect the strength of Canada’s multiculturalism.
First Tee – Ontario Program Manager Amaya Athill is responsible for overseeing the implementation of programming across the province and having a hand in providing youth with empowering and life-changing experiences. At this year’s RBC Canadian Open, her team provided an extended experience for First Tee – Ontario community program participants from local Boys and Girls Clubs to show them what life on and off the tee box can look like.
“The messaging that children often see is that a successful career pathway in sports is to rise to the level of a professional competitor. There is so much that goes into running a professional golf tournament and event of that size, so the idea was to expose as many children as possible to a wider world of opportunities and careers within golf and the sports industry. This included behind-the-scenes tours of the agronomy, media, and volunteer services teams,” said Athill. “Access to these experiences and exposure to future opportunities in the sport is a gap we hope to bridge through First Tee.”
As both an accomplished human rights lawyer and golfer since the age of five, Athill’s professional background and personal relationship with the game intersect seamlessly with the First Tee program, as they all value accessibility and opportunity.
“This is just the beginning of First Tee – Ontario’s impact,” said Athill. “We look forward to making more connections with schools, coaches, and community centres, and providing more youth with access to golf, as well as inspiring experiences and opportunities.”
With Ontario’s chapter experiencing rapid short-term growth, Ian Gragtmans – First Tee – Ontario’s Founding Chapter Donor and Trustee – expressed excitement about recent strides and confidence that the Gragtmans Family Foundation’s decision to support this cause was the correct one.
His decision to support the launch of the program was less influenced by the game of golf, but rather by a desire to help support the long-term development journeys of First Tee program participants.
“It’s not just about the golf, it has everything to do with helping those that were underrepresented, and giving younger people a chance,” said Gragtmans. “I want to help those that probably don’t have a chance of coming out of whatever challenging time they’re going through.”
With the help of generous donors like the Gragtmans Family Foundation, Golf Canada has fast-tracked access to these spaces where youth can learn self-sustaining life skills in a program that has over 25 years of international experience.
Gragtmans shared his personal experience engaging people who were direct participants of First Tee in the U.S.
“I have been fortunate enough to spend time in the U.S. – meeting and speaking with some of the participants that have gone through the program, and it’s nothing shy of remarkable to see what the potential is for those that may not otherwise, if not for First Tee, had that opportunity, or exposure,” said Gragtmans.
The Golf Canada Foundation is continuously pursuing gifts, which allow First Tee – Ontario to expand its locations across the province and further impact the lives of Canadian youth. To get involved, please visit www.firstteeontario.ca.
Golf Canada and Osprey Valley have announced a major partnership and bold vision to build a new Home for Canadian Golf – a momentous project that will see the National Sport Federation relocate its corporate base of operations to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont.
In addition to Golf Canada’s national headquarters and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, the vision for the Canadian golf campus on the grounds of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley will feature the national headquarters for First Tee – Canada which will include a publicly accessible community putting green and an indoor training centre.
Golf Ontario and the Club Management Association of Canada (CMAC) have committed to relocate their corporate headquarters to Caledon, Ont., partnering with Golf Canada to embrace the golf community and develop a dynamic home campus for Canadian golf. The PGA of Canada has also committed to a strategic partnership with Golf Canada to assist in executing grassroots component along with coaching and training activities.
Golf Canada has undertaken significant due diligence to explore a long-term solution and forward-looking vision for the relocation of our corporate headquarters as well as the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
The Home for Canadian Golf will be a transformative moment to set a new corporate direction for the organization in support of our mission to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf. The project will also inspire a culture of excellence, innovation and collaboration among staff and industry partners.
The invitation for Canadian golf industry partners as well as government stakeholders, and long-time global affiliates at the R&A, PGA TOUR, and LPGA Tour to plug into the Home for Canadian Golf, will be signature moment in the advancement of the sport of golf in Canada.
New Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum has accumulated one of the greatest archives of golf memorabilia in the world, but only approximately 20% of the collection can be displayed because of space constraints within the current building.
Upon moving to the Home for Canadian Golf, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum collection will be displayed in exhibits located in buildings located throughout the entire TPC Toronto property – such as the national headquarters, clubhouse, conference centre, pro shop, and National Golf Performance Centre.
Accommodations will contain historical profiles and memorabilia from Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members. This distributed exhibition strategy will enable the full collection to be displayed.
A working “researcher’s library” is also proposed in the headquarters building to serve as unique event space while also hosting the full library of publications from the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum’s collection.
An enhanced trophy display will feature historical trophies and trophies from current Golf Canada national championships, along with notable golf artifacts from Canadian golf history that will engage the public.
Community Putting Green
A 30,000 square foot 18-hole putting course designed by Doug Carrick in the tradition of St. Andrews’ Himalayas, constructed on land being donated to Golf Canada.
This first-of-its-kind facility in Canada will be used extensively by First Tee – Canada participants, regional and provincial level golfers as well as the public and golfing community at large.
PHASE 2
(Expected completion TBD)
First Tee – Canada National Headquarters
A new First Tee Canada wing will be constructed on the Canadian golf campus to develop and enhance First Tee – Canada coach training and program delivery across Canada.
An indoor short game complex will double as a national talent identification centre for the next generation of Canadian players, bolstering Golf Canada’s goal to advance 30 Canadians to the LPGA and PGA Tours by 2032.
The Home for Canadian Golf project aligns with a multi-million-dollar Drive Campaign launched by the Golf Canada Foundation to fund First Tee – Canada headquarters, chapters, and programming along with enhancements to Team Canada’s high-performance program. To date, $39.3M of the $70M fundraising goal has been secured through major gift donations.
If you are interested in learning more about supporting the Drive Campaign, please contact Martin Barnard, Chief Executive Officer for the Golf Canada Foundation.
“Our vision to be a world leader in golf contemplates more than just a physical building – culture, collaboration and innovation are critical elements.
Establishing a new headquarters and a Canadian golf campus with our partners to meet, play, train, celebrate and collaborate, represents a transformative moment to advance the sport. The vision that the Humeniuk family and the leadership group at Osprey Valley have invited us to be a part of with this world-class property is progressive and incredibly exciting.”
LAURENCE APPLEBAUM (CEO, GOLF CANADA)
TPC TORONTO AT OSPREY VALLEY EMBARKS ON NEW JOURNEY
TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is a renowned 54-hole golf facility in Peel Region, located in the heart of Caledon, Ont.
The property is currently undergoing a significant privately funded expansion and commercial development that includes the construction of new clubhouse and conference amenities, improvements to the practice facility and guest experience, accommodations, hosting facilities onsite.
VISION: CHANGE THE FACE OF GOLF TO REFLECT THE MULTICULTURAL STRENGTH OF THE CANADIAN POPULATION
As the National Sport Federation and governing body, Golf Canada is committed to creating a safe, diverse, and welcoming environment within our organization and across our sport.
We recognize that even as Canada’s most participated sport, we know that our sport is not free from prejudice, stigma, racism, or systemic bias. Golf Canada stands in solidarity with racialized persons and equity deserving groups and is working to better understand the challenges of racialized communities as well as the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and golfers with a disability.
Golf Canada identified six strategic priorities that will guide the organization’s efforts to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment. Intentional actions and initiatives such as education and training for staff and volunteers; integration of diversity elements across all programs, events and partnerships; and a commitment to be a leading voice in global golf that supports diversity and inclusion in the communities where we live, work and play.
Golf Canada acknowledges and respects the Indigenous Peoples of Canada that for hundreds of generations have been the keepers of the territories where we all live and work.
GOLF CANADA IS FULLY COMMITTED TO FOSTERING A SAFE SPORT ENVIRONMENT FOR GOLF.
INTRODUCTION
Golf Canada has a fundamental obligation and responsibility to protect the health, safety, and physical and mental well-being of athletes, staff, volunteers and other participants involved in its activities. As the National Sport Organization for golf, Golf Canada plays a leadership role in promoting this safe sport environment across the golf landscape in Canada.
Golf Canada takes any situation involving misconduct or maltreatment very seriously. For this reason, Golf Canada is committed to enacting and enforcing strong, clear, and effective policies and processes for preventing and addressing all forms of misconduct or maltreatment.
These Safe Sport policies collectively promote a Safe Sport environment by communicating expected standards of behaviour. These policies also enable consistent, immediate, appropriate and meaningful action should any issues arise.
Should any individuals involved with Golf Canada – including, but not limited to athletes, coaches, officials, employees, volunteers, and parents/guardians of athletes – wish to report any instance of misconduct or maltreatment, they may do so directly to Golf Canada’s Independent Third Party as identified in this set of Policies or, if the matter involves a potential violation of the UCCMS by a UCCMS Participant, to the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner. If necessary, the Independent Third Party will then refer to this document to determine the appropriate forum and manner to address the report.
Together with the PGA of Canada as proud signatories of the Responsible Coaching Movement pledge, Golf Canada supports the need for training and education platforms as well as enhanced policies and compliance procedures.
Golf Canada is also proud to implement Respect Group training across our organization including mandatory Respect in the Workplace for all staff and corporate volunteers; Respect in Sport for all coaches and support staff and Respect in Sport for Parents for parents of National Team athletes. These exceptional modules provide the base training and education for our broader organization.
In addition, an Ethics Commissioner has been appointed with a mechanism for internal and external access and we have safe sport policies in place.
Golf Canada is fully aligned with the important work of Sport Canada in this critical issue and encourage all those connected with our sport – athletes, club representatives – to maintain an open dialogue to ensure a safe and supportive environment, without exception, across the Canadian golf landscape.
As the governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada holds the exclusive right to govern, publish and distribute the Rules of Golf in Canada.
The Rules are typically updated every four years through the work of the R&A and the United States Golf Association. A joint committee of these associations, on which the Chair of Golf Canada’s Rules and Amateur Status Committee sits, is charged with revising, modernizing and improving the Rules of Golf. These two documents form the complete Rules of Golf that are used universally throughout the world of golf.
For clubs or committees in charge of competitions, the Conditions of Competition and Standard Local Rules that Golf Canada implements at all championships is posted for your reference. In addition, a list of local rules that should be considered is available on this website.
RULES OF GOLF PUBLICATIONS
The Official Guide to the Rules of Golf
This “guidebook” contains information to best support committees and officials. It includes the Rules of Golf, its clarifications and Committee procedures (available local rules and information on establishing the terms of the competition. It is a “long-form” resource document intended as a supplementary publication and for golf administrators, Referees, officials, and Rules enthusiasts.
The full edition of the Rules will be written in the third person and will include illustrations. The Rules of Golf is intended to be the primary publication for officials and is expected Golf Club Committees and Referees will use the publication as their primary Rules of Golf resource.
The Committee Toolkit has been designed to help those responsible for preparing the golf course for general play and for those running and administering competitions at all levels. The “Toolkit” aims to help Committees familiarize the Committee Procedures section of the Official Guide, and to better understand the changes that they need to make to reflect the new Rules. The toolkit also includes a ‘Local Rules Creator’. The purpose of this is to helps Clubs and Committees with the process of updating Local Rules.. Of course, the amount of space available on scorecards is limited and with that in mind, short form Local Rules are also available.
Golf Canada tees up new all-in-one Golf App with innovative enhancements
Brent Long
The new Golf Canada app sets the stage for a greatly enhanced digital experience
Canada’s largest golf community is about to become more connected with the launch of the new Golf Canada app.
The user-friendly app launched August 5 is now available to all golfers nationwide to record and track their scores, trace where they have played and provide detailed game statistics as a game improvement tool. The app is free to download and can be used by golfers at any level of skill.
“The app is designed to connect individual golfers and their friends with the more than the 1,400-member golf courses we have in Canada,” says Vanessa Morbi, Senior Director of Marketing at Golf Canada. “Among the many exciting features, golfers will be able to follow their favourite golf courses to stay connected and up to date. The app will also provide additional value to our member clubs as a platform to engage with golfers.”
All golfers will be able to enter their scores on the app as they play hole-by-hole or at the end of a round. They can track a variety of stats including driving accuracy, greens in regulation, putting strokes, sand saves and up & downs. Golfers will also be able to add friends, follow their favourite courses and track their scores throughout the round. As the app rolls out this summer, additional features will be added to enhance the user experience for Golf Canada members.
“We are proud to launch the new Golf Canada app with an enhanced user experience that anyone who plays golf in Canada can enjoy,” says Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Senior Director of Golf Services. “It has been developed with a fresh look and feel to allow app users to better understand their individual game and connect with other golfers and their favourite clubs across the country.”
With heath and safety being top of mind during COVID-19, the digital scorecard on your Smartphone replaces the need for a traditional scorecard and pencil. It may be a way of the future as many clubs across Canada have limited printed scorecard usage this year to reduce physical touchpoints at golf courses during the pandemic.
While enhancing the current benefits of being a Golf Canada member is a key component of the app, it has also been designed with the non-member, public player in mind to increase their engagement with the sport.
Golf Canada members will be able to enjoy a unique package of additional features that will be part of a three-stage rollout throughout the summer including, golf games like Wolf or Skins, as well as real-time Course GPS and Shot Tracer technology.
“What I think sets the new Golf Canada app apart from anything else in the marketplace is our ability to combine scoring, stats, Course GPS, Shot Tracer, and golf games, in one app. You won’t find that anywhere else in the world, so it truly is leading edge digital technology,” added Morbi.
Canada’s go-to golf app has been in development since the fall of 2019. It is a key component of Golf Canada’s digital marketing strategy designed to draw more people to the sport, improve the in-game experience and increase membership. It has also been developed in consultation with the provincial golf associations across Canada to ensure a grassroots connection.
The Golf Canada app has been designed in partnership with Mirego, a Quebec City-based company that is an expert in the app development space. It replaces the original Golf Canada app, a member-only app that featured handicapping and scoring as its primary function. Member profiles and previous scoring is being transferred to the new app, so there will be no loss of information for long-time members.
“Apps are commonplace today—all of us have our favourite apps and the majority of golfers bring a Smartphone to the golf course,” Morbi says. “We’re hoping golfers will fall in love with all of the great features of the new app and have a lot of fun with it. It will give us an opportunity to connect with more golfers and create a deeper connection to the sport they love.”
The app is available for download for both IOS and Android operating systems from both the App Store and Google Play at no cost.
An annual Golf Canada membership sells for $49.95. The benefits of being a Golf Canada member include handicapping, incident protection, personalized equipment labels, discounts on tickets for the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open savings from partners like Avis, Hilton and RBC, and some of the soon to be released features on the new app.
Golf Canada member features
Golf Canada members will enjoy a suite of additional features in the app as part of a three-stage rollout throughout the summer including golf games like Wolf or Skins, real-time course GPS and Shot Tracer technology.
Brooke Henderson | Smith Falls, ON (2013 Champion)
Jennifer Kupcho | Littleton, Colorado (2017 Champion)
Yealimi Noh | San Francisco, California (2018 Champion)
