(Courtesy of Drumheller Online, Written by Brendan Toft)

Clubs For Kids Takes Off

The Clubs For Kids Program made its first delivery of Golf Clubs on Wednesday.

The program is dedicated to collecting golf clubs for Valley and area schools for physical education programs. Over 200 Golf clubs were donated to Drumheller Valley Secondary School, St. Anthony’s and Green Tree School.

Founder of the program, Tom Zariski says, “Golf is such a great sport, it gets kids out, off the computer, off of the video games and into the outdoors. It teaches perseverance, honesty and integrity.”

Many donations came from Alberta Golf, Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club, Rotary Club of Drumheller, Salvation Army, Pioneer Trail Center and many private donations.

Principal of DVSS, Curtis Lapierre, says, “Drumheller is a fantastic community when it comes to contributing to kids and schools, and this is another fine example of what our community does.”

Major sponsorship for the program came from The Royal Tyrrell Museum Cooperating Society- Drumheller Fund and the Newcastle Recreation Association. For more information or to donate towards the program contact Tom Zariski at 403-823-4399.

Erin comes to Alberta Golf as a recent MSc graduate in International Sport Management from Northumbria University in Newcastle UK. She received her Bachelor of Physical Education Degree from the University of Alberta. Erin has a strong passion for physical activity and sport as evidenced by her choice in education, playing basketball at the university level and maintaining an active lifestyle as an experienced downhill skier. She plays golf at the Canmore Golf and Country Club.

Tyler also has a strong passion for both sport and golf. He is currently in his final year at Mount Royal University in the Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship Degree, majoring in Sport and Recreation. Tyler has both volunteered and worked in the golf industry in various capacities. In addition to volunteering for the 2012 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, he recently worked as a Stage Manager for the Calgary Roughnecks and as a Sport Service Intern with the Canadian Sport Centre – Calgary.

You can reach both Erin and Tyler at the Alberta Golf office or by email at:

erin@albertagolf.org
tyler@albertagolf.org

Please join me in welcoming Erin and Tyler to the Alberta Golf staff team!

From: Jack Lane, Championships Manager

Affectionately nicknamed the “Grandmother of Calgary Golf” by local media, Lola Rozsa dedicated herself to the promotion of the game serving on the Calgary, Alberta and Canadian ladies golf associations. From the beginning in 1960 she always worked closely with players, especially juniors, taking them to tournaments and acting as a chaperone.  Lola served as president of the Calgary Ladies Golf Association from 1970-1971 and the Alberta Ladies Golf Association from 1984-1985 before serving with the Canadian Ladies Golf Association as National Teams Director in 1986. She was also a nationally accredited Rules of Golf official and in 1983 ruled at the Commonwealth Team Matches and in 1984 at both the Canadian Junior Girls and Canadian Amateur Ladies championships.

The Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club is hosting the 2012 Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship – July 17-20, 2012. Registration is now open for the Alberta Amateur Qualifying Sites and the Championship for exempt players.

Through the partnership with the host club we are excited to announce that Alberta Golf will award one of the Alberta Amateur discretionary exemptions to the 57th Annual Victoria Day Classic Golf Tournament Champion.

Note that if the winner of this year’s Victoria Day Classic Golf Tournament already has an exemption into this year’s Men’s Amateur, we will look to the second and then third place finishers.  If the top three finishers in the Victoria Day Classic Golf Tournament are already exempt to this year’s Men’s Amateur then no exemption will be awarded.

Please click here for more information and the registration form for the 57th Annual Victoria Day Classic Golf Tournament. Early bird entry fee is offered if paid by May 1^st, 2012.

Good luck!

Alberta Golf Player Support Committee

We would like to bring you up to speed on a few exciting changes for 2012!

We have revised our processes for verifying membership and Handicap Factor at registration, awarding Discretionary Exemptions, as well as Athlete Assistance Funding. We also wanted to update you on Inter-Provincial Teams, Pacific Coast Amateur Team selection for 2012 and 2013, the change to Alberta Open date, as well as highlight a number of 2012 National Championships in Alberta.

Please take a moment to review the following items:

1. Membership and Handicap Factor Verification – Notice for all 2012 Championships

All participants are REQUIRED to bring their 2012 Alberta Golf/Golf Canada Membership Card to registration at every Qualifier and Provincial Championship. Make sure to pick up and activate your Membership Card from your club when the season starts.

If you do not present your Membership Card at registration, you will be permitted to compete in the Qualifying Round or Championship but must present the card, or proof of membership, to the Tournament Committee immediately following the Round in order to either qualify for the Championship, or commence play in the second round of the Championship.

For Qualifying Rounds and Championships that include Net competitions

The QR Code on the back of your Membership Card will be scanned and your up-to-date Handicap Factor will appear on the screen. You MUST activate the card so that the QR Code is linked to your Handicap Factor. This enables the ‘SCAN-dicap’ feature for verification purposes. If your card cannot be scanned for whatever reason, the Alberta Golf staff member or volunteer at registration will confirm the Handicap Factor from the Golf Canada Network.

Note: For participants who are members at a club that is not on the Golf Canada Network, a verification form must accompany your Membership Card. It is available in PDF Format here: http://www.albertagolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/HandicapForm.pdf. Simply download and print the form and fill in all the required information. If you present your Membership Card but do not have your verification form, you will be permitted to compete in the Qualifying Round or Championship but must present the form, or proof of Handicap Factor, to the Tournament Committee immediately following the Round in order to be eligible for net prizes.

2. Discretionary Exemptions and 2012 Exempt List

Discretionary Exemptions can now be garnered through our application process on our website in the Championships Section: http://www.albertagolf.org/competition/exemptions/. Deadline is April 30, 2012.

The Exemption Criteria and Exempt List for 2012 Championships can also be viewed by following the link above. Please keep in mind that if you are on the exempt list you must still register for the Championship before the entry deadline.

3. Alberta Golf Athlete Assistance Fund

Our direction moving forward is to provide financial assistance to support any athletes (Junior, Adult and Senior) who demonstrate financial need and plan on attending their respective National Competitions. This application form can be found on our website in the Championships Section: http://www.albertagolf.org/competition/athlete-assistance/. Please note that Men’s events have a quota system for qualifying for National Competitions and Women can simply register for the National Competitions if they meet the eligibility requirements. Deadline is April 30, 2012.

4. Inter-Provincial Teams

In 2012, all Inter-Provincial Teams will be comprised of 3 players per Province with 2 of 3 scores counting for the first two days of competition. Alberta Teams will be supported with 2 shirts, 1 hat and a loaner golf bag. The Team Awards Ceremony was traditionally held following the second round, however to add to the celebration, the team awards will now take place in conjunction with the individual awards following the final round of competition.

5. Pacific Coast Amateur Men’s Team

Due to the scheduling change of the Alberta Open (qualifying rounds on August 27^th and 28^th and Championship September 11-13^th) and the cancellation of the Glencoe Invitational in 2012 (renovations of the Glencoe Forest Course) we have made some minor selection changes to the PCA Team.

Team Members to be selected as follows for 2012:

1. Top amateur from the 2011 Provincial Amateur Championship
2. Top two amateurs from the 2011 Alberta Golf Men’s Order of Merit

Team Members to be selected as follows for 2013:

1. Top amateur from the previous year’s Provincial Amateur Championship
2. Top amateur from the previous year`s Alberta Open Championship
3. Top Albertan from the current year`s Glencoe Invitational

The Order of Merit is to be fully refined by the end of 2013 and may be considered for future team selection. It will continue to be used in extraordinary circumstances such as the PCA Team in 2012.

6. 2012 National Championships taking place in Alberta

Just a reminder to all female athletes that Alberta will play host to the Golf Canada Junior Girls Championship at the River Spirit GC (Calgary) and the Golf Canada Ladies Amateur at the Lethbridge GCC. We look forward to seeing you there and hope that you take advantage of early season events such as the CJGA at River Spirit May 5-6 and/or the Lethbridge GCC Ladies Open June 9-10 to gain an early edge on the national competition later in the summer. To register for these national events please visit http://www.albertagolf.org/competition/national-championships/.

For further information on your Championship, please view the tournament information specific to your event at www.albertagolf.org.

Sincerely,

Alberta Golf Championship and Player Support Committees

The Calgary Golf Association is pleased to announce that following their Annual General Meeting on March 5^th, a select number of tournaments will be open to players of clubs who are not affiliated with the CGA. The following events will be open to all golfers who have a recognized Golf Canada Handicap Factor with an Alberta Golf member club:

• Domaine Fine Furnishings Junior Match Play – May 25 – 27 at Country Hills
• Calgary Junior Championship presented by Richard A. Gusella – August 22 – 23 at Pinebrook
• Richmond Equity Best Ball (Main and Senior Events) – June 9 – 10 at Woodside Golf Club
• FirstEnergy City Amateur – July 12 – 14 at Carstairs and Calgary Golf & C. C.
• Prudential Toole Peet Real Estate Seniors Championship – July 23 at Heritage Pointe
• The Yardhouse City Medalist – September 8 – 9 at Course TBA

In partnership with Alberta Golf, the following exemptions will be awarded to 2012 CGA Champions:

• The 2012 City Junior Champion (or highest finishing age eligible player) will receive an exemption to the 2013 Frank Lindsay Alberta Junior Boys Championship.
• The 2012 FirstEnergy Capital City Amateur Champion will receive an exemption into the 2013 Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship.
• The 2012 Prudential Toole Peet Real Estate Senior Champion will receive an exemption into the 2013 Fidelity Investments Alberta Senior Championship.

Registration for all Calgary Golf Association tournaments is available through Blue Golf on their web site at www.calgarygolfassociation.org. Registration is now open for all Alberta Golf Championships. Click on the Tournament Registration button to the right.

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Tournament Coordinator (2 Positions Available)

The Alberta Golf Association is currently seeking applications for the position of Tournament Coordinator for the 2012 Golf Season. Two qualified applicants will be selected to deliver our vast array of Championships and related events that meet the desires of our recreational to competitive players. These are full time positions and the period of employment is approximately late April to early September, 2012.

Reporting to the Championships Manager, the two successful candidates will be working as a three person professional team within the Alberta Golf staff, in coordination with key volunteers to deliver a best-in-class professional experience for all stakeholders. The TC’s will be highly motivated team players who are driven by the overall success of the organization.

DUTIES:

• Complete pre-event administration such as the development of event packages, assisting players entering events, communicating with host clubs and participants, acquiring host hotels, preparing required equipment and logistical planning etc.
• Perform on-site event administration duties such as equipment set-up, starting, scoring, preparing media releases and social media updates
• Administrate competitions using Blue Golf Tournament Management software
• Assist in the recruitment, training and management of Alberta Golf and club volunteers
• Other tasks as directed by the Championships Manager

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)
• Knowledge and proficiency of Microsoft Office Suite as well as the ability to operate standard office equipment (phone, fax, photocopier, printer, etc.)
• Maintain a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail while working in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with the sport of golf and Rules of Golf, a passion for event planning/administration and a working knowledge of tournament set up and facilitation is desired

PHYSICAL and OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Lifting and carrying equipment up to 40 pounds
• Occasional periods of time working outdoors in extreme weather conditions
• Applicants must be willing to work extended hours and some weekends during the tournament season
• A valid Alberta Driver’s License

COMPENSATION and BENEFITS:

• An hourly wage of $13 per hour
• AG apparel
• A wide range of experiences and networking opportunities
• The opportunity to apply for AG scholarships if you meet outlined criteria
  

Please forward your detailed resume along with two letters of reference no later than March 26, 2012 to:

Jack Lane, Championships Manager
Alberta Golf
#22, 11410 27 Street SE
Calgary, AB T2Z 3R6

Email: jack@albertagolf.org
Fax: 403-236-2915

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Image and information from the Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune.