Alberta Golf (Ma-Me-O Beach) – The Black Bull Golf Resort in Ma-Me-O Beach, south of Edmonton, has been operated by one family for 3 generations and is currently the only fully female owned and run golf course in Alberta. The course is currently owned by Judy Wylie and her daughter Patricia O’Connor.

Judy, Patricia and Cathy

The course opened in 1971 with Patricia’s grandfather and uncle as the co-owners. Judy became the sole owner in 1998 with Patricia coming on board as co-owner in 2009.

“I think that’s something to hang your hat on for sure,” O’Connor admitted. “To be a solely female owned and operated course with the largest leagues in the area that other courses have emulated is a great feeling.”

The Black Bull is a busy place with men’s and ladies leagues with 100 players each and 4 generations of the family have been involved. Patricia has 2 daughters who work at the course and her sister Cathy has 4 daughters.

“She’s a teacher by trade and teaches in the area during the school year and she works at the club in the summer and we’d be lost without her,” O’Connor admitted. “My Sister Cathy has 4 daughters, 2 are quite little but the other 2 daughters have worked at the club as well. And my uncle’s son and daughter have also worked here. It truly is a family affair.”

O’Connor takes great pride in the country atmosphere they’ve created.

“The coffee pot is always on, we typically know people’s names and they’re always greeted with a welcoming smile and how you feel is more important than how you look.”

WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH CO-OWNER PATRICIA O’CONNOR

O’Connor and her extended family all live within seconds of the course.

“All anyone needs to do to discover why we are in love with Black Bull is either be out first thing in the morning which I personally never am, I’m not a morning person,” O’Connor admitted. “I like to come late at night when you have the place all to yourself, there is something so peaceful and so beautiful and you have it to yourself.”

The rest of time the place is very busy and very affordable.

There’s a senior special every Tuesday and Thursday for aged 50 and over which gets you 18 holes with a cart for $45. And the most expensive time on weekends with a cart is still only $90.

There are 7 new tee box options now after the course went through the re-rating process with Alberta Golf and helped introduce some combo tees.

‘For the people who were traditionally intimidated by Black Bull and it’s difficulty and tightness there are now 7 different yardage combinations,” O’Connor said. “That’s made it a little easier and more female friendly as well. “

Quite a few members are from Edmonton and Calgary, some from Red Deer. It’s known as a tournament course that hosts a lot of scrambles but mostly it’s known for being one of the toughest tracks in Alberta.

“The Black Bull can give you a real butt kicking,” O’Connor said. “Anyone who thinks they’re tough enough to tame the bull and wants a true challenge should come here.”

The top juniors in the province have their eyes on the prize this week, as we close in on the Alberta U19 Championship set at Water Valley Golf Club from July 8-10.

The U19 Championship is a full 140 players all competing for either the U19 Boys’ or U19 Girls’ Championship. The list of winners is long with plenty of names going on to win either the Men’s Amateur or Women’s Amateur, and even turning pro. This year with neither of the defending champions returning, two new juniors will be crowned as champions. In addition, there are national championship implications with quota spots available on both the Boys’ and Girls’ sides. There are also two interprovincial teams up for grabs, either for the Canadian Junior Boys or Canadian Junior Girls.

Some top players to watch are the champions from the 2024 U17, U15, & U13 Championship. On the girls side, Saylar May looks to continue her winning ways already claiming the 2023 U15 and 2025 U17 Championships. Sela Ogada looks to make a big step after winning the 2024 U15 Championship. On the Boys’ side, Patrick McLarty hopes to win this event after claiming the 2024 U17 Championship and Bennett Love is eyeing down his next junior prize after winning the 2024 U15 Championship.

Click below to hear from last year’s champions and read more about our 2025 host club, Water Valley Golf Club. Additionally, follow the bottom button to see the tee times for Rounds 1 & 2.

U19 Yearbook Preview

ROUNDS 1 & 2 Pairings

Alberta Golf (Leduc) – The 112th Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship was proudly hosted by the Leduc Golf and Country Club. Final round action on Friday saw Carys Code from The Glencoe Golf and Country Club post a 3-over par round of 74 with 4 bogeys and a birdie on a breezy day to fend off Sydney Bisgrove by a single stroke to claim the title.

Carys Code – 2025 Alberta Women’s Amateur Champion

WATCH INTERVIEW WITH CARYS CODE

Kassie Bourassa won both the Alberta Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the Alberta Women’s Mid-Master Championship.

Kassie Bourassa – 2025 Alberta Women’s Mid-Amateur & Mid-Master Champion

2 Alberta teams were named after the championship. The Women’s Amateur Interprovincial Team consists of Sydney Bisgrove, Jayla Kucy & Sarah Armstrong while the Women’s Mid-Amateur Interprovincial Team consists of Kassie Bourassa, Heather Lee and Jenn Orcheski.

Jayla Kucy, Sydney Bisgrove & Sarah Armstrong (Not in photo)

Jenn Orcheski, Kassie Bourassa and Heather Lee

A big thank you to the Leduc Golf and Country Club General Manager Rick Brown and Head Professional Jeremy Beirnes for being amazing hosts this week. The volunteers, food and beverage, and course conditions were all outstanding.

Jeremy Beirnes – Leduc Golf and Country Club Head Professional

WATCH INTERVIEW WITH JEREMY BEIRNES

The Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship starts tomorrow at Leduc Golf Club and the 112th playing of this event promises to be a treat!

At the Alberta Women’s Amateur there’s more than just one trophy up for grabs, there’s three! The Alberta Women’s Mid-Amateur and Women’s Mid-Master are also up for grabs, with competitors of the right age having a chance of walking away with multiple pieces of hardware. Also up for grabs this week are quota and interprovincial team spots for the Canadian Women’s Amateur and Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships. New in 2025, the winner of the Alberta Women’s Amateur will get an invite to compete in the 2026 PNGA Women’s Amateur, along with the Low Albertan at Nationals and the Low Amateur at the new Alberta Open Women’s Division.

This year a new champion will be crowned and the list of potential winners is lengthy. With young juniors climbing the ranks like Saylar May, the university players back from their years at school like Sydney Bisgrove and Jenna Bruggeman, and the veteran champions like Celina Lam.

Click the link below to read more about what Leduc has to offer the competitors this year and hear from the 2024 Champions.

Women’s Amateur Yearbook Preview

Get ready for the golf season with Jordan Jeske and Projct Golf, as he provides golfers with 5 easy exercises they can do at home with minimal equipment! Click the Youtube video below to watch.

If you’re looking for more information on Projct Golf, visit their website which is linked below.

PROJCT Golf Training

Leduc Golf & Country Club is a decorated golf course, having played host to a variety of competitive tournaments in the last 5 years. With the 2021 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, the 2024 NextGen Western Championship, and an Alberta Men’s Amateur qualifier in 2024, it has shown its ability to test the top players at every level. The course will add to its impressive event history with the playing of the 112^th Alberta Women’s Amateur in 2025, as it’s slated for July 2 to July 4. 
 
The Women’s Amateur Championship is one of the oldest golf championships in the country, with its origins being traced back to 1907. With the original trophy still in play, the event has been a breeding ground for all of Alberta’s up and coming players with players like Jaclyn Lee and Jennifer Ha winning the event before moving on to the next step. There is no age limit for the event and no qualifying required, players only need to have a Handicap Index of 20.0 or lower. Included in this event however, are the Women’s Mid-Amateur and Women’s Mid-Master Championships. The Women’s Mid-Amateur is only open to competitors aged 25 and above as of the first day of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, and similarly the Women’s Mid-Master is open to those females who are aged 40 and above as of the first day of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur. Registration has already opened for the event. As part of Alberta Golf’s commitment to growing the event, courses in the province have been contacted to try and drive registration with special invites going out to courses and their club champions. 
 
Leduc Golf & Country Club will host the Women’s Amateur for only the second time, the first being in 1993. The course offers an amazing walk for competitors but will surely challenge the players. With tree lined fairways and plenty of water features the course is commonly seen as deceiving as you stand on the tee. To navigate the course correctly and avoid the big numbers, players will have to think their way through the golf course, keeping the ball below the hole, and keeping the ball in the fairway off the tee. The course also boasts a family atmosphere with a supportive membership and plenty of feel-good stories, like the former junior member turned General manager, Rick Brown, or the back shop employee turned Head Professional, Jeremy Beirnes. With all the events at the course, the membership community continues to show their support through their commitment to volunteering. 
 
While all the events at Leduc have been a great success, the 112^th edition of the Women’s Amateur is sure to boast a similar result. The players of all ages will come to the event ready to compete for the Women’s Amateur, Mid-Amateur, and Mid-Master Championships. Following play, the players will surely enjoy the club’s new clubhouse and one of the best patios in the Edmonton area. 

Women’s Amateur Registration

As the New Year continues to roll on, Alberta Golf is proud to announce the following items of change or renewed focus for 2025.

Women’s Competition Growth

In 2025, the Alberta Open will undergo a substantial change with the addition of a Women’s Division, which will be open to both female amateurs and professionals. This change will increase the field size from 120 to 140, with 40 spots reserved for the top female golfers in the province. These 40 spots will be reviewed each year based on feedback and demand. Invitations will be sent out to the top players in March, and registration will open for the remaining spots on April 1^st. Players hoping to register for this division will require a Golf Canada membership and a Handicap Index of 10.0 or lower. For any questions about this initiative, please email John Deneer, john@albertagolf.org.

In addition, Alberta Golf is committed to growing participation in the Women’s Amateur Championship and additional events around the province. We’ll be contacting golf clubs in the province to inquire about their Women’s Club Champions and will be inviting them to register for the Women’s Amateur for 2025. We’re also working on creating a page on our website to promote additional competitive events for women around the province.

 U17, U15, & U13 Championship

After careful consideration and feedback, the U17, U15, & U13 Championships are undergoing a major split. The U17’s will now have a stand-alone championship which will be three-days and WAGR ranked. This better aligns with long term player development and helps add another event for younger players to showcase their skills for college recruiting. The event will be held August 18-20 at Alberta Springs Golf Resort.

 The U15 & U13 Championship will stay as a two-day event and will help bridge the gap between the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour and provincial championships. This again aligns with long term player development and helps remove some of the fear younger players may have surrounding a provincial championship. The host club and dates for this event are yet to be announced but will be held in late August.

 New Website

With an increased focus on communication in the digital age, Alberta Golf is proud to announce the launching of a new website in 2025. The website will mirror that of Golf Canada and other provincial bodies. While no official launch date is set, the new website grants new allowances and will ease navigation for users.

 McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Experiences

With a focus of improving player experiences across the board, there are some changes to the AJT that will help improve experiences on the tour and help cement it as the #1 competitive onboarding junior tour in Alberta. A variety of merchandise items will be given away at events as prizes.

 To help promote rules education on the tour, a Level 1 Rules incentive program has been created.  Players who complete the Level 1 Certification process will receive limited edition McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour merchandise. This will help prepare players for their time on the course with rules knowledge and help prepare any of them for the jump to other tours and provincial championships.

Searching for Partnerships

Alberta Golf has identified two programs that are actively looking for partners.

• Alberta Open Championship: The focus of having a sponsor to help build the player experience.
• High-Performance Program: The goal of having a partner to have elevate our offering to our players within the program to achieve their goals in sport

 Long Range Scheduling

Alberta Golf has placed an increased focus on securing host venues for the 2026 season and beyond. While this move might not be felt immediately, players can look forward to having host venues lined up for coming years. This will help players plan their schedules in advance and ease demand on golf courses.

 Golf Development Pathways

Golf is the #1 recreational activity in the country and due to the pandemic, the sport saw major growth over the last three years. Alberta Golf is committed to working on continuing this trend and retaining our position in the sport. As part of this plan, we’re updating our long-term player development guide for juniors, our competitive roadmap to include new organizations and initiatives, and creating a LTPD for adults to help introduce them to the great game of golf.

 Work on all these initiatives has already begun. Keep an eye on our website to stay up to date on these initiatives and more!

David Li

Since her introduction to the sport of golf at the age of nine, Calgary’s Jennifer Ha has dreamed of competing at the highest level.

After tying for eighth spot in December at the final stage of LPGA Qualifying School, the 22-year-old has earned the right to do just that.

As she is preparing to kick off her rookie season with full playing privileges on the LPGA tour, Ha took a moment to reflect on her humble beginnings.

“When I was nine my dad introduced me to golf and I remember going to a golf dome near our house in the winters,” recalled Ha, who played volleyball and ran track and field as a youngster.

“Afterwards, we got a membership to the city’s public courses; and we started to play more often over the summer and kept on practicing over the winters,” she continued.

“I wasn’t really good at it at the beginning but I always dreamed of getting better and competing with the best; and I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am,” added the 22-year-old.

Ha – who turns 23 years old on Feb 1st – is quick to credit her parents, John and Christina, for their unconditional support throughout the years.

“My dad has done so much for me, he’s helped me out so much, he’s been my coach, my caddy and travelled with me to my tournaments; and my mom’s always been so incredibly supportive also,” she pointed out.

“We don’t always see eye to eye but I can say that they’ve always had my best interest at heart and they’re always so selfless…..I’m so blessed to have their support.”

On the first Sunday in December last year, Ha made her parents – and Canadians across the country – proud by finishing the final stage of LPGA Q school tied for eighth and earning full playing privileges in the process.

“It didn’t really sink in until a little later when people starting messaging me,” said Ha about the outpouring of support she’s received.

“Alena (Sharp) and Brooke (Henderson) have sent me nice messages through Twitter,” she noted.

“I’ve also received a lot of messages from girls I’ve played with growing up and I’ve really appreciated that.”

Ha says her successful path to the LPGA was paved through valuable lessons learned during her four years at Kent State University.

“I learned a lot from Coach Robertson. I learned about time management and being organized with regards to school, golf and travel,” she said.

“I really needed to have those years to mature and I think that was why I was able to make it to the LPGA. For me learning those things was more important than skipping right onto the tour,” added the Kent State University grad.

While she’s been receiving a lot of congratulatory messages, Ha was quick to offer some of her own to her former Kent State teammates Mackenzie Hughes, who won the RSM Classic in mid November to earn his PGA Tour card for 2017; and Corey Conners who recently secured a spot onto the Web.com tour for 2017.

“Mackenzie is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met; he was always the first one in practice and the last one to leave…… It was great to see that he made it to the PGA Tour,” said Ha.

“As well, it’s great to see Corey make it to the Web.com Tour next year also. Just like Mackenzie, he’s one of those guys that puts in so much time and is always so dedicated.”

In terms of her own success, Ha says her time with Golf Canada’s national team program has also played a significant role bringing her to this point in her golfing career.

“I was part of Golf Canada’s program for three years and I learned so much during that time,” said the young Calgarian.

“I learned about course management and how to play different shots; as well as how to manage the mental and nutrition parts of the game and much more…..Being part of the program was definitely a huge benefit to me.”

According to Canadian women’s national team head coach, Tristan Mullally, Ha is well-prepared to make an impact on the LPGA tour in 2017.

“Jen’s thoughtful in the way she executes her shots….She has a lot of variety in her game and has the talent to go out there and do very well,” said Mullally.

“I’m excited about Jen and her upcoming rookie LPGA year. I think she’s someone that will surprise a lot of people in terms of how good she is and I’m really looking forward to that.”

Ha is expected to kick off her rookie campaign at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic later this month.

Given how far she has come since her humble beginnings, the 2017 LPGA rookie was asked for her advice to aspiring young golfers looking to find similar success in the game one day.

“My advice would to be to work hard and just have fun with the game and let yourself fall in love with it,” she replied.

“In golf, there’s going to be ups and downs but you have to always remain focused on learning and growing,” continued the mature 22-year-old.

“And if you’re looking to play at the highest level, you have to be dedicated fully to it – but at the same time, never lose sight of the fact that it’s a game because to be successful you have to love what you’re doing and enjoy it out there.”