17-year-old Brett Jones wins the Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – A memorable day at The Derrick Golf and Winter Club as 17-year-old Brett Jones had an epic battle with 2023 Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion Barrett Jarosch which saw Jones win the title on the 3rd playoff hole. Jones, from The Glencoe Golf and Country Club in Calgary, started the day with a 2 stroke lead. Both Jones and Jarosch matched each other the first 5 holes until Jones birdied 6 and they exchanged birdies on the 8th and 9th holes and they headed to the back nine with Jones up by 3 strokes on Jarosch and Jace Ouellette. Early in the back nine 2020 Men’s Amateur Champion Michael Valk made a move with 4 birdies in a 5 hole stretch and ended up finishing 3rd. Jarosch made his move with birdies on 10,11 and 15 to take a 2 stroke lead with 3 holes to go. Jones made a clutch up and down from right of the 16th hole, made a great birdie on 17 and came to the 18th hole only one shot back. Jarosch pulled his tee shot into the trees on 18 and had to punch out, then hit a fantastic 3rd shot which set up a 10 foot par putt for the victory which just lipped out and we were headed for a playoff. On the 3rd playoff hole Jarosch’s approach slid off the back of the green in a tough spot and he couldn’t get up and down. Brett Jones tapped in for par and the victory and a round of hugs with his dad Clint who was his caddy, his mom Erika, his grandfather and a dozen fellow players who stuck around to watch the playoff and congratulate him.
Brett Jones. 2024 Alberta Men’s Amateur Champion
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH BRETT JONES
The Alberta Interprovincial team will consist of Brett Jones, Barrett Jarosch and Jace Ouellette.
Barrett Jarosch, Brett Jones and Jace Ouellette
Brett Jones leads heading to final round of the Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – Brett Jones fired a second round 3-under 67 at The Derrick Golf and Winter Club to take the lead heading to Thursday’s final round. The Glencoe Golf and Country Club golfer had 5 birdies and only 2 bogeys to take a 2 shot lead.
2023 Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion Barrett Jarosch also posted 67 with 3 birdies and 2 bogeys but also had an eagle on the par 5 11th hole, one of two par 5’s at The Derrick to sit 2 shots back.
The low round of the day goes to 2021 U19 Boys Champion Paxton Maxwell who had an amazing 8 birdies including 5 in a row on the front 9 to post the low round of the championship, a 4-under 66 and is within 4 shots of the lead.
Final round action Thursday morning at 7:30 with the final group heading out at 10:50.
Four-Way tie atop the leaderboard after round one of the Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – After round one of the 2024 Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship it’s a tightly packed leaderboard with 8 players leading or within 1 shot of the lead on an overcast but mostly calm day at The Derrick Golf and Winter Club. Brett Jones, Graedon Woodward, Devin Kucy and Kieran Standen all shot 2-under 68 to share the lead while Cole Bergheim, Brandon Markiw, Guillermo Salazar Jr and Mike Mezei all shot rounds of 1-under 69 to sit one shot back.
This is the first Alberta Golf Provincial Championship held at The Derrick Golf and Winter Club since the 2019 Alberta Senior Men’s Championship won by Ken Griffith.
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH THE DERRICK HEAD PROFESSIONAL TREVOR GOPLIN
AERIAL VIEW OF THE DERRICK GOLF AND WINTER CLUB
Round 2 starts at 8am on Wednesday and the low 60 + ties will make the cut for Thursday’s final round.
2024 Alberta Men’s Mid-Master Final Round Recap
Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – Calm sunny day in Entwistle for the final round of the 2024 Alberta Men’s Mid-Master Championship at Trestle Creek Golf Resort. Chris Thayer, from Denver, in Alberta on a work trip settled in very nicely at Trestle Creek and navigated the course with rounds of 69, 70 and a final round 72 for 5-under par and a 6 stroke victory.
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS THAYER
Brian Laubman from Highlands Golf Club in Edmonton tied for 2nd with Tom McKinlay Jr. from Lacombe. Laubman jugged an eagle from the back bunker on the par 5 17th hole, the shot of the championship!
WATCH BRIAN LAUBMAN’S EAGLE
Thanks to Alvin Clark, Mike Lewis, Art New, Kevin Douglas and all of the volunteers at Trestle Creek for a fantastic week.
2024 Alberta Men’s Mid-Master Championship: Round 2 Recap
Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – A sunny calm day at Trestle Creek Golf Resort for the 2nd round of the 2024 Alberta Men’s Mid-Master Championship. Christopher Thayer started slow but went 6-under par in an 8 hole stretch and posted a 2-under par 70 for 5-under par for the championship and a 2 stroke lead over Tom McKinlay Jr. who carded 4 birdies and 3 bogeys for a 1-under par round of 71.
Chasing Thayer and McKinlay Jr. are Brian Laubman and Grant Oh. Laubman was runner-up at the 2019 Alberta Men’s Senior Championship while Oh won the 2020 Alberta Men’s Senior Championship.
2024 Alberta Men’s Mid-Master Championship: Round 1 Recap
Entwistle, AB – The day started with a frost delay, but that didn’t stop the players from heating up on the golf course as the first round of the 2024 Men’s Mid-Master Championship got underway today at Trestle Creek Golf Resort.
Chris Thayer, who came up from the United States for the championship, is tied after Day 1 for the lead with an impressive score of 3 under 69 complete with 6 birdies. Tied with Thayer at the top is Grant Oh, who won both the 2020 Men’s Mid-Master Championship and the 2020 Men’s Senior Championship.
Looking down the leaderboard to the top 10, plenty of contenders are within shouting distance of the leaders. Tom McKinlay Jr, the 2017 Men’s Mid-Master Champion sits in solo third. The defending Men’s Senior Champion, James Varnam, sits alone in 4th with solid 1 under 71. Three players sit tied in 5th at 72, including Brian Laubman who helped the Men’s Senior Interprovincial team defend their title at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship this past fall.
Round 2 gets underway tomorrow at 8am with another double crossover at Trestle Creek Golf Resort. After play, the field will be cut to the top 60 players + ties.
2024 NEWSLETTER: THE SUMMER SWING
2024 Newsletter: The Summer Swing
THE 2024 GOLF SEASON IS WELL UNDERWAY
Alberta Golf qualifiers have all wrapped up and competitions are set to begin. Our youth initiatives and recreational events are well underway across Alberta. From our Championships, High Performance program, Youth on Course, UpSwing brand, all ages and levels of ability are golfing more than ever. Please enjoy the following content on all that Alberta Golf has been working on leading up to a full summer of events across the province in 2024.
ALBERTA GOLF 2024 OPERATING COUNCIL MEETING
Alberta Golf held it’s Spring Operating Council Meeting at Earl Grey Golf Club which is hosting this year’s CPKC Canadian Women’s Open on the LPGA Tour. The meeting brought together leaders from all segments of the golf industry as well as sharp minds from other industries to talk about the state of the game. The GEO Foundation for sustainable golf also joined in via video call from Scotland.
ALBERTA GOLF 2024 CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Alberta Golf started the season with our Best Ball Championship at Sundre Golf Club with Carter and Logan Graf taking the title. Please take a look at the 2024 Alberta Golf Championship Schedule.
Alberta Golf 2024 Championship Schedule
ALBERTA GOLF 2024 MCLENNAN ROSS ALBERTA JUNIOR TOUR SCHEDULE
The McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour has 26 events this season including 2 new events in Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie.
Find out more about the 26 events on this learn to compete junior tour below.
2024 McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Schedule
THIRD ANNUAL TOM BYERS JUNIOR GOLF DAY
On Sunday May 17, Inglewood Golf & Curling Club hosted the third annual Tom Byers Junior Golf Day. 80 kids aged 6-15 discovered the game of golf, got 90 minutes of instruction from PGA of Alberta professionals and then a fun BBQ. Alberta Golf & UpSwing partnered with Kids Up Front and The Calgary Flames Alumni Association to support junior golf all in the name of Lanny McDonald’s brother-in-law who passed away in 2020. Nothing made Tom Byers happier than seeing junior golfers enjoy the game and the event was a great tribute to the former Inglewood member. Calgary Flames Alumni Lanny McDonald, Colin Patterson, Perry Berezan and Tim Hunter were on hand to support the amazing day.
UPSWING BY ALBERTA GOLF
UpSwing by Alberta Golf had a great start to the season with initial events in Banff, Stewart Creek, and Crowsnest Pass.
The UpSwing platform is growing as we welcome new players and events each week.
Check out the UpSwing website and find your fun!
24 COURSES INVOLVED IN 2024 YOUTH ON COURSE PROGRAM. ALBERTA GOLF / YOUTH ON COURSE NAMED CHARITY PARTNER OF ATB CLASSIC
Youth on Course is breaking down barriers and getting kids on golf courses across the province for $5 or less. We had 8,500 rounds last season in the province with 1,400 unique participants and Alberta Golf / Youth on Course has once again been named the beneficiary of the ATB Classic on PGA Tour Americas June 27-30 at Northern Bear Golf Club in Sherwood Park. Find out more about Youth on Course below.
2024 Alberta Golf Youth on Course program
COURSE RATING IN ALBERTA
Alberta Golf has a team of course raters busy rating courses across the province each season. Your golf course can be re-rated once a decade.
Learn more about course rating here
2024 ALBERTA GOLF BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED.
2023 ANNUAL REPORT RELEASED
The 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Voting Members of the Alberta Golf Association was held virtually on Wednesday March 27. Subsequent to the AGM, the Board of Directors met and the officers were named.
READ HERE: 2024 ALBERTA GOLF BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED
ALBERTA GOLF SUPPORTS 103 ATHLETES IN THE 2024 HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
The Athlete Development Program is designed to support athletes across the province by providing programs and services that ultimately help them reach their competitive goals in the sport. Support is provided to athletes, coaches, and facilities who are committed to developing the game of golf in the province of Alberta. Alberta Golf has 2 athletes in the Tier 4 program, 28 in Tier 3 and 73 in the Tier 2 program.
2024 Athlete Development Bios. Meet the Athletes here.
ALBERTA GOLF’S NEW FOCUS ON PACE OF PLAY
With pace of play being a common issue in golf, read about Alberta Golf’s focus and plans to tackle it in 2024.
About Alberta Golf’s Pace of Play Initiative
ALBERTA GOLF HAS A NEW HERITAGE AND HALL OF FAME WEBSITE
Alberta Golf has a new Heritage and Hall of Fame website to celebrate our past which dates back to 1912. Please check out the new website and it’s content below.
2024 CHRISTA SPAHMANN MEMORIAL GOLF SCRAMBLE AND GAL PALS GIRL’S GOLF CLINIC
If you’re in the Lethbridge area make sure to check out the 2024 Gal Pals Girl’s Golf Clinic at the Lethbridge Country Club and the Christa Spahmann Memorial Golf Tournament at Henderson Lake Golf Club, both to honour the late Christa Spahmann and her Memorial Scholarship Fund.
2024 ALBERTA GOLF SAFE
SPORT POLICY
Alberta Golf is aligned with Golf Canada and Respect Group and is fully committed to fostering a Safe Sport environment for golf.
2024 Alberta Golf Safe Sport Policy
ALBERTA GOLF FOUNDATION
The Alberta Golf Association Foundation was established in 1994 and is focused on supporting students on their path to pursue a post-secondary education. In 2022 the foundation awarded $70,500 to deserving scholarship applicants. The 2024 scholarship application is open now.
FOLLOW ALBERTA GOLF ON SOCIAL MEDIA
You can follow us as always on Instagram and X/Twitter but we also have a brand new Facebook page you can check out as well.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/people/Alberta-Golf/61556008408332/
INSTAGRAM: @Alberta_Golf https://www.instagram.com/alberta_golf/
X/TWITTER: @Alberta_Golf https://twitter.com/Alberta_Golf
A Par-3 in Paradise
It’s only 155 yards to the pin. But, standing on the elevated tee with a gusty Chinook wind howling in my face, I’m contemplating hitting a four-iron. This is crazy, I think. I’ve never hit a four-iron from 155. Nonetheless, I grab it out of the bag, try to steady myself over the ball, and hit it crisp. I immediately say “get down!” But it’s the wrong command. My ball balloons in the wind and plunges into the front-right bunker, ten yards short of the green. The 12th at Paradise Canyon – one of Alberta’s great par-3s – has burned me again.
With its stunning badlands setting along the Old Man River, the Paradise Canyon Golf Resort in Lethbridge is, in terms of the overall golf experience, easily in Alberta’s upper class. The par-71, 6,810-yard course, which was designed by Alberta architect Bill Newis, isn’t long by contemporary standards. However, throw in deep bunkers, heavy mounding, tiered greens, ball-hungry badlands, the Oldman River – and, yes, plenty of that famous southern Alberta wind – and the average player is going to have their hands full at Paradise Canyon. Even the shortest hole on the course – the infamous 12th – can be a diabolical little test.
12th hole: Paradise Canyon Golf Resort
“In spring and fall, the winds here can easily get up to 80 or 90 km/hr,” says Superintendent, Kelly Thorson. “Although the green on the 12th is not small, choosing the right club and flighting the ball correctly is paramount. Club selection can be anywhere from a sand wedge to a four-iron.” Speaking from my experience playing the course (probably a couple dozen rounds, or so, over the years), some days it feels like a rocket launcher might be the only weapon that’ll get you to the green.
Similar to the previous hole – the drivable par-4 11th – a miss on the 12th can be disastrous. Two massive bunkers (a third bunker behind the green was damaged in the late 90s and was subsequently removed), a steep slope behind the green that funnels balls into the river, deep fescue grass to the left, and dry-as-a-bone badlands to the right can make your up-and-down a difficult – or next to impossible – proposition. And, of course, the 100-foot elevation change from tee to green always adds a degree of “doubt” in every golfer’s mind.
That said, the 12th, when it’s calm, is definitely a birdie hole. With just a wedge in your hand and a relatively spacious target, it’s a “green light” special when “the fan” is in the off position. But, regardless of the wind conditions, it’s certainly a hole that you’ll be looking forward to at the start of every round.
“People often ask me which is the favourite of all the courses I have designed,” says architect Bill Newis, who was recently inducted into the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame. “However, my answer is always the same. I don’t have a favourite course. But I do have favourite holes. And the 12th at Paradise Canyon is definitely one of them.”
(Throughout his 50-year career, Newis has designed or renovated over 60 golf courses, most of which are in Alberta. Cottonwood, Bearspaw, Priddis Greens, and Redwood Meadows are a few of his other notable designs.)
WATCH VIDEO: BILL NEWIS INDUCTED INTO ALBERTA GOLF HALL OF FAME
“I’ve always enjoyed designing par-3 holes,” says Newis. “Elevated tees, which allow you to have a birds-eye view of all the elements in play, are always a welcome feature. Bold bunkering, water hazards, and interesting natural features, like badlands, are other things I like to incorporate, if possible. The 12th at Paradise Canyon has all of these. And the view from the tee, looking west down the Old Man River Valley, is outstanding. It’s a special hole.”
Without a doubt, it is the captivating beauty of this unique southern Alberta setting that will leave the most lasting impression. The beautiful river, the broad water-carved valley, the badlands, it’s just a beautiful location for golf. And, of course, for heavy Chinook winds coming off the mountains to the west!
“During our first winter in the early 90s, all of the sand blew out of the bunkers on 12,” remembers Thorson. “Ever since then we’ve tarped the bunkers there to keep the sand from blowing away. Sometimes you just have to learn lessons the hard way, I guess.”
Most likely, the first time you play this hole in the wind, you’ll have to learn a lesson the hard way as well.
Kananaskis Country Golf Course to host 2024 Interclub Championship
Alberta Golf (Kananaskis) – Kananaskis Country Golf Course once again will play host to the finale of the Alberta Golf competitive schedule, the Alberta Interclub Championship on September 3. Kananaskis is one of the top golf courses in Canada often finding itself in the Score Golf Magazine top 100 courses. It boasts two beautiful championship courses named after the mountains surrounding it, Mt Kidd and Mt Lorette.
3rd hole: Mount Lorette Course
The course was opened in 1983 and was originally an Alberta Golf intiative led by Hall of Fame player and former president Keith Alexander. Keith lobbied the support of the government and was able to secure Robert Trent Jones Sr as the architect.
Read more about this story here in the Alberta Golfer Centennial Magazine.
The course was heavily damaged by flood in 2013 which led to a 5-year restoration project led by renowned course designer Gary Browning, the current courses and layout re-opened to the public in May of 2018.
Since 1983, Kananaskis has been the host of the Interclub, which saw the Highlands secure the inaugural victory. The Women’s interclub was added more recently in 2018 with Inglewood winning. The Interclub acts as a fun event to finish the season for the players, while the clubs are battling for provincial bragging rights. The Men’s side has only a gross competition while the Women’s championship offers both a gross and a net competition. In 2023, Willow Park Golf & Country Club swept the gross competition on both sides, while Mickelson National Golf Club won the Women’s Net portion of the event.
Willow Park Golf & Country Club: Men’s and Women’s team sweep 2023 Interclub
Carter and Logan Graf win 2024 Alberta Best Ball Championship at Sundre Golf Club
Alberta Golf (Sundre) – The 2024 Alberta Golf championship season is off a running after the completion of the one day Alberta Best Ball Championship on a cold wet day at Sundre Golf Club.
In the championship gross competition Red Deer brothers Logan and Carter Graf finished at 5-under-par in a tie with Lacombe’s Brady McKinlay and his uncle Tom McKinlay Jr. Playing the 18th hole (The first playoff hole) Carter Graf drove just short of the green and got up and down for birdie and the victory.
2024 Alberta Best Ball Champions Carter Graf (L) & Logan Graf (R)
WATCH VIDEO WITH THE CHAMPIONS:
Ken Griffith keeping warm
