Alberta Golf (Ponoka) – Andrew Harrison of Camrose shot a 2 under 69 to lead the first round of the Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka. Harrison already has a title this summer after winning The Alberta Open presented by SVR Lawyers at Trestle Creek Golf Resort and a T2 finish at The Glencoe Invitational.

The 22-year-old missed short birdie putts on the 16th and 18th hole and said his round could have been much lower.

Andrew Harrison in his own words. WATCH:

FULL LEADERBOARD

ROUND 2 TEE TIMES

Changing the Rules

New rules make golf more enjoyable for all

It took almost seven years, dozens of meetings, countless discussions and revisions, but finally a mulligan of sorts has come into being for the Rules of Golf.

Speaking from Toronto about the revisions that will come into effect in 2019, Adam Helmer, the Director of Rules and Competitions for Golf Canada, said whether you’re a recreational player or more seriously inclined, the switches that are now teed up are a good thing for everyone involved in the game. And, they’ll be more easily understood.

“These are definitely significant changes; the biggest in 60 years. This wasn’t just contemplating the professional level, the elite stream level. It focused on everything to make rules more welcoming,” he began.

Helmer agreed the guidelines in their previous state were “confusing, complicated and 99.9 per cent of golfers didn’t know the rules,” which made properly applying them during play a slippery slope. Thus, when the blueprint was put together for these alterations, the idea was to make them both easily understandable and applicable.

“Now that they’re here, I think they’ll help with certain barriers people in the industry see, like the pace of play. I think these are aligning more with what’s happening in practices on the course,” Helmer continued.

Helmer noted that Golf Canada doesn’t really see one specific rule as being the top dog in the pack. Rather, in combination, everything works together to make the game more enjoyable for all with much of the rules confusion in some areas done away with.

“In playing out of a bunker, the challenge should be to get your ball out of the area and now, with a bunch of loose impediments in the bunker, the rules to lift the ball are relaxed. In penalty areas you can ground your club, move loose impediments. On the putting green you can now repair any damage from ball marks or shoe damage. As well, you can now leave the flagstick in which is a welcome change, especially for pace of play. If you hit your ball more than once, it’s not going to be a penalty stroke. You just count the stroke itself,” Helmer commented.

One thing it’s thought these many changes will foster is the continued integrity of the game. Known as a ‘gentleman’s game,’ golf is based upon honesty and good character. With the changes that came into effect early in January, Golf Canada suggests more people will now abide by the letter of law. In essence that means they will begin to more often play the game the way it was designed but was rarely done because of the confusion the previous guidelines brought about due to few players really knowing how to properly impose penalties.

“The whole premise, starting in 2012 when this process began and everything was on the table and up for discussion, was that we were going to try and simplify the rules of golf,” Helmer said about the beginnings of this movement. “When looking at the principles of the Rules of Golf, the thought was everything should tie back to our principles — play the course as you find it. Play the ball as it lies. With that in mind, you had to assume that the rules are meant for the honest player.

“If we get down a rabbit hole of thinking about all the nuances of how someone can take advantage of the rules, or cheat if you will, then the rules are going to be that much bigger. So the rules have to contemplate integrity, the honest player. Now, the rules specifically state ‘Every player is required, or has to enforce, penalties on themselves and is obliged to tell other players about the rules’. These are rules, not advice,” as the latter, if offered up during competitive play, is a two-stroke penalty or loss of the hole.

In order to catch  up to what’s now become the new standards for the game of golf, there are a few ways the general public can access them. From Golf Canada you can order what’s known as the Player’s Edition of the new rules, a small booklet that for an equally small cost will fit nicely into your golf bag and if the need to look something up arises, it’s there and easily  understandable. As well, a larger version of the new doctrine can also be found through the Golf Canada website, and encompasses the many regulations within the game.

“We’re strongly promoting the Player’s Edition with all players,” said Helmer. “It’s kind of an abridged version of the full Rules of Golf. It’s what you need to know and what you’ll commonly see occur on the golf course. It’s got explanatory images and diagrams, references. It’s more user-friendly in terms of bullet points.”

The full edition of the Rules of Golf will be penned in the third person and will include illustrations. This booklet is intended to be the primary publication for officials and is expected that Golf Club Committees and referees will use the publication as their primary Rules of Golf resource.

The Official Guide to the Rules of Golf replaces the Decisions book and will contain information to best support committees and officials. It includes interpretations on the rules, committee procedures (available local rules and information on establishing the terms of the competition), and the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities. It is a ‘long-form’ resource document intended as a supplementary publication. The full Rules of Golf are more for referees and committees, as it delves deeper into the issues that can come up during play.  The Player’s Edition costs $3 while the full set of rules is available for $4 and the official guide is $16, for members of Golf Canada.

Given what’s taken place with these rule changes coming into play, golf officials must upgrade their knowledge about how the sport is now governed, Helmer pointed out. That means referees, used in high level competitions, must catch up on the newest instalment of this massive doctrine.

“Basically, anyone that was a provincial or national referee has to re-certify to be aware of all the significant changes coming up,” he stated.

As to becoming a rules official, Helmer said there are clinics put on by Golf Canada to educate both those new to that part of the sport plus those that have been in such a position previously.

“We have a three-tier system that is first a basic introduction to the rules for anyone that’s interested. Level Two is your provincial certification and Level Three would be the international certification,” with such clinics being available through provincial bodies such as Alberta Golf.

So after many years of discussion, the new rules swing into play in January 2019. Along with Golf Canada, the R&A and the USGA worked their way through “…putting this puzzle together, putting the final touches to it. Once we came to the last year, that was the toughest part. Just finalizing the last few changes. It took almost the better part of seven years,” explained Helmer.

In statements on the Golf Canada website, this is what the men and women in charge of making these many changes had to say: “From the project’s inception, our one goal was to make the Rules easier to understand and apply for all golfers. It sets a new standard in the way we write and interpret the Rules and is central to our efforts to ensure a healthy future for golf. We look forward to continuing that process in the years to come,” said Thomas Pagel, the Senior Managing Director of Governance for the USGA.

David Rickman, the Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “We are delighted to be rolling out the modernized Rules of Golf today. This is the biggest set of changes to the Rules in a generation and a major step forward in our efforts to make the Rules, and the sport itself, more accessible and more in tune with the way the modern sport is played.”

While it won’t take seven years to read the new guidelines, a lot of work went into them, summed up Helmer.

“There was a lot of alignment, a lot of synergies. I think they knew where they needed to get to, what the priorities were. It was just the last kind of short strokes, the topical issues around things like dropping the ball. There was a big push to get an alternative to stroke-and-distance which was a difficult one to get to. I think there was just a lot of stick handling around some of those tougher issues, how the penalty should fit the crime and how you get the proper wording proper for consistent application.”

And in the end, it’s felt all these changes will help not only speed up play but also perhaps speed up the growth of the game as it becomes easier to understand the rules and regulations that govern it.

Changing the Rules

This article was originally published in the 2019 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

The 2019 Melcor Jiffy Lube Edmonton Junior Championship is coming up at The Sturgeon Valley Golf & CC July 28-29.

Entry deadline is JULY 24TH !!

Register here

The Junior Drive, Chip & Putt presented by West Island College is a youth development initiative providing a free opportunity for young golfers to showcase the three fundamental skills of golf.

On August 18, 2019, the Shaw Charity Classic will host the fourth annual Junior Drive, Chip & Putt Challenge presented by West Island College! Calgary juniors come out to compete and showcase their golf skills to win a chance to walk inside the ropes as an Honorary Observer during one of the championship rounds and to receive their trophies on the 18th green on Sunday from the 2018 Shaw Charity Classic Champion!

FULL INFORMATION HERE

Alberta’s best golfers to compete for Alberta’s top prize at Wolf Creek

The 2019 edition of the Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship tees off Tuesday in central Alberta at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka. 120 players comprise the final field that will compete in hopes of adding their name to the history books. Defending champion AJ Armstrong has turned professional which leaves the door wide open for a new champion to emerge.

“It’s good to get a big showcase event like the Men’s Amateur back here, that’s for certain.” said Aaron Miller, Wolf Creek’s Head Professional. “We’re excited to have it on The Links course. It’s a perfect tournament venue.”

KEY INFO

Dates: July 16-19

Course: Wolf Creek Golf Resort – Links Course

Yards/Par: 7,135 yards/71

Field: 120

2018 Champion: AJ Armstrong

Format: 72 holes of stroke play competition; cut to low 60 players and ties after 36 holes

Social: #abmensam

NOTABLES

• Andrew Harrison – 2019 Alberta Open presented by SVR Lawyers Champion
• Carter Graf – 2019 Alberta Junior Champion
• Jordan Irwin – 2016 Alberta Mid Amateur Champion
• Brian Laubman – 2004 Alberta Mens Amateur Champion
• Brandon Markiw – 2018 Alberta Mid Amateur Champion
• Jesse Galvon – 2019 Alberta Mid Amateur champion
• Tyler Saunders – 2014 Alberta Mens Amateur Champion
• Kevin Temple – Three time Alberta Mid Amateur Champion (2007, 2010, 2015)
• Max Sekulic – 2019 Alberta Match Play Champion

LOOKING BACK

AJ Armstrong of St. Albert went wire-to-wire to win the 2018 Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship at RedTail Landing Golf Club.

Armstrong, who plays out of the Windermere Golf & Country Club, shot rounds of 64, 67, 70 and 68 for a four day total of 269.

The 269 mark ties for the lowest 72-hole tally at the Alberta Amateur since Kris Wasylowich shot the same number in 2006 at the Red Deer G&CC.

HISTORY

The Alberta Mens Amateur Championship was first contested in 1908. Sun Life Financial has been a proud sponsor of the event since 1991.

2010 – Steven Lecuyer

2011 – Scott Stiles

2012 – Riley Fleming

2013 – Riley Fleming

2014 – Tyler Saunders

2015 – Brett Hogan

2016 – Evan Holmes

2017 – Brett Hogan

2018 – AJ Armstrong

FAST FACTS

• The champion will earn the final position on Team Alberta for the Morse Cup for the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. They will join the previously qualified 2019 Alberta Match Play Champion (Max Sekulic) and the low amateur at the 2019 SVR Alberta Open (Andrew Harrison)
• The top three competitors at weeks end will make up Team Alberta for the Willingdon Cup competition at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship Aug 5-8 at Glen Arbour Golf Course in Nova Scotia.

ABOUT THE COURSES

OLD COURSE

The original Rod Whitman design. The Old Course is a Tour tested, pure inland links course winding in and out of the Wolf Creek bed. Each hole provides a variety of strategical options for you to discover. Creative shot-making and precision are the key to playing your best on the Old Course.

LINKS COURSE

Rod Whitman gives us the Evolution of Old World golf design with the Links Course. Cut through vast natural sand dunes and deeper off the tee, the Links Course demands the best from all areas of your game. Additional fairway width gives the Links Course beautiful rolling contours unique to sand belt golf courses.

More information on the Wolf Creek Golf Resort can be found here.

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Sun Life Financial has served Canadians for 150 years. With an array of products and services, Sun Life is able to offer trusted solutions for customer’s needs. Beyond business, Sun Life is committed to operating in a socially responsible way and acting as a good corporate citizen. Sun Life Financial has been a dedicated sponsor of the Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship for 28 years.

MEDIA

• First Round Pairings

• Championship Information

• Flickr Albums

Central Alberta will be the central focus for men’s golf in our province the third week in July. Wolf Creek Golf Resort will host the 2019 Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship. The popular 36-hole golf resort just off the QE II north of Red Deer is a fitting spot to test the top male amateur golfers in the province.

“It’s good to get a big showcase event like the Men’s Amateur back here, that’s for certain.” said Aaron Miller, Wolf Creek’s Head Professional. “We’re excited to have it on The Links course. It’s a perfect tournament venue.”

In 2014 Airdrie’s Riley Fleming won the Alberta Open on the newer Links Course that will be used for this tournament. The 25-year-old professional says the amateurs in this year’s field should enjoy competing on the course, especially if you’re a bomber.

“I love the new course. I think it’s awesome.” said Fleming. “I think it’s a great test, it probably suits someone that can bomb it a bit more. The front nine is definitely a little tighter with some elevation changes and the back nine is just a really big golf course where you can get aggressive and that’s why I liked it so much.”

Fleming had won the rain shortened Alberta Open the year before at RedTail Landing Golf Club in Edmonton but said defending his title especially in commanding fashion validated his 2013 victory and made The Links Course at Wolf Creek one of his favourite tournament tracks in Alberta.  “The greens are really true which is typical of a links course,” Fleming raved. “The greens are a little different, but I really like them.”

The course has more eagle and birdie opportunities on the back nine and lends itself to the type of late round drama you’d want at a provincial championship. Don’t be surprised if players surge up the leaderboard between holes 10 and 15 and if the 18^th hole plays down wind a birdie finish is very possible.

“We are known to be a bit of a tougher golf course but we don’t want to see the winning score be nine over par or something.” said Miller. “We look forward to seeing the most talented players in the province come out and put up some numbers and test all the shot making abilities on that course. It’s going to make you play a lot of shots that maybe you’re not comfortable with and it really exposes all parts of your game.”

The town of Ponoka and cities of Lacombe and Red Deer are proud to showcase the course and area to the tournament’s competitors. In late May, Wolf Creek also hosted the Future Links Western Canadian Junior Championship so course set-up is already underway, but don’t expect anything too manufactured.

“Being a links-style golf course we might leave that to Mother Nature and let her dictate how firm or soft the course will be,” said Miller, who is well aware the wind will have the biggest impact on scoring. “We will definitely not force it in any direction; we won’t try to dry out a fairway or try to make the rough super thick. We’ll let Mother Nature dictate it, that’s for sure.”

Mid-July in the middle of Alberta,  we will find out if the top amateurs in the province discover the same love for Wolf Creek that Riley Fleming still has a half decade after winning there.

Wolf Creek Hosts the Mens Amateur

This article was originally published in the 2019 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

Alberta Golf (Edmonton)- 25-year-old Becky Martin fired a sparking 4 under 67 during the final round of the Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship at The Ranch Golf & CC just west of Edmonton. The Medicine Hat golfer had the lowest round of the day by 4 strokes and won her first provincial title by 7 shots over Kylie Barros of Edmonton. Martin becomes the first golfer from Medicine Hat to win a provincial golf title.

Martin also captured the Alberta Mid-Amateur title as well as the Feef MacDonald trophy for low round.

In 2015 Martin had surgery for a degenerative nerve damage condition called ‘Thoracic Outlet Syndrome’. She has found a way to compete at a high level despite extreme pain in her hands, arm shoulder and neck. Kevin Smith from Alberta Golf has the story.

WATCH:

25 and over Mid-Amateur division

In the 40 and over Mid Master category Barbara Flaman won a three hole playoff over Cheryl Newman to take the trophy.

13-year-old Jayla Kucy of Camrose won the trophy for overall low net with a score of 6 under par, 6 shots clear of her next competitor. Kucy shows off the hardware with a thumbs up from Mark Dickson of Sun Life Financial.

Team Alberta, that will compete in the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship July 23-26 at the Red Deer Golf & CC, consists of Becky Martin, MacKenzie Baustad of the Canyon Meadows Golf & CC and Stephanie Chelak from the Inglewood Golf & Curling Club.

FULL FIELD SCORES

Alberta Golf (Edmonton) –  Taylor Stone of the Pinebrook Golf & CC shot an even par 71 during round 2 at the Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship at The Ranch Golf & CC just west of Edmonton. Stone’s even par round was the best of the day and see’s her tied at the top with Calgary’s MacKenzie Baustad and Becky Martin of Medicine Hat after another cloudy but calm and dry day of action.

Taylor Stone, who plays college golf at The University of Texas El Paso, talks about her even par round.

WATCH:

In the 25 and over Mid Amateur division Martin has a one shot lead on local product Kylie Barros.

In the 40 and over Mid Master category it’s a 3-way race between Barbara Flaman of the Windermere Golf & CC, Cheryl Newman from Canyon Meadows in Calgary and Gail Barros from the Edmonton Petroleum Golf & CC.

The final round Thursday should be exciting with 9 ladies within 4 shots of the lead.

Round 3 tee times

Golf & Tacos

It has been said that golf is a good walk spoiled, and for those new to the sport, that can feel all too true. With all the rules, the etiquette and the unforgiving nature of a golf swing, it is a difficult game to navigate, which can discourage newcomers before they even get started. On top of that, women looking to get into the game are often intimidated by the male dominated  atmosphere and can fear encountering the stereotypical stuffiness associated with golf as they try to learn and improve their game. In fact, for many women, golf has become just another four-letter word. Good friends Birkley Doll and Caitlin Buckell are aiming to change that four-letter word – to ‘taco’.

Golf & Tacos is a program that presents young women with an incredible opportunity to learn the game and have a lot of fun in the process. Doll and Buckell founded the group two years ago to fill a need they found in their own lives.

“It came from a place of wanting to get more of our own friends into golf. We decided to come up with a way to make it fun to go out and play golf,” says Buckell.

The duo started an Instagram page to attract young women like themselves to golf so that they would not only have partners on the course but also an increased Rolodex professionally. They looked at finding a good day to organize lessons and landed on Tuesday. They joked that what more could a girl ask for than Taco Tuesdays and Golf & Tacos was born.

The response was immediate; women quickly responded to the Instagram posts wanting to sign up for lessons and to find out what the group was about, which is taking away the barriers that many women experience and creating a welcoming, fun environment in which to learn the game.

“We didn’t realize that we hit such a niche market,” says Doll. “We knew who we were and the target market because it was the people we wanted to hang out with. We wanted to feel comfortable.”

This target market is a big one made up of like-minded women between the ages of 23 and 35 who are new to the game or who played as kids but are just getting back into it. Most important, they are all looking for a fantastic community of supportive women that they can have a blast with. In keeping with the Mexican theme, the ‘chicas’ have the option of joining a mild, medium, hot and now a new spicy level of lessons depending on their experience and golf ability.

Medium players would have some experience on a course and while they occasionally swing and miss, they are working on their consistency whereas spicy players are more experienced golfers looking to fine-tune their skills. Players can decide at what level they are comfortable and where they need to be for their skills to improve.

Last season Golf & Tacos put together three consecutive sold-out sessions at Golf Canada Calgary Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with each session running five to seven weeks. Intimate groups of eight golfers per session encourages the ladies to really get to know each other. The ideal location boasts a teaching facility that allows players to practice on grass while also offering covered tees with heaters to combat Calgary’s volatile weather.

“It really helps take some of the elements out from a scheduling and planning perspective—we can be out there when it’s colder or going to rain,” says Buckell. “Earlier in the year those heated stalls make a huge difference, especially for beginner or intermediate golfers.”

GCCC Teaching Professional Todd Halpen instructs the women on everything from how to hold and swing a club to which club to use for different shots, all the while encouraging the ladies to visit with each other, listen to music, and have a beer or glass of wine.

“Todd is fabulous. He makes the girls so comfortable, so relaxed and at ease. He’s definitely not stuffy at all, which if you hadn’t been on a course much I think maybe you’d expect,” says Corey Davison, who has been part of the Golf & Tacos family since the beginning.

Davison golfed as a youth but drifted away from it until she recently lost a bet with her boyfriend that required her to join him on the course. He encouraged her to take up the game again, both because she is naturally athletic and because as a lawyer it would benefit her to be able to take clients out golfing. She knew he was right and signed up with Golf & Tacos.

“It’s really difficult as a female, especially a young professional female, to feel included in the golf tournaments when you’re not quite so comfortable around a set of golf clubs or on golf courses as some of your male counterparts,” says Davison. “Caitlin and Birkley wanted to do away with that uncomfortable feeling or feelings of embarrassment.”

Some Golf & Tacos participants have never stepped foot on a golf course, and that’s just fine. The lessons are geared toward demystifying the golf world so that ladies understand what they need to do when they arrive for a game, where and how to warm up, how to take part in a tournament, and of course how to successfully move that little white ball around the course.

At the end of the session they head to a host course where the chicas put their newly acquired skills and knowledge to the test. Halpen and other course pros are on hand to walk the ladies through the process, counselling them on how to set up their tees, which club to use when, and where to aim in order to get the ball in the hole. Buckell and Doll mix up the foursomes so the chicas meet people from the other sessions to further expand their networks. There are prizes and, of course, wine and tacos to celebrate the occasion.

But once the lessons are over the relationships are just getting started. All of the 170 Golf & Tacos graduates are encouraged to join the group’s Facebook group to keep in touch. There, the chicas can post notes seeking to round out a foursome or organize golf games with alumnae to encourage everyone to get out and golf. Given this, Buckell and Doll are looking at ways to grow the program to facilitate that desire to golf more and to accommodate the growing number of women interested in joining Golf & Tacos. They are looking at opportunities to partner with additional courses and organizations throughout Calgary, add more sessions, expand the brand to other cities, and possibly set up a Golf & Tacos league to get clubs in the women’s hands as much as possible.

After all, that’s the objective – to get more young women playing golf so they can both improve their game and network with clients and senior management. In two short years, Golf & Tacos has grown into a fun, encouraging, vibrant community of women who are bringing a tough-to-attract demographic into golf courses by making the game approachable.

“We want to remove the barriers to entry as much as possible for beginners and intermediate golfers,” says Buckell. “We make it inclusive and make everyone feel really welcome and keep it really fun.”

And what could be more fun than golf and tacos?

Golf and Tacos

This article was originally published in the 2019 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

Alberta Golf (Nisku) – The second qualifier for this summer’s Alberta Senior Mens Championship was held Tuesday at RedTail Landing in Nisku, Alberta.

Gord Rayner from the Mill Woods Golf Course in Edmonton took top medalist honours shooting an even par 72.

In all 39 qualifiers and 3 alternates emerged from the 89 player field.

The Alberta Senior Mens Championship will be held at the Derrick Golf & Winter Club from July 30th-August 1st.

Full results