Written by Todd Saelhof

Big names from the past have benefitted from it.

So, now, are present and future talents — ones you could well see someday swinging for glory at Pebble Beach or Augusta National.

That’s the high ceiling — the sky-high ceiling, if you will — of success enjoyed by the Alberta Golf High-Performance Player Support Program.

But while shooting Albertans onto tour play is certainly a feather in its cap, the main tee-up of the provincial body’s strategy is to help launch promising golfers as deep as possible into the sport, from club-level play to regional championships and national tournaments and onwards to varsity and collegiate golf.

“The main objective is to see provincial players receive a post-secondary scholarship,” said John Deneer, Alberta Golf Director of Competitions and Athlete Development and the lead man in the high-performance program. “But when juniors who have come through the program obtain an NCAA or U SPORTS scholarship and play well at national championships or play well at NCAA championships down south, that’s the best part.”

Today the stars are Calgary’s Brendan MacDougall, now a pro after graduating from the NCAA’s Nevada Wolf Pack, and Rycroft’s Max Sekulic, a burgeoning regular on PGA Tour Americas, after honing his game with the NCAA’s Washington State Cougars.

Max Sekulic. 2023 Alberta Open Champion

They are all poster boys of the how far the Alberta Golf’s high-performance road-map can take talents.

“We don’t have Alberta coaches on staff necessarily, but we work closely with about 10-12 PGA of Canada Professionals who are high-level coaches,” said Deneer, a PGA pro and high-performance coach himself. “We contract them to help us with national championships and preparation camps and different activities. If you come to us as a 16-year-old high-level player, we’re not necessarily going to have a training camp set up, but we’re going to align you with coaches who work with players at your level and align you with sports psychologists and fitness professionals. We also share insight into scheduling and championships. We’re trying to be the touch-point for any questions families have for what they can do to help their child succeed.”

Alberta Golf scouts out potentially golf-gifted kids for its tiered program by tracking their results from club events.

Tier 1, says Deneer, consists of any junior in the province at the club level.

Tier 2 currently features 73 golfers who have checked promising achievement boxes with their game, Tier 3 — with 29 players in place for 2024 — is where most of the support from Alberta Golf kicks in. That being primarily financial.

And the only Albertan to get to Tier 4 for 2024 is 14-year-old Eileen Park. The Red Deer standout won the 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and defended her title at the Alberta U19 Championship and is Alberta Golf’s first Tier 4 athlete since Jaclyn Lee in 2019.

Eileen Park. 2023 Canadian Junior Girls and Alberta U19 Championship

“Tier 4 is a hard-to-reach level, and we want it to be that way” Deneer said. “We’re not trying to sugar-coat and make it easy. We want players to earn their spot. The number of players at each tier has been increasing every year over the last four or 5 years. Our players are getting better.”

Other Albertans competing or who have recently graduated collegiately include Calgary’s Annabelle Ackroyd, attending Elon University in North Carolina. Male Albertans at NCAA universities include Sylvan Lake’s Carter Graf and Pincher Creek’s Ethan Choi, both with the North Carolina State Wolfpack as well as Lacombe’s Brady McKinlay, with the Utah Valley State Wolverines, a four-time winner in 2023. 2023 Alberta Men’s Amateur champion Ethan Wilson is in his first year at the University of Illinois.

“Seeing players like them come up through the program and succeeding is fantastic,” Deneer said. “There are so many good young players — 13, 14 and 15 year-olds — that it’s exciting to see what they put into their development and where they can go.”

Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – The first full event on the championship schedule in 2024 for Alberta Golf will be the Alberta Mid Master Championship being held June 18-20 at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle about 45 minutes west of Edmonton. Trestle Creek is home to an 18 hole championship course, 600 acres of full season living and activities including a water park.

The course last held a provincial championship in 2019 when it hosted the Alberta Open won by Andrew Harrison at 14 under par while Riley Fleming won $5,000 in the professional division in a playoff over Matthew Codd.

Andrew Harrison (-14) wins 2019 Alberta Open at Trestle Creek Golf Resort

Riley Fleming (-8) wins professional division at 2019 Alberta Open at Trestle Creek Golf Resort

WATCH VIDEO: ANDREW HARRISON AND RILEY FLEMING ENJOY GOOD WEEK AT TRETSLE CREEK 

5 years later we shift focus to the Trestle Creek once again, this time for the 2024 Alberta Mid Master Championship for men aged 40 and older. Trestle Creek Sales and Marketing Manager Mike Lewis was highly involved in 2019 and can’t wait for this year’s tournament to arrive.

“I was honoured to help host the 2019 Alberta Open at Trestle Creek.  Getting to know the players and the Alberta Golf staff coordinating the tournament was great insight into how a first class event is put together.” Lewis said. “Meeting the players and hearing their feedback on our course was reassuring that we have built a true Championship Course that is a joy to play. It is truly an honour to host the 2024 Alberta Mid Master Championship & I look forward to the whole experience that is about to come our way!”

Trestle Creek Head Professional Art New is new to the course but a long time professional in the Edmonton area.

“Coming into my 2nd year as the Head Golf Professional at Trestle Creek, I’m super excited our course and team will be hosting the Mid Master event!” New expressed. “This layout, designed by Brad Dupuis is so much fun to play with some of the most challenging greens in the Province! It’s not about your good shots but it’s definitely about where you miss! It’ll be fun to watch some of the best seasoned amateur’s taking on the challenge.”

The 2023 Alberta Mid Master Championship was held at Olds Golf Club. Jamie Welder won the rain shortened event for his first ever provincial title.

WATCH VIDEO: AN EMOTIONAL JAMIE WELDER CELEBRATES 2023 MID MASTER VICTORY

Registration for the 2024 Mid Master Championship opens in April. Click here to find out more about Trestle Creek Golf Resort.

Written by Andrew Penner

Next Gen Golfers:

It’s nearing midnight on a cold Thursday evening in mid-December and inside LaunchPad – the new golf “experience” at Heritage Pointe in southeast Calgary – things are heating up. Young ladies wearing, well, not traditional golf clothing, are swatting at golf balls and, after impact, spinning around in poetic pirouettes. (And, yes, “impact” is not necessarily with the golf ball.)  Young men in jeans, many sporting full-sleeve tattoos, take turns smashing golf balls and long-driving for drinks. Yes, it appears as if the demographics of the game might be turning a page.

LaunchPad at Heritage Pointe

True, golf has, for decades, struggled with “old guy” stereotypes. Happy Gilmore, that great theologian, said it himself, “Golf requires goofy pants and a fat ass.” Yes, from the monied, old-school country clubs, the five-hour rounds, the staunch dress-codes, the high cost to play, the cumbersome rules; there are many inhibiting reasons why young people especially, choose other sports, other forms of entertainment.

But, make no mistake, golf is hitting back. The young folk have another entry point. And you’ve just got to visit LaunchPad – and a growing contingent of indoor/outdoor golf centres equipped with state-of-the-art technology – to see it first-hand.

“Roughly 70% of our guests at LaunchPad are non-golfers,” says Barry Ehlert, CEO of the Windmill Golf Group, the company that owns and operates Heritage Pointe and LaunchPad. “This is one of the most exciting things about this facility. Yes, we still love to attract seasoned golfers. Our leagues, lesson programs, memberships, and amazing practice technology definitely appeals to core players. But if you come on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll see people from 3 to 83, from all walks of life, just having a blast. We’ve removed the barriers here. And it’s our passion to see new golfers, people who have never picked up a club before, come here and just have fun.”

Unquestionably, the incredible advancements in ball-tracer technology, launch monitors, graphics, speed sensors, beginner-friendly target games, and so on, has certainly bolstered the appeal of the game, this new “genre,” to the beginner market. And, definitely, it’s not just LaunchPad (the Windmill Group also operates a similar year-round facility at Mickelson National GC in Springbank) that is attracting new golfers and growing the game.

WATCH VIDEO: LOOK BACK TO 2021 AND THE OPENING OF LAUNCHPAD AT MICKELSON NATIONAL

Numerous year-round indoor facilities have popped up throughout the province and similar results – attracting new golfers to the game – are being realized. Drop Zone Golf Centre (Lethbridge), Fore Seasons Indoor Golf Centre and Town Centre Golf (both in Grand Prairie), Golf Traders Indoor Golf Centre (Edmonton), Total Golf (Calgary), and Go Go Golf (Calgary), are just a few examples.

At Rad Golf, for example, which has two state-of-the-art facilities in both Red Deer and Calgary, the formula is simple: offer guests a fun, non-intimidating place to unwind, have a few drinks, great food, and play world-class courses on the most advanced simulators available in the world.

“We’re seeing a steady flow of new golfers at both our centres,” says Jared Nicolls, co-owner of Rad Golf. “There’s no pressure here. Our private rooms are a huge hit. We do corporate events, birthday parties, stags, you name it. People can relax on the couches, play ping-pong, watch the big game on TV, and, of course, have a blast playing golf in ideal  weather with all the mulligans they need. It’s the perfect place to play golf for the first time.”

While the nightclub-like theatrics that do occasionally occur at some of these facilities (LaunchPad, for example, has partnered with Cowboys Dance Hall for various events) are not the norm, unquestionably, a “let-your-hair-down-and-just-have-fun” mantra certainly prevails at most of these facilities. And, make no mistake, many powerful people and organizations within the game are taking note.

“It’s great to see the excitement and the energy that these new indoor golf centres and driving ranges are creating,” says Kevin Thistle, the CEO of the Canadian PGA. “Sure, many people that visit these centres will not go on to fully invest in the sport. But many will. They’ve been introduced. They’ve got a taste for the game. And I believe the industry, as a whole, will benefit because of it.”

Written by Taylor Tracey

Alberta Golf’s Journey Through Our Past: A recap of where we were, to where we are, and where we plan to go with our storied history.

Our journey into Alberta Golf’s past began with a warehouse full of boxes and a table nicknamed “Question Mark Corner”.

In the fall of 2016 Alberta Golf had finished another season of running Alberta’s amateur golf championships and were amidst off-season planning. As part of this, the staff met and began writing everything that Alberta Golf did that summer on sticky notes. From here we decided what was important to our business and what were things we didn’t need to focus on. This process became known as “The Retreat” and has become an annual event to begin our planning for each year. In 2016, there were 125 things written on sticky notes and this was narrowed down to 40 items that made up our business plan. From this exercise, history was identified as an important aspect and added to our business plan for that year.

At the time, our warehouse was full of banker boxes with items from running our annual competitions. The first step in learning about our history was going through all these banker boxes and discovering what was in each of them. In each box you would find a variety of things including tournament posters that would hang at host clubs, tournament results, a stack of scorecards, fact sheets, evacuation plans, and anything else you can think of when you think of an Alberta Golf championship. In each box our goal was to identify what was important, what wasn’t, and what we were unsure of. As you could imagine 80% of each box was full of things that did not matter anymore, but every now and then you would come across the important stuff, and this is how Question Mark Corner was coined. All the items we felt had some importance were put into this corner for safekeeping.

With our warehouse being full and preparations for the next year, opening boxes became a backburner project to say the least. But each fall and winter we would continue sorting through our history and discover more and more about golf in Alberta. After 3 winters of sifting through our past we finally had it narrowed down to items in “Question Mark Corner”. Small problem… we didn’t know what everything was.

Then came Meggan Gardner from the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Meggan came out to our office for 4 days in 2020, starting first thing in the morning and finishing well past 6pm every night, eating every meal at the office and combing through our remaining items. She ended up telling us what everything was, cataloguing all the items, and most importantly telling us what we should keep and what could be thrown out. Meggan even ran into items she hadn’t seen before like an original photo of Charlie Hague, the first Alberta Men’s Amateur winner who won in 1907,1908, 1910, and 1912. At Golf Canada, Meggan has Charlie’s diaries, but to put a face to the writing brought another level to the artifact. From here, we scanned all the items that we had elected to keep, creating a digital library totalling over 2230 artifacts, photos, and documents. This library sat untouched for a year, as no one was able to take on the role to comb through everything.

1965 Winningdon Cup Team: Ed Thomes, Doug Silverberg, Keith Alexander, Ray Rhoader and Bob Wylie

WATCH VIDEO: MEGGAN GARDNER SIFTS THROUGH ALBERTA GOLF’S HISTORY

In the summer of 2021, I was hired as an intern with one of my main roles being the organization of this digital library. 2 years and 2230 artifacts later, we find ourselves where we are now: a working Hall of Fame. We’re now able to start showcasing all the work that has been put in on this project. At this point we can answer requests such as providing photos from different championships, information on all our previous interprovincial teams and even newspaper articles from the 60s about championships we don’t run anymore.

1955 Ladies Interprovnincial team: Rae Milligan SImpson, Mrs. A.K. Snell, Audrey Dyck, Betty Stanhope-Cole

Overall, we have a better grasp of our history as an organization and can begin displaying this. We’re currently planning to create heritage displays that will travel to our 2023 Men’s Amateur, Women’s Amateur, and Alberta Open Championships. These will be complete with photos, artifacts, newspapers clippings, and even bag tags from previous iterations of these events. In the spring of 2023 we had our first Hall of Fame induction ceremony in nearly 3 years, for two extremely deserving Distinguished Service Award winners, golf course designer Bill Newis and Dunc Mills who ran the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour for over 25 years.

WATCH VIDEO: BILL NEWIS AND DUNC MILLS GO INTO THE ALBERTA GOLF HALL OF FAME

Looking to the future we understand that this project never truly has an end. History is always being made, you can always discover more on a topic, but our overall goal remains the same; strengthen the connection between our history and its role in our future. The first step is to start archiving our current events. Keeping track of our current winners, current results, taking a plethora of photos at our events, keeping event fact sheets, advertisements, and anything else that could be important in 50 years from now. From there you can continue to dive deeper into time, researching the gaps in our history to make it more complete for everyone. In addition to this we plan to create a stand-alone Alberta Golf heritage website to display our ever-growing archives, and our deserving Hall of Fame inductees. We will continue displaying our history at championships, with the hope of bringing our displays to other storied championships. Our long-term goal is to one day create a physical hall of fame like that of Golf Canada. While this may be a lofty goal, so was creating our digital library.

PLEASE VISIT OUR HALL OF FAME WEBSITE HERE

Golf in Alberta has a long and storied past from the long forgotten Inter-City Match Play and the Eaton 4 Ball Matches in the 50s. The glory of the 60s & 70s with Wylie, Silverberg, and Alexander running the show and the pure dominance by Betty Stanhope Cole, Rae Milligan, and Marilyn O’Connor. To the golf course boom in the 80s and 90s, and the rise of the new generation in 00s.

1952 Bob Wylie putting – Eaton 4 Ball Finals

Alberta Golf is dedicated to preserving this history and excited for what the next generation can add to it.

Alberta Golf (Sundre) – Alberta Golf is proud to confirm that Sundre Golf Club will host the first championship of the 2024 season. The Alberta Best Ball Championship will be held on May 20th at Sundre Golf Club, following a successful debut of the event that kicked off the 2023 season at the hidden gem in central Alberta last May. The event and format were received well by those who competed. The 2023 Champions were Ryan Rutherford from The Glencoe Golf and Country Club who teamed up with Gerry MacDonald from The Inglewood Golf and Curling Club.

2023 Champions Gerry MacDonald (L) and Ryan Rutherford (R)

2023 ALBERTA BEST BALL CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP HERE

The 2024 format will remain the same, 18 holes of best ball competition where the one best score by each team will be used each hole and the teams can be all male, all female or one male and one female and all ages are welcome.

18th hole during the 2022 Alberta Open Championship

Along with hosting the 2023 Alberta Best Ball Championship, Sundre Golf Club also hosted the rain shortened 2022 Alberta Open Championship won by Ethan Choi and top professional going to Stefan Cox.

2022 Alberta Open Champion Ethan Choi

Sundre Head Professional Scott Shouldice says it’s always an honour to host a provincial championship and he can’t wait for the best ball event to kick off the Alberta Golf championship season this year.

“We are very happy and excited to host the Alberta Golf Best Ball Championship again in 2024.  Last year was an honour to host the brand new event for the first time and it was a huge success.” Shouldice said. “I heard nothing but positive feedback about the event, the venue, and the golf course so it’s no surprise that it will be back at Sundre Golf Club in 2024.  Being the first event of the season a team event is the perfect way to start off the season and we are very excited to host it again in 2024.”

Registration for the 2024 Alberta Best Ball Championship is on Monday, April 1st. 

By Gord Montgomery

Nestled in the high desert in eastern Oregon, Silvies Valley Links & Spa is a unique golf experience in more ways than one. Spread out over 144,000 acres of rolling terrain and mainly home to a goat ranch, this destination among other amenities tees up three, no make that four, golf courses.

You see, one course is actually two, in a wondrous work of routing that’s known as a reversible course, the first built in over 450 years. The two 18-hole designs, the Hankins and the Craddock, meld together to feature 21 greens, 18 fairways, and 29 tee boxes. And if you’re concerned about running into cross-traffic on the course, don’t be. One day you play clockwise and the next counter-clockwise so everyone is always going the same direction.

4th hole: Craddock Course

Silvies’ Director of Golf, Dave Lewis, explained the eccentricities of these layouts, noting, “People don’t get it to begin with. What we have is 36 holes of golf and they are distinctly different – they just happen to be on the same dirt,” encompassing around 170 acres of land as opposed to the 350 acres a normal 36-hole facility would use.

Silvies Valley is home to only the third such design in the world along with The Old Course at St. Andrews and The Loop in Michigan. Dreamed up by owner Dr. Scott Campbell, a non-golfer by the way, and designed by Dan Hixson, the idea began as a four-hole combo. Then it was upped to six, and finally, the entire loop was put into play. What separates the two 18s is the fact the Craddock runs uphill while the Hankins goes downward. Together, they fool the eye, especially on your second tour of the property.

14th hole: Hankins Course

“These are two utter distinctly different looks for your brain,” Lewis continued. “And people swear that, ‘I haven’t been on this hole before! But yes, you were yesterday! It was just a different part of the fairway.”

There are nine double greens here, but only one hole per green per day. You play the same fairway on the par-4 and par-5 holes with seven of the eight par-3s being standalone entities. The courses run on a north-south line at around 5,000 feet elevation. As you go north you head uphill into the pine trees.

Turn around to go downhill, and you’re confronted with sagebrush and the massive valley below.

Each routing is virtually the same distance – the Hankins 18 plays to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees, winding down to 5,300 yards. The Craddock track plays 40 yards shorter off the back deck, reducing to 4,338 yards moving forward.

A word of advice here: If you go, make sure you take a rangefinder. Why? Because there are no yardage markers on the fairways as many see double-duty. And one other thing: Because these courses are open only to resort guests, no tee times are needed. So just show up, tee it up, and live it up for a round or two of golf on a unique layout.

Four-Legged Loopers

In my writing career I’ve had the opportunity to use a caddie five times, but they were always the two-legged variety. At Silvies, I had a four-legged looper for the first, and likely last time ever. And it was probably the best ever!

You see, here in Oregon, on a goat ranch/people retreat, goats act as caddies on the two smaller golf courses, the Chief Egan par-3 and the demanding 7-hole challenge course known as McVeigh’s Gauntlet.

Why a goat? Well, actually there’s a good reason.

“When McVeigh’s was built, it was too severe to take golf carts on,”
PR guy Mark Conn said of the teeth- chattering, butterfly inducing tee shots and approach whacks that face those brave enough to come to this foreboding, winding, canyon-crossing, up-and-down knee-knocker.

On this day I hooked up with Charlie, who as it turned out, was a rookie bag toter. Other than stopping to munch on sagebrush — and poop on occasion — he was a joy to be with. Sure, he didn’t read putts at all and his intermittent comments on my swings or ball flight was simply “Baaaaaaddddd.” Overall though, he was the G.O.A.T. of caddies I’ve ever used.

Gord Montgomery (L), Charlie the Goat (R)

Chosen specifically for this job, the soon-to-be caddies are the third
kid born to a mother who can only look after two babies at a time. So, Charlie, and his sidekick caddie pal Chunky, like other triplets, were hand-raised. They were quickly indoctrinated into their future
role by showing an affection for humans; being able to manoeuvre an obstacle course (McVeigh’s is, simply put, rugged territory); and a willingness to shoulder a customized saddlebag.

Charlie: The G.O.A.T of caddies !

Charlie proved to be a real trooper who worked for peanuts – real peanuts, with salted in the shell preferred. While he’s a workhorse — please excuse that mixed four- legged metaphor — Charlie’s only rule is he won’t carry a full set of clubs. But on this 7-hole layout you only need a few clubs as the longest hole is a par-4 of 277 yards. Because of the lack of sticks, you can add a few extra pack pounds to the pack with cans of all-important adult beverages a.k.a. beer. And trust me, on the Gauntlet, those pops are a very welcome ego soother!

Charlie and Chunky also work the much more sedate Chief Egan par-3 layout, which totals less than 900 yards. It’s set up for first-timers and family fun, complete with a goat to keep you company if you wish. After all, they do commiserate over poor shots without making snide comments (as caddies in Ireland like to do), and are willing to partake in your selfie …. as long as you have peanuts to pay them at the end of the round!

WRAPPING UP THE 2023 GOLF SEASON

Alberta Golf has wrapped up a very diverse season that saw membership grow to 56,000 golfers, the addition of 3 new elite competitions including the Alberta All Abilities Championship, a busy and fun schedule for recreational players through Upswing by Alberta Golf and another busy season of $5 golf for juniors using our Youth on Course program.

In 2023 Alberta Golf spent time reconnecting with our past through our Heritage Services and our Hall of Fame, supported the golf industry and its diverse organizations and ran events for all ages and levels of players from those discovering the game to the elite performers in our province.

In 2024 Alberta Golf will focus on our strengths as a not-for-profit organization, gain a deeper understanding of who our members are and connect with them in segmented digital and print communications to better serve their needs.

Please enjoy the following content outlining what Alberta Golf has been up to the past few months as the golf season ended and planning for 2024 went into full swing.

Happy holidays!

ALBERTA GOLF’S 2024 PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE TAKING SHAPE

We are pleased to announce selected venues for our Alberta Golf 2024 Provincial Championship Schedule. There will be 13 championship events across the province next summer with 8 of the venues already selected. Here’s a look at where our championships will be held in 2024

View 2024 Championship Schedule here

UPSWING BY ALBERTA GOLF TO EXPAND 2024 OFFERINGS

UpSwing members made 2023 a tremendous success at all of our events across the province.

Make sure to check our UpSwing website upswinggolf.ca for added offerings, events, simulators, lessons, and virtual leagues being added each month and contact John Burns john.burns@albertagolf.org for any further inquiries.

ALBERTA GOLF SUPPORTS 101 PLAYERS IN THE 2024 ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT 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.

101 players have qualified for player support in 2024, including an increase of 26 athletes who qualified for Tier 2 support in 2023. There are 35 female golfers in the 2024 Tier support program which is a 52% increase over last year.

14-year-old Eileen Park from Red Deer won the 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and defended her title at the Alberta U19 Girls Championship and is the first athlete to qualify for Tier 4 since Jaclyn Lee in 2019.

See the 101 players here in the 2024 Athlete Development Program

4 ALBERTANS MAKE TEAM CANADA 2024 AMATEUR SQUADS

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of 39 amateur athletes and 10 coaches named to the men’s and women’s 2024 Team Canada – NextGen and Team Canada squads. Albertans Eileen Park, Brady McKinlay, Hunter Thomson and Ethan Wilson join the best in our country on Team Canada.

Read more about the Albertans on Team Canada Amateur Squads

2023 ALBERTA GOLF VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Congratulations to our Volunteer of the Year Ray Provencher of Edmonton for his great service as a Referee and a Course Rater.

Watch video: Ray Provencher named 2023 Alberta Golf Volunteer of the Year

ALBERTA GOLF SUPPORTS PGA OF ALBERTA BUYING SHOW

Alberta Golf was proud to have a booth at the 2023 PGA of Alberta Buying Show this fall in Calgary. The 3 day event was a great chance to meet face to face with industry leaders and discuss all Alberta Golf offerings along with Golf Canada’s National Golf League and First Tee Alberta.

FIRST TEE – ALBERTA IS HERE!

With the launch of First Tee – Alberta, there are now six Canadian chapters providing accessible youth development programming coast to coast. First Tee delivers introductory golf lessons through a life-skills-focused curriculum at golf courses, community centres and schools.

First Tee – Alberta hired a Program Manager this fall to onboard locations and execute programming across the province. Programming is expected to be underway in the spring of 2024. Interested in getting involved? Reach out to Mike Steele (msteele@golfcanada.ca) or visit firstteealberta.ca to learn more.

YOUTH ON COURSE PROGRAM ENTERS 6TH SEASON IN ALBERTA

In 2023 Youth on Course provided $5 rounds of golf at 23 courses across the province for all Alberta Golf members 18 years of age or younger. 1,387 juniors logged 7,684 rounds of golf in Alberta. Alberta Golf partnered with the 2023 ATB Classic at Northern Bear Golf Course to fundraise $55,000 this summer to help subsidize Youth on Course and keep it viable in our province for years to come.

Watch video here: ATB Classic helps fundraise for Youth on Course Alberta

ALBERTA GOLF LAUNCHES HALL OF FAME AND HERITAGE WEBSITE

Alberta Golf is pleased to announce the launch of our official Hall of Fame and Heritage website. At albertagolfheritage.org you can learn more about the game of golf in Alberta including the pioneers who paved the way, the Hall of Fame members that helped shape the game, and the clubs that built Alberta Golf. Please contact taylor@albertagolf.org for any questions or inquiries.

Alberta Golf Hall of Fame and Heritage Website

’TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY AND WIN BIG!

For all Alberta Golf members. Save on insurance & Win BIG in the @belairdirect Groups Contest! There are 3 x $1,000 cash prizes drawn every month. Enter now at belairdirect.com/winbig or call 1-833-294-2911 for a car, home, condo or tenant quote to double your chances. Be sure to mention Alberta Golf. Good Luck!

belairdirect Win BIG contest

PARTNERSHIP WITH JOHNSON INSURANCE

We are delighted to partner with Johnson Insurance to provide you the travel insurance plan that’s packed and ready.

Alberta Golf members have access to great travel coverage with MEDOC® through Johnson Insurance.

For often less than the cost of purchasing insurance for multiple trips separately, you can enjoy an unlimited number of trips during the policy year. You’ll always be prepared.

• With MEDOC®, you’ll receive: Emergency medical coverage
• Trip cancellation, interruption, and delay coverage
• Baggage protection
• And much more!

Give Johnson Insurance a call at 1-866-606-3362 or visit Johnson.ca/MEDOC to get a quote and finalize your coverage. Remember to mention Alberta Golf as your group to get the discounted group rates!

ALBERTA GOLF SAFE SPORT AND IDENTITY VIDEOS

Alberta Golf was proud to provide a safe environment for all levels of golfers this season and help them reach their full potential. Please watch our Safe Sport and Identity videos.

Alberta Golf Safe Sport Video

Watch the Alberta Golf Identity Video “For Everyone”

THE R&A AND USGA ANNOUNCE DECISION TO REVISE GOLF BALL TESTING CONDITIONS BEGINNING IN 2028

The R&A and USGA will update the testing conditions used for golf ball conformance under the Overall Distance Standard (ODS), which will take effect in January 2028. The decision aims to reduce the impact increased hitting distances have on golf’s long-term sustainability while minimizing the impact on the recreational game.

Full story here

NGCOA CANADA AND CGSA LAUNCH SUSTAINABLE GOLF PROGRAM

The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) have announced an important new program which will extend further support and recognition to facilities for sustainability and climate action.

Full story here

2023 ALBERTA GOLFER MAGAZINE

Please read the content here in our 2023 Alberta Golfer magazine

R&A:

St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, NJ, USA – The R&A and USGA will update the testing conditions used for golf ball conformance under the Overall Distance Standard (ODS), which will take effect from January 2028. The decision aims to reduce the impact increased hitting distances have on golf’s long-term sustainability while minimising the impact on the recreational game.

The revised ball testing conditions will be as follows: 125-mph clubhead speed (equivalent to 183 mph ball speed); spin rate of 2220 rpm and launch angle of 11 degrees. The current conditions, which were established 20 years ago, are set at 120 mph (equivalent to 176 mph ball speed), 2520 rpm with a 10-degree launch angle.

The revised conditions are based on analysis of data from the worldwide tours and the game over several years and are intended to ensure that the ODS (whose limit will remain unchanged at 317 yards with a 3-yard tolerance) continues to represent the ability of the game’s longest hitters. An analysis of ball speeds among golf’s longest hitters in 2023 shows that the fastest ten players had an average ball speed of 186 mph, while the average ball speed of the fastest 25 was 183.4 mph (the very fastest averaged 190 mph).

The longest hitters are expected to see a reduction of as much as 13-15 yards in drive distance. Average professional tour and elite male players are expected to see a reduction of 9-11 yards, with a 5-7-yard reduction for an average LET or LPGA player.

The change in testing speed is expected to have a minimal distance impact, 5 yards or less, for most recreational golfers. Research shows an average swing speed of 93 mph for male golfers and 72 mph for female players.

Existing balls approved for conformance in 2027 may continue to be used by recreational golfers until January 2030 to give golfers, manufacturers and retailers additional time to adjust. These decisions are in line with the commitments made by the governing bodies at the project’s inception.

A significant portion of golf ball models that are currently in the market – and more than 30 percent of all golf ball models submitted for conformance across the game – are expected to remain conforming after these changes are applied.

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “We are convinced that this decision is one of the key ways of achieving a sustainable future for golf, protecting the integrity of the game and meeting our environmental responsibilities. The measure we are taking has been carefully considered and calibrated while maintaining the ‘one game’ ethos deemed to be so important to the golf industry. Importantly, it also keeps the impact on recreational golfers to an absolute minimum. We are acting now because we want to ensure that future generations can enjoy the unique challenge of golf as much as we do.”

“Governance is hard. And while thousands will claim that we did too much, there will be just as many who said we didn’t do enough to protect the game long-term,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA. “But from the very beginning, we’ve been driven to do what is right for the game, without bias. As we’ve said, doing nothing is not an option – and we would be failing in our responsibility to protect the game’s future if we didn’t take appropriate action now.”

The Notice of Decision follows the most thorough and comprehensive examination of the issue in the game’s history through the Distance Insights project, which was launched in 2018 and gathered data, shared research and solicited feedback from golf course owners, players, and stakeholders across the game. Data provided by the seven major worldwide tours has also been analysed by the governing bodies, who have published Annual Driving Distance Reports every year since 2015.

The reports followed the governing bodies’ joint Conclusions from the Distance Insights Project: Implication of Hitting Distance in Golf, which shared the reasons why addressing the continuing trend of hitting distance increases and subsequent course lengthening is critical to the game’s long-term sustainability.

All golf ball and club manufacturers were advised of the decision on Tuesday and were given full technical details and an implementation timeline. The Notice of Decision takes into account the extensive research and feedback received from manufacturers and other industry stakeholders throughout the six-year process and following multiple Areas of Interest and proposals starting in 2021 as part of the Equipment Rulemaking process.

A copy of the letter and technical documents can be found at www.RandA.org/distance-insights.

The extensive feedback received showed worldwide sentiment that the retention of a single set of playing rules and equipment standards is critically important to the sport and should apply across the game. Feedback from manufacturers resulted in the timeline being extended to 2028 to allow more time for innovation and production of new products for elite and recreational players.

In addition to the new ball-testing conditions, the governing bodies will:

• Expand the testing approach to better detect ‘Driver Creep,’ which can result in drivers exceeding the limits set out in the Equipment Rules. This is a change in the testing methodology for submitted drivers, to identify and proactively address driver models that are within current tolerance levels and have Characteristic Time (CT) values that are more likely to exceed the limit through regular use.
• Continue to monitor drivers and explore possible additional options related to distance. Specifically, we will research the forgiveness of drivers and how they perform with off-centre hits. This is an ongoing review and we will seek input from and continue to work with the industry, including manufacturers, to identify driver design features that can be regulated as a means to reward centre impact position hits versus mis-hits.

The R&A and the USGA are guided by an overarching principle to continue to preserve the fundamental elements of golf – protecting the integrity of golf courses, including their overall length, and ensuring that a variety of skills are needed to be successful.

Longer golf courses require additional resources such as water, the cost of renovating or moving elements like tees and bunkers continues to rise and other long-term impacts have been identified as a result of increased distance. The governing bodies believe that if the sport is to enjoy a sustainable long-term future then these economic and environmental impacts have to be kept under control.

The Overall Distance Standard was first introduced in 1976 and has been updated on three previous occasions (1980, 2002 and 2004). This is the first time that test speeds have been updated since 2004, when the current standard was set based on the longest hitters at that time.

GOLF CANADA / November 28, 2023

The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) have announced an important new program which will extend further support and recognition to facilities for sustainability and climate action.

This long-term project is being delivered by the two Canadian associations in collaboration with the GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, which is the international not-for-profit entirely dedicated to establishing golf as a leader in this field.

Core components of the initiative include:

• Free provision of GEO’s OnCourse Program for sustainable golf facilities and course management
• Access to annual Sustainable Golf Scorecards and Carbon Footprints
• Communications strategies that spotlight golf’s positive environmental stewardship
• Creation of a valuable industry data bank to support golf’s positive story
• Annual awards and internationally accredited certification
• Aligned strategies, goals and member support from both NGCOA Canada and CGSA

“The rapid movement in sustainability is fundamentally critical to the future of golf, and in particular the ability to successfully operate golf courses”, stated Jeff Calderwood, CEO of the NGCOA Canada. “This initiative delivers new solutions supporting management efficiency, the popularity of our game throughout Canada, golf’s positive brand, and the long-term profitability of our golf businesses.”

“Climate change and loss of biodiversity are concerns across society and, as land managers, we have an important role to play,” added Dustin Zdan, President of the CGSA. “This program provides recognition for the stewardship work that our superintendents deliver, while our industry demonstrates to society and governments that golf is an effective environmental leader.”

The GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation has been supporting golf in more and more countries around the world each year. Jonathan Smith, executive director of GEO, was very supportive of expanding their support in Canada.

“Congratulations to the NGCOA Canada and CGSA for stepping forward and demonstrating this sustainability commitment,” said Smith. “The programs, tools and recognition are purely designed to help facility and association leaders to better review and quantify what they are already doing; to identify areas for further focus; to build more effective communication plans; and to accelerate their profile as a climate conscious community of golf businesses.”

In parallel to this golf course operations initiative, it should be noted that Golf Canada is also demonstrating leadership by working with partners such as GEO for sustainability programs at the RBC Canadian Open and the CPKC Women’s Open, as well as their own Amateur events. Collectively, the Canadian golf industry is positioning the sport and industry very effectively for the future of sustainability.

Golf course operators and superintendents are advised to watch for further details and participation opportunities being released by both the NGCOA Canada and CGSA.

By Mike Masaro / Kevin Smith

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of 39 amateur athletes and 10 coaches named to the 2024 men’s and women’s Team Canada – NextGen and Team Canada squads.

4 Albertans make Team Canada for 2024. 19-year-old Ethan Wilson and Hunter Thomson return for a 3rd season on the Nextgen Boys team. Wilson is the 2023 Alberta Men’s Amateur Champion and is in his first year at the University of Illinois while Thomson, the 2020 Alberta U19 Boys champion, is in his 3rd year at University of Michigan. 21-year-old Brady McKinlay of Lacombe is a recent graduate of Utah Valley State University, the 2022 Alberta Men’s Amateur champion joins the Team Canada Men’s Team for the first time. Also making a first time appearance on the national team is 14-year-old Eileen Park who earned a spot on the NextGen Girls team. The standout from Red Deer defended her U19 Alberta Girls Championship in 2023 along with winning the Canadian Junior Girls U19 Championship.

Ethan Wilson

Hunter Thomson

Brady McKinlay

Eileen Park

The Team Canada – NextGen program supports juniors and young amateurs who are transitioning to college golf. The Team Canada program supports a group of experienced amateurs who are on the path towards professional golf along with a group of young professional golfers who are building their careers as touring pros.

Teams are selected based on results from the previous season (September-August), with the Team Canada – NextGen program considering performance at Golf Canada’s Selection Camp in September. Professional players that will be part of the 2024 Team Canada squad will be announced at a later date, upon the completion of Qualifying schools.

“We are excited to formally announce the amateur athletes who will be part of our 2024 Team Canada and Team Canada – NextGen teams, and we look forward to supporting their journeys to the LPGA and PGA TOUR,” said Kevin Blue, Chief Sport Officer. “I would like to extend our sincere thanks as well to our generous donors who support the player development program through the Golf Canada Foundation, along with our critical and fully aligned corporate partners for the continued commitment that is enabling the Team Canada player development program to help more Canadians excel at the highest levels of our sport.”

Golf Canada’s player development program provides individualized training and competition support to athletes on their journey to the LPGA and PGA TOUR. National team coaches work with athletes and their personal support teams to develop annual training plans and identify areas where impact can be made to help athletes improve in all areas of their game. Athletes are also supported by a comprehensive sport science team that includes mental performance, physical conditioning, and mental health supports. The players are brought together regularly for training camps where they receive support from national team coaches and sport science staff, and train with their peers.

The coaching staff for the men’s and women’s Team Canada squads will return in full for the 2024 season. Team Canada – Women will again be coached by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach Salimah Mussani (Vancouver, B.C.) and Associate Coach Jennifer Greggain (Vancouver, B.C.). Team Canada – Men return Head Coach Derek Ingram (Winnipeg, Man.) and Assistant Coaches Louis Melanson (Moncton, N.B.) and Benoit Lemieux (Montréal, Que.).

The men’s amateur Team Canada squad features reigning Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion Ashton McCulloch. McCulloch also represented Canada along with teammates Piercen Hunt and Brady McKinlay at the 2023 Men’s World Amateur Team Championship. McKinlay will be joining Team Canada for the first time in 2024. Earlier this month, McKinlay was part of Canada’s fourth Tailhade Cup winning team in Buenos Aires, Argentina and also took home individual honours at the Argentina Amateur Championship. McKinlay and Hunt are expected to turn professional in 2024 and receive support alongside the group of young pros that will be named to Team Canada in the coming weeks.

The women’s amateur group features reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, Lauren Kim, along with World Amateur Team Championship teammates Monet Chun and Katie Cranston. Savannah Grewal also returns to Team Canada and has announced her intention to turn professional as she pursues LPGA Tour status at Q Series in early December. Ellie Szeryk returns to the team for her third year after being part of the junior squad in 2018 and 2019. Szeryk won her first collegiate title, representing Southern Methodist University at the Jim West Challenge this October.

Team Canada – Men

Team Canada – Women

The Team Canada – NextGen coaching staff is led by Head Coach Robert Ratcliffe (Qualicum Beach, B.C.) with support from Associate Coach Jeff MacDonald (Fall River, N.S.) and Assistant Coaches Jennifer Ha (Calgary, Alta.) and Darcy Dhillon (Red Deer, Alta.).

Tristian Mullally of Dundas, Ont. will continue as the Head of National Talent Identification overseeing the national talent identification system that was established in 2022. In this role, Mullaly provides support to a promising group of younger junior golfers (11 – 16 years old) and their existing coaching teams to grow the pool of future Team Canada prospects.

The NextGen team features 15 returning players and eight new members for 2024. The boys team features 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Champion, Alex Zhang, two-time Canadian Junior Boys Champion, JP Parr along with 2023 tournament winners, Isaiah Ibit (NextGen Ontario) and Matthew Javier (Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp).

The girls team features all three members of Canada’s winning side at the 2023 World Junior Girls Championship: Vanessa Borovilos, Anna Huang and Vanessa Zhang. Reigning Canadian Junior Girls Champion, Eileen Park, will be joining the team for the first time in 2024.

Team Canada – NextGen Boys

Team Canada – NextGen Girls

For full Team Canada bios and additional information, please click here.

Team Canada is proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Hilton, Puma, Foresight, Golf Canada Foundation and Sport Canada.