Alberta Golf is proud to announce the names of the 108 gifted athletes named to the 2025 High-Performance program, as part of the Tier player rankings.

 Alberta Golf’s High-Performance program is designed to support Alberta’s top golfers reach their competitive goals in the sport and assist in securing post-secondary scholarships. The program provides financial support for the players that can be distributed to coaches, facilities, fitness trainers, nutrition specialists or any other support professional the athlete identifies. Additionally, the High-Performance Program offers developmental initiatives including teaching summits, scheduling guidance, recruiting support, and training opportunities for all identified athletes.

 The High-Performance program identifies players based on set performance criteria achieved in the previous season, players earn their tier ranking according to the criteria achieved. The tiered system acts as a roadmap for players and their parents to follow, refer to for guidance and identify the next steps in their competitive golf journey.

 Tier 1 encompasses all junior players at the club level. There is minimal travel for this player, playing most of their golf at their home course. Players at this level should play club level events such as junior leagues, interclub, play McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour events and eventually can graduate to the Alberta U15 & U13 Championships.

 Tier 2 is for the established club players and emerging provincial players, who are working on coordinating a travel schedule, while playing locally and at the club level. This is a very broad tier with the skill levels upon entry and exit varying extensively. This tier has additional opportunities granted to them including potentially playing at Canada Summer Games or the Alberta/Montana Ryder Cup. Players identified as Tier 2 will also receive invitations to development prep camps and an invitation to participate in the Tier Developmental Training trips.

 2025 Tier 2 Players

Tier 3 athletes are established provincial players and emerging national players, who are likely to make the cut at a national competition. These players are actively competing at the highest levels including AJGA events, Golf Canada events, and Alberta Amateur Championships. Players in this tier are eligible to apply for financial support, as part of the Alberta Golf Athlete Support program.

 2025 Tier 3 Players

 Tier 4 is the highest level within the program and is reserved for international level players, who are competing on the international stage and in some cases are members of Team Canada. Players in this tier are also eligible for financial support from the program.

 In 2024 Eileen Park was the first player since Jaclyn Lee to achieve this standard. In 2025 she has once again has been named to Tier 4. Eileen’s 2024 accolades consist of:

• 2024 Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship – Champion
• Named to Golf Canada’s NextGen Squad for the second year
• 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship – 6^th
• 2024 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship – 9^th
• 2024 Golf Canada NextGen Pacific – Champion
• 2024 World Junior Girls Championship – T34^th
• WAGR Ranking: 367
• AJGA Ranking: 101

 In 2025, look out for the Alberta Golf High-Performance bios, highlighting each of the players in Tier 3 and Tier 4!

For International Day of Disability, Alberta Golf wants to showcase the work that’s being done by other organizations in the sports and recreation space. This is where the Alberta Sports and Recreation Association for the Blind (ASRAB) comes in. ASRAB supports Albertans, who are visually impaired, and want to live physically active lives and participate in competitive support programs.

The association runs a variety of programs each year, many of them introductory, in a variety of sports helping these athletes learn the basics of each sport, while promoting physical literacy. They’re most known for their involvement with Goalball which is a Paralympic Sport. ASRAB has been offering try-it golf programming for over 10 years, and it has since grown to almost all their major centres.

 Please enjoy this Question and Answer with ASRAB’s Executive Director, Linda MacPhail!

What is ASRAB? What is the mission of the organization? What kind of programs do you run?

 ASRAB is the Alberta Sports and Recreation Association for the Blind. The association’s mission is to support Albertan’s who are visually impaired with living active lifestyles and participate in sports. So, we work with children and teach them fundamental movement skills and introduce them to a wide variety of sports. We have a “Movement for Me” session going on right now where we teach the kids skills such as jumping, hopping, throwing and striking, so they develop some of those basic skills, and then take that into different sports. We’re working with educators to create modules for when children are in physical education classes, and assist the teacher or educator can work with the child and include them in a meaningful way in learning new sports skills. We also offer a wide range of recreational activities to expose participants to as many opportunities as we can, to see what they like and find a niche for them to be physically active. So, in a year we’ll have any number of different activities, anything we can think up that we can adapt for our members and introduce them to different sports.

 Goalball is the sport that we have responsibility for, and the one activity that we support recreationally and competitively. Goalball is a Paralympic sport.  It was created after the Second World War to keep soldiers that had lost their vision physically active in a competitive environment.  So goalball is the sport we do from playground to podium.  We teach children Goalball, we have youth Goalball programs,  junior teams and senior teams, coaches and officials.  Both of our Provincial Coaches were Paralympians, and one (Trent Farebrother) is the head coach for the women’s national team coach, and spent this last summer in Paris coaching the Canadian Women at the Paralympic Games.

 How did ASRAB start and how has the association grown since then?

We’re coming up to our 50^th anniversary.  It was a swim coach, Lorna Snow, who was working with a child with vision impairment in the pool, and was looking for other ways to support children with low vision develop physical literacy.  She and other like-minded individuals started the association. From there we’ve grown to where ASRAB is currently active with seven major centres:  Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat.

 Going back to the first question, it sounds like ASRAB runs a lot of introductory programming, besides Goalball are there any other sports that the association has a competitive pathway for?

The only sport that we have the technical expertise in to support high performance programming is goalball.  We’re experts at helping adapt sports and being inclusive and teaching sports but if somebody starts a sport and they become more adept at it and want to pursue it we’re here help get them connected with the correct people.

 Do you mind listing some of the programs that you ran this year?

As I said we’re now in seven different centres and they all offer different programming based on availability, but we run a physical literacy and fundamental movement skills for children program called “Movement For Me”, we’ve been working on educational and support programs for educators, and of course our Goalball programs.

Some of our introductory sport programming includes golf, curling, gymnastics, skating, hockey, snowshoeing, summer camps, walking Clubs, hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, cycling, tennis, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball. All our programming duration varies for each sport from one-day to ongoing programs as well.

 How did your organization begin your golf program and what does your golf programming entail?

 There has been active golf associations for the vision impaired for some time.  We knew about the Western Canadian Golf Association, and they offer competitive golf.  We were looking to introduce new players to golf, as it is a great sport for life, with a strong social component.  We began working with golf pros in Calgary and Edmonton to offer a try-it golf program to expose our members to the technical skills of the game.  Additionally, the City of Calgary and Gennie Liu have been helpful with a program for youth that we have partnered with.  Last summer we added programming in Lethbridge, and this summer Medicine Hat.

 What we try to do with our golf programming is introduce them to all the key facets of the game; driving, chipping, putting, and then hopefully finish it off with some time on the course whether that’s a three-hole loop or whatever we can do.

 What’s the age range and skill level of the participants in your golf programming specifically?

Our programming is introductory. We may have skilled players that start there, but most of our golfers are new. The age range is mostly youth, but we do have some adult participants. Again, our focus is the introductory and physical literacy for the kids, and then providing help to transition those more skilled players to a golf game or competition when they decide that’s what they want to do.

 We’re noticing an increase in competitive golf offerings for players that are visually impaired along with other disabilities, where do you think the game can grow in this department in terms of inclusiveness?

There is a lot of scope for growth.  Golf is a great game for life, with technical skill in a social environment out of doors.  For persons with low vision, we just need some adaptions and guided aid to support their engagement and enjoyment.

 You’ve mentioned a few organizations, but what other golfing organizations have you worked with in the past?

We’ve worked with a variety of organizations including Western Canadian Blind Golf Association, City of Calgary, and different golf professionals across the province. Again, we’re always open to different organizations and would love to collaborate with any of them to offer a complete pathway from the movement skills needed for golf to competitive opportunities.

 In all of your programming, what do you define as success?

Success for us is just about getting kids out and enjoying activity!   We want people to participate in whatever activity they wish, either recreationally with their family and friends, or to pursue competitive play.

 Specifically with your golf programs, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

The challenges that we’ve faced are just timing and availability, which isn’t unique to ASRAB. Golf professionals are always busy, courses are busy during the summer, and we’re a small group;, so finding people that are focused on helping is a big part of it. We’ve always been very fortunate that there are people out there that are willing to help.

 As mentioned, we’re seeing growth in golf in terms of inclusion and accessibility. What can associations do to help continue growing and making the game more accessible?

Just partnering and working with their local associations to help with instruction and development.  I think a great idea would be to initiate some skill competitions (such as the drive, chip, putt event) and a 3-hole event; which would help transition new players from the try-it skill sessions to playing a game of golf.

 For our golf programming, we want to continue our growth in all our centres. So, working with a facility, club, or professionals in all these centres to provide access and development would be our next goal.

 How can someone support ASRAB with their mission?

Just reach out. Our website is asrab.ab.ca.  We’re always looking for volunteers and we’re always looking to get more Albertans engaged in programming and enjoying a physically active life.

The Interprovincial Challenge Cup was the first interprovincial team championship conducted by the RCGA in 1882 and was far from a true interprovincial championship with only member clubs from Ontario and Québec playing. Five years later these matches ended abruptly. It wasn’t until 1927 that the event was brought back for good. In 1962, the Men’s Senior Interprovincial Championship got its start with only three teams playing in the event. Over the next 15 years the event would continue to grow and in 1977 the Phil Farley Memorial Trophy was created for the winning team of the event.

In the 62-year history of the event, two provinces have seemingly separated themselves from the rest of the field in terms of victories; Ontario and Alberta. Ontario was extremely dominant since the event began, until 1986 when Alberta’s newest crop of seniors arrived. In 1985, Bob Wylie won his first Canadian Men’s Senior Championship and in 1986, Alberta won its first Men’s Senior Interprovincial Championship. Alberta would finish 3^rd in 1987 and would then win the next 4 interprovincial championships and seven of the next ten. This was part of a historic run that saw the previous dominance of Bob Wylie, Doug Silverberg, Keith Alexander return on the Senior stage. This group would finish with 8 team wins and 8 individual wins from 1986-1995. The years to follow were ruled by Ontario, with provinces like Quebec, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia winning the occasional title or two.

1988 Men’s Senior Interprovincial Team Winners: Bob MacDonald, Len Brayton, Doug Silverberg, Bob Wylie

Alberta’s luck changed in 2005 with a second-place finish, which kickstarted a run of almost 20 years of podium finishes for Alberta’s senior men. Over the last 19 years, Alberta has two 4^th place finishes, one 3^rdplace finish, and nine championship wins including six of the last seven. The recent success of Alberta on the interprovincial stage at the Canadian Men’s Senior has been led by five players in Alberta with each team having some combination or inclusion of these players who have helped shape the current landscape of men’s senior golf in the province. The reason for their success; the culture at the Alberta Men’s Senior Championship, and an intense focus on the team event at the national event.

 Howard Broun and Frank Van Dornick are seen as trailblazers and leaders at the Men’s Senior Championship in Alberta and an argument against this is hard to come by with 14 interprovincial team championship appearances between the two of them. Howard’s team won the championship in 2006, the first since 1996, and describes the feeling of winning as one being extremely proud of your province.

 “It can almost feel better winning the team championship than the individual at times because you’re proud of the team and your province”

When asked about the recent success and how it seems to have started, Howard had a clear answer:

 “Frank. Frank (Van Dornick) has been so good for so long and we’re lucky to have him. He kind of dragged the rest of us along and elevated the field around him”.

 Frank Van Dornick is not a new name in Alberta, with a storied career including his induction into the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame. His addition to the senior circuit certainly helped boost the competitiveness of the field in the early 2000’s. Frank won five interprovincial championships with the Senior team from 2012 to 2019 and believes it’s a true honour to be a part of this championship story that he has helped create in Alberta.

“It’s terrific to watch truly. The guys I came with valued the team portion and we have a lot of pride within that. The guys put the team first and the competition second. The guys love it.”

 The team spot for a Canadian event is always a coveted position by any competitive golfer in Alberta. What separates the Men’s Senior Interprovincial team is the level of camaraderie that comes with the team. Brian Laubman who is another highly decorated competitive golfer in the province always comes to the tournament with the goal of making the team in his mind.

 “It’s just different at the Senior’s, guys don’t care as much about the team aspect at the Willingdon (Amateur Interprovincial Team). You can see the change at the Mid-Amateur level, but the Senior’s it goes the full way”

 As someone who has played at a high-level throughout his career, he discussed that compared to the Willingdon Cup team, where the players are a little more serious, and the Mid-Amateur teams where you start to get to know the guys but are not close friends yet. “The Senior teams are much closer as you’ve been playing with these guys for 40 years” Laubman explained “at the Canadians, all the Alberta players and their wives are hanging out together and coming together as a group”. He feels that the culture at the Men’s Senior level is what separates them and has helped build this legacy of success.

 Ken Griffith, who didn’t make the team this year but is no stranger to winning the Farley trophy, explains the culture that Laubman points out. “These are all my friends, and we might be competitors, but I’m happy and proud of them”, and he adds “I stayed and watch the groups finish up like others had done for me and I was one of the first people to go over and celebrate with them”.

 Griffith explains that the culture that has been created for the Men’s Senior Championship is a testament to “the work that Alberta Golf has done to grow our high-level competitions” and he sees the sport moving in a positive direction, especially at the Senior level.

 “Being on the team 6 years and winning 4 golds and one silver in that span, what an accomplishment to have multiple championships in this short period of time, it’s a memory I will hold on to for the rest of life.”

 Griffith adds that “Making any Alberta team at any level is a great honour, it’s a great accomplishment. It’s a great rivalry we have at our level because we’re all good friends.” Most importantly though Griffith knows it’s about the competition and enjoying the challenge.

“Going to Nationals and competing against the other teams and setting our goals so high is always a lot of fun. It’s an added pressure and we all enjoy the challenge.”

2023 Men’s Senior Interprovincial Team Winners: Ken Griffith, James Varnam, Brian Laubman

Senan Foley is one of the “new guys” at the Senior level and was informed eloquently by Howard Broun how different it is. “There’s more appreciation and thankfulness on the Senior circuit” he recalls Howard telling him. Senan made the team in 2021 and 2022 and was on it again in 2024. “Being on the team, it adds to the week because you’re there to represent something bigger than just yourself” he notes. The honour of a team spot is not lost on any of these players, as Senan puts it “There’s some added pressure for sure, but pressure is a privilege”.

 Looking to this year, the Men’s Senior team found themselves four back from Ontario after the first day. Laubman recalls calling a team meeting with Foley and David Schultz knowing that they had to get it done.

 “You don’t want to be the team that loses for the other guys before you, it’s about keeping that legacy going” Laubman explained. Foley expressed similar sentiment, “No one wants to let last year’s group down and we take it very seriously”.

 Led by an impressive 68 from Foley on Day 2, who was in so much pain from his elbow that he didn’t know if he could finish the front 9, and David Schultz who felt he had to rally around Senan’s hot hand, Team Alberta brought home their 4^th straight Phil Farley trophy.

2024 Men’s Senior Interprovincial Team Winners: Brian Laubman, David Schultz, Senan Foley

 David Schultz is another familiar name, as an Alberta Golf Hall of Famer and a decorated golfer at every level in Alberta, and he mentions how every year it feels like they have one of the best teams there.

 “You know if you come out as the team from Alberta, you know that we have a really good chance and should always be one of the favourites.”

 The culture at the Men’s Senior in Alberta seems to be the key to the success at the team event every year and all the players will tell you the same thing. Schultz mentions that everyone keeps in contact over the winter and how everyone is excited to see each other in the summer.

 In 2025, the camaraderie of the Men’s Senior Championship will once again be on display at Wolf Creek, as the men will begin the process of preparing to defend their title and continue the legacy that was created before them. Who makes the team in 2025? Can Alberta win five in a row, making it eight in nine years? What we know is the preparation has already begun, and the Men’s Senior Championship will bring camaraderie, excitement, and a winning tradition.

Alberta Golf  – 2024 was another successful golf season in Alberta with packed tee sheets and full tournaments. One of the biggest areas of growth can be seen in the amount of youth discovering the game, and a big reason is the Youth on Course program run by Alberta Golf. Youth on Course was established in 2006 at the Northern California Golf Association to break down financial barriers, offer life-changing opportunities through golf and bring diversity to the game. The concept is simple, if you’re aged 18 and under and you join Alberta Golf you can access 24 courses in the province (and over 2,000 golf courses across the United States, Canada and Australia) and play your rounds for $5 or less.

Alberta was the first province to bring the program to Canada in 2019 and a modest 1,000 rounds were played by youth in Alberta. In 2023 over 8,000 rounds were played by 1,400 kids while 2024 saw that number soar to over 16,000 rounds played by 3,000 kids. In the past year alone the number of youth using the program and the amount of golf they play has literally doubled! Some of these kids will eventually try our “learn to compete” McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour and follow the pathway to compete in our provincial championships while others will just keep enjoying recreational golf, but either way, by getting affordable access to the game many of these kids will be hooked for life.

24 courses were part of the program in Alberta in 2024 with the City of Calgary seeing the most action, accounting for 4 of the top 5 busiest courses.

Paul Hemstreet is the Volunteer Coordinator for Golf Course Operations for the City of Calgary and says the amount of kids enjoying the game on city courses has been inspiring.

“The City of Calgary Golf Courses are so proud of the impact Youth on Course has had at our facilities,” Hemstreet said. “Our management, staff and patrons have enjoyed seeing the affordable access that the program has provided kids of all skill levels. We are thrilled to continue growing the game of golf with our youth in Calgary and Alberta.”

Youth on Course is now expanding across Canada, there are over 100 participating golf courses offering Youth on Course in Canada and there are plans to grow that number next year with the expansion into Quebec, making the program operational in every province. Michael Lowe is the VP of Programs for Youth on Course in the United States and says he’s proud of how Alberta has paved the way for the program to expand across Canada.

“Witnessing Youth on Course continue to grow in Alberta is inspiring,” Lowe admitted. “Many thanks to Alberta Golf and the community of course partners who work together to ensure golf, and all of the opportunities it provides, are accessible for all.”

Youth on Course is a subsidy program and Youth on Course Alberta is the charity partner of the ATB Classic at Northern Bear Golf Course on PGA Tour Americas. In the past 2 years Youth on Course Alberta and the ATB Classic have fundraised over $100,000 to help keep the program viable for years to come in Alberta.

Alberta’s roster of courses for 2025 will be announced in the spring in what should be another successful season for Youth on Course across the province.

LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUTH ON COURSE ALBERTA HERE

Alberta Golf had one of its busiest seasons in recent memory with well over a million rounds played by members of Alberta Golf. Our recreational brand UpSwing continued to grow, servicing 2,500 members and creating a diversity, equity and inclusion grant program. Youth on Course Alberta doubled in participation this season with 3,000 kids aged 18 and under accessing $5 golf across the province. Our 13 championships were full of high performers and great weather, participation was up almost 50% over the past 5 years. Our McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour introduced competitive golf to more than 1,500 golfers at 26 events across Alberta. There’s no doubt all ages and levels of ability were able to enjoy golfing in Alberta this season.

Click here to read our full newsletter and all that was accomplished in the 2024 golf season. 

The leaves are changing in Alberta as the fall is in full effect, but the golf season is still very much upon us as golfers in the province continue to enjoy the nice weather that we’ve continued to enjoy over the last few years.

 October is often the time that courses are getting ready to close and golfers are still trying to squeeze their final few rounds in, the question must be asked when are you supposed to stop posting scores? The answer to this is never, but there are limitations to every province that stops scores from being a part of the handicap index calculations and these limitations are known as the “Active Posting Season”.

 What is an Active Season

An “Active Season” is the set period when acceptable scores from that specific geographical region can be submitted for their handicap purposes. It is the responsibility of each provincial golf association to declare the active and inactive seasons, and the Rules of Handicapping then stipulates that it’s the players job to submit all their scores from courses that were played during their active season.

 In Alberta, the active season is defined as March 1^st to October 31^st of every year. This is because some clubs in the province can open and close later than the other courses in the province. These courses are often found in the south of the province including Desert Blume, Paradise Canyon, and a handful of others.

 The rest of Canada observes the following active season dates:

 BC =     Mar.1 – Nov.15
SK =     Apr.15 – Oct.31
MB =    Apr.15 – Oct.31
ON =    Apr.15 – Oct.31
QC =    Apr.15 – Oct.31
NS =     Apr.15 – Oct.31
NB =     May.1 – Oct.31
PE =     Apr.16 – Nov.14
NL =     Apr.1 – Nov. 30

 Posting Outside of Active Season

The reason for having these active posting seasons is because if a player plays a round at a course that falls inside the “Inactive Season” the course conditions likely will not be consistent with the Course Rating and Slope Rating that were determined for the golf course. This can then impact a players Handicap Index and ultimately would be an inaccurate representation of the golfer. This is why scores posted to a course during the “Inactive Season” are not used in handicap calculations.

 What are you supposed to do if you travel somewhere else that is still in their active posting season and your club is not? Players are still responsible for posting their scores from their travels if the course played is in their active season and their home club is not.

 A prime example of this would be the lucky snowbirds that travel down south to places like Florida, which has a year-round active season. Players that do travel and play these courses are still responsible for posting this round to their Golf Canada Score Centre account to be included in their scoring record.

 For those that also have memberships at a year-round facility, they’re additionally responsible for posting their scores to their USGA accounts as well as their Golf Canada accounts. The Golf Canada Score Centre has tools that allow the Canadian and USGA accounts to link together to ensure scores posted to one account are automatically posted to the other. For more information on this please contact stephen@albertagolf.org or members@golfcanada.ca.

 For a complete list of the inactive and active posting schedule for the United States, click here.

 To learn more about Course Rating, click here. For more information on Handicapping, click here.

 As the season winds down, make sure you’re still taking advantage of your active posting season, and when the winter comes make sure your account is set up for any travels you might take!

 TO START TRACKING YOUR HANDICAP, JOIN GOLF CANADA HERE! 

Jack and Chris Wilson, 2024 Alberta Golf Volunteers of the Year

Every year Alberta Golf runs two core services throughout the summer months: course rating and amateur golf championships. These two items have been some of Alberta Golf’s core offerings since its inception in 1912. The smooth operation and running of these two offerings come from the dedication and commitment of our 60 volunteers, as either course raters or referees.

After the dust has settled from another busy golf season, Alberta Golf runs its Volunteer Wind-Up, which is a thank you event for all our volunteers, who spend their summers in the field either lending their expertise of the rules of golf to our championship team, or leading a team of volunteers as they rate the courses in Alberta to ensure accurate handicap indexes for all players. As part of the Volunteer Wind-Up, the Volunteer Of The Year is named for Alberta Golf and their name is sent to Golf Canada to be considered for the national Volunteer Award.

On Monday September 23, the 2024 iteration of the Wind-Up took place out at the famous Banff Springs Golf Club. Volunteers from all over the province made their way out to the course for a day of fun, and the chance to meet the other volunteers at Alberta Golf. A buffet lunch was served, and a set of short presentations followed recapping the year from both the competitions and the handicap/course rating teams. After the presentations the 2024 Volunteer of The Year was named as Jack and Chris Wilson, a husband and wife that help lead the southern Course rating team out of the Lethbridge Country Club.

Jack and Chris have been volunteering with Alberta Golf as course raters since 2011 and have graduated from the newbies to the southern team leads and have rated every course in the province south of Strathmore! They even got the once-in-a-lifetime experience to travel to the Northwest Territories, which falls under the Alberta Golf umbrella, to rate four courses up north. After a short speech and award ceremony, it was time for golf!

As part of the appreciation event, all volunteers are given the opportunity to play golf at the hosting course!

Click here for photos from the event

 Chris and Jack’s Story

 Jack got into the course rating game after working at Paradise Canyon as a marshal where he found the enjoyment of being in the field. He got his wife involved and the two learned and worked their way up, quickly realizing that their superpower as a team was Jack’s love for being in the field, and Chris’s passion for learning the rules and procedures of course rating.

 Over 13 years, the pair have had plenty of highlights from their time as volunteers including introducing their friends to course rating! The two did have varying accounts on their favourite memory from their time, with Jack enjoying rating Crowsnest Pass Golf Club after their renovations were finished. Chris loved their experience and time rating the Northwest Territories courses this summer, to which Jack added that was high on his list of experiences with Alberta Golf.

 Looking to become a Volunteer?

 Alberta Golf is always on the lookout for more volunteers to add to our team of referees and course raters. If you’re looking for a new and exciting challenge in the world of golf, this might be the right opportunity for you!

For more information on our volunteer process, click here

For additional questions, please email stephen@albertagolf.org.

Alberta Golf Summer Review: The summer is winding down and a full schedule of Alberta Golf tournaments, events and programs has come to an end across the province. Please enjoy the material below recapping what we’ve been up to the past 3 months, from running elite competitions to our recreational, family and youth initiatives.

Becky Martin Victorious:

25-year-old Becky Martin fired a 4 under 67 during the final round of the Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship at The Ranch Golf & CC. The Medicine Hat golfer won her first provincial title by 7 shots

READ MORE

Ken Griffith Wins Thriller:

In July Red Deer’s Ken Griffith withstood a furious finish by Edmonton’s Brian Laubman to win the Alberta Senior Mens Championship at the Derrick Golf & Winter Club.

READ MORE

Senior Men Win Nationals:

At the 2019 Canadian Senior Mens Championship at Cedar Brae Golf Club, Team Alberta emerged as provincial senior team champions.

The Alberta trio, consisting of Ken Griffith (Red Deer), Brian Laubman (Edmonton) and Frank Van Dornick (Camrose) combined for a second-round score of 4-under to capture the Phil Farley Memorial Trophy.

READ MORE

Carrington Tops Alberta:

  

Kim Carrington won this year’s Alberta Senior Ladies Championship at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House. The 2015 and 2017 champion added the 2019 title to her already amazing resume after shooting a 1 over 74 for an emotional 6 stroke victory over Jackie Little and Lynn Kuehn. The Cottonwood Golf & CC member also won the BC Senior Women’s championship in June.

READ MORE

Alberta Sweeps WCSG:

The 2019 Western Canada Summer Games were held in Swift Current. Team Alberta swept all 4 golf categories with Albertans Cole Bergheim and Jenna Bruggeman winning the male and female divisions while Team Alberta won both the male and female team competition.

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Graf & Ackroyd Winners:

Defending junior girls champion Annabelle Ackroyd of the Glencoe Golf & CC shot a 3 over round of 73 at Highwood Golf to defend her Alberta Junior Championship title while Carter Graf of the Red Deer Golf & CC outlasted UBC golfer Ethan de Graaf to take the boy’s title.

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Frerichs & Brar Victorious:

12-year-old Jayden Brar of Calgary was eligible to compete in this year’s Alberta Novice Boys championship but instead decided to test his skills one age level up in the Bantam category and won the title at River Bend Golf Course in Red Deer.

Brooke Frerichs from the Glencoe Golf & CC took down the Bantam Girls title by 4 strokes.

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Kucy & Bergheim win at AJT Tour Championship:

The McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour came to a breezy, but very successful conclusion in August at Wolf Creek Golf Resort. Jayla Kucy captured her second consecutive Tour Championship at the age of 13 while Cole Bergheim of the Red Deer GCC won the boys title.

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Alberta Golf launches junior website:

Alberta Golf has launched albertagolfjuniors.org as a one stop shop for all of our youth initiatives including the home base for the new McLennan Ross Junior Tour.

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McKinlay & Graf 2nd and 3rd at Nationals:

Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., withstood a strong push from Albertans Brady McKinlay and Carter Graf to defend his title and win the 81st Canadian Junior Boys Championship held at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B. Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta., was the runner up by a single stroke and even held the lead on the back nine in the final round before Vandette sealed victory.

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Jesse Galvon claims Alberta Mid Amateur Title:

In late June Jesse Galvon of the Glencoe Golf and CC withstood a late charge by Bearpaw’s Emmett Oh to win the Alberta Mid Amateur title at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary.

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Smith & Kamenka win Rec Series Ladies Team Classic:

28 teams paired up in August at the Canmore Golf & CC for a fun and competitive Rec Series event. Kelly Smith

and Mary-Anne Kamenka took the title with back to back net rounds of 66.

READ MORE

Spalding, McNicoll & Brooks win final Rec Series event:

 

This summer’s 5 event Recreational Series saw competitors have fun at Stewart Creek, Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, Canmore Golf & Curling Club and a wrap up Net-Am event at the Wintergreen Golf & Country Club. The Net-Am champions were Ena Spalding, Brian McNicoll and Alicia Brooks.

Drive, Chip & Putt champions get thrilling day at Shaw Charity Classic:

In August at Golf Canada Calgary Centre, Jade Carter, Easton Hopkins, Justine Leon and Jalen Apedoe won their age categories at the Shaw Charity Classic Drive, Chip & Putt contest presented by West Island College. The four champions had the experience of a lifetime during the final round of the Shaw Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows getting inside the ropes access with the leaders and a trophy presentation from champion Wes Short Jr.

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Silver Springs & Turner Valley shine at Interclub:

The final event on Alberta Golf’s championship summer schedule was held on a gorgeous day at Kananaskis Country Golf Course for the Alberta Interclub Championship. In the women’s competition Turner Valley Golf Club won the low gross division while the men from Silver Springs Golf & CC won their low gross competition.

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True sportsmanship on display at 2019 Alberta vs Montana Ryder Cup:

Picture Butte Golf Club was the location for the 2019 Alberta vs Montana Ryder Cup. The players from both Alberta and Montana displayed true sportsmanship and played very well.

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Families enjoy Calgary Golf Festival presented by Shaw Charity Classic:

Cottonwood Golf & CC held the Alberta Golf Calgary Golf Festival presented by Shaw. Groups of golfers and families across the city got to spend the day on a private golf course, discover the game of golf and even own a hole for 90 minutes.

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Alberta Golf partners with Junior Achievement for golf business camp:

Alberta Golf partnered with Junior Achievement Canada for a week long camp at Silver Springs Golf & Country Club. The camp breaks down barriers and gets youth on a private golf course for an entire week to learn golf and business skills as well as learn the value of teamwork and working together with new found friends.

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Alberta Golf Foundation distributed Scholarships to 58 recipients in 2019:

The Alberta Golf Association Foundation is focused on supporting students on their path to pursue a post-secondary education. Each year the Foundation awards over 50 scholarships and $50,000 to deserving applicants. Here are this year’s recipients:

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Future Links Youth on Course pilot program a success in first year:

In 2019 Alberta became the first province to pilot the already successful United States program Youth on Course that gets kids aged 6-18 playing golf at courses across the province for $5 or less. Almost one thousand rounds were played by Future Links Youth on Course members at 17 courses in Alberta this summer. Alberta Golf saw an increase in Junior Members especially Junior Public Player Members which saw more than a %500 increase.

Youth on Course info

Juniors in Vulcan thrilled with brand new kid’s course loop:

With a huge community fundraising effort at the Vulcan Golf & CC, Gordon Brayton has opened up a free 3-hole loop for kids to discover the game of golf.

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Celebration of life held for Alberta Golf volunteer Lyle Cuthbert:

Lyle Cuthbert (1943 – 2019)

Lyle was an avid golfer and member at the Elbow Springs GC in Calgary. He started volunteering with Alberta Golf in 2007 and among the many roles he served, Lyle was a course rater with the Association and Treasurer with the Foundation, helping to support students by administering $50,000 annually in post-secondary scholarships.

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Volunteer appreciation day held at Alberta Springs Golf Resort:

Alberta Golf’s season officially came to an end September 11th at Alberta Springs Golf Resort. More than 2 dozen volunteers were recognized for their support of Alberta Golf initiatives this season.

Volunteer Appreciation Photos