Junior tour acquisition highlights Alberta Golf Spring Launch
Alberta Golf held their 2019 Spring Launch Thursday May 23rd at River Bend Golf Club in Red Deer.
The event brought together industry stakeholders, golf course professionals and staff, media, partners, sponsors, suppliers and volunteers.
Lisa Vlooswyk, Tiffany Gordon, Kim Carrington and Judy Forshner. Photo courtesy of Lisa Vlooswyk.
The focus was on Alberta Golf’s dedication to the public golfer, youth, family and recreational golf this season.
Alberta Golf has acquired the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour presented by Crowe MacKay which will see youth compete at 25 events across the province this season.
Alberta Golf board chair Peter Major.
Also showcased were new programs Future Links “Youth on Course” and the Calgary Golf Festival presented by Shaw. The Alberta Golf Spring Launch is now a yearly staple on our calendar to unofficially kick off what should be a great golf season with programs for all levels and ages of players.
Youth on Course pilot program launches in Alberta!
Youth on Course was started a decade ago by the Northern California Golf Association to provide youth ages 6-18 affordable life-changing opportunities through golf. Youth on Course members now have access to golf for $5 or less at over 1,100 participating courses.
Alberta is the first province in Canada to pilot the program. All junior members of Alberta Golf will automatically receive a Youth on Course membership number via email followed by a membership card during the spring of 2019.
Youth on Course is a two-year pilot program in the province of Alberta and is recognized under the umbrella of Canada’s National Junior Golf Program – Future Links.
The list of courses offering junior golf rounds for $5 or less in 2019 are:
Banff Springs Golf Club (Tunnel 9)
Barrhead Golf Club
Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course
Eagle Rock Golf Course
Goose Hummock Golf Resort
Heatherglen Golf Course
Lakeside Golf Club
McCall Lake Golf Course (18 & par 3)
Northern Bear Golf Course
Olds Golf Club
RedTail Landing Golf Club
River Spirit Golf Club
Serenity Golf Club
Shaganappi Golf Course (18 & 9)
Westlock Golf Course
Whitetail Crossing Golf Club
Golfers, ages 6-18 will have access to the Youth on Course US network as well, getting access to 1,000 golf courses in 27 different States.
Step 1: Join Golf Canada… see link below
Step 2: Your Golf Canada membership number is your Youth on Course number. Use this until you receive your card.
Step 3: That’s it… have fun !
If you are not a current junior member of Golf Canada pleaseJOIN HEREand become a member today. One of the many benefits of your new membership will be access to the “Youth on Course” program.
For more information or if you have any questions please contact us.
We are pleased to present our 2019 competitions schedule and announce that registration is now open!
Ten provincial championships will be contested over the course of the summer at many of the province’s best facilities. Early bird pricing is in place for qualifiers and select events for the first 15 days! View the schedule and sign-up now!
WE ARE ENCOURAGING THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO COMPETITION TO GIVE IT A TRY!
Often, golfers don’t realize that their Handicap Factor does make them eligible to participate in provincial championships. Check our eligibility requirements to see which events are open to you. Give it a try and we will ensure you have an enjoyable, positive and memorable golf experience.
The Alberta Match Play Championship will be held June 4-6that the River Spirit Golf Club in Calgary. Men and women with a Handicap Factor of 8.0 or less are encouraged to register. There will be an 18-hole stroke play qualifier to determine the mens and ladies brackets. The mens champion will earn a spot on Team Alberta for the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at Royal Colwood in Victoria, BC.
We are delighted to welcome back SVR Lawyers as title sponsor of the Alberta Open Championship. The Calgary based law firm has increased their investment through to 2021. The Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers will be held June 11-13that the Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle. One of the marquee events on the provincial schedule, the Alberta Open brings together 120 amateur and junior golfers with PGA of Alberta club professionals as well as professionals on various developmental tours. The professionals will battle for an $18,000 purse. The low amateur will earn a spot on Team Alberta at the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.
New this year, amateurs and professionals from outside Alberta will be eligible to compete in the Alberta Open. We anticipate one of the strongest fields in recent memory. Additionally, a Last Chance Monday Qualifier will be held on June 10th where there will be a limited number of spots available for the championship.
The Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Championship will be held June 25-27th at the Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary. The club is celebrating its 100th year and we are excited to be a small part of their season long celebration. 144 Mid-Am’s (players aged 25 & over) will have the opportunity to experience one of the best venues in the province which has recently undergone an extensive renovation including improvements to the golf course and a gorgeous new 37,000 square-foot clubhouse. Sign up early as registration is first come, first served.
THE ALBERTA JUNIOR AT HIGHWOOD GOLF
Two junior girls enjoying their round at the 2018 Future Links Western Championship at Highwood Golf (L to R: Annabelle Ackroyd, Taylor Stone)
The Alberta Junior Championship is set for July 2-5th at Highwood Golf in High River. Many juniors saw the course last year at the Future Links Western Championship and will already have this championship circled on the 2019 calendar. 156 junior boys and girls will descend upon High River to compete over 72 holes. New this year, there are a variety of social functions planned following the first two rounds that focus on having fun and forging new friendships including individual and partner contests, barbeques, coaching and education. The Alberta Bantam Championship, for those aged 14 and under, will be held August 26-27th at River Bend Golf Course in Red Deer and will have the same social element.
The Sun Life Financial Alberta Amateur Championships will be held in back-to-back weeks in July at the Ranch Golf & Country Club in Acheson (Ladies Amateur) and the Wolf Creek Golf Resort – Links course in Ponoka (Mens Amateur). We wish to thank Sun Life Financial and their Advisors across the province for their tremendous support as a long-term sponsor for the last 29 years! The two championships are qualifiers for the Canadian National Championship and the mens champion will earn the third spot on Team Alberta at the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.
The Alberta Senior Championships will also be held in back-to-back weeks in late July at the Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House (Senior Ladies) and the Derrick Golf & Winter Club in Edmonton (Senior Mens). Two great golf courses that will be enjoyed by the senior-aged group of competitors.
MENS AND LADIES INTERCLUB CHAMPIONSHIP AT KANANASKIS
The Alberta Interclub Championship is destined to become the hallmark event to wrap up the Alberta Golf season each year. Kananaskis Country Golf Course has committed to host both the mens and ladies championships on alternating courses. On September 3rd, 32 mens teams and 20 ladies teams will make the enjoyable trek to Kananaskis Country. In 2019, the mens contest will be on the Mt. Kidd course and the ladies contest on the Mt. Lorette course.
The Interclub brings together teams of four from clubs across the province to compete against each other for bragging rights. Registration is on a first come, first served basis and each individual player must have a Handicap Factor of 20.0 or less. The clubs themselves decide how to select the players that represent them at the championship. Often it is through club championship results and alternating years of sending low gross or low net finishers.
The team from the Winston Golf Club enjoying their day at the 2018 Alberta Interclub Championship.
National Championships: There are several National Championships in Alberta this year. They include the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship July 23-26th at the beautiful Red Deer Golf & Country Club and the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at the storied Lethbridge Country Club. The Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship will be held May 31 to June 2nd at the Wolf Creek Golf Resort.
How do you register for a competition and frequently asked questions?We have developed a step-by-step document to guide you through registration and answer common questions. In conjunction with the modernized Rules of Golf, our competition policies have been updated and presented in a clearer fashion. Please take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the new Rules of Golf and the 2019 competition policies and helpful information.
Which Qualifier should I sign-up for? Players who are not exempt from qualifying can choose to play in any of the regional qualifiers for the respective championship. There are a variety of dates and locations to choose from, but players may only attempt to qualify once. The exception to this is the Last Chance Monday Qualifier for the Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers, where players can attempt either for the first time or for a second time. Two of the Junior Regional Qualifiers for the 2019 Alberta Junior Championship will be conducted by the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour and the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour.These two events allow players the opportunity to compete in a multi-day event and opt in to use the first round as their qualifying score for the Alberta Junior. An additional qualify fee does apply. A reminder to those players who are exempt from qualifying, you still need to register before the respective entry deadline.
IN 2019, GIVE COMPETITIONS A TRY. WE KNOW YOU WILL ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE. SEE YOU ON THE COURSE!
Alberta Golf Sport Development program funds 23 High Performance athletes
Alberta Golf is proud to continue support of it’s High Performance athletes in 2019. This year we are supporting 23 athletes in their pursuit of golf excellence. This group of talented players will share $20,000 between them and the funds have been directed to their coaches/instructors, as well as fitness/nutrition training and sports psychology. The players were able to determine their priorities and the professionals of their choosing.
Annabelle Ackroyd wins 2018 Alberta Junior & Juvenile Girls Championship at Coyote Creek Golf & RV Resort. Jul 4th, 2018.
These 23 athletes met specific criteria based on their 2018 performance, participation with Alberta Golf and personal investment in their development as High Performance athletes.
Kai Iguchi wins 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship. High River, Alberta, June 4th 2018.
We would like to recognize the following players who have received funds in 2019 and we wish them the best of luck in their training and the upcoming competitive season.
For many of us trying to squeeze in the last few rounds of the season, or for those planning on heading south this winter, it’s important to note the “active season” in the region, province or country you’re playing in.
Golf Canada’s Handicap System stipulates every player is responsible for returning all acceptable scores into one’s scoring record from rounds played on courses observing their active season, which is part of the golf season when courses have acceptable playing conditions.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf association to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.
Each year, provincial associations analyze numerous factors to determine their active seasons. This ensures consistency of when scores would be posted by the majority of golfers to help keep Handicap Factors accurate.
Scores made at any golf course observing an inactive season are not acceptable for handicap purposes. The rationale behind this is that posting scores during inactive seasons (periods of poor course conditions) could artificially increase a player’s Handicap Factor.
Scores made at a golf course in an area observing an active season must be posted for handicap purposes, even if the golf club from which the player receives a Handicap Factor is observing an inactive season. The club’s Handicap Committee must make it possible for a player to post these away scores at the beginning of the active season.
For example, if a player belonging to a golf club in Ontario plays golf in Florida during January, any scores made in Florida are acceptable and must be returned to the player’s Ontario golf club. If the player is also a member of a golf club in Florida, scores must be posted to the player’s Florida club.
In Canada, the active season in each province is as follows:
BC = Mar. 1 – Nov. 15 AB = Mar. 1 – Oct. 31 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
It’s also important to note that if you are travelling to other countries, you should determine their active seasons to prevent posting unacceptable scores. Your home club needs all acceptable scores from the “off-season” as well to ensure your Handicap Factor is accurate once recalculated at the beginning of the season.
For a detailed list of active and inactive schedule in the United States, click here.
Government unveils new plan to battle harassment, abuse, discrimination in sport
Stephen Wigington
A safe space for Canadian athletes and kids who participate in sport has been a long time coming.
That was part of Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan’s message in announcing both an investigation unit and a toll-free confidential helpline on Wednesday, major measures in an effort to combat harassment and abuse in sport.
“This was Week 1 my priority, as an athlete, coach, and judge all my life,” Duncan told The Canadian Press. “When you train athletes your No. 1 job is to protect their health and safety. It’s your No. 1 job.
“So when I came into the role, I wanted to put our athletes at the centre of everything we do. And I knew we needed to help our athletes from the beginning – that there be a confidential safe place where they could go.”
The investigation unit is an arm’s-length, third-party program set up through the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, an independent organization that already functions in helping resolve disputes in the national sport community. Canadian sport organizations can access the unit for independent investigations on reports of harassment, abuse or discrimination in sport.
The helpline – 1-888-83SPORT (77678) – is for victims and witnesses of harassment, abuse or discrimination. The line, which is already up and running, will be staffed by counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists, seven days a week, 12 hours a day.
“I have been clear there can be bystander effect. If you see a child being hurt or harmed, it’s all of our jobs to speak up,” Duncan said. “So having this confidential phone line where you can report cases, they are professionally trained people . . . who will listen. It’s safe, confidential, in both official languages, and they will say where you can go next, whether it’s to the police, whether it’s to child protection services, it’s to provincial or territorial resources, but you will actually have someone say ‘This is where you go next.”’
Wednesday’s announcement is the latest move by Duncan, who appointed a working group on gender equity to study issues such as sexual abuse and harassment after she was appointed sport minister in January of 2018. The government also recently partnered with Canadian athletes rights group AthletesCan for a study on abuse and discrimination and sport.
Duncan also unveiled a gender equity secretariat and a code of conduct – “which has never existed” – is being written that can be used in sports of all levels.
“This is so important to me that we get this right,” Duncan said. “We’ve got to do this for our athletes and our children.”
Canadian sports groups applauded Duncan’s efforts on Wednesday.
“Minister Duncan is dedicated to improving safe sport and is making serious, deliberate investments, not just words but actions,” Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi said in a statement. “These are impressive initiatives and the whole sport system will be safer as a result of her efforts.”
Canadian Paralympic Committee president Marc-Andre Fabien said: “These new processes are critical towards combating harassment, abuse, and discrimination in sport.”
There have been several high-profile sexual assault and harassment stories recently in Canadian sport. In June, Allison Forsyth was among several former members of Canada’s ski team who spoke publicly about the abuse suffered at the hands of former coach Bertrand Charest in the 1990s. Charest was convicted last year of 37 offences of sexual assault and exploitation.
“As a victim of sexual abuse, I am extremely encouraged by these two new programs,” Forsyth said in a statement Wednesday. “It is critical that our sport system has a safe place for athletes to report instances of abuse and an ethical and legal investigation process. These is a strong sense of urgency to take action. We are not seeking perfection; we are seeking progress to ensure a safe, healthy sport environment for all athletes in Canada.”
Safe sport had been governed through the Sport Canada Accountability Framework since it was implemented in 1996 in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal involving former junior hockey coach Graham James. National sport organizations were required to have a safe sport policy – and a designated individual to handle complaints – in place to receive government funding.
But there had been major inconsistencies in how it was applied, and in recently months, and in light of a handful of high-profile cases in Canada, athletes and administrators – including Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe and Sheldon Kennedy, a retired NHL player and sex abuse victim – publicly called for an independent party to handle cases.
New Titleist Pro V1 & Pro V1x now available in High Optic Yellow
Stephen Wigington
Following a successful seeding and validation period on the PGA Tour, the new 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow golf balls will be available in golf shops this week – beginning Friday, March 15.
The introduction of a high-visibility yellow colour option to the Pro V1 family – the most played golf balls at every level of competitive golf and the best-selling models in the game – answers the growing demand from members of Team Titleist and golfers around the world.
“I’m loving the new Pro V1x Yellow. When the R&D guys sent me the first batch of them for testing, I couldn’t wait to get them in play,” said Watson, who currently leads the PGA Tour’s average driving distance category at 316.6 yards.
“I played some really good golf with the [prior generation] Pro V1x, but it’s clear the 2019 ball is even better. It’s faster, I can work the ball exactly how I want, and the short game performance is as good as ever. The ball feels great, plus there’s just something about that bright yellow finish where I feel like I can see it better. For me it was a no brainer.”
On Sunday, Kirk Triplett, playing Pro V1x Yellow, eagled the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the PGA Tour Champions’ Hoag Classic, marking the first victory for a Pro V1 or Pro V1x Yellow golf ball on the worldwide professional tours.
The new ProV1 and ProV1x in High Optic Yellow are available in ?? on March 15 ?? @TitleistCA
Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow models have also been played on the PGA Tour by Kyle Jones (Pro V1x) and Rory Sabbatini (Pro V1x), on the Web.Com Tour by Scott Gutschewski (Pro V1) and Zac Blair (Pro V1x), and on PGA Tour Champions by Mark Calcavecchia (Pro V1x) and Ken Tanigawa (Pro V1).
2019 PRO V1 PERFORMANCE
Faster from core to cover, new Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow have been precisely engineered to deliver the same performance improvements as their 2019 counterparts – delivering more ball speed and lower long game spin for more distance, while retaining the consistent flight, Drop-and-Stop short game control, soft feel and long-lasting durability that golfers depend on. Click here for complete details.
Pro V1 provides optimal flight and spin for most golfers, flying lower than Pro V1x with a penetrating trajectory, with very soft feel. Pro V1x flies higher, spins more on iron shots and has a slightly firmer feel.
GOLF BALL SELECTION TOOL
Playing a properly fit golf ball will help golfers shoot lower scores. The Titleist golf ball selection tool starts the fitting process by suggesting a recommended and alternative ball for golfers to test on the golf course.
AVAILABILITY
New 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls are available now in golf shops worldwide, with yellow models available beginning March 15. $64.99 CAD MAP.
We are delighted to welcome back SVR Lawyers as title sponsor of the Alberta Open Championship. The Calgary based law firm has increased their investment through to 2021. The Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers will be held June 11-13that the Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle. One of the marquee events on the provincial schedule, the Alberta Open brings together 120 amateur and junior golfers with PGA of Alberta club professionals as well as professionals on various developmental tours. The professionals will battle for an $18,000 purse. The low amateur will earn a spot on Team Alberta at the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.
