The year 2017 is drawing to a close and what a year it was for Canadian golf. Our pros won literally around the world and on just about every tour imaginable. Our amateurs of all ages made Canada proud at home and abroad. And, off the course, there were significant moments that are well worth memorializing as 2018 looms on the horizon.

This is the third of a three-part series remembering most, if not all, of those memorable moments.(If we’ve unintentionally overlooked any—there were so many, after all!—please let us know on Twitter or Facebook.

February:

Roland Deveau of Nova Scotia returns as president of Golf Canada for a second one-year term.

Judy Darling Evans and Bob Vokey elected to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

More on Bob Vokey and Judy Darling Evans, our 2017 inductees into the @CGHF: https://t.co/moub4WZWyb pic.twitter.com/3cTksnSV9B

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) February 28, 2017

Bill Klein of Parkville, B.C., and George McLeod of Brandon, Man., named co-recipients of Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year award.

March:

Mike Weir, a five-time competitor in the event, is named assistant captain of the international team at the Presidents Cup.

Scott Simmons resigns as CEO of Golf Canada after 10 years.

May:

Laurence Applebaum succeeds Scott Simmons as Golf Canada’s chief executive officer.

Golf Canada is proud to announce Laurence Applebaum as the organization’s next CEO.

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on May 16, 2017 at 12:26pm PDT

Toronto’s Bruce Mitchell is named the first Canadian to serve as captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

June:

Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada publish the 2017 Golf Facilities in Canada Report.

September:

Golf Fore The Cure presented by Subaru announces it raised more than $300,000 for breast cancer research through more than 160 events from coast to coast in 2017.

A BIG thank you to all #GolfForetheCure participants for helping us reach $6M raised for breast cancer research??

? https://t.co/Ea7KnwH3jd pic.twitter.com/FK4L30HGn0

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) September 28, 2017

Following Adopt a School Week, Golf Canada announces an additional 240 school adoptions, representing an additional 28,800 elementary, intermediate and high-school students being introduced to the sport through the Future Links driven by Acura program.

#GolfinSchools totals 240 adoptions to date in 2017 thanks to collective efforts during Adopt a School Week ????

? https://t.co/inaE5cF4ln pic.twitter.com/fAHZ10hpre

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) September 27, 2017

The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association appoints Jeff Calderwood as its executive director, a post he will hold concurrently with his position as CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada.

October:

Golf Canada announces that in 2018, for the first time, the National Development Squad program will feature a centralized component which will be based out of Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.

Kevin Thistle is named CEO of the PGA of Canada to replace the retiring Gary Bernard.

New PGA of Canada CEO Named to Lead Association to a New Era of Success https://t.co/N7lQrg3GYd

— PGA of Canada (@pgaofcanada) October 10, 2017

November:

The 2017 CP Women’s Open, held in Ottawa, wins the Best Charity/Community Engagement award from the LPGA Tournament Owners Association.

A crowd-funding initiative by the Canadian Golf Museum and Hall of Fame raises thousands to digitize and preserve irreplaceable volumes of Canadian Golfer magazine.

Craig Loughry, Golf Canada’s director of handicap and course rating and Golf Ontario’s director of golf services, is named president of the International Association of Golf Administrators.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mike Weir is inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Congrats to Mike Weir on his induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame today ?? ?? • ? @cansportshall

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Nov 9, 2017 at 12:00pm PST

December:

Calgary’s Shaw Charity Classic wins the PGA TOUR Champions President’s Award for the third time in its five-year history.

Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada announce a partnership committed to the principles of the Responsible Coaching Movement, endorsed by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

A proud day for Canadian golf with our CEO (Laurence Applebaum) and @pgaofcanada CEO (Kevin Thistle) signing the Responsible Coaching movement

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Dec 13, 2017 at 9:00am PST

It is with great sadness and the highest regard that Golf Canada mourns the loss of former CP CEO Hunter Harrison who passed away suddenly on December 16, 2017.

“On behalf of the entire Canadian golf community as well as our partners at CP and the LPGA Tour we are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Hunter Harrison and extend our most sincere condolences to his wife Jeannie and all of his family, friends and colleagues,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “We are proud to celebrate and remember Hunter as a champion for women’s golf, high performance and junior golf during his career as the greatest railroader and one of the greatest supporters of Canadian golf during his long history with CP and other railroads. His leadership, passion for excellence and vision to support so many facets of the game had an immeasurable impact on Canadian golf.”

Under Mr. Harrison’s leadership with CP and other railroads prior, the CP Women’s Open evolved into one of the premier events on the LPGA Tour which has contributed millions to children’s charities in the event’s host communities dating back to 2006.

His legacy as an extensive partner and friend to Golf Canada also touched high performance initiatives including Golf Canada’s National Team program, the (former) Canadian Women’s Tour and national amateur competitions as well grassroots golf through the Future Links national junior golf program.

Hunter Harrison was legendary railroader who will be ceaselessly remembered for his leadership, friendship, generosity and enormous contributions to the game of golf in Canada.

What others are saying:

CP family mourns loss of legendary railroader and former CEO, Mr. E. Hunter Harrison https://t.co/RmI4d9V5R4

— Canadian Pacific (@CanadianPacific) December 16, 2017

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Hunter Harrison, longtime supporter and friend of the LPGA and women’s golf. Hunter was instrumental in the expansion and growth of the Canadian Women’s Open. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. We will miss him! pic.twitter.com/vNkcD7q67S

— LPGA (@LPGA) December 17, 2017

VERY hard to read about Hunter Harrison passing. HUGE supporter of women’s golf & someone that truly lifted the @LPGA – RIP to our friend & partner!!
CSX Corp. Chief Executive Hunter Harrison died Saturday, a day after the surprise announcement that he was placed on medical leave

— Michael Whan (@LPGACommish) December 16, 2017

Deeply saddened over Hunter Harrison’s passing earlier today. An inspirational friend to the @LPGA, golf in Canada & someone who was never too busy for me. #RIP Sir. You will be missed ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/loSE2pVJpW

— Rick Young (@RickSCOREGolf) December 16, 2017

March 3, 1922 – December 5, 2017

E. William “Bill” Tait passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at the age of 95 years.

Bill was born in the Elbow Park community of Calgary on March 3, 1922. Following his graduation from Western Canada High School, like many people his age, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces to serve in WWII. During his military service Bill was stationed in England, Belgium, France and The Netherlands before crossing the Rhine in 1945.

Upon returning to Calgary he joined his father C.E. Tait in the insurance brokerage business. He and his business partner George Morrison later formed Morrison & Tait Insurance Agency, which was eventually acquired by a large national firm.

Those who knew Bill know that he had a passion for the game of golf. He was an accomplished amateur golfer. Bill was one of the few Albertans to win the Alberta Amateur Golf Championship, The Alberta Open and The Alberta Senior Championship. He was a member of the Alberta Willingdon Cup Team, several Alberta Senior Men’s teams, and was a runner up in the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship. Bill also served as president of the Alberta Golf Association and was inducted into the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame in 2008.

A life-long member of the Calgary Golf & Country Club, Bill holds the rare distinction of having eagled every hole on the golf course over the span of the eighty plus years he played at the club.

Bill was also active in the Calgary business community; he served as the President of the Downtown Calgary Rotary Club and was a past director of the Calgary Foundation.

Bill is survived by his wife of 68 years Valerie; his children, Peter, Barbara, Gordon and Carolynn and grandsons Kevin and Ryan Wisener. At his request, a private funeral service was held and a celebration of Bill’s life will be held at a later date. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In lieu of flowers, for those wishing to make a donation please do so to the charity of their choice. In living memory of Bill Tait, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Alberta Golf Hall of Fame Plaque

Organization-wide culture of commitment to supporting players, coaches and facilities committed to high performance athlete development

Tiered program offering increases access to world-class support to a growing number of athletes across the entire province

Team Alberta players and coaching staff to be announced in early 2018 following a comprehensive application and selection process

Alberta Golf is pleased to announce an expanded high performance athlete development offering in 2018. In all, five tiers of programs will provide a circle of support for golf athletes in the province.

“Supporting athletes who intend on competing at the highest levels in their chosen sport begins with the establishment and management of an organization-wide commitment to high performance,” said Phil Berube, Alberta Golf’s CEO. “These athletes, from the introduction to competition to the compete to win stages of Long-Term Player Development, are a product of a circle of support that includes personal instructors, coaches, parents and club programs and will proudly represent Alberta as they compete on the provincial and national stages.”

Alberta Golf invests $280,000 annually in sport development programs and services. The goal is to support 100% of athletes who make an application to enter the program at any tier, with the superior level of coaching they desire and the resources to assist them succeed in their journey.

2018 PLAYER, COACH AND CLUB SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Alberta Golf provides investment to players, clubs and coaches in support of our athlete development programs. Our objective is to ensure that all athletes who have been identified on world golf rankings have access to High Performance Coaching. Alberta Golf monitors ranking systems from around the globe as well as our National Golf Canada Rankings and invites players to apply to our tiered support programs.

PLAYER SUPPORT

If you are interested in pursuing a pathway to becoming an elite golfer, speak with your local golf professional about Alberta Golf’s Player Support Program. Our staff work with athletes by providing funding and resources to assist individuals in reaching their performance objectives. This includes: skills assessment, performance planning, sports psychology, nutrition, strength & conditioning, travel, equipment, grants and scholarships.

CLUB SUPPORT

If your club is interested in Alberta Golf’s High Performance strategy, please contact us to learn how we can work together to grow your facility’s development programs. Our Get-Linked granting program provides facilities with co-operative funding to complement existing golf programs and our Future Links, driven by Acura resource library outlines a pathway to help golf facilities initiate and promote a successful program.

COACH SUPPORT

If you are interested in pursuing a career in coaching and developing local athletes in your region, contact us to find out more about Alberta Golf’s High Performance strategy. Our staff work with coaches by providing funding and resources to assist individuals in reaching their career objectives. This includes: coaching requirements, training, career planning, team support, travel, equipment, contract fees.

Alberta Golf will be inviting identified athletes and interested clubs and coaches to apply to the High Performance Athlete Development programs throughout the remainder of 2017. For more information please follow the links below:

2018 High Performance Athlete Development Program Outline
2018 Application Form

2018 PLAYER SUPPORT TIERS

TIER 1: NextGen Local Program

• The NextGen program is a local club level program designed by Alberta Golf to initiate a relationship between athletes showing interest in developing their skills and the local golf professional. Resources are made available by Alberta Golf to assist the local golf professional in showcasing golfers at their facility and provide athletes with a roadmap to success. This includes available competitions, clinics, training programs and shadowing opportunities.

• Athletes registered for the NextGen local program are invited (along with their parents) to two optional team competitions throughout the year (spring and fall) which are followed by an information session about Alberta Golf’s High Performance Athlete Development Program.

TIER 2: Regional Player Development Program

• The Regional Development program introduces coaching on a regional basis to individuals registered for selected camps which are offered four times throughout the season.

• Players in the Regional Development program are invited to participate in provincial team challenges and competitions organized by regional coaches.

• All players who have qualified for an interprovincial team at any time in their playing career are invited to participate in the Regional Player Development program.

• This program is ideal for individuals looking for additional coaching without the time commitment of Team Alberta, or those who are over the age of 19.

TIER 3: Team Alberta Provincial Program

• The Team Alberta Provincial program is the marquee component of Alberta Golf’s Player Support Program. 2018 marks the program’s tenth year with a proven track record of success enjoyed by athletes currently on the post-secondary circuit.

• Alberta Golf’s stable of world class coaches meet with all qualifying athletes on a regular basis to provide performance plans and review feedback during camps, competitions and at practice sessions on a year-round basis.

TIER 4: Alberta High Performance Squad Program

• The High Performance Squad program aims to support athletes who have met or surpassed the Tier 3 requirements but are ineligible for the support category based on age restrictions.

• Access to coaching, equipment, apparel and grants is made available to athletes who are invited to participate in this program.

TIER 5: Alumni Program

• The High Performance Alumni program aims to support athletes who have qualified for an interprovincial team during their playing career with Alberta Golf and/or have been in the top 50 on Golf Canada’s Order of Merit.

• High Performance Alumni Athletes will be invited to events throughout the season, as well as training camps at various locations in the province.

• Access to coaching, equipment, apparel and grants is made available to athletes who are invited to participate in this program.

ABOUT ALBERTA’S HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Alberta Golf’s High Performance Athlete Development program is designed to support athletes across the province by providing programs and services that ultimately help them reach their competitive goals in the sport. Support is provided to athletes, coaches and facilities who are committed to high performance. Alberta Golf invests nearly $300,000 annually in sport development programming. Team Alberta, the pinnacle of Alberta Golf’s High Performance program, provides access to world-class resources including coaching, nutrition, sport science, mental management, equipment and elite competitive opportunities. The program builds on the support team members have received in their development years from their family, clubs, personal instructors, and coaches. Alberta Golf’s High Performance Athlete Development program and Team Alberta are proudly supported by Golf Canada, Titleist, FootJoy, and Alberta Sport Connection.

Contact:
Jennifer Davison
Alberta Golf
(t) 403-236-4616
(e) jennifer@albertagolf.org

MEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

Hugo Bernard was one of three players in the Top-10 to make a positive gain in this week’s world rankings. The Quebec golfer will finish the year as the only other Canadian amateur ranked inside the Top-10. The Golf Canada National Squad member solidified his standing with a number of top 10 performances this past year, including medalist honours at the Palm Beach County Four Ball. He also recorded his third straight top-5 result at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, finishing in a tie for fourth. A tie for third at the Murat Cup, tie for ninth at the Terra Cotta Invitational and a tie for seventh at the South American Amateur also highlight his resume in 2017.

One significant change outside the Top-10. Steven Diack climbs five places to move into the the top 20, replacing Golf Canada Development Squad member Johnny Travale.

Former Golf Canada National Team member Stuart MacDonald will be among the Canadians attempting to improve his playing status on the Web.com Tour at this week’s qualifying school. He’s already assured a tour card for making it to the Final Stage and if he can finish in the top 45, he’s assured of a healthy number of starts through the first part of the 2018 season to try and further improve his standing.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

Maddie Szeryk maintained her top 30 standing in the world rankings and will finish as the top ranked amateur in Canada. The dual-citizen currently sits at No. 29 in the world, up three places from where she ended the year in 2016. The four-year Golf Canada National Squad member boasts 10 Top-10 results in 2017 including titles at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, Women’s Western Golf Association and medallist honours at the Dr. Donnis Invitational. She also has runner-up finishes in three other NCAA events. In fact, the senior at Texas A&M has finished in the Top 10 in all five collegiate tournaments she has played this season, and has Top 5 results in four of those tournaments.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

MEN’S TOP 10

No notable changes in the Top 10 but this week is notable for what happened outside that list.

Sunil Richard Jung Bell makes his debut in not only the Canadian rankings but the official world rankings after finishing in a tie for seventh at the Asian Tour’s KG S&H City Asian Golf Championship. That was good for a 696 place jump in the world rankings, putting him inside the top 20 in Canada at No. 19. The 2.38 world rankings points earned were the first of Jung’s career in just his third career professional tour start – the previous two coming on the European Challenge Tour.

Mike Weir re-enters the Canadian rankings, picking up 603 spots  after finishing in a tie for 15th at the Australian PGA Championship. The result was worth 1.96 world ranking points, his first points-paying finish since 2014. If you’re keeping count, that’s a stretch of 38 tournaments. Since 2011, Weir has missed 71 cuts through various injuries and poor form. The Australian event marked the second weekend cut he has made in his last three tournaments and third in his last six starts. After finishing 2016 outside the world rankings, the 2003 Masters champion now finds himself up to No. 23 in the Canadian table.

Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.

WOMEN’S TOP 10

Both Maude-Aimée LeBlanc and Brittany Marchand have earned LPGA Tour status for 2018. Both LeBlanc and Marchand finished in a tie for 32nd at the final stage of Qualifying School, giving them conditional status for next season.

They will join LPGA Tour regulars next year Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp and Anne-Catherine Tanguay, who graduated after finishing eighth on the Symetra Tour money list this past year.

Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum (CGHF) is raising funds to help preserve The Canadian Golfer, a rare collection of golf magazines covering the sport in Canada for more than 25 years.

The Canadian Golfer, printed monthly from 1915 until 1941,  is full of stories and histories of Canadian golf clubs, tournaments and people. The CGHF is home to the only public repository and complete collection of the publication.

“Due to the age and frequency of use of these documents we are seeking the public’s support to digitize the more than 200 issues we have in our archives,” said Meggan Gardner, Curator of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. “The Canadian Golfer is often our first resource for conducting research.  It’s also the first resource requested by scholars, journalists or club’s looking researching their club history. The digitization of The Canadian Golfer will aid in its preservation as we eliminate the need to ‘flip’ through the pages for information.”

Bound copies of The Canadian Golfer are fragile and extensive, tallying approximately 24,000 pages for the entire collection.  Scanning will be competed by a company with extensive experience digitizing records and working with delicate material. The cost of digitizing the collection is $0.45 a page.

Once the scans are completed they will be housed online and all issues will be fully searchable. Potions of the publication will be available for the public to download at no charge.

A hundred percent of all funds raised will help in scanning and thereby preserving this important collection of sport history.

To make a donation, click here.

The International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) 51^st Annual Conference took place Nov. 5-8 in Scottsdale, Arizona. At the conference, the association named its President for 2018, Craig Loughry, Golf Canada’s director of handicap & course rating and Golf Ontario’s director of golf services.

“Being President of the IAGA is quite the honour for me. It is an exciting time to be in the golf industry with so many new ideas and philosophies to better grow our game. I am excited to have this opportunity and am eager to face the challenges that come with it,” said Loughry.

Loughry, a resident of Courtice, has been with Golf Ontario since 1998 where he began overseeing Handicapping and Course Rating for the province. Since then his role has evolved but Loughry has continued to share his expertise in the field at multiple levels. He has held a similar role with Golf Canada and volunteered with the USGA on their Handicap Procedures Committee. In addition, he currently represents Canada on the World Handicap Committee.

Since 2012, Loughry has been a member of the IAGA Board of Directors. He becomes the fourth representative from a Canadian golf association and the first from Ontario.

Loughry has had a life-long passion for the game of golf. He has a well-accomplished playing career that includes the record for most Ontario Public Player Championship wins with four.

The IAGA has been in existence since 1968 with the goal of promoting and conserving the best interests and the true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions. The IAGA serves as a medium for golf administrators to exchange information, techniques and other data relating to the game of golf and establish channels of communication among all of the world’s golfing fraternities.

Loughry will serve as IAGA President until next year’s annual conference.

When I analyze a golf swing I do so with a number of objectives in mind. Helping to create the desired shot is a very important one but also allowing enough variability to create a number of shots as required. Oftentimes I will suggest an adjustment in setup rather than alter an athlete’s swing mechanics. This is both easier to manage (as long as comfort is not the priority) and delivers almost immediate results.

Let’s focus on two parameters that change the resulting impact of ball flight dramatically: shoulder alignment and ball position.

Successful athletes like Alena Sharp, an Olympian with Team Canada at the 2016 Rio Games, know how to match these positions up to their desired result. She demonstrates here two different setup positions to deliver two different-shaped shots.

DRAW
Shoulder alignment to the right of target, ball position closer to the centre of your stance. This allows your path to move to the right of the clubface and encourages right-to-left shape to the shot.

FADE
Shoulders aligned to the left of the target with the ball position closer to your lead foot. This allows your path to move to the left of the clubface and encourage a left-to-right shape to the shot.

At first these positions may feel uncomfortable and contact may be inconsistent. But stick with it and try both address positions. At some point you may need both shapes to be successful on the golf course.

This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

Canadian golf leaders, executives, professionals and enthusiasts were in attendance on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Canadian golf industry expo for the state of the industry town hall conducted by the PGA of Ontario.

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum was among the leaders who spoke from the featured panel at the Nottawasaga Inn Resort in Alliston, Ont.