2020 Alberta Golfer Magazine

THE ALBERTA

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ALBERTA GOLF | 2020

Crowsnest Pass THE NEW

Junior Golf Getting Kids On Course

Andrew Harrison's

Mickelson National Opens

Double ALBERTAGOLF.ORG

Presented By:

NEW

for 2020

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Women’s Event Added

TH

ANNIVERSARY

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Monday Qualifier: June 15 Pro-Am: June 17 COMPETITION ROUNDS: JUNE 18 – 20 Awards Banquet: June 20

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Gallery

2

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Gallery

Andrea Kosa shows her determination during the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.

Championship. After making it to the final 8 in match play, her journey would end on the 21 st hole.

AlbertaGolf.org

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Gallery

4

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Gallery

Stormy weather creeps in on the Mens Amateur at Wolf Creek Golf Resort. Rain would eventually cut the championship short, allowing players to complete only 36 of the 72 scheduled holes.

AlbertaGolf.org

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MORE SPEED. M ©2020 Acushnet Company.

Y O UPROVE R ITNFOR U YOURSELF MBERS JUST GOT BETTER.

N E W T I T L E I S T AV X ®

MORE PRECISION. MORE CONSISTENCY.

Looking Back 2 Gallery 24 The First Calgary Golf Festival 42 A New Look for Stony Plain 44 The Champions

- P rofiles of Alberta Golf’s 2019 Tournament Champions

48 On the International Stage

- A ndrea Kosa at the US Women’s Mid-Amateur

63 Scholarship Winners 66 The Year in Pictures

12

A Year for the Record Books

Andrew Harrison’s dream summer, winning both the Alberta Mens Amateur and the Alberta Open Championships

36

The New Crowsnest Pass

Spectacular changes at the Crowsnest Pass Golf Club.

Looking Ahead 10 Alberta Golf Message 16 Medicine Hat GCC Hosts the Mens Amateur 18 Lakeside GC Hosts the Ladies Amateur 22 The Glencoe GCC Hosts the Canadian Mens Amateur 30 World Handicap System

- Major changes are coming to the handicap system.

32 The Glencoe DC Bank Invitational Goes Co-Ed

- One of Canada’s top tournaments gets a major facelift.

34 Mickelson National Opens 50 Tournament Schedule 54 Alberta Golf Competition Changes for 2020 60 Alberta Golf Sport Development Program 8

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Programs and Events 14 Youth on Course - J unior Golf for $5 a Round

39 Take a Kid to the Course 64 The Canadian Amputee and Disabled Open 65 Gull Lake’s One Arm Championship

26

Arizona’s Desert Drives Winter golf getaways in Arizona.

A Closer Look 40 Northwest Montana Golf

20

The Dream Junior Academy

ollicutt Siding GC grows the game with Canada’s C largest junior golf academy.

59 Anatomy of a Golf Hole 62 Gold Membership

THE ALBERTA

What’s New

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ALBERTA GOLF | 2020

56 New Parent / Child Format

Crowsnest Pass THE NEW

for Innisfail Junior Open 57 Shaw Charity Classic 58 Under Armour’s Spieth 4 GTX 58 Circling Raven Hosts Symetra Tour

Crowsnest Pass Golf Club in Blairmore has undergone a spectacular renovation. Read about this incredible transformation. Shown is Hole #15.

Junior Golf Getting Kids On Course

Andrew Harrison's

Mickelson National Opens

Double ALBERTAGOLF.ORG

The Alberta Golfer may be viewed online at: www.albertagolf.org

AlbertaGolf.org

9

The Alberta Golfer 2020 Board of Directors Each and every year as the Alberta Golf team begins to plan out the following year’s edition of The Alberta Golfer magazine, a quiet debate ensues among various groups of committee members as well as innocent bystanders.

This discussion is a very deliberate one and is extremely meaningful in context.

And every year the result is the same.

The pros outweigh the cons. The topic of the debate: do we continue publishing printed copies of The Alberta Golfer magazine or do we focus our efforts entirely on the digital version?

Whenever I participate in these discussions, my interests move quickly to shaping the conversation to be about communications generally rather than the dollars and sense of it all.

In today’s digital age where content volume and velocity are both relatively cheap, just the word communication itself is THE relevant topic. Is the message getting through?

This exercise in communication implies three parts: a sender, a message and a receiver and each of these components can be broken down as part of a discussion resulting ultimately in our decision to keep going to print.

Alberta Golf is the sender. We have reviewed an accurate report on total circulation and we have made decisions to enhance our support of the printed magazine with countertop display boxes in every pro shop. In addition to providing a home for The Alberta Golfer magazine, these countertop pieces contain information relevant to every golfing demographic: junior golfers, recreational golfers and competitive golfers.

There are several messages contained in the 2020 version of The Alberta Golfer

10

The Alberta Golfer 2020

magazine and in the words of Marshall McLuhan, “The medium is the message”.

The magazine you are now reading IS the message and we hope you enjoy the 2020 edition. While the digital content complements the print version and runs throughout the year, reaching more than 40,000 individual golfers in our province, it is the printed magazine that brings it all together. It remains the keepsake, especially for those who are featured in various stories as well as those who grace the annual cover.

You, the reader, is the receiver of our message. Alberta Golf cares about its readers and we have been focused on caring about golfers in our province since 1912. As one committee member put it, by not letting go of the printer version of the magazine maybe we are so far behind that we are ahead? As the world goes around in circles, is anyone really counting who is on which lap? We’ve never let go of the printed version and maybe in some small format, the value of publishing printed versions is, or will become, important once again. Only time will tell.

Each of us has our own way of sending and consuming information. In whichever version you choose to read through the content, we trust you will enjoy this year’s version of The Alberta Golfer magazine.

As for me I am already looking forward to next year’s discussion.

Alberta Golf. For Everyone..

Phil Berube,

Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer

Peter Major, President – Calgary G&CC Mark Bamford, Vice President – Glendale G&CC Tiffany Gordon, Secretary – Heritage Pointe GC Bill McNaughton, Treasurer – Glencoe G&CC Kendra Koss – Earl Grey GC Chris Leach – Valley Ridge GC Lorraine Moster – Public Players Club Alonzo Strange – Blackhawk GC Tom Zariski – Dinosaur Trail G&CC

2020 Staff

Phil Berube – Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer John Deneer – Manager, Competitions and Events Grant Cammidge – Field Manager, Membership & Competitions (Edmonton & Area) Jennifer Davison – Director, Sport Development Randy Robb – Technical Advisor Kevin Smith – Director, Communications Stephen Wigington – Manager, Membership & Golf Course Services

Alberta Golf Contact Info #22, 11410 27 Street SE Calgary, AB T2Z 3R6 P: 403.236.4616 F: 403.236.2915 Toll Free: 1.888.414.4849 Email: info@albertagolf.org www.albertagolf.org

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THE ALBERTA GOLFER is a print and digital magazine published annually by Alberta Golf in partnership with ev+ Agency. All rights reserved.

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without written permission from Alberta Golf. Thank you to all the golf clubs which allowed Alberta Golf to conduct provincial championships on their courses during 2019. Please enjoy the 2020 edition of The Alberta Golfer. www.albertagolf.org

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Looking Back

A Year for the Record Books

Andrew Harrison’s Alberta supremacy

By Wes Gilbertson

Harrison stares down one of many close approaches at Trestle Creek.

Andrew Harrison, several months later, described it as “probably the best golf I have ever played.” So he must have been beaming, right, after building a big lead at the 2019 Alberta Open Championship with a bogey-free breeze of 5-under 67 in the second round?

Well … sort of. “What went through my head after that round was I left a few shots out there,” Harrison said. “I didn’t miss a green. I maybe missed one or two fairways. I mean, you’re not going to make every putt but I gave myself 18 good looks at birdie, I felt, and I only shot 5-under. So I was a little bit frustrated, actually, after that round.

“But at the same time, I knew my game was in a good spot and I had a bit of 12

The Alberta Golfer 2020

a lead, so I was still really happy.” For a few weeks last summer, Harrison was the hottest golfer in the Wild Rose Province.

It wasn’t even close. The 22-year-old from Camrose was the cream of the crop at the Alberta Open at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, finishing six shots clear of a stacked field.

He added to his trophy collection at the 2019 Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur, sitting comfortably atop the leaderboard when the showdown was shortened due to relentless rain at Wolf Creek Golf Resort near Ponoka.

In between, he sizzled to a second-place showing at The Glencoe Invitational, best among competitors from his home

province. “I think I’ve always known he had that in him,” said Harrison’s older brother, Michael, of that remarkable run.

“I’ve just been waiting for him to break out and do something like that. And I know he can do it again. I’m hoping he continues to do it for years to come.

“For that stretch there, he was just ballstriking it. He was hitting lots of fairways.

He was hitting lots of greens. He was giving himself lots of looks with the putter.

I know if the putter could have got hot, he probably would have shot a whole lot better for those couple of weeks.” That’s a scary thought. A kinesiology major, Harrison capped his post-secondary pin-seeking career by leading the UBC Thunderbirds golf squad to a team

Looking Back

Part 1 of Harrison’s

Harrison conquers competitors and

provincial dominance,

the weather with a victory at the

the Alberta Open

Sun Life Financial Mens Amateur

title in a playoff at the 2019 Canadian University/College Championship. He was one stroke shy of sudden-death in the individual event, too. As he returned home for the summer, he was ready to roll. “I’d been starting to play really well heading into our summer season back home. I just was slowly getting better and building confidence,” Harrison recalled. “I had been shooting a lot of good rounds but hadn’t really gotten any consistency going until the Alberta Open. That’s where things kind of clicked and I was able to keep it together for all three rounds and not just shoot one good round and one so-so round. It was really nice to go out to Trestle Creek and back up a good round with another good round, and then another.”

Flying under the radar with much of the focus on past champions such as Riley Fleming and Wes Heffernan, Harrison opened with a course-record rip of 67.

He matched that standard-setter in the middle round of the three-day shootout, sleeping that night on a five-shot cushion.

(He just happened to be sharing a hotel room with one of the guys who was tied for second — his brother. Michael ultimately faded to seventh.) His heartrate remained relatively low during that last lap. At one point, he was 6-under for the day before a pair of late bogeys.

Harrison, who honed his skills as a youngster at Camrose Golf Club, signed for a tournament tab of 14-under 202.

His scorecard included a remarkable 19 birdies, plus one eagle. Trouble can lurk on No. 16 at Trestle Creek, home to an intimidating island green, but

the would-be winner made par on that splashy assignment on all three days.

Red Deer’s Matthew Codd and Airdrie’s Fleming shared runner-up honours at 8-under and also split the big cheque as the top professionals. “I knew if I could play that well and beat some top-tiered pros, I could keep that going into the summer,” Harrison said of his triumph at the Alberta Open, presented by SVR Lawyers. “And that’s the way you want to win — take a little stress off and be able to soak it in when you’re coming in. That was a lot of fun.”

His victory at the 2019 Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship turned out to be relatively low-stress, too.

Because when Harrison arrived at Wolf Creek on a miserable morning, he wasn’t expecting a trophy presentation that day.

Through two rounds on the Links Course, Harrison had shaved four strokes off par, the only gent in red numbers. After trying to slog through the soggy weather for a few more holes, the tournament was halted due to unplayable conditions.

The title was his. Harrison admitted afterward that “It’s not the way I pictured winning the Alberta Amateur,” but he didn’t let that dampen the accomplishment. “Again, I was swinging the club really well and I had so much confidence with how I’d been hitting the ball, so I didn’t go out there and try to win the tournament in the first two rounds. I was playing so well, so I didn’t have any reason to think I would have blown that lead. I mean, I would have liked to keep extending the lead, so I was a little disappointed it was called, but it’s

an event that I’ve wanted to win for all the years that I’ve played in it, so I was still thrilled to get the win.” Like so many other past Alberta Amateur champions, including former Korn Ferry regular Ryan Yip and Heffernan, a four-time winner on what was then the Canadian Tour and the latest recipient of the Mike Weir Award as the PGA of Canada’s Player of the Year, Harrison now plans to test his talents in the paid-to-play ranks. He expects to turn professional sometime in 2020.

“Ever since I came to university, it has been a focus and a dream of mine to play pro golf, so I’m going to give ‘er a go,” Harrison said. “That’s what they say, right? ‘Do something you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’ And I love to play golf, so hopefully I’ll be able to make that work.” During that superb span last summer, he certainly showed he can go low. Harrison was crowned the provincial junior champ back in 2015. After adding both the Alberta Open and Alberta Amateur to his list of successful trophy-hunts, he has a heck of a resume. Whatever the future holds, he will remember 2019 as a very special season.

“It was awesome. By far my best year in golf so far,” Harrison said. “I think there was a stretch there of five or six tournaments where I had a scoring average in the 60s. That’s a big confidence-boost because that’s exactly what you need to do to move on to the next level.”

AlbertaGolf.org

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Programs and Events

Youth on Course Launches in Alberta

By Curtis Stock

One of the Youth on Course participating courses is the Banff Springs Tunnel 9. Kids can have this view of #8 twice, for $5.

What a bargain. What a great way to introduce juniors 18 and under to take up the sport of golf. Last year Youth on Course, a California based initiative which offers anyone 18 and under the opportunity to play golf for just $5 came to Canada for the first time. Alberta was chosen as the pilot province.

The results, as they have been throughout North America, were spectacular. “Overall it was a huge success,” said Michael Lowe, VP of Programs for Youth on Course.

“Partnering with Alberta Golf, Future Links, and Golf Canada has been a wonderful experience and a foundation has been laid for Youth on Course to continue to grow throughout Canada.

Cost has been a barrier for so long.

Youth on Course is helping to change that. It’s an opportunity to shift the perception of golf, from a sport that has 14

The Alberta Golfer 2020

historically been exclusive, to one that’s truly inclusive.”

In 2019 Alberta Golf saw a 26% increase in Junior Members (3230 in 2018 to 4070 in 2019) and a whopping 573% increase of Junior “Public Player” members (53 in 2018 to 357 in 2019).

Using their Youth on Course cards over 1,000 rounds of golf were played on the 17 Alberta courses in Edmonton, Calgary, Central Alberta, Medicine Hat and Banff that signed up to join the program.

“More young people - especially those who come from non-golfing households - can now be introduced to the game and all the things golf provides,” said Lowe. “First and foremost we think of the positive impact that sports participation can provide.” Alberta Golf has made it very easy to join Youth on Course. For $50 junior golfers automatically join

Golf Canada and get all the benefits of Youth on Course and the $5 green fees. As well as the amazing green fees, those that pay the $50 in Alberta also get a Golf Canada handicap card. There’s not an extra step to join Youth on Course in Alberta. The $50 is all in. You just present your Youth on Course membership card and you are welcome to pay just $5 at all the 1,278 participating courses in North America.

“Youth on Course said Alberta had the most successful pilot program they’ve seen, which makes us excited to see what more we can accomplish to help kids play as much golf as possible without a big financial burden,” said Kevin Smith, Director of Communications for Alberta Golf. “So many adult golfers across the province told me they wish they could have taken advantage of a program like this when they were juniors,” said Smith.

Programs and Events

“Now that we’re in the second year of the program we hope more kids check to see what courses in their area are available to play for $5.”

Youth on Course which started with just one course in Northern California in 2006, now has the aforementioned 1,278 participating courses in 34 U.S. states and more than 70,000 members which resulted in some 200,000 rounds of golf.

Smith said since its inception Youth on Course is approaching one million rounds played. “In Alberta alone we saw over 800 new junior public players join Alberta Golf in 2019.”

Here’s how it works. The rounds are subsidized through private contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations, all administered through Youth on Course. As an example, the Northern California Golf Association annually contributes $700,000. "Let's say a course is willing to charge $12 for their junior rate," Adam Heieck, Youth on Course executive director, told a presentation to members of Alberta Golf in 2018 at Nisku’s RedTail Landing.

"To make the fee $5, Youth on Course makes up the $7 difference. If 100 rounds are played every month, we send the course a cheque for $700.” Said Heick, “The core purpose of Youth on Course is to provide youth with access to life-changing opportunities in golf," said Heieck. "It was born out of a need, not a want.”

“It was fantastic. Awesome,” said Joshua Davison, director of golf at RedTail Landing said of Alberta’s initial partnership with Youth on Course.

“Imagine getting to play a course like ours for just $5 - $3 if they just want to play nine holes -every time they came out. It’s unreal. It’s a great way for me to grow the game to the junior golf world. The whole initiative is to expose more kids to the game of golf at a very affordable price and get them excited in a very inviting environment where they feel welcome. It’s a program you couldn’t say no to.”

“At that presentation at our course in 2018 when they asked who wants to partner with this pilot project in Canada I was the first to put my hand up and say yes,” said Davison, who added that Youth on Course fully complements his own junior program at RedTail. “If you are a parent it’s the easiest sell you will make in golf. This is our future, we need it desperately. This is all about grooming the next generation to include golf in their lives, we will continue to push it. Alberta Golf is 100 per cent in agreement with everything I’m saying.

They need us leaders that have a finger on the pulse of junior golf. “ Davison then spoke to the possibility of the program growing across Canada, “ I hope Youth on Course is nation-wide in Canada within the next two years. I get a lot of kids from BC and Saskatchewan who have told me this is amazing and wish their provinces had it. It will take time but there’s a big snowball effect. It won’t be long before it is on a lot of people’s radar.”

Nationwide expansion in Canada is the hope for Youth on Course and Golf Canada too. “Our goal is to continue to expand until every young person in North America has a golf course they can play for $5 or less. It’s exciting and this is just the beginning. Every young person should have access to play golf affordably,” continued Lowe. “But first

and foremost we think of the positive impact that sports participation can provide. Sports is so valuable for young people and their development and golf in particular fosters friendship that is unique to other sports. The kids develop meaningful, fun relationships that are so important to young people. The younger a person starts playing golf the more likely it is that they will start playing golf for a lifetime and become avid golfers,” said Lowe.

Youth on Course travels. If you purchase a Youth on Course membership you can play any course in the Youth on Course network. In alphabetical order the 17 participating courses in Alberta are: Banff Springs Tunnel 9, Barrhead, Bearspaw, Cottonwood Coulee, Eagle Rock, Goose Hummock, Heatherglen, Lakeside, McCall Lake, Northern Bear, Olds, RedTail, River Spirit, Serenity, Shaganappi, Westlock and Whitetail Crossing. “Now that we’re in the second year of the program we hope more kids check to see what courses in their area are available to play for $5,” said Smith. It’s not just about the kids either.

“We’ve been tracking data and more than 40 per cent of the kids who sign up for Youth on Course bring at least one accompanying paying adult,” said Lowe. It’s all good when family members are playing together. It’s changing the landscape of golf.”

Juniors in the Youth on Course program can play 18 holes for $5 at participating courses. Photo courtesy of Golf Canada.

AlbertaGolf.org

15

Looking Ahead

Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club Hosts

The Mens Amateur The beautiful tree lined fairways of the Medicine Hat G&CC

Don’t get fooled. The Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club, which will host this year’s Alberta Mens Amateur July 21-24, ‘only’ plays 6,700 yards from the tips.

But the stately, pristine, tree-lined course can get the better of you in the blink of an eye.

club’s president. “It doesn’t favour one particular shot. It doesn’t set up for a fade or a draw. You have to be able to hit both shots. You’ll need to be able to hit every club in your bag and every shot in your arsenal. It’s tough and it’s beautiful. I love this place.”

“If it’s nice and the wind doesn’t blow, I expect somebody to get to minus-8,” said the course’s head pro Wayne Mattson, who is entering his 22nd year at the Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club. “If it’s windy then even par will be a great score.”

“It’s not that long but it’s not that easy either,” said general manager Cam Jacques. “It’s a fair test and when the wind blows, like it can here, the greens get firm and it can be more about positioning and picking your spots. You’ve got to think your way around this course.

The landing areas on most holes are only about 25 yards wide. And when we let the rough grow up high and nasty, well, you definitely can’t just pull out your driver and let it fly.”

The Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club’s refusal to wince under pressure from the best players in Canada is well documented. When the course hosted the Alberta Mens Amateur in 2012 Riley Fleming, known for going very low, won with a score of just 1-under 283 for the four days - two rounds of which were played in very blustery conditions. When some of the top Canadian kids came to Medicine Hat in 2018 for the Canadian Junior Boys Championship, Quebec’s Christopher Vandette won with a 2-under score. But it can be had too. The tournament record of 65 was set by Kelly Risling in 2016. Vandette equalled that score in the Canadian Junior Boys.

“We’re a little like the courses they play on for the British Open,” concurred Jacques. “If the wind doesn’t blow then the players can eat it up. But when it blows the course shows its true character.”

That’s for sure.

“There are a lot of trees that come into play - more than at any other course I usually play,” said Darrell Hodges, the 16

By Curtis Stock

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Originally founded in 1913 just outside the city, the course relocated to its present site in 1934 in the heart of the city. “Along with the Calgary Golf and Country Club, the Edmonton Country Club, Lethbridge and Fort MacLeod, it’s one of the oldest courses in the province,” said Mattson.

Perched high above the South Saskatchewan River, Mattson said the course has it’s own Amen Corner - holes 13, 14 and 15. “No. 13 is a 400-yard

Looking Ahead

par-4 with water down the left side and out-of-bounds down the right. No. 14 is a 210-yard Par 3 with the same water hazard that is on No. 13 on the left and it usually plays into the wind. No. 15, a slight dog-leg left which plays uphill is the most difficult hole on the horse in my opinion,” said Mattson. “It plays 460 yards and you need to hit a big drive down the right side of the fairway or you will be blocked out by the giant poplars on the left side. The green is very difficult with a slope that runs half way up to the putting surface. Par is exceptional.”

“We like to try and make it as challenging as possible during big tournaments,” said Hodges.

“A lot of matches are decided on those three holes.” Hodges agreed. “No. 13 is pretty tight; No. 14 has a long green and there can be some tricky pin placements and as for No. 15 if I come away with a bogey I’m tickled pink,” Hodges said. “I play that hole as a Par 5.”

Two greens on holes 9 and 10 were recently changed. “We re-did the green complexes on those two holes two years ago,” said Mattson. “While the greens are much bigger, now it’s much more difficult to hit those two greens because of different bunkering and false fronts, plus a lot more slope.” Continuing to always improve the course, five years ago the grass on the greens was changed to T-5 bent. “There used to be a lot of poa - up to 70 per cent - and it was often a struggle to get through the winters,” said Jacques. “The new grass is great. It allows us to keep the speeds of the greens up and not have to worry about disease.”

An argument can easily be made that No. 17 will be the hardest on the course for the Amateur. Playing as a Par 5 during regular play, No. 17 - which is 487 yards long - played as a Par 4 during the Canadian Junior and it is expected it will also play that way for this summer's Alberta Mens Amateur.

But it’s the overall impression that is most important to its management and members. “Our grounds superintendent, Mark Begin, does a great job on the greens and fairways. They’re always in fabulous shape. It’s something we take great pride in. The other thing about our course that is outstanding is the service and the staff in the clubhouse,” said Hodges.

As well as the 2012 Alberta Mens Amateur and the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys, the club has also hosted the 2016 CN Future Links and the 2004 Alberta Ladies Amateur.

“We like to show off our course,” said Jacques. “I’d like to see us host the Canadian Womens Amateur in the next three or four years. We’ve talked to Golf Canada and put our name in for it. We like hosting big events; our members like it. We’re very excited to show off our course again this year.”

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17

Looking Ahead

Lakeside Golf Club Hosts

The Ladies Amateur

by Kevin Smith

18

The city of Chestermere just east of Calgary will get an up close look at the top female golfers in our province this summer. Lakeside Golf Club will host the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship June 29th to July 1st. Lakeside Head Professional Tyler Willner has experience hosting this event in 2012 when he was an Associate Professional at Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club and says Chestermere is the perfect community to support an elite event of this nature.

“The community will be very proud to have an event like this here,” Willner beamed. “It's a smaller community, very tightly knit. There will be lots of support from our membership and the people who play out here on a regular basis.”

Willner says the membership and the players who know the course well will be keen to see what scores the top ladies in Alberta will post.

“We’re excited to host the best ladies field in Alberta,” Willner said. “It brings recognition to our club and as a golf pro you get fired up seeing the young ladies and some of the seasoned veterans play and you’re excited to see what scores they’re going to shoot.”

Golf & CC by an impressive seven strokes.

She spoke afterwards about what winning a provincial title meant to her.

“It’s amazing because I ended up playing for Medicine Hat College because I had a few years left, but once you’re back playing for just yourself you don’t know how much support you really have out there playing for just your own name,” Martin explained. “I’ve been completely surprised with all the text messages and social media congratulations. It's amazing and just crazy.”

Martin’s win last year was a blowout, but if the field in this year’s event is more tightly packed on the back nine of the final round, the course layout at Lakeside Golf Club will provide great drama. The 9th and 18th holes are mirror images, par 4’s with a treacherous approach shot to the green over water.

“For us, holes 9 and 18 are game changers” Willner admitted. “Coming down to the last hole if it’s close it’s going to be fun to watch 18. If there’s a little bit of wind out here there’s not really any shelter and the water carry could play a little havoc on players coming home, that’s going to be exciting to watch for sure.”

Medicine Hat’s Becky Martin won the 2019 Ladies Amateur at The Ranch

That’s the type of drama Willner remembers from the 2012 event at

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club in St. Albert when Jocelyn Alford and Jennifer Ha battled to the final hole, Alford taking the title by one stroke.

If the 2020 event comes down to the final hole at Lakeside Golf Club the challenging 18th green will certainly provide great drama and theatre.

Lakeside Golf Club has some of the biggest greens in Alberta and water comes into play on many holes. Finding fairways will be key to minimize the stress level coming into the greens.

“Club selection going into those greens will be important,” Willner admitted.

“Making sure you’re on the right side of the hole is going to be important.

There’s lots of water out here so making sure you’re in the middle of the fairway and setting yourself up for an easier approach will be the key to anyone who wants to have success out here during those three days.”

There’s no doubt we could see competitive fireworks on the golf course coming down the stretch. With the final round being held on Canada Day surely more fireworks will go off in the evening to celebrate our country’s birthday and the crowning of the 2020 Alberta Ladies Amateur champion.

Programs and Events

The Dream Junior Academy Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Or, in this case, great junior golf programs from tiny beginnings grow.

That’s the case in the small community of Crossfield, home to the Collicutt Siding Golf Course, where from its humble start of only two junior-aged players, the course has seen as many as 1,000 kids learning to swing the sticks in a single season.

Speaking to the phenomenal growth of the kids’ program, and the continuing popularity of what he offers, head professional Lyndon King explained that he and his volunteer corps have worked with over 8,000 youngsters in the 11-year history of the program.

King moved to Collicut Siding in 2009 from Olympic View Golf Club in Victoria BC where there was a strong junior program in place. Failing to see the same thing at his new home in Alberta, he set his sights on growing that element of the game.

“During my time in BC, I bought into the fact that if we don’t grow it from our youth, our industry is going to die. When I came here, we had literally nothing. We had two junior members.”

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The Alberta Golfer 2020

Now known as The Dream Junior Golf Academy, the numbers in King’s first year weren’t earth- shattering but it was a substantial leap forward. In all, 56 kids showed that summer.

“That was a pretty good start. Then it just grew. It sort of doubled every year after that. In 2017, we had 1,080 kids,” King marvelled.

The head pro pointed out that not all of those numbers are new kids each year as many return after their first goround. There is one important fact that everyone taking part, whether as a golfer or a parent, needs to know.

“We’re quick to tell everybody our program is an introduction to the game.

Never do we refer to this as 'lessons.' We are introducing kids to the game of golf.”

While the golf course does offer smaller advanced skill programs, King emphasized that those kids are at a higher level than the learn-to-play ones.

And no wonder. With upwards of 800 to 1,000 kids descending on the rural layout each summer, it would be impossible to harbour all those youngsters in a more focused learning scenario.

“We now have five or six advanced programs for kids that have gone past that introductory level. I don’t think any kids are in it (the introductory sessions) for more than four or five years.

Most of our kids are in it two years, three years, then they move on. These are for little kids to say, ‘Hey! I’m a golfer!’ and to take an interest in the game. Once you get them hooked and interested, there you go.’”

The sessions begin the Monday after the May long weekend and run through most of the summer, wrapping up at the end of July, a somewhat shortened timeline from the earlier years.

“We originally did it until the end of August, but we had to make a decision and we wanted to keep the price down.

So, instead of jacking the price for the parents, we reduced the amount of evenings. Every year we do a final wrap-up with the instructors. What can we do? How do we improve? We talked to a bunch of parents and we found with getting ready for school, our attendance in August was really down anyway,” and that’s proven to be a successful formula.

In measuring success of such a program, where it can be tough to determine how

Programs and Events

Big impact from a small community

By Gord Montgomery

many youngsters fall in love with the game, or even stick with the game as they get older, King said that’s difficult to estimate. While he has had some of the junior players move into the business end of the game of golf, that’s not the be-all and end-all for what he’s doing at Collicutt Siding.

And while the going has been good, there have been a few speed bumps on the fairways, King said. After all, when you’re home to upwards of 1,000 kids each year, someone’s going to step over the line, and it’s usually not a youngster.

“We deal with that every once in a while.

I’m a firm believer that if you play a sport it’s gotta be fun. We get the odd mom or dad or grandparent that’s all over the kid. I’ll walk right up to them and say, 'Hey, calm down!' If you’re all over them for hitting a bad shot, they’ll (the kid) say, ‘Hey. I’m going to take up video games because I never hit a bad shot.’

encourage rather than discourage. “For the numbers we’ve had, you can count (the problems) on one hand. We get way more pats on the back, thank you’s, than anything.”

King is more than willing to share his philosophies on junior golf and how others can enhance their junior-aged participation. He has a document outlining the need-to-know criteria of moving on to that next step as well as how to train the trainers. “I’m the only professional, the rest are volunteers,” said King.“I’ve sent that (program) to 20 different courses,” and more are welcome to share that wealth.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway for kids in the program though is learning how to succeed, and also how to fail, a crash course of sorts in life skills.

“A hundred and twenty guys tee off Thursday and on Sunday only one guy holds the trophy. You have to learn to lose as well as win and maybe you’ll work harder the next week. We’re strong to that one. Our program teaches its okay to lose,” although from its popularity this learn-to-play scheme is a winner all the way.

Juniors push the driving range to maximum capacity every session.

“We’re dealing with people and unfortunately, no matter what industry you’re in, you’ve got some headscratchers every once in a while for sure.”

All the same, King and his volunteers handle those issues in the right way to AlbertaGolf.org

21

Looking Ahead

The Canadian Glencoe Hosts Mens Amateur

By Todd Saelhof

It's shaping up to be a grand year at The Glencoe. The golf experience is always top-notch at the 45-hole layout.

The much-heralded Glencoe DC Bank Invitational is expanding. And there's another even more highly regarded event that's been added to the Calgary course's agenda this coming season.

That's the 2020 Canadian Men's Amateur Championship — a highlight on the nation's golf calendar — slated for August 3-6, 2020. "It really is a big year ahead for us," said Glencoe CEO Jan Bloemraad. "It's an opportunity to see the best of the best at the amateur level.

And it's a chance to see future PGA players before they make it big."

The annual Canadian Amateur — first played in 1895 — is Canada’s oldest championship and is set to celebrate its 125th anniversary. The 2020 tourney marks the first time the championship will host the 264- player field on the same property since the field was expanded 10 years ago. And for Albertans, it's coming to the theatre near you.

"We're really, really proud of this opportunity," Bloemraad said. "The Glencoe Golf & Country Club has a very strong history of supporting

amateur golf, and we're pretty excited with this opportunity to continue to support amateur golf and also the industry at large."

Kings of the Can Am include Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Moe Norman (Kitchener, ON), Nick Weslock (Windsor, ON), Gary Cowan (Kitchener, ON) and Doug Roxburgh (Vancouver, BC). A couple of PGA Tour champions, Nick Taylor (Vancouver, BC) and Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, ON), have also won the event.

Judy Forshner, The Glencoe's head pro, said, "If someone is going to have a PGA career, it may be from this field of players."

The champion joins elite company, to be sure, and also receives an exemption into the next year’s RBC Canadian Open.

But that means taming the two courses of The Glencoe — the 7,505-yard Forest and the Meadows, which can stretch out to 6,804 yards — during championship week.

"One of the things the players are going to be exposed to is that they're two really diverse courses," Forshner said. "It's going to be very interesting, because when the course was designed, we had that in mind.

They offer two different looks." The field plays each of them the first two days and then finishes off — after cutting down to the the top 70 and ties — by playing the final 36 holes on the Forest layout.

"The Forest offers raised undulating greens and a unique mix of holes both through the spruce forest as well as open meadows holes over creeks and ponds," Forshner said. "The Meadows offers undulating greens and an interesting terrain with its own strategically placed creeks and ponds."

Hole # 16, Forest Course

22

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Also on the week's agenda is the Willingdon Cup, which pits three-man provincial teams against each other during

the first two rounds. The Willingdon Cup has been part of the Canadian Amateur since 1931.

"People are going to come with an expectation of what Calgary golf is at The Glencoe. And we're not going to disappoint from a service level, from the greens level and from the conditions of the course." If any club can walk the walk, it's The Glencoe. The facility in Calgary's southwest boasts quite the golf resumé, with its annual invitational among the best of all annual sporting events in the province. "We're building off that Glencoe DC Bank Invitational," said Bloemraad of a tourney that's expanding this year to include a women's event. "The reputation of the invitational has gotten to the point where our amateurs in Canada are aspiring to play that every year and marking it on their calendars."

This championship is worth marking on the calendar, too.

"We have a very strong history of volunteerism at the course,"; said Bloemraad of a group that's helping to take on tourney duties of spotting on fairways, scorekeeping, marshalling and general volunteer hospitality, among other responsibilities.

"And the beauty of The Glencoe is we have the 45 holes, so while the amateurs are playing, we'll still have the members be able to utilize the course. It's a wonderful opportunity to expose the members to the Canadian Amateur. They're quite excited about the opportunity."

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Looking Back

The First Calgary

Giving families a place to start

By Rennay Craats

In snow-bound Alberta, the promise of summer gets us through those unbearably cold months. When school is finally done and July arrives, Albertans celebrate, and what better way is there to celebrate than a party at the course?

With the Calgary Golf Festival, Alberta Golf is inviting golf newcomers and their families and friends to learn more about what golf is all about.

The pilot event last July was highly anticipated and almost 200 people preregistered for the event. While the venue will move from course to course in the future, Alberta Golf decided to hold this year’s event at Cottonwood again to give the course a chance to properly showcase what it has to offer, hopefully without last year’s terrible weather than kept some people at home.

“For us at Alberta Golf it’s been about changing the way we appeal to the everyday average golfer and become more relevant at the base level,” says Phil Berube, executive director and CEO of Alberta Golf. “We’re looking at programs and work with golf clubs to support bringing new people into the game.”

Those who braved the elements had a great time, with some people golfing in the rain while others enjoyed the many events that were sheltered or moved indoors. Participant feedback helped organizers evaluate the programming to ensure they provided the resources that people most wanted to access in order for Alberta Golf and participating courses to finetune the event.

The Calgary Golf Festival was one such program that launched last year at Cottonwood Golf Club in partnership with Shaw Communications and the Shaw Charity Classic. It was a fun event that aimed to demystify golf for those interested in getting into the game but were too intimidated to just book a tee time and show up at a course. The festival was a great introduction to the sport for golfers of all ages and ability levels and an enjoyable day out with family and friends.

24

The Alberta Golfer 2020

The 2020 Calgary Golf Festival will take everything it learned last year to offer a carnival atmosphere complete with face painting and bouncy castles for the kids and live music and an inexpensive BBQ lunch. The organizers provide all the necessary golf equipment and participants can try out clubs on the driving range, give putting and chipping a shot on the practice greens, and they can ask questions both about playing the game itself and the process involved with getting started in golf.

“We’re learning that there is a really big gap between people who know how things work in the golf industry—how to book tee times, where to show up, what to wear, what clubs to use—and people who are interested but don’t know where to start,” Berube says. “It’s intimidating and we need to find solutions to break those barriers down.”

To eliminate those barriers to the sport, this free festival allows people to peek behind the curtain and see how golf works and gives them the opportunity to try it out for themselves. They learn about how the driving range works, the lingo of the sport, what equipment they need to have, and the flow of the game, all in a fun, easygoing setting.

Groups can also rent a hole for $20 for 90 minutes and give golf a try from the tee box to the cup. There are a series of games to play on each hole to help newcomers learn and practice in a fun environment, and golf professionals support this learning as they circulate the course offering tips and advice on developing these skills. But it is not just a fantastic afternoon for new golfers; as they introduce their family and friends to the game they love. Those who are regular golfers can also benefit from the event. The golf professionals take over the role of coach in the group as the

Looking Back

Golf Festival rookies learn the basics, which leaves the more experienced golfers open to challenge themselves to reduce strokes on the hole or work on their bunker shots.

Last year, some larger groups consisting of siblings, grandparents, children and friends rented two consecutive holes to play and practice on, ultimately creating a mini tournament for the group. This rent-a-hole element of the Calgary Golf Festival presented the perfect way for families to try out the game without the stress and pressure of having a group following behind them or the fear of violating etiquette rules. With three shotgun starts at noon, 2:00 and 4:00, the Festival can accommodate 54 of these groups throughout the day.

The first year of the Calgary Golf Festival was a huge success for organizers and the greater golf industry alike, and over the past year the event has generated increased interest in stakeholders to become involved.

“We are getting calls from host clubs throughout Alberta who want to host future events,” says Berube. “For the industry partners like the golf clubs and golf professionals, in terms of lessons and bringing new people into the game, the event has been great.”

The hope is that more golf clubs across the province will host their own events to coincide with the festivals every summer to further encourage newcomers to participate in the sport. Courses can open their doors to golfers of all levels and offer fun activities so after a day at the links, people are more comfortable with the process and will come back and try it again on their own.

Over the past year, the original event has evolved into a province-wide event that serves to eliminate barriers to golf, encourage youth and newcomers to the game, and create a sense of community.

The popularity of the event also spurred Alberta Golf to grow the Festival in a unique way. It has partnered with the Western Hockey League and is currently expanding the event to the five Alberta cities that host these hockey teams. While planning is still underway, organizers are looking to hold simultaneous July 2, 2020 events at courses in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The goal of aligning with the WHL is to help those cities draw attention to the hockey teams and drive traffic to their games while they help drive traffic to the golf courses during the summer.

“It may be more of a brand partnership and a way for the two organizations to help each other. The Alberta Golf

The rain may have kept some families away, but most found a way to endure and enjoy the day.

communications team is focused on finding new ways to align with likeminded organizations where we can help each other,” Berube said.

Whether some players are on hand at these events or the mascots make an appearance to represent their teams, the two organizations can help promote what they have to offer while supporting Alberta Golf’s efforts to attract more people to the sport. Golf continues to grow across North America, and Alberta Golf and its members are coming up with innovative initiatives to draw even more people into the game. The Golf Festivals taking place in July across Alberta are a great example of how the organization is educating potential participants and making the sport relevant to everyone.

“We’ve opened the doors and everyone is welcome,” Phil Berube says.

And he hopes that when festival registrations open in April, golfers from across the province will come for the party and stay for the golf season.

AlbertaGolf.org

25

A Closer Look

South for the Winter

Arizona’s Desert Drives

By Andrew Penner

The 9th hole at sunset at the Las Sendas GC

26

A Closer Look

Here's the cold hard truth: golfing in Alberta between November and March is a dicey proposition. It's a little like snowboarding in the Sahara. Or curling in Cuba. You've got to get a little, well, lucky to make it happen. For people who really like to play (like you), it's a long time to go cold turkey. Thankfully, just a couple hours away via a fast-flying bird, is a sun-soaked desert (let's just call it Arizona) that's the perfect place for golfstarved Canucks.

Of course, within “The Grand Canyon State” are options. Many options. Metro Phoenix – otherwise known as “The Valley of the Sun” – is a no-brainer.

Mesa, Glendale, Fountain Hills, Tempe, Scottsdale, and the list goes on, are all fair game. Interestingly, there are over 20 cities and towns that comprise Metro Phoenix. Including, of course, the city of Phoenix itself. This area, the 5th largest metropolitan area in the United States, is home to approximately five million people and a whopping 200 courses.

And there are many other excellent Arizona options outside of The Valley of the Sun. Tucson, Prescott, Lake Havasu City, Yuma, and Sedona, for example, are all excellent options. While all of the aforementioned cities and towns have their own merits, over time, you develop your favourites. For me, within Metro Phoenix, Scottsdale is typically my first choice. The quantity and quality of the golf is second-to-none. And, as far as outside of The Valley of the Sun, I've loved Sedona for as long as I can remember. The natural beauty there is off-the-charts.

Scottsdale With fifty courses, and counting, Scottsdale (think northeast quadrant of Metro Phoenix) is a golfer's gloryland. The courses, while not cheap (expect to pay over $200 at the top tracks during the prime winter months), get top marks for conditioning, beauty, and authentic desert drama. The most recognizable names in desert golf – Troon North, Grayhawk, TPC Scottsdale, The Boulders, and We-Ko-Pa, to name a handful – are all located in sun-kissed Scottsdale.

Not surprisingly, along with those terrific courses are plenty of upscale hotels and resorts. The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, and The Boulders Resort & Spa, to name a few, are all premier places to stay during a Scottsdale golf getaway. And you can't go wrong with any of them.

While the building of new courses and resorts has certainly slowed in Scottsdale (as it has at virtually every golf destination around the world), there is always a buzz in the air about something.

The hot-off-the-press redesign of the sporty resort course at The Phoenician – another upscale Scottsdale resort – was the talk of the town in 2019.

The renovation - which consisted of transforming 27 mediocre holes into one rock-solid 18-hole course – has been a game changer for the resort. The course, which was designed by Phil Smith, now tips out at 6,600 yards and plays to a par of 71. The routing and overall

experience is now much more in line with the high standards of the luxurious resort and the excellent site it occupies at the base of Camelback Mountain.

The stunning location at We-Ko-Pa (it's situated just east of Scottsdale in a ragged swath of rolling desert terrain), is certainly a major selling point. And the two courses at We-Ko-Pa – Cholla and Saguaro - are world-class desert layouts that are always in the conversation when the best courses in The Valley of the Sun are discussed.

Unquestionably, the lack of development bordering the courses, the exquisite turf conditions, the incredible variety of the holes, the non-stop scenery, and the quality of the design work are the key reasons why We-Ko-Pa is so popular.

Another reason? The adjacent We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference Center – yet another luxurious retreat for golfers with all the bells and whistles! - is an ideal place to hang out for a few days.

Not surprisingly, given its location in the heart of the desert on the Yavapai Nation, We-Ko-Pa has other appealing options for outdoor enthusiasts. Fort McDowell Adventures, located just down the road from the resort, offers awesome desert jeep tours, Segway tours, kayaking, horseback riding, and much more.

The newly-renovated course at The Phoenician is getting strong reviews

AlbertaGolf.org

27

A Closer Look

The drivable par-4 2nd on the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa

Sedona Located two hours north of Phoenix and enveloped with spectacular red-rock mountains, Sedona is a special place.

At first glance, their tagline - “The Most Beautiful Place on Earth” - seems a little, well, over-the-top. Until you go there and realize, yes, that might just have some merit!

So know this: golf has some serious competition when it comes to your outdoor play time. The hiking and mountain biking opportunities are famously good in Sedona. Hikes to Devil's Bridge (a natural arch you can walk across), West Fork, Bell Mountain, and Doe Mountain, for example, are about as good as day hikes get. And mountain bikers tout this area as one of the best in the southwest.

and both get solid marks for scenery, playability, and the overall experience.

The 6,646-yard course at the Sedona Golf Resort features more elevation change than Oakcreek and many of the holes are framed by the gorgeous firered mountains that envelop the resort.

The Oakcreek Country Club, which cruises through mature trees just south of Sedona, boasts a classic parkland layout designed by the father-son duo of Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr. The traditional course is just under 6,900 yards and is fun for both seasoned pros who want a true shotmaker's test and recreational players who simply want to grip-it and rip-it in a stunning amphitheatre surrounded by the amazing red-rock monoliths that make Sedona so sought after.

There are many hotels and resorts that line the main drag in Sedona. The Poco Diablo Resort, which is centrally located in Sedona, is a great choice. The resort, which features spacious rooms and suites surrounding a quaint par-3 course, is secluded yet close to all the art galleries, cafes, and shopping.

Regardless if you choose Sedona, Scottsdale, or any other destination in Arizona, the state is going to win you over with its great golf, beautiful desert scenery, and warm winter weather. And when that cold weather comes, it’s way more fun swinging a golf club than a snow shovel. But now I'm just preaching to the choir.

For golfers, there are three excellent options. However, one course, Seven Canyons, is only accessible for members and hotel guests staying at the nearby very upscale Enchantment Resort.

(However, if you can swing it, this Tom Weiskopf course is, from a visual standpoint, one of the most picturesque layouts in the world.)

The two other courses – the sporty Sedona Golf Resort and Oakcreek Country Club – are public access 28

The Alberta Golfer 2020

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Looking Ahead

The World Handicap System is here. You may be surprised to hear that even though we are talking about the merging of six different handicap systems, you won’t notice a drastic change. The Official Handicap Manual which will be released early in 2020 contains every detail of every rule and is a fantastic resource for clubs and those searching for something in particular. If you are looking for a few highlights in plain English, these five points will give you a good start.

World Handicap System 5 Things You Need to Know

By Stephen Wigington

1. Handicap Index &

2. Maximum hole

Low Handicap Index

scores have been

Your Handicap Index is the main number you will be using. It has previously been known around the world as a handicap factor, factor, index, golfer index, and many more terms that are slightly different, but meant the same thing.

Starting in 2020, HANDICAP INDEX is what the entire world has settled on. Wherever you see your Handicap Index, your Low Handicap Index will likely be close by. This Low Handicap Index represents the lowest point your Handicap Index has been in the last 12 months. Meaning it will either be smaller than your Handicap Index, or the same value. It is used in calculating whether or not your Handicap Index is subject to capping. The short version of capping: Your Handicap Index can rise 3 points higher than your Low Handicap Index without penalty. Once it rises more than 3 points above the Low Handicap Index, it will only continue to do so at a 50% rate (soft cap). It will never be allowed to rise more than 5 points above the Low Handicap Index (hard cap).

30

The Alberta Golfer 2020

standardized Everyone will be subject to the same rules for maximum scores on a hole. But the maximum score on a specific hole can differ from golfer to golfer. It seems like a riddle, but the maximum is now simply Net Double Bogey. That means you can only take a Double Bogey, plus any strokes you are getting on that specific hole.

In order to accomplish this, you will need to know where you are getting your strokes. One way to do this is by using your Handicap Index to find your total amount of strokes using the Course Handicap Table and then allocating those strokes based on the Handicap of each hole. By doing this, you can enter a full 18 hole Adjusted Gross Score. If that is too involved, you can enter your full unadjusted hole by hole scores into the Score Centre, and the computer will adjust it for you. Much simpler.

Looking Ahead

3. Your Differentials

4. The Course Handicap

5. You can play

might change overnight

Table will look different

anywhere

Quick recap, a Differential is the result of a calculation that includes your Adjusted Gross Score (see point #2), Course Rating, and Slope Rating. Basically, it shows how well you played in accordance with the difficulty of the course. Your best eight Differentials of the most recent 20 scores are then averaged to produce your Handicap Index. Yes, best eight. In an effort to make your Differential as true as possible, there can now be what is known as a Playing Condition Calculation. This means that your Differential can be changed by the presence of bad weather or otherwise poor conditions. This calculation will be based on data, more specifically how the expected scores of the day differ from the actual ones. If there is enough of a discrepancy, an adjustment will be made over night. You will wake up to a nice Adjusted Differential.

Before the WHS, if you were playing against someone from a different set of tees you had to make an adjustment by finding the difference between the two Course Ratings. The good news is that you don’t need to do that anymore (or can continue not doing it). The new formula for determining your Course Handicap includes “Course Rating minus par” as part of the formula. This means that any gender playing any gender from any tee can go ahead and match up solely based on the Course Handicap Tables. Because of this change in formula, new Course Handicap Tables will be distributed to every golf course in Alberta. In order to avoid confusion, any Course Handicap Tables dated before January, 1, 2020 should be destroyed.

World travellers can now pack their Handicap Index and take it with them anywhere they go. With every major country taking part in this process, we have finally done away with obscure differences preventing international handicap equitability. There has always been one book on the Rules of Golf, now there is finally one book for the Rules of Handicapping.

For more information on the World Handicap System, please visit the Alberta Golf Knowledge Centre at: http://albertagolf.org

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31

Looking Ahead

GLENCOE

DC Bank Invitational Goes Co-Ed

Hole #4 - The Glencoe Forest Course

The Glencoe DC Bank Invitational, presented by ATB Financial, has been one of the most prestigious men’s golf tournaments in Canada since its inception in 1992. Each June, fifty of the best male amateurs from Alberta, the rest of Canada, and around the world have accepted invitations to compete on the Forest Course at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club in southwest Calgary.

Also the site of the 2020 Golf Canada Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship (see p.22), the Forest Course will test the players’ skills against other top amateur competitors on one of Canada’s finest golf courses.

For 2020, some major changes are coming to this important event on the golf calendar in Alberta. The tournament is adding a separate women’s division as well as a major new corporate partner. Twenty female professionals will be invited to compete for a $25K prize purse, with $15K going to the winner and the top four 32

The Alberta Golfer 2020

professionals earning money. The ten top women amateurs will have their own tournament within the framework of the overall championship. This is in addition to the tradition of the men’s Glencoe DC Bank Invitational, Presented by ATB Financial, accepting applications from fifty of the best male amateurs gleaned from the ranks of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Jeff Smith is the President and CEO of DC Bank, a Schedule 1 Canadian chartered bank headquartered in Calgary, dedicated to meet the evolving payment solution needs of its clients. Smith talks about the company’s decision to become the title sponsor of the newly-renamed Glencoe DC Bank Invitational, Presented by ATB Financial, to be held June 18-20, 2020.

“Golf is played pretty much in equal numbers by men and women around the world,” said Smith, a Victoria, BC native who now makes his home in Calgary. “We wanted to help make the Glencoe tournament more equality-

focused with the addition of the new women’s professional and amateur divisions.”

This is certainly part of an emerging trend in the world of golf. At the forefront of this development is the ISPS Handa Vic Open, which showcases simultaneous men’s and women’s professional events, co-sanctioned by the European Tour and LPGA Tour respectively. The 2020 event was held in February near Melbourne, Australia and each tournament offered identical purses of $1.6 Million for the men and women who teed it up with starting times alternating for the men and women pros.

Former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia talked about the success of the ISPA Handa Vic Open, both for the spectators and the competitors alike. “The men can learn so much from watching the women professionals, and vice versa,” Ogilvy noted.

Looking Ahead

Competitors played the same course in Australia with the same hole locations, albeit from different sets of tees, which will be duplicated at The Glencoe. “Golf should have been doing this years ago,” said Ogilvy.

Other examples of men and women sharing the spotlight for golf tournaments include the Augusta Women’s Amateur held for the first time in 2019 at Augusta National the week before The Masters.

Once known as an exclusively male domain, Augusta National has exhibited outstanding leadership in growing the game for both men and women with the spectacular growth of the Drive, Putt and Chip competition and the Augusta Women’s Amateur event that showcases some of the world’s top female amateurs.

In addition, Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson will launch a new co-ed event in Sweden this summer.

“This has been happening in other sports for years,” commented Smith. “Major tennis events such as Wimbledon and the U.S. Open offer identical prize pools for the men and women competitors, and we can see golf moving in this direction. We wanted to be part of this growth.”

Glencoe member Dale Goehring is the volunteer Tournament Chair for the event.

The 1997 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Goehring is no stranger to elite level amateur completion, having taken part in the inaugural Glencoe DC Bank Invitational in 1992 and in almost every annual renewal since. He has been a member of The Glencoe since 1998.

The addition of a women’s professional division hopefully might lead to rekindling a women’s professional tour in Canada along the lines of the Mackenzie Tour – Canada, a division of the PGA Tour.

DC Bank is an important part of the Mackenzie Tour as well in their role as title sponsor of the DC Bank Open at Uplands GC in Victoria BC from June 1-7, 2020.

ATB Financial is the new Presenting Sponsor for the Glencoe DC Bank Invitational for 2020, reinforcing its reputation as a long-time supporter of tournament golf in Alberta.

John Windwick, Vice-President of Community Initiatives, spoke about ATB Financial’s decision to become Presenting Sponsor.

“ATB Financial has been a major sponsor for Mackenzie Tour events in Alberta for 25 years,” Windwick noted.

“Our partnership this year with such an important event as the Glencoe DC Bank Invitational fits very well with the ATB Financial Classic, Calgary’s event on the Mackenzie Tour, which will be held at Country Hills Talons course from August 6-9. Not only are we pleased to help grow the game with the addition of the women’s division, but the men’s champion will receive an exemption into the ATB Financial Classic.”

Jaclyn Lee of Calgary is now an LPGA professional, having honed her game as an amateur growing up as a Glencoe member.

“This is such an exciting time for women’s golf,” said Lee, who is currently rehabbing a wrist injury before resuming her LPGA career this spring on a medical extension.

“I can’t thank everyone involved enough for making this happen. I grew up around the Glencoe DC Bank Invitational and have caddied for friends in the tournament, so it would be really cool to be able to play in the women’s professional division if my schedule will allow it.”

Glencoe member Andrea Kosa, who advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2019 US Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship (see p. 48) is also chomping at the bit to tee it up on her home course in June. “I want to be able to challenge myself against the best, on the best courses, and to see where I fall down or stand up,” Kosa said. “That’s just a great challenge that we will get to see now.”

For twenty-eight years, The Glencoe DC Bank Invitational, Presented by ATB Financial, has been one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in Canada.

With these exciting changes coming to the competition this summer, the stature of this event will be loftier than ever.

Hole #5 - The Glencoe Forest Course

“We are tremendously excited to add a women’s division to the tournament this summer,” beamed Goehring. “There has been a void in the women’s game, both on the amateur side and in the professional game. The Glencoe DC Bank Invitational, Presented by ATB Financial, is going to show golf fans in Calgary just how well some of the country’s best young women professionals and top amateurs can play.” The men’s division has featured current PGA Tour stars such as Nick Taylor, Graham DeLaet, and Corey Conners before they turned professional, to give you an idea of the quality of play that will be on display in June.

AlbertaGolf.org

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A Closer Look

Mickelson National Opens

By Dunc Mills

Hole # 18, Mickelson National Golf Club

34

A Closer Look

The wait is nearly over. Mickelson National Golf Club is the newest jewel in the six-course portfolio of golf courses owned and/or managed by the Calgary based Windmill Golf Group. Owner Barry Ehlert is the man responsible for bringing this Phil Mickelson-designed layout to completion, and the enthusiasm and pride in Ehlert’s voice about this summer’s official opening of Mickelson National is palpable.

“We did some preliminary work as far back at the summer of 2015,” Ehlert said. “Construction began in earnest in 2016, and we’re now ready to open this summer for full play for our members and their guests.

We were able to offer some limited preview play last summer as the course matured, and the response was incredible.”

Phil Mickelson is of course one of the best golfers of our generation, and Mickelson National has incorporated many of Phil’s best ideas and plans that he has developed over his Hall of Fame career. “Phil was very ‘handson’ from the start of construction,” noted Ehlert. “Early on, Phil was doing a site visit with us after some of the initial shaping was completed, and he could see things like the shot values that would be required, line of sight corridors for spectators, bunker positioning and a whole host of details that did not escape his eye.”

Located in the Harmony community in the west end of Calgary adjacent to the Springbank airport, Mickelson National seems poised to immediately enter the upper echelon of golf courses in the province, and all of Canada for that matter. From all indications, the course at its full length of nearly 7,800 yards will be more than capable of challenging PGA Tour calibre professionals, but the multiple tee decks will enable golfers of any skill level to enjoy the challenge and beauty of the course.

“Most people think of Heritage Pointe as a 27-hole layout,” commented Ehlert, “but we want to make better use of its three-hole loop this year and going forward.” Options such as a 12-hole or a 6-hole round are going to be made available in efforts to attract more people to the game who perhaps don’t have time for a full 18-hole round every time they want to play. “The par-4 hole on the loop is in my opinion one of the best holes in the province,” Ehlert boasted.

The RBC Canadian Open is the only PGA Tour event held in Canada, and Golf Canada’s policy has been to move the tournament around the country to showcase some of Canada’s finest layouts for our national open championship.

Time will tell when Mickelson National is ready to join that prestigious list but the course would be an outstanding test for the world’s best professionals.

The Bearspaw Golf Club has emerged from its financial difficulties and under the management of Windmill Golf Group will be completing the construction of its spectacular new clubhouse by the end of this summer. The course has always been one of the best in Alberta.

“We hope that one day we can host a tournament of that calibre,” said Ehlert.

“As our reputation grows over the next few years, we hope that Golf Canada takes note. Calgary would be a fantastic host for the RBC Canadian Open.”

Mickelson National isn’t the only ‘new’ course in the Windmill Golf Group’s portfolio. The company is now managing Bearspaw Golf Club and acquired the 30-hole (yes, 30!) Heritage Pointe Golf Club last fall to add to their stable of courses in the Calgary area.

Other Calgary and area courses owned

by Windmill Golf include The Hamptons and Springbank Links. Windmill also manages a beautiful hidden gem in Magrath. “We are so pleased to have Magrath Golf Club in our portfolio,” beamed Ehlert. “It is one of the best golf courses in southern Alberta, but many people don’t know much about it yet.”

Ehlert hopes that Phil Mickelson will be able to make time in his busy schedule to put on an exhibition this summer at his newest creation. Phil has fans all over the world, and Calgary is no exception.

Hole #17, Mickelson National Golf Club

35

Looking Ahead

The “New”

Crowsnest Pass Golf Club

By Dunc Mills

36

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Looking Ahead

The Crowsnest Pass Golf Club in Blairmore is celebrating its Centennial this year, but the spectacular new layout that will greet members and guests this summer bears little resemblance to the nine-hole layout that opened in 1920. In fact, it bears little resemblance to the 18-hole course that existed just a couple of years ago.

Typically, when a course undergoes renovations, it’s a tweak here and a tweak there. Maybe a few new green complexes or some re-routing of a hole or two or a club might build a brand new clubhouse. But rarely does a golf course undergo the type of top to bottom renovations that the Crowsnest Pass Golf Club has undertaken over the last six years. In fact, it might be more accurate to describe the project as a relocation than a renovation.

Blairmore is the largest community and main economic centre within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, tucked into the southwest corner of Alberta less than 20 km. from the BC border along Highway 3. The golf course itself is located less than five km west of the world famous Frank Slide. Economically, coal had been king in the Crowsnest Pass from the start of the 20th Century up to the point when the major local employer, the Greenhill mine, closed in 1957. But the economy is enjoying a resurgence now with new coal mining projects leading the way along with the fabulous tourism opportunities in the area.

Over the last six years, the club has planned and undertaken a major building program, incorporating the construction of eight entirely new holes just west of the existing layout, four new holes built on the site of the existing course, along with significant renovations to four other holes. Only two holes remain basically untouched from the former course routing. A sparkling new 16,000 sq. ft.clubhouse will open to members and guests this summer, featuring what head professional Jason Roth boasts as “the best clubhouse Hole #15 at Crowsnest Pass Golf Club

deck in southern Alberta!" Touring the construction site earlier this spring and marvelling at the incredible vista of the Rocky Mountains soaring skyward across the valley, that will be a difficult claim to disprove. The project included a complete new state of the art irrigation system and a brand new maintenance and cart barn facility that would be the envy of any course.

Roth discussed what the future holds for the club. “We have a solid base of about 200 members from the community,” claimed Roth, who has been the head professional in Blairmore for seven years. “But our focus going forward is to make the Crowsnest Pass Golf Club a major destination resort in southern Alberta”. The club has always attracted more than its share of tourism business, but a lot of that traffic was from people travelling to and from the other golf opportunities in the Fernie or Cranbrook areas an hour or so further west.

Roth went on to say, “We have a brand new hotel right across the highway from the course. The community also has fully serviced RV lots and campgrounds to handle guests travelling with their motorhomes and campers. Once people stop and see the course and enjoy the views from the clubhouse, our expectation is that many of these visitors will stay for several days to enjoy our hospitality.”

“Our new layout will be very playable for any level of golfer” AlbertaGolf.org

37

Looking Ahead

Hole #9 at Crowsnest Pass Golf Club

Albertans who have experienced the restoration of Kananaskis Country Golf Course in the last couple of years might notice some similarities in the Crowsnest Pass course, because the club retained renowned golf course architect Gary Browning to create the new holes and routing in Blairmore. “Browning brought virtually his entire same team that he used at Kananaskis to do the design and shaping here,” said Roth.

The club had a ‘soft’ opening of the new layout on July 1, 2019. Roth said, “We did some advertising in Calgary and southern Alberta last summer, but the word of mouth rave reviews we earned were just as important. This year, we want to create a more province-wide footprint for our club.”

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The Alberta Golfer 2020

There is so much more going on in the area than just a sensational new golf course. “The Crowsnest Pass region has an incredible variety of things to see and do,” Roth said. “We have some of the best fly fishing in North America, along with hiking trails, camping and boating, not to mention some of the finest mountain scenery in the world.”

Another amazing thing about all this wonderful ‘new’ addition to the Alberta golf landscape is that it is very affordable.

Rates for 18 holes including a cart barely creep over the $100 mark on weekends, with weekday specials and evening rates reducing costs even further. Local accommodation providers have partnered with the club on some very attractive Play and Stay packaging, not to mention the camping and RV options available.

“Our new layout will be very playable for any level of golfer,” Roth commented.

The par-72 course, which also features immaculate greens that were seeded, not sodded, will tip out at just over 6,800 yards, and includes five sets of tee decks suitable for players from beginners to pros.

“Everyone connected with the club is so proud of what we have done here,” boasted Roth. “Our members can’t wait to showcase their club to the rest of the province, and we have had requests for tee times from all over western Canada!”

This is going to be some Centennial celebration this summer in Blairmore!

Programs and Events

Take a Kid to the Course

The NGCOA is helping get youngsters involved in golf

NGCOA promotes tee-times over screen-time.

By Todd Saelhof

It's what the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada aims to give young golfers with its highly successful 'Take a Kid to the Course' program. In other words, get the children out of the house and onto the links for fresh air and a fun-time playing golf by hitting up KidsGolfFree.ca.

"Originally it was one week, but now it's open to golf course interpretation," Beck said. "Traditionally, it was just the first week of July. Then we got a lot of feedback from the golf courses saying that they didn't want to run it for just a week, that they wanted to run it longer.

So it's kind of up to them now."

"Our motto is 'Replace screen-time with lifetime memories,'" said Erica Beck, NGCOA regional director of Alberta and British Columbia. "We see a lot of families playing golf across Canada," Beck continued. "So it's always a great thing to have families participating together and getting kids away from iPads and screen-time. We want to give opportunity to encourage families early in the season to get out to their local golf course and play. And we hope that they continue doing that as a family for the rest of the summer season."

In addition to free golf, many member courses offer additional programs with similar discounts for juniors on clinics, range balls club rentals and parent/child tournaments.

The program — now in its 19th year — has long been working to put more kids on the courses of Canada by offering free golf to youth under 16 who are accompanied by a paying adult.

Since its launch in 2002, the initiative has taken on a life of its own, morphing into different forms depending on the course.

There may be prizes available, as well.

"Some courses expand on Take a Kid to the Course," Beck continued. "Some offer special lessons, introduction to the golf course … it is fluid. We've launched a program for the membership to utilize.

And a lot of them over the last 18 years have seen successes with the program and have been able to add on to the program offerings with what's best suited for their facility."

A total of 712 golf courses nationwide have taken advantage of the program.

In Alberta alone, that number was 110 last season, with NGCOA hoping membership increases this year.

"Some very good representation in

Alberta," Beck said, "which is great to see."

The 2020 launch date is July 6. You don't have to be a member at participating golf courses to take advantage of Take a Kid to the Course. In other words, it's open to the public — for everyone.

Because the bottom line is getting as many young Canadians as possible involved in the sport. "We've had 350,000 juniors participate across Canada," Beck continued. "So it's a very popular program for our membership."

It's also good for the future of golf.

"Junior golf is so important to our industry," Beck said. "The more golfers out there, the more it obviously benefits the industry.

"The courses understand that kids are the future of the industry, and we need to keep encouraging them to play. It's a big thing to have families to be out together, and golf courses are meant for families to play together. It's a game that kids from age six up to seniors in their 90s-plus can play together."

Go to KidsGolfFree.ca and simply follow the easy steps to book your teetime.

AlbertaGolf.org

39

A Closer Look

Northwest Montana Wow!

Whitefish Lake Golf Course

Variety. Affordability. Easy access.

Immaculate course conditions. Stunning scenery. Amazing nightlife after golf.

Welcome to Northwest Montana - the “Golf Destination of the Northwest,” rated one of the Top 50 Golf Destinations by Golf Digest.

It’s almost impossible to choose a short phrase or buzzword that best describes the spectacular golf, recreation opportunities, delicious food and fun-filled nightlife of the nine member sites of the Northwest Montana Golf Association. Centred around Kalispell, but with every member course within about an hour’s drive, the NMGA is a wonderful collection of terrific golf courses in communities spread throughout the beautiful scenery of northwest Montana. Kalispell is an easy five-hour drive from Calgary, making this 40

The Alberta Golfer 2020

consortium of courses a very attractive golf and recreation destination for Albertans without having to endure the hassles of airport travel.

Steve Dunfee is the general manager of the beautifully groomed 27-hole Buffalo Hill Golf Club in Kalispell and is the president of the NMGA. “We have nine excellent courses within a short drive of each other,” boasts Dunfee. “It’s very affordable golf. It’s fun, friendly and there are so many other things to see and do here in Kalispell and throughout the region.” Conveniently located close to the charm, great shopping and fine dining options of downtown Kalispell, Buffalo Hill is consistently rated one of the ‘must plays’ in Montana by Golf Digest.

Libby is a pleasant town of about 3,000 people located 90 miles west of Kalispell,

tucked into the base of the Cabinet Mountains. The aptly named Cabinet View Golf Club is the epitome of Montana golf, featuring stunning mountain views, abundant wildlife occasionally wandering the fairways, along with warm and welcoming staff.

The most difficult challenge of the family-friendly Glacier View Golf Course is keeping your head down and concentrating on your golf game and not letting your attention wander to the fabulous views of Glacier National Park. The community of West Glacier is an easy 45-minute drive northeast of Kalispell. On-site RV hookups are also available.

Most visitors to the area will enter Montana at the border crossing a little southwest of Fernie BC. The first NMGA

A Closer Look

member course one will find on Highway 93 is Indian Springs Ranch Golf Course in Eureka. This links style layout blends in marvellously with the rolling terrain and the ambiance of the Old West is found everywhere on the streets of downtown Eureka. What a great way to experience the character and mood of Montana! Looking for a relaxed feeling on the golf course? They have 15-minute interval tee times!

Meadow Lake Golf Resort in Columbia Falls has been a long-time favourite destination of Albertans. Only 20 minutes east of Whitefish, Meadow Lake is perhaps the most challenging layout in the region, but also one of the most beautiful. The resort features on-site accommodations, excellent dining, and everything you could want for a fabulous family getaway.

Northern Pines Golf Club in Kalispell was designed by two-time U.S. Open Champion Andy North. The rolling front nine will remind you of Scotland,

CoalCreek Golf Resort

while the back nine features exciting and challenging elevation changes along the river. The layout tips out at nearly 7,100 yards but is a very accommodating 5,800 yards from the front decks. The shopping, nightlife and great restaurants of downtown Kalispell are only minutes away.

Polson Bay Golf Course is the most southerly course of the NMGA, a leisurely hour’s drive south of Kalispell on Highway 93 along the shores of Flathead Lake, the largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi River. This 27-hole gem has been a Flathead Valley favorite for decades, and features breath-taking lakeside and mountain views.

Village Greens Golf Club is the third NMGA member course located within the Kalispell city limits. Playing from a tidy 6,400 yards from the back tees, Village Greens offers some of the finest course conditions in the consortium. The all-grass driving range and gracious hospitality at Spike’s 19 th Hole are only two of the many reasons to visit this beauty.

Whitefish Lake Golf Course is the only 36-hole facility in the NMGA. The town of Whitefish is located only about 20 minutes north of Kalispell. Both the North and South courses are ranked in the Top Five in the entire state. Relax after your round in the incredible log clubhouse that was built in the 1930s with logs harvested from the property. The clubhouse restaurant is one of the best in the valley.

Autumn golf in northwest Montana is simply incredible. Temperatures are cooler, rates are lower, and the colours and scenery are nothing short of amazing. The area is an easy drive from Calgary or Lethbridge along Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass or via the mountain route ‘over the top’ through Glacier National Park. There is almost no need to worry about the exchange rate when the green fees are so affordable. For complete details about the NMGA, visit their website at golfnorthwestmontana.com.

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AlbertaGolf.org

41

Looking Back

A New Look for Stony Plain For years, the greens at the Stony Plain Golf Course were among the best, and the most fearsome, in the province. Site of numerous Alberta Golf and Golf Canada championships over the past 35 years, Stony Plain’s greens were the course’s signature. Always lightning fast and silky smooth, the very challenging putting surfaces helped the layout earn its welldeserved reputation as one of Alberta’s finest community-owned golf courses.

But after the course suffered some chemical damage to its greens in the fall of 2016, followed up by two very severe winters in 2017 and 2018 that resulted in damage from ice build-up over the cold months, executive professional Jeff Cuthbertson knew that changes were going to have to be made to bring the greens’ conditions back to their high standards.

“We were probably going to have to look

at some major renovations to our green complexes anyway,” said Cuthbertson, who has been the executive professional at Stony Plain since February, 2016. “The course opened in 1983, and like any golf course, after a while, the greens eventually will start to deteriorate.” The chemical damage in the fall of 2016 and the two bad winters following just helped speed up the decision the club had to make to restore the facility to its former glory.

“We met with a host of experts to help us decide our best course of action,” Cuthbertson explained. “We talked to fertilizer suppliers and course designers, as well as managers from the Town of Stony Plain that owns the course and would have to approve any action plan.”

The first thoughts were to do a three-year restoration, with six greens re-done in

each of 2019, 2020 and 2021, but after looking at all their options, Cuthbertson and his team decided, ‘let’s just do it’.

Six of the greens were stripped down in the fall of 2018, with the remaining surfaces done in April, 2019. “We didn’t just take an inch of the putting surface off the top,” Cuthbertson said. “We removed anywhere from three to seven inches of topsoil on every green. The re-shaping of the green surfaces was handled by our course Superintendent Bill Gregoire, who made only minor tweaks to the character of each of the putting surfaces.

“More than anything, we really wanted to improve the drainage and water flow patterns of each green to help reduce the possibility of ice build-up over future winters,” Cuthbertson explained. “Our goal wasn’t to completely change the

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The Alberta Golfer 2020

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Looking Back

Laying new sod on #18 green at Stony Plain

look and characteristics of the greens, but to get them back to the playability that our members and green fee guests had become accustomed to over the years.”

Starting April 10 th , 2019 after the frost was out of the ground, all 18 greens were completely re-shaped and re-sodded, with work completed by May 9 th . Given three weeks for the sod seams to knit, the course opened for play on May 31 st .

Hole #18 after renovations completed.

“Our members were very excited to see the changes, and they were very supportive of our decision, even if it meant shortening up their playing season a little,” boasted Cuthbertson.

The course deliberately kept the speeds of the greens down a bit last summer as the putting surfaces matured, but Cuthbertson said that is going to change

this year. “We had the greens Stimping around 9 by mid-summer as it just wasn’t possible to speed them up much more, but this year, be prepared,” warns Cuthbertson. “Our ‘rep’ has always been to have fast and pristine greens and we are going to lower the mowers this year!”

Get ready for great greens and probably lots of three-putts this summer in Stony!

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AlbertaGolf.org

43

Looking Back

MAX SEKULIC Alberta Match Play Championship

Max Sekulic wasn’t just besting his buddies. He was steamrolling them.

Sekulic was an unstoppable force at the 2019 Alberta Match Play Championship, not even seeing the closing stretch on River Spirit’s Millburn-Cattails loop until the final showdown.

“I just got really hot,” said Sekulic, who hails from Rycroft and now calls The Glencoe GCC his home club. “In every match, I was able to rattle off three or four straight birdies and I didn’t make a lot of bogeys, either. I think I was something like 21-under in 58 holes.

It was pretty unconscious.

“That course has a lot of riskreward, and I was taking on every risk and getting rewarded, I guess.

I was just playing really well. I didn’t really give anyone much of a chance.” His competitors can confirm that.

Sekulic, who qualified as the ninth seed, won each of his first three matches by a 5&4 count. He had to work a while longer in the championship slugfest but racked up seven birdies en route to a 2&1 victory over Calgary’s Brendan MacDougall. “All those guys I beat are really good players,” Sekulic said. “I just had the hot hand.”

The Champions 44

By Wes Gilbertson

Looking Back

ANNABELLE ACKROYD

CARTER GRAF

TOMMY McKENZIE

KAITLYN WINGNEAN

Alberta Junior Girls Championship

Alberta Junior Boys Championship

Alberta Juvenile Boys Championship

Alberta Juvenile Girls Championship

Twice is nice.

Trying to cap a wire-to-wire win at the Alberta Junior Boys Championship, Sylvan Lake’s Carter Graf suddenly found himself playing catch-up.

A full foursome of Alberta’s up-and-coming birdie machines headed to the tee for a suddendeath playoff.

Edmonton’s Kaitlyn Wingnean won her provincial age category crown by 16 strokes. What’s really impressive is that Alberta’s juvenile girls’ champion achieved that feat on a broken foot.

Whoa.

Calgary’s Annabelle Ackroyd arrived at the 2019 Alberta Junior Girls Championship with a bulls-eye on her back as the reigning champion, and the pressure didn’t seem to bother her any as she cruised to a ninestroke runaway.

“I always looked up to the girls who won the Alberta Junior and it was always the biggest goal of mine to do in my junior career,” Ackroyd said. “So to be able to defend and to win it again, it’s incredible. I was superpumped about it.”

Ackroyd, who honed her skills at Silver Springs and now represents The Glencoe GCC, signed for a four-round total of 3-over 283 at the provincial shootout.

In fact, she led from wire-to-wire.

Her dominant performance at Highwood continued to prove that she was ready for her first season of post-secondary pinseeking with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

“Rolling into provincials, my game had just been in really good shape all season,” Ackroyd said. “I really like the pressure and I like being in that position to be able to defend, so I was pretty comfortable. And I knew I’d had good results, so I could fall back on that for my confidence.”

Graf wasn’t trailing for long, rattling off three consecutive birdies on the back nine to climb back to the top of the leaderboard and ultimately clinching the victory after a clutch seven-iron out of a fairway bunker on No. 18.

“I was kind of struggling, didn’t have my best stuff, and I knew going into the back nine that I was a few strokes behind,” said Graf, a regular at Red Deer GCC. “A younger version of myself would have given up or gotten impatient and started making dumb mistakes and bad decisions. But I’ve learned over the years that you have to stay patient and just wait for your opportunities.”

He took advantage of them.

Graf, who surged to an early lead with rounds of 67 and 66, finished four laps at Highwood in 1-under 279, good for a onestroke victory.

His 190-yard approach out of the sand on the finishing hole cemented it, setting up a twoputt par for the win. “The way I got that ball on the green, that had to be the best shot in the tournament, just based on the circumstances,” he said.

With a par on that extra assignment, Calgary’s Tommy McKenzie secured bragging rights as the provincial champion among juvenile boys.

“When everybody went back to the 18th hole, it’s a long Par-4, it was just dead-silence on the tee,” McKenzie said, reminiscing about the scene at Highwood after several competitors — Cooper Lindberg, Braden O'Grady and Thomas Sluka were the others — finished 72 holes in 10-over 290. “Everybody was just so focused and it was so intense.

It was pretty cool, a pretty cool atmosphere.” I thought that was the best part of golf, that moment right there.”

McKenzie, a member at Priddis Greens GCC, had made par on No. 18 in each of four tournament rounds. In the playoff, his long-bomb for birdie stopped just short, leaving a tap-in par. His foes each settled for bogey.

“This was the last year I could play in the juvenile age group, so it’s really cool that I could win it and especially to win it in a playoff against some really good players,” McKenzie said. “Having a provincial title, that’s something I’ll always remember.”

“During provincials, I wasn’t expecting my game to be very strong,” said Wingnean, a junior member at The Derrick Golf & Winter Club. “I had a really rough golf year. I broke my foot in February trying out for school handball and my foot was still broken when I started playing tournaments, so I would have to tape my foot or walk without shoes because my foot would be in a lot of pain.”

Unfortunately, the injury later forced Wingnean to skip the Western Canada Summer Games. It didn’t seem to slow her down any over four days at Highwood.

Her total tournament score was 12-over 292, including a red number in the second round.

Wingnean also finished in a tie for second on the overall junior leaderboard. She’ll certainly be a top contender for that title in the near future.

“Winning the juvenile provincial championship was a huge highlight in my golf career,” Wingnean said. “After all my hard work, I was happy to see my growth as a golfer and a competitor.”

AlbertaGolf.org

45

Looking Back

KIM CARRINGTON

KEN GRIFFITH

JAYDEN BRAR

BROOKE FRERICHS

Alberta Senior Ladies Championship

Alberta Senior Mens Championship

Alberta Bantam Boys Championship

Alberta Bantam Girls Championship

Calgary’s Kim Carrington had already claimed one provincial title in 2019.

These guys go way back.

Calgary’s Jayden Brar wanted to test his talents against the older kids. And how did he stack up?

As the winner.

Brooke Frerichs saved her best for a big moment.

When she showed up at the Alberta Senior Ladies Championship at Pine Hills, she was determined to make it a double.

“I put so much pressure on myself because you want to win in your own province, right?”

Carrington recalled. “Because you want to be on the Alberta team, you want to captain the team and then go to Canadians as a team member to represent your province.”

Mission accomplished.

Carrington, a regular at Cottonwood GCC, followed up her triumph at the BC Senior Women’s Championship, with a six-shot victory in her own backyard.

She completed three spins of Pine Hills in 11-over 230, including a tournament-best tally of 74 in the final round.

“That morning, I was thinking myself, ‘You know what? If I won the BC Senior by six, how much can I win Alberta by?’ ” she said.

“I just had such a positive energy from the first tee shot that I was going to win. I was very fortunate that I had a very calm way about me about just took every shot one at a time and just kept plugging away at some pars and birdies.”

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The Alberta Golfer 2020

And at the 2019 Alberta Senior Mens Championship, they went down to the wire, with Red Deer’s Ken Griffith staving off a late charge by Brian Laubman — a friend since their junior golf days in Edmonton — with a birdie on the finishing hole.

Laubman put a couple of circles on his own scorecard on Nos. 16 and 17 at The Derrick to really put the pressure on his longtime pal, and both stuck their approach shots relatively close at the last.

“Those greens were tricky to read and they were really grainy, and his putt just missed,” recalled Griffith, a regular at Red Deer GCC. “I was looking at mine thinking, ‘I have a nice little uphill putt and it looks straight.’ But then I kept telling myself, ‘I haven’t had a straight putt on these greens all week!’

I had to talk myself into just aiming it at the hole and rolling it into the back.

“Fortunately, it went in and Brian was the first one over to me to give me a handshake, give me a hug and say congratulations.”

Griffith finished three rounds in 2-over 212 en route to his first provincial title.

A 12-year-old Brar topped the leaderboard at the 2019 Alberta Bantam Boys Championship, claiming a title that he will be eligible to keep for the next two summers.

“I actually could have still played as a novice,” said Brar, a junior member at Priddis Greens.

“But I won novice when I was 11 so I just wanted to play as a bantam.

“I didn’t really go in with a winning expectation. I just wanted some good competition and to have fun.”

Brar was oh-so-steady at the two-round showdown at River Bend, cruising to a tournament total of 3-over 147.

Realizing that he was a couple of strokes off the pace, he tried to play a bit more aggressively on the last day.

He nearly knocked his second shot on the green on a Par-5 and made a clutch up-anddown for a birdie. In another key moment, he drained a 20-footer to avoid a bogey.

“I knew I had to change my game plan if I wanted to get in the lead,” he summarized. “And I did what I had to do.”

The up-and-comer from Calgary pulled away from the pack during the final round of the 2019 Alberta Bantam Girls Championship at River Bend in Red Deer, closing with a superb spin of 1-over 73 en route to a four-stroke victory.

“I think it was on No. 16, I made maybe my four or fifth birdie of the day and I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to be a good one,’” Frerichs recalled. “That was actually my best round of the season. So that was a really sweet victory.”

After missing the Alberta Bantam Championship in 2018 due to injury, a 14-year-old Frerichs knew this would be her last shot at this specific ageclass crown.

She made the most of it.

A member at The Glencoe GCC, Frerichs carded an 80 in the opening round of the two-day tournament. During her second lap, she mixed five birdies, eight pars, four bogeys and one double to claim the provincial title.

“I wasn’t too deep in my thoughts.

I was just staying present. It was pretty relaxed, laid-back day,” Frerichs said. “It meant a lot to take that chance and turn it into something positive.”

Looking Back

JESSE GALVON

BECKY MARTIN

Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Championship

Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship / Alberta Ladies Mid Amateur Championship

After a scorching second round, Calgary’s Jesse Galvon figured he would be tough to reel in.

He was right.

Golfers often joke about not wasting any good shots on the driving range. Medicine Hat’s Becky Martin has no choice.

Martin, who lives with a rare degenerative nerve condition, was the feel-good story of the summer in 2019, winning the Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship and also the provincial Mid Amateur crown.

Galvon, a member at The Glencoe GCC, sizzled to the top of the leaderboard with a 6-under 66 on Day 2 of the 2019 Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Championship at Earl Grey and never looked back en route to a two-stroke victory.

“I actually could have been much lower than that if a few more putts had gone in,” Galvon said of his second-round scorecard, which featured seven birdies and only one bogey.

“I hit it off-the-charts and just had so much confidence.

When I stepped off the course after that, I said, ‘I don’t think anybody is going to beat me.’ ” Galvon, who also finished 6-under for the tournament, had previously never been able to squeeze the Alberta Men’s MidAm into his busy schedule.

It’ll be on his list this summer, and not just because he’s the defending champ.

“What stands out most is the group of guys who play in that event. There’s a lot closer camaraderie than you see on the amateur circuit,” he said.

“Usually the winner buys beers, but I think I had three or four guys buy me a beer after to say congrats. It was great.”

“The pain is always there and any over-head sports make it worse,” Martin explained. “I only hit 10 balls at the driving range before I go out because I know it’s just going to put me in more pain, and the more reps I put in, the more likely I’ll have coordination issues by the end of the round with gripping the golf club and potentially turning over the face and hitting some wild shots.

“I have to save what’s in the tank, which is really not that much.” If you check out her scorecard from that three-day showdown at The Ranch, you’d certainly never guess Martin was fighting through pain in her hands, arms, shoulders and neck. Her final-round rip of 4-under 67 was the best score of the tournament … by four shots.

Playing in her first provincial event since 2015, the 25-year-old finished seven shots clear of the field at 1-over 214.

“I’ll be honest, I surprise myself all the time,” said Martin, a member at Medicine Hat GCC. “I’ve exceeded anyone’s expectations, because I can go from one day struggling to write my name to another day shooting 67. It doesn’t make much sense to me, but luckily the game isn’t 100% physical and I think with the knowledge of my condition and the ways I’ve had to change the way I play, I’ve gained more than I potentially could have lost skill-wise.”

She now has a pair of provincial titles as proof.

“When I won, it was just such a relief to know that you were able to fight through it and it’s something you’ve always dreamed of for the past, I guess almost 15 years for me,” Martin said. “It’s nice to know that I’m still up there and I do have a place and what I was working towards was worth working towards.

Unfortunately I got the short end of the stick, but it was nice to have a day where I got to pretend that I was fine.

“Because on paper, I shouldn’t have been there. But I was able to overcome that and there I was.”

AlbertaGolf.org

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Looking Back

On the International Stage

Andrea Kosa’s journey to the US Women’s Mid-Amateur Quarterfinal

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Andrea Kosa of The Glencoe at the US Women's Mid-Amateur Championship

By Wes Gilbertson

Back home, two of Andrea Kosa’s biggest fans didn’t fully grasp the match-play format. “The girls knew mom was away at a golf tournament and they kept asking me, ‘Well, when is mom coming home?’ ” chuckled Kosa’s husband, Dale Goehring.

“But I don’t think they understood the magnitude of what she was playing in and what she was doing.” Mom’s return was delayed because Kosa advanced all the way to the quarterfinals at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, a superb showing at an event that attracts players from all over the planet.

the U.S. Mid-Am.’ That was my goal.

“I always love to challenge myself at the highest level and against the highest players, and this is a pretty extraordinary event. I’d had a taste of it, and I really wanted to get back and see what I could do from there.” What she did was emerge as the surprise story of the week.

After two rounds of stroke-play action, 64 birdie-seekers book their spots in the match-play bracket. As the No. 57 seed, Kosa rolled through three higherranked competitors, including a pair of convincing 4&3 victories.

The Alberta Golfer 2020

She was the only international entry among the elite eight at Forest Highlands in Flagstaff, AZ. Kosa, who lives in Calgary and works as a physiotherapist for Golf Canada, competed in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am in 2012, before she and Goehring started a family. Their daughters, Cali and Lainey, are now seven and five respectively.

“This was the big one. This was the tournament I always wanted to get back to,” Kosa said. “I remember telling Dale, ‘I’m going back and I’m going back to

Looking Back The 43-year-old was eventually defeated in a 21-hole slugfest in the quarterfinal round. “It really started before Flagstaff.

Her qualifying was really quite the story, too,” revealed Goehring, a heck of a golfer in his own right. “It was August long weekend in Vegas, and it was going to be mid-40s Celsius. It was a private course that is cart-only, and she shows up and they said, ‘You need to walk. There are no power-carts.’ She was like, ‘Well, I don’t have a caddie. Can I have a pull-cart?’

And the answer was, ‘We don’t own any pull-carts at the club.’ “So in 45 C weather, she carried her clubs. I think she told me she put in three balls and three tees and a bottle of water that she would fill up every hole, and she went out and carried her clubs and shot 69 and won by five.

Everybody else, I think, had a caddie. So that was pretty incredible that she was able to qualify first in that fashion.” Kosa, a

“This was the tournament I always wanted to get back to.”

three-time winner of the Alberta Ladies Mid-Amateur, chose to go without a caddie in Flagstaff, too. She joked that as a mom, “I appreciate the silence.” She was making noise with her play. In fact, Kosa was oh-so-close to advancing to the semifinals. During the quarters, she missed a short-but-snappy putt for the win on No. 17. She was still 1-up and managed a clutch up-and-down to save par on No. 18, but her opponent — Virginia’s Lauren Greenlief — drained a 25-footer for birdie from the fringe to force extra holes.

“It was nice to build some momentum and see that I could still play the game a bit,” said Kosa, a member at The Glencoe GCC. “Dale had said, ‘You just need some reps and you’re going to start feeling it.’ And it was exactly the case. I love my family and I love my life, but it was just nice that I didn’t have to cook and I wasn’t chasing and I wasn’t putting anyone to bed. I was able to kind of go into my own little routine of taking care of myself, doing some stretching, doing some practice on my own time instead of running around. That made a big difference, I think, for that week.” What will make a difference in the future is that Kosa, over the course of six rounds at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, proved to herself that she can hold her own, even if her own playing resume doesn’t stack up with some of the perennial faves. “I’m always not as confident in myself, I would say.

I guess I always put everybody else up on a pedestal,” Kosa said. “The woman I

played against in the quarterfinals, she had won it within the last five years. So to me, I looked at her record and I’m like, ‘Holy cow! She is going to be incredible.’

“And I noticed we weren’t that far off.

Not just by going 21 holes, but just by watching her game — we weren’t that far off. I can still be better. She could have certainly been better, as well, how she played a few holes. But I know I’m not that far off. And sometimes I need that visual comparison or I kind of blow it up in my brain that ‘Oh my god, these people are so much better!’ So it’s nice to see that reference and then it gives you an idea of what to work on for next year.”

Thanks to her run to the Round of 8, Kosa is pre-qualified for the 2020 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Berkeley Hall Club in Bluffton, SC It’s on the family calendar.

Cali and Lainey always choose some stuffies from their collection to send with mom on any work or golf trip. This time, perhaps, the girls will understand that Kosa could be away for an extended stint. In a match-play event, that’s a good sign. “I would still like to feel underdogish,” Kosa said. “I don’t want to be feeling too confident, because I’m sure you get slapped down if you do that. But I know I can do it now, that’s the main thing.

Any given day, I could win that. If my game was on, I know I have enough skill to do that. I’d love to get back to the quarterfinals again and see what happens after that. I definitely think it’s possible.

Winning it would be exceptional.”

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49

Looking Ahead

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE Alberta Mens Amateur Championship

Alberta Mens Mid Master Championship

Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Championship

June 08-09 Inglewood Golf & Curling Club

June 23-25 Coyote Creek Golf & RV Resort

Field: 120 players

Field: 120 players

Format: 36 holes of stroke-play competition

Format: 54 holes of stroke-play competition with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties

Eligibility: Must be a 15.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 40 & over as of the first day of the Canadian Mid-Amateur

The Alberta Open Championship Presented by

July21-24 Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club July28-30 Wolf Creek Golf Resort

Format: 72 holes of stroke-play competition with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties

Field: 120 professional and amateur players Format: 54 holes of stroke-play competition with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties Eligibility: Must be a 5.0 Handicap Index or less

* Dates, venues, competition requirements and information are subject to change 50

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Alberta Senior Mens Championship August 05-07 Olds Golf Club Field: 120 players

Field: 120 players

Eligibility: Must be an 8.0 Handicap Index or less

Eligibility: Must be an 8.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 25 & over as of the first day of the Canadian Mid-Amateur

Format: 54 holes of stroke-play competition with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties Eligibility: Must be a 20.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 55 & over as of the first day of the Canadian Senior Mens

Looking Ahead

Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship June 29-August 01 Lakeside Golf Club Field: 120 players Format: 54 holes of stroke-play competition

Alberta U19 Championship July 07-10 The Links at Spruce Grove Field: 160 players Format: 72 holes of stroke-play competition with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties

Alberta Senior Ladies Championship July 14-16 Glendale Golf & Country Club Field: 120 players Format: 54 holes of stroke-play competition

Eligibility: Must be a 25.0 Handicap Index or less

Eligibility: (Boys) Must be a 15.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 18 & under as of August 1st (Girls) Must be a 25.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 18 & under as of August 1st

Eligibility: Must be a 30.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 50 & over as of the first day of the Canadian Senior Womens Championship

Alberta Match Play Championship

Alberta U17, U15 & U13 Championship

Alberta Interclub Championship

August 09-11 Jagare Ridge Golf Club Field: 50 players for qualifying round. 16 player bracket for championship

August 18-19 River Bend Golf Club Field: 120 players

Format: 18 holes of stroke-play competition to determine qualifiers and seeding in brackets

Format: 36 holes of stroke-play competition for U17 and U15. 36 holes of Stableford competition for U13

Eligibility: Must be an 8.0 Handicap Index or less

Eligibility: (U17 & U15) Must be a 30.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 16or 14 and under as of August 1st (U13) Must be a 54.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 12& under as of August 1st

September 08 Kananaskis Country Golf Course Field: 36 teams of four players(men), 36 teams of four players (ladies) Format: 18 holes of team gross & net stroke-play competition with the best three of four scores per hole being counted to the team total Eligibility: Males and Females, must be registered by club.

AlbertaGolf.org

51

Looking Ahead

LOCAL QUALIFYING (18 holes stroke-play competition): The Dunes Golf and Winter Club

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Desert Blume GC

RedTail Landing

June 03 Mens Amateur Regional Qualifier –Ponoka Golf Club

June 16 Alberta Open Regional Qualifier – Serenity Golf Club

June 30 Alberta Open Qualifier for Coloniale Golf Club

June 03 Mens Amateur Regional Qualifier –The Dunes Golf & Winter Club

June 17 Mens Amateur Regional Qualifier – Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club

July 15 Senior Mens Regional Qualifier – RedTail Landing Golf Club

June 05 Mens Amateur Regional Qualifier – Desert Blume Golf Course

June 22 Mens Amateur Regional Qualifier – Serenity Golf Club

July 16 Senior Mens Regional Qualifier – Speargrass Golf Course

The Alberta Golfer 2020

Looking Ahead

For Everyone.

A golf series based strictly on fun.

Take part in a recreational series of golf events that

will cater to those wishing to play competitively but in a very non-competitive structure. This series, aimed at new and recreational players, will help break down barriers to playing organized golf. Sign up for fun today. It’s for everyone.

2020 REC SERIES SCHEDULE Fun Events • Incredible Courses • Register Early

Fun & exciting formats, mixed events, sign up as individual, pair or group

May 17 Banff Springs

June 7 Stewart Creek

July 12 Jasper Park Lodge

One Day Events: $125 per player (includes meal, prizing, cart & round of golf)

Championship Events

July 2 Innisfail Golf Club Parent - Junior Championship

August 17 - 18 Canmore Golf & Curling Club Ladies Team Classic

One Day: $125 per team (includes meal, prizing, cart & round of golf )

Two Day: $400 per team (includes meal, prizing, & two rounds of golf )

Information/Registration: albertagolf.org

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53

Looking Ahead

Alberta Golf

Competition Changes for 2020

By Stephen Wigington

The 2020 Championship season will see changes to Alberta Golf’s current offering. By creating new events, and modifying others, we hope to keep up with the ever-changing competitive landscape of our province. Using feedback from both online surveys and one-on-one interactions, we are proud to announce the following developments.

Alberta Match Play Before 2018 the Alberta Match Play took place immediately following the Alberta Open, which was used as a qualifier to determine the top 16 amateurs for the match play bracket. In 2018 it was moved to its own venue and included a one-day stroke play qualifier. This change was meant to grow the event, while still offering elite head to head competition.

Starting this year, in an effort to keep players involved, we have introduced a Consolation event with separate prizing.

There will also be a Horse Race and other supplementary events to encourage greater camaraderie among the players.

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The Alberta Golfer 2020

Alberta Mid Master

Alberta Juvenile

The Alberta Mid Master will become a 36-hole, stand-alone event. This change will allow for growth in the 40+ age category, as well as more availability to golfers aged 25+ in the Mid Amateur.

The Alberta Juvenile Championship will be moved and folded into the Bantam and Novice Championship, and re-branded as the U17, U15, and U13 Championship.

The Mid Master and Mid Amateur will take place at separate times, allowing participation in both events. All Canadian Mid Amateur provincial quota spots and interprovincial team members will be based on Mid Amateur results.

The U19, U15, and U13 Championship will include a parent information session on the topics of scholarship opportunities and the competitive pathway. Players will have the opportunity to play fun formats during the evening social.

Introduction of Stableford

Alberta Net Amateur

Net Stableford contests will be introduced to both the Alberta Ladies Amateur, and Senior Ladies Championships. Players will have the choice to either sign up for stroke play or Stableford at each of these events. This change will eliminate the need for net flighting, and encourage more golfers to experience the enjoyment of competition.

The Net Amateur will be removed from Alberta Golf’s competition schedule.

The Marg Ward Championship will be moved to the Senior Ladies Stableford competition.

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What's New

New Parent / Child Format for Innisfail Junior Open “As a result, our competitors in recent years have tended to be younger, less experienced players, but ones no less eager to get their feet wet in the world of competitive junior golf.

“Last summer, we introduced a format where each junior, boy or girl, was paired up with either a family member or one of our Innisfail senior members who volunteered to become surrogate parents for the day. The kids play a better-ball format with their adult partners, while simultaneously keeping their own full 18-hole score for the Junior Division and spots in the season-ending Tour Championship,” explained Boomer.

Innsifail GCC, #3 Aspen

The Innisfail Junior Open is one of three remaining charter members of the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Golf Tour that originated in 1996, but the tournament itself dates back at least as far to a time when Jim Boomer, head professional at the beautifully manicured 27-hole central Alberta layout, was a junior player himself. Thousands of junior golfers have tested their games over the past 25 years on one of the Tour’s most challenging courses in individual stroke

56

The Alberta Golfer 2020

play competition. But last year, Boomer wanted to take the event in a new and exciting direction.

“For several years now, our Junior Open has been in the first week of July as part of the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour schedule,” said Boomer.

“While this date works out well for the club’s calendar, it often slots our tournament in the same week as the Alberta Golf U19 Championships.

The event had fathers, brothers, grandfathers, family friends and Innisfail members partnered with the enthusiastic juniors. The format was very popular with both the juniors and their adult partners, many of whom got their first look at a McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour event from ‘inside the ropes’. No question some of the most nervous competitors were the adults, and expectations are that this year’s tournament on Thursday, July 2 will attract an even larger number of kids along with their adult partners.

Let’s get some moms out this year, too!

What's New

Shaw Charity Classic The Shaw Charity Classic, held annually at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club in Calgary, is Canada’s only stop on the PGA TOUR Champions. Since the tournament’s inception in 2013, the Shaw Charity Classic has raised an incredible total of over $48 Million earmarked for over 200 children’s and youth-based charities throughout Alberta. For seven consecutive years, the tournament has set a record for charitable giving on the PGA TOUR Champions, highlighted by a mind-boggling total of over $14 Million raised at the 2019 event alone.

Sean Van Kesteren has been the executive director of the competition since the start. “I am so proud to have been a part of this incredible event over the last seven years,” said Van Kesteren.

“The vision for the tournament has always been to be at the forefront of charitable giving on the PGA TOUR Champions. The leadership of our ownership group, the Patrons, led

by Tournament Founder Jim Riddell and Brad Shaw, CEO of Shaw Communications has been incredible.”

A two-time recipient of the prestigious President’s Award on the PGA TOUR Champions, the Shaw Charity Classic will be held the week of August 24-30, 2020, with the 54-hole tournament annually

Bernard Langer is expected to return to Calgary in August for the 2020 Shaw Charity Classic.

attracting one of the year’s strongest fields. The purse of $2,350,000 USD is among the highest on the Tour, but the huge and knowledgeable crowds and spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery are every bit as important in helping to convince the Champions Tour competitors to make the trip north of the border.

The 2019 champion Wes Short Jr. of the United States is expected to return to Calgary in August to defend his title, and

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57

What's New

Under Armour’s New Spieth 4 GTX Golfers often overlook the importance of good footwork in developing an athletic, powerful, balanced golf swing. Good traction is critical to a player’s ability to transfer his weight effectively, load up and coil his body on the backswing and then deliver the club head to the ball with the ever increasing swing speeds that send the golf ball soaring off into the distance.

Jordan Spieth has achieved a tremendous level of success at a very young age. From finishing T16 in his first PGA Tour event at age 16, to earning his first Tour win at 20, to becoming a three-time major champion by the age of 23, Spieth has had an almost unheard of effect on the game of golf from someone that young.

Spieth has now turned to the design team at Under Armour to help create the new Spieth 4 GTX, the most scientifically driven golf shoe to date, designed to help take Spieth’s game to even greater heights than ever.

Nothing is more important to a golfer’s swing than traction and torque. Solid foot stabilization and ground contact form the foundation of an effective golf swing, and Under Armour’s patent-pending traction technology can help any golfer get more power and accuracy out of every shot.

The golf swing creates forces that rotate the forefoot laterally, while trying to rotate the heel in the opposite direction. This unnatural movement puts pressure on a

golfer’s balance by trying to force the foot to slip out of position. The cutting edge technology in Under Armour’s Spieth 4 GTX golf shoe creates traction through resistance to help keep a player’s feet firmly planted throughout the golf swing.

They’re comfortable for those long days of play and practice, 100% waterproofed with GORE-TEX fabrics, and the styling is fantastic! The Spieth 4 GTX is available at Underarmour.ca and select golf retailers. www.underarmour.ca

Circling Raven to Host Symetra

“Road to the LPGA Tour” Event

Circling Raven Golf Club is to U.S. golf courses what Banff Springs or Jasper Park Lodge are to Canadians – vast, pristine places of remarkable scenery and astounding natural abundance. They are unforgettable destinations that Albertans, or anyone who appreciates such unspoiled beauty, would relish.

Sprawling over 620 acres as part of the amenity-rich Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort 40 kilometres south of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Circling Raven has racked up dozens 58

The Alberta Golfer 2020

of best-in-kind awards since it opened – Top 100 Resort, No. 1 in Idaho, Top 25 Casino – as a testament to its greatness.

is perhaps the best opportunity for Albertans to see these incredibly talented young women professionals up close.

From August 28-30, 2020, Circling Raven will become the destination for a full field of some of the world’s rising-star professional golfers as the Symetra Tour, the “Road to the LPGA Tour”, makes a stop at this outstanding golf course. The inaugural Circling Raven Championship will feature a $200,000 prize purse as these young women strive to finish in the top ten in the season-long Volvik Race for the Card, which would earn them playing privileges on the 2021 LPGA Tour.

Calgarian Jennifer Ha has competed on the Symetra Tour the last couple of years as she strives to regain her LPGA Tour playing privileges. Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Jaclyn Lee, also from Calgary, may be on the Symetra Tour later this summer after the expiration of her five-event LPGA Tour medical exemption. Other Canadians playing the Symetra Tour this summer include Brittany Marchand and Maddie Szeryk, Lee’s teammates on the Young Pro Squad, as well as Rebecca Lee- Bentham.

In 2020, the Symetra Tour will award $4.0 Million in total prize money at 23 events, with the Circling Raven Championship boasting one of the larger purses of the season. This tournament

Symetra Tour ‘graduates’ include LPGA champions Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Nelly Korda and Canada’s own LPGA superstar Brooke Henderson.

A Closer Look

Golf Hole ANATOMY OF A

by Andrew Penner

There are a handful of instantly recognizable par-3s in the world. Even non-golfers know them and, certainly, the powerful imagery that affirms their beauty, their legendary status. The 7 th at Pebble Beach. The 12 th at Augusta National. The 17 th at TPC Sawgrass. The 4 th at Banff Springs. All of these iconic holes would certainly fit the bill. And, yes, one more distinctly Canadian hole - the 4 th on the Mount Kidd Course at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course– also belongs in that conversation.

Built in the early 80s and designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., the Kananaskis Country Golf Course has, for decades, been the poster child for golfing greatness in the Canadian Rockies. The chiseled peaks of Kananaskis Country, the rushing rivers, the emerald-green fairways that parade through pristine pine forests, the eye-popping white-sand bunkers that guard the greens; yes, there are many solid “statements” that rightfully position the Kananaskis Country Golf Course as one of the world's best in the mountain golf genre.

And the 4 th hole on the Mount Kidd Course certainly solidifies that case.

Ringed by a perfect pond and sitting snug along the river – with a jaw-dropping mountain scene beyond – the 300-degree

view from the tee is stunning. It is, hands down, the pinnacle of the golf experience at Kananaskis.

The green on the hole is massive - easily the largest on the 36-hole facility - and pars and birdies are doable...even for the mid or high-handicap player. From the elevated regular tees the hole typically plays approximately 160 yards. A 7-iron, give or take, for the average golfer. While hitting the green is definitely achievable (putts of 100 feet, or more, are a distinct possibility), concentrating on the task at hand can certainly be a challenge!

Unfortunately, this iconic hole – and every other hole at the popular facility – lay dormant for years after the devastating 2013 flood, which inflicted considerable damage to nearly every hole on the course.

When the rebuilding process finally began in 2016, the challenge of restoring this famous hole, especially for Canmore-based architect Gary Browning, swung into high gear.

“The main challenge in recreating this particular hole was to maintain the Robert Trent Jones design integrity and the natural character that existed. It's an iconic golf hole that many people had grown to love and it was paramount to keep that intact,” says Browning. “That said, there were only

minor modifications, most of which would be indiscernible for the majority of golfers.

Only subtle changes to the putting surface and bunker shapes were made.”

As Browning points out, the most dramatic changes to the hole were actually made to the teeing area. “The tee surface was almost doubled in size by removing a rock retaining wall and expanding the tee back and to the left,” says Browning. “Most importantly, the back tees were raised by over a meter to offer players a clear view of the water in front of the green, something they had not previously enjoyed.

We also moved the forward tee up to an elevated position to give those players the same visual exhilaration that everyone else gets. An expanded family tee was also created in a lower location. I made every effort to make this par-3, and every hole on the course, more user-friendly.”

Interestingly, the secluded nature of this hole is not just appealing to golfers. Wildlife - specifically grizzly bears - have been spotted on this hole more frequently than any other on the course. So, as many golfers have discovered, even if you don't get a birdie on the iconic 4 th , you might just get a bear. But, regardless, playing the hole is bound to be the highlight of your round.

Kananaskis Country GC - Mt. Kidd #4

AlbertaGolf.org

59

Looking Ahead

Alberta Golf’s

Sport Development Program

By Jim Claggett

The mantra in the world of small business has been ‘shop local’.

It came about in part to battle the perception that if you wanted something good you had to head to the big city to get what you were looking for.

In the world of golf in Alberta, it could be argued there was a similar pattern; if you wanted to be an elite player you needed instruction from the big city in your region, either Calgary or Edmonton.

So, Alberta Golf made some directional changes in order to reach more players in those outlying communities. The Sport Development Program arrived on the scene. The golf version of shopping locally.

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The Alberta Golfer 2020

Max Sekulic tees it up at the Alberta Match Play Championship. He would go on to claim the title.

“The Sport Development Program has been around for many years and the key drivers are that it’s provincial and sustainable,” explained Jennifer Davison, Director of Sport Development for Alberta Golf. “It was the Team Alberta program(previously) which was too centralized with the bigger cities. Three years ago, we made some changes which seem to be working and reaching more players in the outlying communities.”

The reach certainly branched out and Max Sekulic is a prime example of just how this program is working. The 20-year-old was born in Rycroft, Alberta, about 45 minutes north of Grande Prairie on Highway 2. His early golf experience was teeing it up at Chinook Valley Golf Course in Woking, south of Rycroft.

The interest in the game was there for Max. He readily admits he’s always had the “all in” attitude-putting in the hard work in order to squeeze the most out of your best effort. But, like most young players he needed help to get to where he needed to be in order to compete on a much larger stage.

Once Max got onto the radar of Alberta Golf, he was already an accomplished golfer, said Davison. He got there by using his local resources like local PGA professionals Rhona Law and Bobby Martens at the Dunes Golf and Winter Club in Grande Prairie and the Grande Prairie Golf and Country Club.

“We’re trying to support those athletes on the pathways they're already on

Looking Ahead

no matter where in Alberta they honed their skills,” Davison said. “They didn’t need to travel to a big centre to continue to be successful. There are talented golf professionals, coaches and teachers all over the province and we want to encourage and support those professionals in their communities to help build these players,” she said.

Sekulic has made the most of the opportunity presented to him through the program, playing on the junior development team in 2015, on Team Alberta in 2016 and the 2017 Canadian National Junior development team. He has entered the college ranks on his road to success at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and is transferring to Washington State for the next semester for his last two years of eligibility. He started 2020 off right with a sparkling 66 in the final round of the Saguaro Open at Ak Chin Southern Dunes in January to tie for the lead and then won a one-hole playoff to claim the title.

It’s just more proof about how the Sport Development Program can be a valuable tool in a player’s progression.

“It gets you around players that are as good if not better than you and I think that’s important for anything,” Sekulic said

about the program. “I got to be around better players, it gives you the right mind set to be better and you see what better players do. It gives you a good idea of what the next level looks like.”

He said there is more than putting the ball in the hole to be competitive at the next level, including both the physical and mental training that goes into those highlevel players who succeed.

The program allowed him to do all that plus be able to bounce questions and ideas off other players and coaches.

Accessible funding through the program eased the financial hit to be able to do what was needed to move up the ladder.

“It’s the opportunity for you to be around people who are going through the same thing. It makes the journey feel less lonely because you can ask questions.

There are people you can talk to about it.” The Hub system is something Alberta Golf is putting in place for 2020 which will extend its reach to all corners of the province and be an extension of what happens with Alberta Golf in Edmonton or Calgary. Davison says this includes being a point of contact for a player who may be just getting into the competitive side of golf or just starting the game fresh.

“We’re trying to support those athletes on those

“We want to have the local pros, local key people to be the main contact for Alberta Golf. They’re representing our brand, our message, our concepts but they’re a local person for these players and families to go to and have these conversations one on one.”

Sekulic appears to be reaping all the benefits of the program which essentially changed his path when it came to golf. He says he likely would have tried competitive golf outside of the Sport Development program, but he admits there’s a good chance he wouldn’t be where he is today without it.

“I would probably just be hitting golf balls and hanging out with my buddies.

Just being more like a recreational golfer,” he said. “It’s almost easier to take it seriously when you’re in that environment and someone is telling you that you can do this,” he said. “I probably would have been just a regular student going to university and then playing golf for fun if it wasn’t for the player support program.”

It knits together all the skills young men and women need in order to raise their game and their profile in the sport.

“It removes the uncertainties; you know what to expect and it’s always easier to have an eased mind when you’re going to the next level when you know what’s next, “said Sekulic.

Shopping at home just got a whole lot better for golfers looking to raise their game.

pathways they’re already on no matter where in Alberta they honed their skills” AlbertaGolf.org

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A Closer Look

Gold Membership More than just a handicap

by Stephen Wigington

The Golf Canada and Alberta Golf Gold Membership program is entering its third year. The conversion from the Legacy model is complete, and although that might not mean much to you, it affects you greatly. In a nutshell, if you are entering scores and getting an official Handicap Index, you are a Gold Member. If you are a Gold Member, you have either bought it online, bought it from a club, or it is included in your annual dues at a club.

Thinking that a Handicap Index is the only thing you are getting from your Gold Membership is like going to a five-star hotel and staying in your room all day.

Let’s look at some of the amenities!

You are part of the WHS movement The World Handicap System provides golfers with the means to play anywhere across the globe with a fair and equitable Handicap Index. The only way to have an official Handicap Index in Canada is through the Gold Membership program.

For more information on the WHS, visit the Alberta Golf or Golf Canada websites.

You don’t have to worry as much Golfers aren’t generally known as a worrisome group, unless you are facing a four-foot downhill slider for par. The real worry creeps in when things begin to have financial consequences. Clubs and range finders are notoriously expensive. When they are damaged, lost, or stolen it can add up in a hurry. Damaging a golf cart or breaking a window can leave you either taking responsibility and paying out of pocket, or secretly disregarding the event and paying through karma at a later date.

Gold Members are covered through a comprehensive incident protection program.

Take credit for that broken window or power cart and feel good about not having to pay for it. Be comfortable knowing that your equipment is protected from yourself 62

The Alberta Golfer 2020

and would-be thieves. You can log on to your Score Centre profile and access the incident claim form to become part of the almost $55,000 that was paid out last year to Alberta’s Gold Members.

Misconceptions about your Gold Membership

You are supporting the golf industry

Private and semi-private golf courses do make up the majority of membership in the province. However, 12.5% of Alberta Golf members are public players, meaning they do not belong to any specific course. This is the fastest growing segment for a reason, anyone at any time can sign up online and receive all the same benefits.

Your Gold Membership fee goes towards supporting important programs at both Alberta Golf and Golf Canada. Alberta Golf initiatives include the Youth on Course program allowing juniors to play for $5 at more than 1,000 participating courses across Alberta and the United States. It also includes the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour, which introduces kids to competition across the province. At a national level you are supporting the Future Links program, which consists of everything from grassroots programming to elite level competitions.

Get Your Welcome Kit Every member gets a welcome kit at the beginning of the season. Included in the welcome kit is a package of club labels.

Saying that these are popular would be an understatement. Although designed to go on your clubs, the club labels can be attached to everything and anything you hold dear. Push carts, range finders, cell phones, water bottles, the only thing we don’t recommend is golf balls. In 2019, there were 72 golfers reunited with their lost belongings.

I can only be a Gold Member if I’m at a private facility.

Gold Memberships only make sense for avid golfers.

The average Alberta Golf member posted 23 scores last year. If that seems like a lot, don’t worry, there is a good portion of membership that agrees with you. With the new World Handicap System, you only need 54 holes posted before you can get an official Handicap Index and start playing equitable games against your friends. And remember, there is no minimum number of rounds needed to have access to the incident protection benefits!

My membership fee only goes to elite golfers.

Alberta Golf has renewed its focus on grassroots programming and introducing the game of golf to all segments in the community. There is still support available for high level competitors, but this only makes up a minority of Sport Development funding.

Alberta Golf is proud to offer Gold Membership to everyone in the province.

If you are not already a member, sign up online today to get 365 days of value.

If you are a Gold Member, start taking advantage of everything available to you!

Looking Back

The Alberta Golf Foundation is proud to announce that in 2019, a total of $55,000 has been awarded to the 58 students below:

Quinn Fitzgerald

Scholarship Recipients

Abigail Hartzler Mount Royal University Allan Pruss University of Jamestown Amanda Graham Univeristy of British Columbia Andrew Huggill MacEwan University Andrew Makarchuk Minot State University Brandon Murphy University of Calgary Cameron Torrance University of Calgary Celine Copeland Mount Royal University Charles Kade Risk Albertus Magnus College Chase Broderson Medicine Hat College Ciara Cownden Mount Royal University Cieanna Hewitt University of Alberta Courtney Smith St. Mary’s University D’Arci Sutton University of Alberta Danielle Stewart University of Lethbridge Danny Ngo University of Calgary Devin Flemming Grant MacEwan University Devon Spriddle University of Memphis Elias Theodossopoulos Lewis-Clark State College Ethan de Graaf University of British Columbia Haaziq Altaf University of Calgary Hamzah Naeem University of Calgary Jarrett Brossert MacEwan University Jeremie Pasitney University of the Southwest Jessa Bentz University of Victoria Jessica Love Marks Eckerd College John (Jack) Scanlon Queen’s University Jolene Freerksen University of Western States Jordan Bean Simon Fraser University Justin Pasitney University of the Southwest Kai Iguchi Utah Valley University

Kennedy Turcotte Concordia University of Edmonton Kimberley Soares University of Calgary Korbin Allan Savannah State University Kortnee Paiha University of Calgary Kyle McIntosh University of Alberta Lachlan Spriddle University of British Columbia Lindsay Almberg University of Alberta Maria George University of Alberta Mathieu Chapdelaine Medicine Hat College Matthew Bean Minot State University Max Murchison University of Victoria Melanie Murchison University of Victoria Michael Grant University of Western Ontario Michael Pruss University of Jamestown Michael Valk University of British Columbia Mikenna Gray Mount Royal University Miranda Tobert University of Alberta Mircea (Mike) Alcaz University of Calgary Nicole Renchko The King’s University Quinn Fitzgerald University of Victoria Ryley Wilmot University of Lethbridge Samamtha Copeland University of British Columbia Sebastian Farkas Acadia University Tayler Kurucz University of Calgary Taylor Stone The University of Texas at El Paso Victoria Tse University of Calgary Zachary Grant University of Calgary

Justin Pasitney

AlbertaGolf.org

63

Programs and Events

The Canadian Amputee and Disabled Open Comes to Alberta

Californian Dennis Duchi plays with a paragolfer rig

By Gord Montgomery

Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a golfer by his handicap. That has never been truer, especially when one looks at the world of disabled golf.

Speaking about the success of the 2019 Canadian Amputee and Disabled National Open Championship, held in Okotoks at the River’s Edge GC, Calgary resident Vic McClelland noted that while that event was successful, this segment of the sport has a ways to go in the world of disabled athletics. After all, the goal of many, worldwide, is to become part of the Paralympic Games.

The national championship is virtually a newborn, having teed up for the first time in 2016, said McClelland, who at that time was a board member of the Canadian Amputee Golf Association. “Using what I found from 2014 having played with other golfers from Europe and Asia, we developed a plan to follow their lead with our association. In 2015 we had the first national Disabled and Amputee Open.”

McClelland, who was ranked 42nd in the world in amputee/disabled golf as of December 1, 2019, said Canada is falling behind in making disabled golf

President of the CAGA, Kristian Hammer

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The Alberta Golfer 2020

as inclusive as blind golf and Special Olympics golf. “We’re trying, but there’s still a long way to go,” he emphasized.

The latest national final this past summer saw Jesse Florkowski from Medicine Hat, and playing to a zero index, walk away with the title with rounds of 75-71-74 to edge Chris Biggins by one stroke in the 54-hole event. This tournament marked the first time that World Disabled Golfer Ranking points could be achieved in Canada, with 20 players slotting into that category. Players were divided into two divisions based on handicap with players under 18.5 in a stroke play format, and players over 18.5 playing in net Stableford.

At Okotoks, players wishing to compete for the championship title played from the blue tees which were set at approximately 6,300 yards. Senior and Super Senior players and players with a handicap under 25 had the option of playing from the white tees at 5,900 yards while Super Super Senior players, females, and players with a handicap over 25 could, if they wished, play from the red tees at 5,300 yards.

This year's event included golfers with other disabilities such as cerebral palsy, scoliosis, varying degrees of paralysis, amputees and even a para-golfer!

The Okotoks event, said McClelland, hopefully leads to bigger things not only event-wise but also player-wise as the years go by. But, he again stated, it’s tough to draw new players into this component of the game given the stigma some people place on disabled persons and the difficulties many have in getting from one part of Canada to another in order to take part, competitively or socially, in the national final.

“It has grown a bit. The Canadians the year before this was about the same number of people, but the year before that it was substantially less. We only had about 32 players this past year,” despite it being the first World Ranking event, but at the same time that fact helped draw in extra competitors. “We had a gentleman from California come up. It’s growing but the big challenge in Canada is travel.”

One person witnessing the abilities on display at the championship in Okotoks was Kevin Smith from Alberta Golf, who noted that these guys can play. He also pointed out that the provincial amateur golf association welcomes all into its fold.

“Alberta Golf is for everyone and there’s no better example of that than amputee and disabled golf,” Smith, Alberta Golf’s Director of Communications, said. “Watching golfers compete at River’s Edge and also seeing amputee golfer Bob MacDermott compete at the Alberta Senior Men’s Championship in Edmonton against able-bodied golfers was very inspiring.

“What blew me away was the variety in high tech adaptive equipment for disabled and amputee golfers. I saw people playing while sitting in adaptive seats, the golf clubs had hooks for amputee golfers. No matter what the disability there’s technology out there to help them make a full swing. It’s awesome.” With the 2020 national final to take place in Manitoba, McClelland is hoping that his message, and the humble beginnings to this segment of inclusive golf will lead to bigger things in the future for all involved.

Programs and Events

GULL LAKE’S One Arm Championship Ernie Closs, now 68 years young, and having lost his left arm in an accident as a young child, wanted to give back to the junior players at the Gull Lake Golf Club. When asked, why a one arm tournament? Ernie is quick to respond, "My wife and I wanted to give back to the kids, so it started by donating a set of golf clubs each year to the Junior Program and progressed to the one arm tournament in 2008.”

Ernie Class (R) poses with Gull Lake GC owner Eamon McCann.

Antarctica has its march of the Penguins.

In North America, we have the classic fall V-shaped migration of Canada geese to southern climes. For Gull Lake, situated in central Alberta’s cottage country, October sees the annual parade of one-armed golfers. A sight to behold for the casual onlooker, as dozens of players ages 8 to 80 participate in the Annual Ernie Closs One Arm Championship, held each year since 2008.

Armed (pun intended) with only three clubs, one arm behind their back and 1,400 yards of pristine fairways ahead, the participants challenge the par-3 executive course at Gull Lake and return for a Chinese buffet dinner, prizes, silent auction, and endless stories, all in support of the Gull Lake Junior Golf League.

Started by course owners Eamon and Carla McCann, the league partners with the Gull Lake Golf Foundation to provide playing opportunities and scholarships for junior players aged 5-17. The league runs from May thru to August and includes lessons taught by PGA of Alberta professionals.

With the One Arm Championship on its schedule, as well as other events at the course, it should be noted that the charitable endeavours of the Gull Lake

Juniors are always a big part of the championship

By John Burns

Golf Foundation have quietly donated in excess of $100,000 to junior players, as Eamon & Carla humbly submit only after being prodded.

Now in its 11th year, the tournament has added a men’s, ladies and junior division, but unlike other tournaments, the foursomes are arranged to include one player from each division, a feature that speaks to the fun and interactive approach to golf this rural course encourages.

Ernie and his wife Marie beam with pride, not for themselves, but for the way this community supports young players.

Ernie only took up the game in 2007. "If I'm going to have a one arm tournament, I guess I better learn how to play," he quipped, adding that it took him "a whole year to get my first hole-in-one", a feat verified by the plaque bearing his name that adorns the clubhouse wall.

Looking ahead, Sunday October 4th, 2020 has been earmarked as the date of the 12th Annual Ernie Closs One Arm Championship. The welcome mat is always out at the Gull Lake Golf Course.

Everyone is invited to join in the fun, and thanks to Ernie, the key to success this day will be... eyes on the ball, slow backswing, and one arm on the club.

AlbertaGolf.org

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Looking Back

Year in Pictures

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1. Ellie Johnson is one of the many youngsters showcasing the future of golf at the Bantam & Novice Championship held at River Bend Golf Course.

4. The “Lemonators” take their first crack at a business during the Junior Achievement Camp at the Silver Springs Golf & Country Club.

7. Day one of the Mens Amateur saw clear skies.

Day two was a different story. The event was shortened to 36 holes due to unrelenting rain.

2. The PGA of Alberta Buying Show provides an excellent chance for Alberta Golf to connect with the golf industry.

5. The McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour gives kids a fun and welcoming introduction to competition.

3. Kananaskis Country Golf Course hosts the Alberta Interclub Championship. 128 men and 52 ladies enjoyed a picturesque day in the mountains.

6. The Match Play Championship at River Spirit Golf Club is one of many events where sand saves are the norm.

8. Alberta Golf’s Rec Series allows every-day golfers to play in fun one-day events at some top rated courses. A good time was had by all, especially the winners!

The Alberta Golfer 2020

9. Alberta Golf’s Spring Launch brings key members of the golf industry together to help get the season started.

(L-R) “Longball” Lisa Vlooswyk, Tiffany Gordon, Kim Carrington, and Judy Forshner.

10. Host Club Volunteers help to make every event feel premier. Scoring, starting, and spotting are just a few tasks that these members from The Derrick Golf and Winter Club performed during the Senior Men’s Championship.

Looking Back

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11. Highwood Golf provides a stiff test for the Alberta Junior Championship. The weather was an added hurdle for the best U19s in the province.

12. The Ladies Team Classic is a staple on the Alberta Golf Rec Series. Teams of two enjoy the bluebird day at the Canmore Golf and Curling Club.

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AlbertaGolf.org

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For Everyone.

McLENNAN ROSS ALBERTA JUNIOR TOUR PRESENTED BY CROWE MACKAY

2020 McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Goals: Provide young Albertans the opportunity to develop their golf games in a series of coordinated tournaments throughout Alberta in a fun, but competitive environment • To make the tournaments challenging for the elite level junior golfer, but also to provide young players just starting out their first exposure to well organized tournament competition • To give back to the development of junior golf in Alberta by assisting host courses with funding for their junior development programs • To educate players and developing referees with the understanding and application of the Rules of Golf •

Six core values at the heart of the McLennan Ross Alberta Golf Junior Tour:

1

TEACH RESPONSIBILITY

2

TEACH THE RULES OF GOLF

3

PROVIDE GOLF AT A MINIMAL COST

by developing qualities of leadership & integrity, while assisting juniors in becoming productive members of the adult community

4

TEACH SPORTSMANSHIP

5

PROVIDE TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES

6

PREPARE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

As well as etiquette and fundamentals

By providing an environment that encourages and promotes good sportsmanship and friendship among junior golfers

Giving junior golfers opportunities to travel and play a variety of high-quality courses

By providing post-secondary workshops to assist juniors with their educational transition

2020 ALBERTA JUNIOR TOUR SCHEDULE June 6 - 7 Henderson Lake

July 15 Olds

July 27 Canmore

August 6 Trestle Creek

August 22 Woodside

July 2 Innisfail

July 20 RedTail Landing

July 28 Collicutt Siding

August 10 Stony Plain

August 24 Desert Blume

July 6 McKenzie Meadows

July 21 Whitetail Crossing

July 29 Montgomery Glen

August 11 Whispering Pines

August 25 Nanton

July 7 Carstairs

July 22 Camrose

August 12 Edmonton Petroleum

July 13 Ponoka

July 23 Strathmore

July 30 - 31 Goose Hummock

Tour Championship August 28 Wolf Creek

August 5 Barrhead

August 17 Wainwright

albertagolf.org

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