Beauty, grit & grace November Newsletter 2018
Fall Activities Monica McIntosh PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
As the golf season draws to a close and the Course & Grounds team gets the course ready for winter, the Board and Committees are already starting to prepare for next year.
• Susan Alford
The Finance Committee has started the budgeting process; the Marketing and Sales Advisory Committee is reviewing the marketing plan for 2019, addressing both membership and the Ladies’ Golf Academy; the Engagement Committee is reviewing the social events for 2018 and putting together events for 2019; similarly, the Golf Committee is reviewing the golf events from last year and evaluating whether any adjustments are needed to improve them for next year; and, the Nominations Committee is reviewing the staffing of the committees for next year and identifying potential candidates for both the Committees and the Board.
I am also delighted to announce that Joan Anderton has been elected as the incoming VicePresident. Betty Chee, the current Vice-President, will become President in 2019.
Thank you to all who participated in the survey Paul Bussiere provides a summary of the results on p.4. Overall Member satisfaction has fallen to an unacceptable level of 59%, compared to 73% last year and 86% the year before - we have much work to do! While Clubhouse service and the Halfway House are a couple of notable areas for improvement, as is communications, we believe the issues affecting Member engagement are broader and require some serious thought. Please take note of the Annual General Meeting date of Wednesday, February 13, 2019. Your Board of Directors will report to you on its work during the past year and provide a financial update. I am pleased to announce that the Board will put forward the following Members as nominees for the 2019 Board of Directors:
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• Wendy Girvan • Deborah Pankhurst
I have found my involvement on Committees and the Board to be a very rewarding experience. There are certainly challenges, but I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with such passionate and skilled women as we plan for a vibrant and successful future. I encourage everyone to think about volunteering in some capacity at the Club next year. It will enhance and enrich your experience at Ladies’. If you want to continue to work on your game during the winter, please check out the Winter Golf Academy and take advantage of both the practice sessions and lessons. In the Clubhouse, the popular Poinsettia Luncheons, Dickens Dinners, and Holiday Brunch are all back this December. I hope you will take advantage of our new event – children are welcome at the Brunch with Santa on December 9. Enjoy the last few days of the golfing season and have a great winter! Update on planning activities Everything continues to go as planned with respect to the land sale, which means that there continues to be little new information. Markham’s formal comments on the application are expected sometime in the next few months, and the Land Project Steering Committee will provide an
update once they are received. Overall, closing is still expected in 2020. All four ad hoc planning committees will continue their efforts over the winter, and timelines continue to evolve as the work unfolds. At this stage, both the Land Sale Course Planning Committee and the Land Sale Net Proceeds Strategy Committee expect to have preliminary plans and options to share with Members for consultation in the spring/summer next year. Net Proceeds has completed most of its research into practices of other organizations. The work is now focused on building a comprehensive framework to address the anticipated needs of the Club over the long term (at least 20 years). Financial modelling is being undertaken to better examine potential trade-offs.
Course Planning sent an e-blast introducing Jeff Mingay as the new course architect. You can read more about the interview process and Jeff's work on p.12. The framework for our new Strategic Plan has begun to take shape. The Strategic Planning Committee has received feedback from the leadership on the direction of the strategic initiatives and there is on-going consultation with Net Proceeds and Course Planning to align our goals. We will present a final draft of the strategic plan at the Annual General Meeting in February.
Monica
NOVEMBER 2018 | 3
Satisfaction Survey Results Paul Bussiere GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE
Last year at this time I reviewed the Membership Satisfaction Survey and highlighted some of the areas that needed improvement. The greens and the bunkers were two areas identified on last year’s survey that we needed to focus on in 2018. I’m happy to report that both of those areas greatly improved this year over last. John and his team focused hard on the greens this year and produced some beautiful conditions for the golfers throughout the season. Bunker sand was added to the budget and the bunkers became more consistent and playable across the course. Selection of golf wear in the Golf Shop was low last year at 61.7% satisfaction but this year jumped to 72.4%. Paddy and his team did a wonderful job this year, joining the BPG Buying Group and getting some exclusive lines for our club. By removing the counter, they opened the shop and broke down the barriers. The welcoming feel of the Golf Shop led to our highest revenue ever in the shop. It also led to Paddy and his team being recognized as the Retailer of the Year for the PGA of Ontario. A huge accomplishment in our industry. Food quality hit a low last year at 59.1% but Chef Umesh and his team came in and created some wonderful fresh menu items, using our new vegetable and herb gardens and the honey from our hives. That resulted in an increase to 75% in 2018. I think we are all looking forward to what Umesh can come up with for next year. Although there were many positives this year our overall club satisfaction level dropped significantly. It was quite disappointing to see the overall satisfaction level come down and we are going to be analyzing it further to determine how
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we can correct it. The staff have already begun discussions on areas we can improve. We plan to do a better job of keeping Members informed of changes happening prior to their occurrence and explaining why we are making the change. We will be reviewing our communication tools over the winter to see if we can find a better way to keep Members informed without being inundated with emails every day. The newsletter received lots of comments and one of the common comments was that it looked too expensive. The reason we enhanced the newsletter this year was to create a better reflection on how amazing this club is. We feel that making the newsletter look more professional allows us to express the beauty of the course and the club. The content has not changed from previous years, it is just packaged differently, and the newsletter is printed inhouse for just pennies more than we produced our old newsletter. We made some adjustments throughout the year in response to feedback, such as adjusting the font and cutting back on the number of photos to decrease the size of the publication. We will continue to evolve the newsletter until we get it right. Clubhouse service was also a main issue in the survey. With Lisa’s announcement, I will be hiring a replacement for her in the coming weeks and service will be a major focus for all our staff in 2019. We know we need to be better and I will ensure that we will be. The halfway house was also an area of concern in 2018 and we will be making changes based on the feedback this year. I expect to see a major turnaround in the halfway house next season.
We go through every comment in the survey and take all of them into consideration. One item on the golf course that was highlighted as an error by Members during the year and again on the survey was the open area left by the complete removal of the bushes between the 14th and 15th holes. John will be looking to plant some new lilac bushes in that area for Members’ enjoyment in the spring. I encourage you to continuously provide me with
feedback on your experiences, both positive and negative. Feedback is important as it is the tool staff use to learn how we are doing from a Member perspective. We gain great insight from Member feedback. I’m looking forward to planning for the 2019 season and I expect it to be a very positive one.
Paul
NOVEMBER 2018 | 5
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Putting the Gardens to Bed Cindy Chamady HORTICULTURALIST
The month of October found us gardeners clearing out the veggie garden, removing frost bitten annuals, and cutting back many perennials. It always seems sad to remove our beautiful tomato plants with so many unripe fruits. So, what did we do with those lovely green tomatoes? We’ve decided to move them to a nice warm place to finish ripening! Tucked away in our basement pantry, we kept as many tomatoes as possible on the vine and hung them carefully so that we could continue to harvest them as they ripen. Any warm place will do, sun isn’t required, and the flavour is just as spectacular. One thing we haven’t removed from the garden is the kale. Kale is one of those amazing veggies
that tastes better after experiencing a frost. Our favourite edible kale varieties become much sweeter and many ornamental varieties deepen in colour. In the perennial beds, now is the time to dig out and divide any overgrown plants, add some compost or leaf mulch and start planning for next year! Gardens are always a work in progress as they continuously change and grow. We, as gardeners, only hope to change and grow along with them.
Cindy
NOVEMBER 2018 | 7
The Holidays at Ladies’ Umesh DiWaker EXECUTIVE CHEF
I am very thankful for our Members and their positive feedback so far. This feedback continuously motivates me and my team to improve our food quality and standards. Winter is almost here, which means festival season is arriving soon. In keeping with the traditions of the Club, the Ladies’ culinary team is very excited to introduce the Christmas Buffet, Poinsettia Lunches and Dickens Dinners. I am hereby inviting you, your family and guests to these lovely events and to enjoy our variety of delicious dishes. The Poinsettia Lunches & Dickens Dinners will offer a combination of soup, salads, and different types of proteins to choose from. The soup will be made with winter squashes, and our garden sage which we are now saving for December. There are a variety of salads or appetizers to choose from, all with great combinations of flavours and textures. The proteins offered are turkey, salmon, lamb shank, rack of lamb, and beef short ribs. I added wild mushroom risotto as a vegetarian option as well. I designed this menu by prioritizing your preferences and incorporating your valuable feedback from the season. Our short ribs and lamb shank will be braised with a lot of attention and care for 6 hours. During this
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process the meat will cook very slowly, and all the flavours will remain inside, as we seal them while cooking. We will be serving turkey that is brined for 24 hours and it will include a combination of white and dark meat. You can always let your server know if you prefer only white or dark meat. All the proteins will be served with seasonal vegetables and starches. To top it off, all meals will be followed by Chef’s choice dessert table. The Holiday Brunch will include a variety of breads, salads, cheeses, soup and main courses, and desserts including Christmas pudding and homemade sweet treats. All our menus have been designed with various dietary restrictions in mind. I am very open to any requests from Members or guests if they have any concerns during any of our events. We can always create something extra if you bring guests and they have certain dietary needs. My team and I welcome all of you, your family and friends to these upcoming holiday events! Culinary Regards,
Chef U,mesh
NOVEMBER 2018 | 9
Preparing for Winter Jean Davy COURSE AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE, CHAIR
Congratulations John! Earlier this year, it was reported that Ladies’ had been awarded the highest rating, a 2 out of 2, for the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) accreditation. It turns out that not only did John and his staff get the highest rating, they also received a perfect score! Congratulations to John McLinden and Amanda Frend, our IPM certified agents. Each fall, John and his staff start to get the course ready to weather the cold winter weather. Over the past month, this has meant raising the heights of the greens; aerification and topdressing the tees; and aerification of the fairways using a solid tyne approach that minimizes the amount of mud. In addition, you will have noticed that the rough is a little lower now. A pilot is currently underway to see if the course standard for the length of the rough should be changed to 1 1/2 inches or kept at the current standard of 1 3/4 inches. The pilot will continue through June 2019, at which time it will be decided whether to change the course standard. During November, after the course closes, course aerification of the roughs; topdressing of the tees and fairways; and a snow mould protectant will be applied. Over the winter, the maintenance staff is very busy (see John’s article, Winter at Ladies’). The tree removal that will be done this winter will be confined to trees that are dead or dying and thus create a safety hazard for the Members, guests and staff. Another change you may have noticed is the clarity of the water in the pond between hole 10 & 11. A microbial powder, that is environmentally
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friendly, has killed all the algae in this pond. Next year, the powder will be used to keep the algae in check in all the ponds. That means, you may be able to retrieve more of those “water” golf balls. As the season comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank John and his staff for making the 2018 golfing season so pleasurable. After a cold start and a big wind storm, the maintenance crew quickly got the course into playing order. They kept it in top notch shape for the remainder of the season, despite close to drought conditions in late July, and the skunks and raccoons to contend with this fall. A big thank you to John, Amanda, Carol, Fred and all the seasonal groundskeepers! And finally, thank you to the Course & Grounds Committee Members – Mary Bovaird, Sharon Brubacher, Helen Folker and Peta Lomberg. They found answers to all your questions; learned about microbial powders, solid tyne aerification and other course problems and solutions; and ensured that you had a golf course that you were proud to play and show off to guests. Thank you for your enthusiasm, suggestions and commitment. To all the Members and Guest Card Holders, thank you for your thoughtful questions and comments. Enjoy the winter season and we will see you out on the course in the spring!
Jean
NOVEMBER 2018 | 11
Introducing Our New Course Architect Paul Bussiere LAND SALE COURSE PLANNING COMMITTEE
With the expected land sale of the 9th hole at Ladies’, a plan for a replacement hole on the east side of the property is needed. The Land Sale Course Planning Committee in performing their due diligence felt it necessary to interview architects to ensure that we had the best architect for the redesign and future course enhancements. This project will have major implications on the Club going forward and the Committee did not take this decision lightly. Research was conducted on Canadian architects to determine who would be the best architects to interview for this type of project and beyond. It was decided that the architects needed to be Stanley Thompson disciples to ensure that our course kept its Thompson feel, and any new holes or changes were consistent with the rest of the course. All three chosen candidates were given our design criteria prior to the interview stage and asked to give a brief history of their background and work. They were asked to explain what made Stanley Thompson courses unique and how Ladies’ design showed his work. Then they were asked to present a possible solution for replacing the 9th hole with specific design principles in mind. After the interview stage was complete, the Committee debriefed and discussed each of the candidates with respect to fit, experience, work with agencies/permits/TRCA, creativity, knowledge of Stanley Thompson principles,
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price, approach/timeline, etc. A recommendation was made to the Board and before confirming the choice, the Board also met with the recommended architect. At this time, Ladies’ is proud to announce that Jeff Mingay has been engaged to be the golf course architect for the Club going forward. Jeff established his company, Mingay Golf Course Design, in 2009. He has and is currently working on a number of golf course design and construction projects throughout Canada and the United States. He is currently working with courses such as Cutten Fields in Guelph, Victoria Golf Club, and the Derrick Winter Club in Edmonton. Jeff likes to use a hands-on approach to his work and provides personal service throughout each project, including shaping and construction supervision. He is a self-proclaimed golf course history enthusiast and is currently the Vice-President of the Stanley Thompson Society. Prior to establishing his own company, Jeff worked with fellow Canadian golf architect, Rod Whitman for nearly a decade. During that time, Jeff assisted with the design and construction of three of Canada’s most highly-acclaimed golf courses: Edmonton’s Blackhawk Golf Club; Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club, in British Columbia; and Cape Breton’s Cabot Links. We’re very excited to have Jeff lead us through this construction phase and create a new course master plan for the Club.
We will be scheduling a meet and greet with Jeff in November and another in the spring, to give Members an opportunity to get to know him better and learn a little about Stanley Thompson in the process. Details of those events will be announced shortly. We would also like to thank David Moote for his 40 years of service to Ladies’ as our previous course architect. David led us through many course changes and projects, including the pond
project in 2005. He has been more than just the course architect but also a friend to many at Ladies’. Dave will always be welcome back at Ladies’. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at any time.
Paul
NOVEMBER 2018 | 13
Winter at Ladies’ John McLinden GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT
One of the most common questions I am asked is, what you do in the winter once the course closes? Often some responses I receive from people are, “it must be nice to have the winter off.” However, this is the furthest from the truth. Although the maintenance end of work is not done in the winter, there is a multitude of work to carry out in a short period of time. Below are examples of what happens here during a typical winter. Mid November to Christmas Once the course is closed there is still plenty of work to be done to prepare the course for winter. Seasonal staff continue to rake the remaining leaves and debris and clean the course until snow falls, so that there is reduced clean up and preparation in the spring. Aerification is completed in November. Aerification is an essential cultural practice to help alleviate compaction and thatch build up in the soil. It is done at this time of year to minimize disruption to golfers during the prime playing season (July-September). A late season dormant fertilizer is applied to greens, tees and fairways to encourage early green up in the spring. All remaining course furniture and amenities are brought in for the winter to be cleaned or painted. The fiscal budget year at Ladies’ ends on November 30, so all seasonal staff are laid off at this time for the winter until April. Four full-time staff remain for the winter. In early December, tree removal, pruning and wood splitting begins around the golf course. Staff initiates their work at the back end of the course first before any significant snowfall, as it becomes difficult to access the back through the valley. Once the snow falls, work is shifted to the middle and
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front sections of the course. All branches and logs are mulched on site, which creates a large amount of chippings that are distributed under trees throughout the golf course. When there are periods of snowfall, attention is diverted to plowing and maintaining the road and walkways. We have our own plow that allows the road to be cleared quickly and cost efficiently. The roadway into the Club is long and winding and requires a great deal of attention. Along with plowing the main roadway and parking lots, walkways are shoveled, and all surfaces are sanded and salted. January and February Full-time staff return after New Year’s and continue to concentrate on pruning, removals and splitting. This is an excellent time to remove larger trees as the ground is usually frozen and does not cause any damage to the turf when it falls. Road and walkway clearing continues when snowfall events occur. There have been years in the past when a lot of attention has been given to snow removal, as snow accumulation can be very high. There are some days during this period when it is too cold for equipment to operate properly or conditions may not allow staff to work outside. These days are set aside for doing inside work. Benches, water cooler stations, garbage cans, etc. all need to be painted and staff spend these days cleaning and preparing amenities for course opening in the spring. There is also plenty of work required to be done to the buildings. Painting, repairs, touch ups, small projects are done during the winter months in preparation for spring opening. Shortly after New Year’s, attention is focused for the upcoming season.
We start to advertise and interview for seasonal staff; update staff training; re-certify to meet government requirements; update Health and Safety programs; and update our knowledge of new cultural techniques, new technology, environmental issues and regulations; and overhaul more than 50 pieces of equipment. March Once March rolls around, a spring thaw starts to occur. Some years the thaw has happened in early March while other years it happens in late March. If there is still excess snow on the greens, staff will blow it off to assist with a quicker melt of this sensitive turf. If there is enough melting on the course, staff will begin their spring clean up as soon as possible. Most times staff will walk the course as it is too soft for vehicles or equipment to travel on the ground. There is plenty of clean up to do from the winter months. If the weather is too poor to work outside there is still some general painting or clean up to accomplish. Pruning of trees ends in March, as the sap begins to flow in trees and it is not recommended to open wounds on the tree to allow sap to flow freely.
April Seasonal staff return to work on April 1. Clean up of branches, leaves and debris continues until complete. The month of April is unpredictable and weather dictates when cutting can begin. Typically, cutting begins in the second week and all areas of the course are cut a minimum of two times before the course opens in midApril. Freshly cleaned and painted furniture and amenities are placed out on the course and the irrigation system is started. Washrooms are also cleaned and prepared. Usually by the end of April full maintenance routines are in place on a daily basis. Summary The winter months are a short period of time to achieve many tasks. Although this is a typical winter schedule, it does not take into account such things as winter storms, larger projects or any other unforeseen events such as ice build-up on the turf.
John
NOVEMBER 2018 | 15
Remembering Marjorie Elliott Jane Kirkpatrick LADIES’ MEMBER
Marjorie Elliott, a Life Member of Ladies’, having joined in 1964, passed away recently at the age of 91. When she suffered a stroke a few years ago and had to give up golf, Marjorie persevered with an exercise program in an attempt to get back to the game she loved. On good days, she and her walker were outside walking at least half a mile. Marjorie was not a long hitter but a very straight one. She had nine holes-in-one, eight of which came at Ladies’! She had a hole-in-one on every
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par 3 except the 7th, which she could not reach from the yellow tees. She was well known for her short game prowess, winning the chip-in contest many times. A familiar sight in late fall would be Marjorie in her shorts and knee-high socks. I, along with many other Members, have very fond memories of our friend Marjorie and the many years we played golf together at Ladies’.
Jane
The Beauty of 9 Krisanne Knickle & Kathy Constantinou 9H CO - CAPTAINS
The 9H section is approximately 135 Members strong. This season we held 8 shotguns, weekly games, 2 trophy events and the 9H Championship. In addition to these events, the 9H section ladies were very busy hosting and playing outside events. This season, all Ladies’ events were opened to 18H and 9H section players. It was a great opportunity to play together and get to know each other. The closing dinner was held on October 17, 2018 and was a wonderful evening amongst good friends. We would like to thank our social convenors, Laurel Archibald and Carol Heller-
Mepham for organizing a delicious dinner, once again. We would also like to thank all the volunteers and 9H Committee Members for their enthusiasm and hard work this season. It is greatly appreciated! As the season draws to an end, we wish you a healthy and happy winter season. We look forward to seeing those of you still in town at the 9H Dickens Dinner on Wednesday, December 5!
Kathy & Krisanne
NOVEMBER 2018 | 17
18H Awards Dinner Jan Flott 18H CAPTAIN
For all of you who could not attend our Awards Dinner on October 18, here is a synopsis.
kept us all warm on the patio.
It started with conversation and wine in the Mackenzie room for some, while others played games like Mexican Train and Mahjong in the dining room.
As dessert was served, some of us emptied the blanket box, as the heaters could not quite keep up with the cold air seeping into the patio, especially for Members sitting around the edge.
By 6:45 pm we were ushered onto the patio, so we could all be together for the entertainment. First up was Nancy Dancey, a TSN reporter. The first interview was with Jane Kirkpatrick and June Phillips about their holes-in-one. Then Elly Muchnik and Brenda Humphreys were asked about how they managed to reduce their handicaps enough to win the improvement awards, for which they were given Olympic-type medals. Soup was served at 7:00 pm, and the heat lamps
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After dinner the awards were presented.
However, the excitement that followed quickly warmed us up. Dylan and Laura arrived ready to call the BINGO games. We had several false wins and eventually the crowd had fun with a chorus of “check her card, check her card�. Apparently, this game is harder than it looks. A good time was had by all!
Jan
NOVEMBER 2018 | 19
Ladies’ Winter Golf Academy Jaime Steedman HEAD TEACHING PROFESSIONAL
I love summertime. It’s hot outside, the grass is green, the days are long, and we can play golf outdoors! But, for making big improvements to one’s game, or taking it up for the first time, the summer season has its challenges. The brevity of the season can sometimes make it difficult to implement new changes and can lead to frustration or reversion back to old habits. For newcomers to the game, the desire to see the ball get airborne, and go in the general intended direction with people watching can be daunting. While we love golf season, the off-season and the winter comes with tremendous opportunity for individuals who want to learn the game from scratch or improve their swing. Here are a few reasons you should consider winter golf training. Process vs Outcome Some feel that not being able to see the flight of the golf ball takes away from the winter experience. However, I am a big believer that is what makes winter training so invaluable. When we hit a ball into a net, it guides the mindset away from the outcome of the golf ball and allows the student to focus on the process of the golf swing itself and how the body can create a more efficient movement. Be Like the World’s Best Not only is the off-season when the world’s best golfers are making improvements and changes to their games, it’s when our governing body suggests it. Winter work is in line with Golf Canada’s Long Term Player Development model, suggesting that the off-season is the optimal time
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to train and improve in order to maximize your game during our season. No Pressure to Perform Unlike during the summer months, indoor training in the off-season happens without many around to witness - especially at Ladies’ Winter Golf Academy. Additionally, there is no pressure to immediately take what has been learned directly onto the course. The Ladies’ Golf Academy is happy to once again be converting the Golf Shop into an instructional environment that will help golfers keep the ‘rust’ from forming on their swings, prepare them for winter golf trips, learn the game, or make improvements to their swing. We are open seven days a week, from mid-November to mid-March. Furthermore, on Saturday December 1, we will be hosting a toy-drive. Anyone that drops off a toy to benefit children in our community during the holiday season, will receive a free 15-minute lesson. Lessons can be booked by contacting Jaime Steedman at jsteedman@ladiesgolfclub. com.
Jaime
LADIES’ WINTER GOLF ACADEMY
Winter Golf Academy - In our Golf Shop November 15, 2018 to March 15, 2019
Hours of Operation
Member Perks
Monday 12pm-5pm Tuesday 9am-5pm Wednesday 9am-5pm Thursday 9am-5pm Friday 9am-3pm Saturday By appointment Sunday By appointment
Complimentary indoor practice available to Ladies’ Members Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12pm-2pm. *subject to availability
Indoor Private Lessons Includes a short warm up period before and 15 minutes of practice time following. 1 hour 2 hours 3 hours 5 hours
$120 $240 $350 $550
Indoor Practice Full Season Practice Membership $325 Up to one hour of designated practice time per day. Single Practice Session $15 One hour of practice time.
NOVEMBER 2018 | 21
York Women’s Golf Wrap-Up for 2018 Carol Brown CONVENOR
Our thanks to Jane Kirkpatrick for sending us this detailed report. Ladies’ not only provided several competitive players to this summer’s events, but also hosted the 4 Ball competition in August. We also proudly organize the Training Program each year at our Club. We hope you’ll consider participating next year in one or more of these rewarding experiences.
Carol
York Women’s Golf has completed another successful season in 2018. I would like to thank the hard-working executives for this success: • Jane Hills - Tournament Convenor • Anita Chamberlain - Treasurer and Blog • Pauline Fortier - Training Program • Sandy Zajac – Teams
competition. In June, Pauline Fortier organized another very successful Training Program. There were two groups - one for the 10-16 handicaps and one for the 17-27 handicaps. Jane Lay won the final of the TP match play tournament which was held at Ladies’ on Sept 15.
• Nancy McTavish – Bronze
This year was the first time Scarboro “District” and YWG allowed invited players to compete in each other’s tournaments. Scarboro’s Ivy Steinburg tied for low gross at York’s Senior tournament with Lisa Young of Thornhill. The playoff was won by Ivy, but Lisa was crowned Senior Champion. Several York teams headed to Bayview for Scarboro’s 4 Ball tournament in late August.
• Lisa Young – Senior
Looking ahead to 2019:
• Peta Lomberg - Super Senior
Host clubs: St George’s - Amateur / Bronze Weston - Senior Toronto Golf Club 4 Ball
• Jan Flott - Handicap and Course Rating A big thank you to our host clubs: Maple Downs, Carrying Place and Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto. Congratulations to our champions: • Kelsey Fuchs - Amateur
• Teresa Yoo - Diamond Lil’ • Linda Samuel & Donna Houlihan - 4 Ball Congratulations to York’s Senior Team of Judith Kyrinis, Marion Reid, Joanne Noble and Debbie Court who once again won the Ontario Teams
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Sign-up for the Training Program must be done before the end of the year. See the flyer at your club, look on GGGolf or contact Dylan in the Golf Shop.
You can also look on the blog www.ywgolf17. blogspot.com – go to the YWG Training Program page. It will be offered to 17- 27 handicaps. Give the Scarboro Amateur/Senior tournament and their 4 Ball a try in 2019! Keep an eye on the YWG blog for up-to-date information. You can now sign up for email notifications for blog posts if you wish. Just enter your email address in the "follow by email" section (right sidebar) and click submit. You will be required to reply to a verification email to confirm your request. Over the winter we plan
on adding more information on the rule changes that take effect in 2019, as well as adding dates for our tournaments as soon as they are known. Thanks to everyone for attending our tournaments. See you next season.
Jane
NOVEMBER 2018 | 23
The Path to Class “A” Dylan Cattanach ASSISSTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL
It’s hard to believe, but after this season I have worked 7 years here at Ladies’. This golf club has not only been my place of work but also my “second home”. I never thought when I started in the back shop in the summer of 2012, I would become a Class A or Associate Golf Professional at the Club in 2018. It has been a long road to reach this new achievement in my life, but I am so fortunate to have accomplished this goal here at Ladies’ and to share it with the Members, my fellow staff and family.
One of the questions I often get is how to get my Class A. To achieve this goal, there are few stages that must be completed. The first step is to sign up to be a part of the PGA of Canada. After signing up, there are a Playing Ability Test (PAT), Rules of Golf, Club Fitting, Instruction Courses, 5 Modules and 3000 hours worked in a Golf Shop. At first, I was nervous because I didn’t know where to start or what to do for some of these. But I slowly worked through them and completed one item at a time.
Throughout high school, I was a golf nut. I was a member at Thornhill GCC, where both my grandparents and parents golfed. I would take transit to the course every day in the summer to play a lot of golf. However, my dad convinced me in the summer of 2012 that I needed to get a job to save money since I was going into my first year of Queen’s University. Since both of my older brothers worked in the back shop at Donalda and Rosedale, I thought I had to be unique and go to another course. I chose Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto and it was one of the best decisions of my life.
The Playing Ability Test was first on my checklist since it was the hardest to do. Playing 36 holes in one day (average round is 5 hours) is one of the toughest tasks. It took me three attempts to get the Level A which is two combined rounds under 155. On the 3rd attempt, it was a very slow morning to get to the golf course and there were a few minor bumps in the way – including having no putter at the start and getting lost on the way. However, Jamal who was my caddy came through and had his junior putter in my car. In the end, I played extremely well and came 2nd out of 80 players while scoring 74-75 in both rounds.
After working here that 1st summer, I fell in love with the place and everything around the Club. I knew that when I left for university, I wanted to come back the following year. Fast tracking to the end of my 3rd year of university, I made another decision and joined the PGA of Canada. I knew I loved working at Ladies’ and wanted to see where this next chapter of my life would take me. With an applied economics degree already, I decided to pursue my golf passion and become a Golf Professional. From signing up for the PGA of Canada in January 2015, to finishing my last module in November 2018, it has been a long road to get to my Class A.
The next step was to do my instruction courses (beginner and intermediate). For each of the courses, I had to attend a three-day class and learned about lesson plans, skill analysis forms, junior programs, etc. After attending each instruction course, I had to complete multiple handouts. The beginner course was tough since I didn’t know what to expect. After a few times, I finally improved on the work and passed. I then knew the standards for the intermediate instruction, and with the help of some fellow Golf Professionals, I coasted through with ease. After completing the courses, I had to attend a club fitting session and rules of golf seminar.
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All these courses and seminars were important in increasing my knowledge and learning more in the golf swing. While working on all these small assignments, I had to also work on the last part of getting my Class A. In the past, there was a written exam, however the PGA of Canada changed it up. Instead of the exam, they decided to do the PACE program. The PACE program consists of five modules, which look into different topics/ areas of the golf industry. The five modules are golf operations, retail, food and beverage, turf/ maintenance and tournaments. In each module, there are around 10-12 exercises; in each of the exercises, there are about 8-12 questions. The exercises and questions range from staffing, operations, set up, financial, budget and many more. I was very fortunate to work with a few senior staff members who have been here for a while and know the details in their department. They took their time and helped me answer all the questions with detail. The second part of the module was an essay. I had to choose or create my own topic and research about it and
why it was done at Ladies’. This part was very interesting, as I learned a lot of things that I previously didn’t know about, and how they were applied at Ladies’. I am now on my last module – tournaments – and hopefully I will have it done by early to mid-November. It has been a long road to get my Class A. But I have learned that if you work hard, there will be a reward at the end. Working at Ladies’ has been an amazing experience and I hope I continue to learn more each year on how we can improve as a team and a Club. I am thankful for everyone who has been a part of the path to getting my Class A. This is another major accomplishment in my life, and I wouldn’t have done it anywhere other than at Ladies’.
Dylan
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November 2018
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Clubhouse Open 12-4pm until November 11
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All services of Golf Shop & Course are closed for the season
Clubhouse open for private events and parties only
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Last day to take home clubs, caddies & pull carts from Back Shop
Winter Golf Academy Opens
Range closes for the season
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Save the date Poinsettia Lunches
Every Tuesday to Friday December 4 - December 21
Dickens Dinners
Every Wednesday to Saturday December 5 - December 22
Brunch with Santa Sunday, December 9
Holiday Brunch
Sunday, December 16
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7859 Yonge Street, Thornhill ON L3T 2C4 ladiesgolfclub.com