2022 Alberta Golfer Magazine: Digital Version

THE ALBERTA

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ALBERTA GOLF | 2022

Katy Rutherford

tees it up with the boys

Golf Technology in Alberta

Remembering

Bob Wylie

Max Sekulic Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion

ALBERTAGOLF.ORG

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

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With winnings in hand, these Senior Ladies pose for a picture to commemorate three beautiful days at the Lethbridge Country Club.

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Gallery

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Gallery

Logan Graf displays his U19 Championship Round 1 scorecard. The sizzling 64 was 4 strokes better than any other round in Carstairs that week.

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THE ALBERTA

Looking Back

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ALBERTA GOLF | 2022

Katy Rutherford

Contents

02 Gallery

tees it up with the boys

Golf Technology in Alberta

Remembering

Bob Wylie

Max Sekulic Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion

ALBERTAGOLF.ORG

Rycroft’s Max Sekulic captured the 2021 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and earned a spot on Golf Canada’s National Amateur Squad.

Photo courtesy by Tyler Costigan/Golf Canada The Alberta Golfer may be viewed online at: www.albertagolf.org

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Max Sekulic Wins Canadian Men’s Amateur

Rycroft’s Max Sekulic captured Canada’s top amateur golf championship.

22 “I Deserved to be Here”

Katy Rutherford competed in the 2021 ATB Financial Classic.

36 The Champions

Profiles of 15 Alberta Golf Champions from 2021.

42 The Time Capsule Go Back in Time to 1992.

47 Robert L. (Bob) Wylie – In Memoriam 56 Scholarship Recipients 64 Heaven in the Bag 66 The Year in Pictures

Photo memories of the 2021 golf season.

Looking Ahead

A Closer Look

10 Alberta Golf CEO Message 16 The Ranch Hosts the Mens Amateur 20 Canmore GCC Hosts the Ladies Amateur

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18 The Alberta Open Returns to Sundre GC

Who will earn the title as Alberta’s top player?

44 Lakewood GR Expanding to 18 Holes

UpSwing by Alberta Golf Alberta Golf’s new program focusing on recreational players.

30 Anatomy of a Golf Hole

I nnisfail GCC’s sensational Hole #16 – Hazelwood.

32 Tour Talk

hree McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour grads T making their mark in the world.

46 Red Deer GCC Hosts the Golf Canada Senior Men’s Championship

48 Playing Them All

50 Tournament Schedule

62 G-Tech Hand Warmers

Canada’s top senior men to compete in Red Deer.

Listing of 2022 Alberta Golf competitions.

What's New

60 The Indoor Golf Advantage

I ndoor golf training centres are popping up all over the province.

Travel

58 A Rocking Good Ride

24 Seaside Swings

59 Shaw Charity Classic

54 Alberta North and South

Alberta technology develops a unique golf cart.

K auai and The Dominican Republic iscover hidden gems in Northern and D Southern Alberta.

The Alberta Golfer I sometimes find it difficult to come up with words that may be insightful, maybe even inspiring to readers of The Alberta Golfer. After all our readers are core golfers who enjoy picking up their personal copy of the magazine or reading the online version from cover to cover (maybe more than once).

We are all the ‘golf guy’ or the ‘golf girl’ in our communities - the ones who are asked about getting into the game, where to learn, where to play, what to buy. We are more than delighted to take the time and share the joys and experiences of the game with others. Prior to the onset of COVID-19 this was a regular occurrence at organized block parties or informal get togethers, at the restaurants and in the pubs.

It seems we now have an abundance of time for golf (to golf?), which has been very healthy for the game.

With a twist of irony, we have also had fewer opportunities to share our knowledge, our stories and our passion for golf – key ingredients that fuel the success of our sport.

Instead we have been laser focused on beating the buzzer to get our Saturday morning tee time, marching head down to the first tee before trampling over each other to the digital suggestion boxes (aka texting or emailing the club pro) to share our opinions about what we saw ‘out there’. The four-hour discussions on how to attract more people to the game have now turned into four-way debates before we hit the 3rd tee box about what the club is doing to limit access by the newbies. After all, they are the ones taking ‘our’ times and ‘slowing’ us up.

As our own lives go through stages and transitions - golf is now in its own stage of transition. The pandemic has brought about an influx of new

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and returning participants and the opportunity is NOW to embrace them – each and every one of them, not turn them away through our actions and / or words.

Newcomers may not have a keen desire to understand as much about the rules and traditions of the game just yet. But they would like someone to share more about the mystical ‘golf etiquette’ they have heard so much about but have yet to experience for themselves. Can the group behind us see where we are? Where does the pull cart go as we approach the first green? It is incumbent upon US with a capital U to own this and share everything we can with the noobs.

Before it’s too late.

Golf is always there for us, regardless of the time we have to devote to the game from one year to the next. It is our time to be there for golf.

Prior to joining Alberta Golf in 2016 I had the privilege of working with the PGA of Alberta for many years. During one of our board meetings, a longer than normal discussion ensued about printing golf tips in the local papers and one of our newer board members at the time said ‘We’ve already done that, we need to think of something else to promote the game.’

Derek Gibson, a past president and long-time advisor to the board, and former head professional at the Royal Mayfair for 29 years calmly ended the soft debate by saying ‘The tips might still be a good idea.

They are always new to somebody.’

Phil Berube,

Chief Executive Officer Alberta Golf

2021 Board of Directors

Mark Bamford, President – Glendale G&CC Ken Knowles, Vice President – Windermere G&CC Brent Bailey, Treasurer – Windermere G&CC Chris Leach, Secretary – Valley Ridge GC Tiffany Gordon – Carnmoney G&CC Kendra Koss – Earl Grey GC Peter Major – Calgary G&CC Lorraine Moster – Public Players Club Alonzo Strange – Blackhawk GC

2022 Staff

Phil Berube – Chief Executive Officer John Deneer – Manager, Competitions & Sport Development Kevin Smith – Director, Communications Stephen Wigington – Director, Membership & Golf Course Services John Burns – Brand Manager, UpSwing Golf Grant Cammidge – Field Manager, Competitions (Edmonton & Area)

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

Design & Production

ev+ Agency Suite 105, 16060 - 114 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5M 2Z5 P: 780.424.1111 Email: michele@evhq.ca www.evhq.ca 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 2021. Please enjoy the 2022 edition of The Alberta Golfer. www.albertagolf.org

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Looking Back

MAX SEKULIC

It wasn’t simply driving golf balls that got Max Sekulic to this place in life. Driving a combine also had something to do with it.

Indeed, the farm boy from Rycroft knows that the success he’s enjoyed — and is set to enjoy — in his chosen sport isn’t just a product of his sharp wedge work and improving play from the tee-box.

Being a farm boy from the Peace Country is also helping him harvest a bumper future.

“I think I used to be tougher than I am now,” said a chuckling Sekulic about growing “soft” since his days at home on the farm. “But I can still take a lot of things that translate from the farm to golf. Effort doesn’t always equal results, right? You can put a lot of work into a crop, and then all of a sudden, a hailstorm comes through and the crop can be destroyed. On the golf course, you can hit great shots and not necessarily be rewarded for them.

Growing up and seeing my parents work as hard as they did, it gives you a good idea of what it takes to accomplish things.”

The golf results of the last year seem to be proof that the work ethic of mom Caroline and dad Nick have certainly rubbed off on Sekulic, now 22 and at school in Pullman, WA. How’s this for a terrific 2021?

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

First place at the Northwest Open Invitational, giving Sekulic his first win in a professional tournament.

Top spot at the Visit Stockton Pacific Golf Invitational, giving the Washington State golf team star his first-ever collegiate victory.

A runner-up finish at another pro event, the Rosauers Open.

A “confidence boost” when qualifying on the school’s home course for the coveted U.S. Amateur. And in what appears to be the seminal celebration of his career, victory at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Golf Championship.

“Growing up and seeing my parents work as hard as they did, it gives you a good idea of what it takes to accomplish things.”

“I had my best tournament of the year there,” said Sekulic of his four days of glory at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, ON. “That was a lot of fun, and it certainly opened a lot of doors moving forward. That was definitely the highlight of the year.

“It’s my national championship,” continued Sekulic. “Playing against the best amateur golfers in Canada and winning it is beyond special.

You’re the one winner in a 156-man field. To do it at the right time and the right place makes it even more special. Moments like this vindicates years of hard work and planning and also makes your own goals and dreams attainable moving forward.”

So with that, Sekulic is soon turning his attention to the pro game.

He’ll graduate from WSU and its fine golf program — to which he transferred in 2019 after two years at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix — and leave the amateur world behind.

He’ll play the RBC Canadian Open — a perk he gets from winning the Canadian Amateur — as a professional and compete on the Mackenzie Tour–PGA Tour Canada under sponsors’ exemptions.

Yes, Sekulic — the 2017 Alberta junior champ and two-time Alberta match-play king — feels like he’s ready for the next step.

Looking Back

Canadian Men's Amateur Champion

By Todd Saelhof

“Honestly, I’ve felt that I had to win a big tournament or play really well for years as an amateur to make turning pro seem realistic,” said The Glencoe GCC member. “We play this game a lot, and when there’s 100 competitors and only one winner, you need the vindication that you can win as an amateur to make it count. You have to win a worthy event to make it reasonable in your head that you can play professional golf.

“For me, it happened when I won the Canadian Amateur. Being able to finish strong, especially with the stakes at hand, it gave me the selfassuredness that it was something I could do.”

There wasn’t exactly confidence in his start at the Ambassador. The Albertan needed to hit a “nervy” 20-footer to save par on No. 1 before settling in after three holes and enjoying a “good first-round 68.” Sekulic’s second round was his best, as he posted a six-under 65 and set him up for a run at the title.

In Round 3, he admits to struggling a bit, but a “strong finish” saved the day, as he got up and down for birdie on 15, chipped in for birdie on 16 and finished off the binge with another birdie on 18.

Max Sekulic at the Golf Canada Photo Courtesy by

National Amateur Squad winter

Tyler Costigan/Golf Canada

training site in Phoenix.

AlbertaGolf.org

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Looking Back

Rycroft's Max Sekulic proudly holds the Canadian Men's Amateur Championship trophy.

championship “disappointing” and returned to his roots to reset his path to the pro stage.

“I’ve won a few tournaments by coming from behind,” said Sekulic, pegging the host track as playing to his driver and wedge strength and taking advantage of many riskreward holes. “I felt confident that if I played my game and still managed to play aggressively that anything could happen.”

That it did, as Sekulic used a parbirdie-eagle start in the final round to move him up in the field and eventually into contention. He then rounded out the tournament with a barrage of birdies on 15, 17 and 18 for the two-stroke victory. All the while, he refused to look at the leaderboard.

“At the time, you’re still playing the course and it’s the lowest score that matters,” Sekulic said. “I had it in my head that it didn’t matter what other guys were doing. It only mattered what I had to do in that situation.

Luckily, everything went well. Once it was over, I remember it being such a special feeling.”

That, of course, was hard work.

“It was a realization that my game needed to be better, and I learned that from playing against guys in the Pac-12 and witnessing what they do day-to-day,” said Sekulic, who’s drawn public praise for his work ethic from personal coach Kent Fukushima and longtime PGA of Canada member/golf coach Randy Robb. “So you apply some of that to yourself.

Photo Courtesy by Jeff Vogan/Golf Canada

Making it even more memorable was recalling how far he’d come in just months.

The finish to his second year of NCAA golf with the Washington State Cougars didn’t go as planned.

He termed his middle-of-the-pack finish at the Pac-12 conference

“I knew to be a pro, I needed a shift in mentality — you need to make the most birdies that you can. In a sense, you need to take more risks as long as they’re appropriate risks.

After the Pac-12 championship, I put in about a month of good solid work, and it all came together this summer.

“I’m glad with how it’s turned out.”

Photo Courtesy by Jeff Vogan/Golf Canada

Sekulic's hard work honing his game at Washington State University paid huge dividends.

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The Alberta Golfer 2021

Looking Ahead

Hole #14 - The Ranch GCC.

The Ranch Hosts the

Alberta Mens Amateur

By Curtis Stock The Ranch, a delectable golf course just west of Edmonton, is a mirage.

the Year. “It’s not a long course but it’s a very challenging 6,500 yards.”

the closing five-hole stretch to the Edmonton Journal.

The scorecard shows The Ranch is only 6,500 yards from the tips. But, as Yogi Berra might have said, it’s a long 6,500 yards. “There’s some very tough holes,” said Murray McCourt, general manager and co-owner of The Ranch.

From June 28-30 The Ranch will be tested again - this time by the Alberta Golf Mens Amateur Championship. “The toughest are the final five holes - those are the ones that will determine the Men's Amateur champion,” said McCourt. “The winner will have to play those holes very well and avoid the big number.”

Start with No. 14, a 177-yard Par-3.

“That's a beauty of a hole,'' Freeman said of the downhill test which plays over a creek to a well-guarded green. ''Sitting up there on top of that hill, you have to pick the right club for sure. If you're short it'll roll back towards you.

If you miss it right you're in the trees.”

“We’ve hosted a ton of competitive tournaments - PGA of Alberta and Alberta Golf Association events - and nobody comes out here and posts crazy low numbers,” said McCourt, named the 2016 PGA of Alberta Club Pro of the Year and 2019 PGA of Alberta Executive Professional of

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

Ray Freeman, who won the 1985 Klondike Klassic when it was then part of what was the Canadian Tour, offered a hole-by-hole analysis of

“If you haven’t played here a lot you will be surprised how much it breaks on that green,” added McCourt, who is also the host of the VIP Golf radio show on TSN1260, voted the best talk radio program in Edmonton.

Looking Ahead On to No. 15, a Par-4 which will play from about 394 yards, which starts with an elevated tee shot through a chute and then doglegs hard right. “ Normally I try and play it back in my stance a bit and try and beat a low cut out there, get it running out somewhere short of that bunker.”

“The tee shot is not as intimidating as it was when Ray Freeman played it; we’ve cleared out a lot of trees,” said McCourt, 51, who started at The Ranch in 2005 after being the head pro and general manager at Nanton for a dozen years.

“The second shot is to a narrow, twotiered green. There’s trouble right with trees and fescue. There’s more trouble left with a couple of bunkers and a water penalty area. A two-putt par is good.”

Next up is No. 16 - a 413-yard Par-4 from an elevated tee box and through another chute of trees. With water guarding the left side of the fairway and an extremely narrow sliver of fairway right of the water, this is easily one of The Ranch’s toughest holes.

''Anything to get your tee shot in play,” said Freeman, who won the 1985 Klassic with a 15-under 265 that included two course-record rounds of 63.

No. 17, which plays at 177 yards over water, is another gorgeous Par-3.

“Anywhere from a 4-iron to an 8-iron depending on the wind,” said Freeman.

Then No. 18. “An absolute beast,” said McCourt, of the 439-yard Par 4. “When the Canadian Tour was here, No. 18 had the highest scoring average on the entire Tour. It’s a very, very, very tough tee shot. Trees left and water right and a narrow landing strip. Hit whatever club you need to keep the ball in play.”

The second shot is no bargain either. “The players will probably have about a 200-yard approach to an extremely difficult green with some severe breaks.” So how did Freeman tame The Ranch back in 1985? Easy. He played the ‘shortish’ two Par 5s - Nos. 2 and 7 - 12-under par for the four days - eagling both of them twice.

The Ranch has been ranked in SCOREGolf magazine’s Top 100 courses in Canada, also receiving more SCOREGolf kudos last year when it placed first in Edmonton, second in Alberta and 30th in the nation for providing best value. “ That was validation that we are achieving what we are always looking to do,” said McCourt. “We have an outstanding golf course and we charge very fairly for the product and service we provide.

“We are a fun, laid-back and accommodating public golf course that offers tremendous value, topnotch service and - thanks to our superintendent Derek Senkow and his team - premier conditions.” .

“I love to host high-end golf tournaments,” beamed McCourt.

“The players have a fabulous time and they go back to their courses and say what an incredible experience they had at The Ranch.”

Hole #11 - The Ranch GCC

AlbertaGolf.org

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A Closer Look

Up Swing

By Alberta Golf

By Jim Claggett

Upswing is an upward trend of something, like fashion, food, entertainment and for this publication, golf.

More specifically, UpSwing by Alberta Golf is the progression of the organization dipping its toes into the world of recreational golf according to Alberta Golf’s John Burns, the brand manager for UpSwing.

About 50,000 golfers are registered as Alberta Golf members. Some of the benefits of Alberta Golf membership include a Handicap Index, access to the Golf Canada Score Centre, up to $2,500 reimbursement for lost and stolen equipment, and other perks under the Golf Canada umbrella. Now some perspective is needed to give you a better picture of what this means.

Burns says over the last two years extensive Alberta Golf research discovered there are more than 600,000 golfers in this province.

This number is populated by a mixture of infrequent golfers who may play once or twice a year in the company get together, occasional golfers who play four to eight times a year, right up to avid golfers who tee it up anywhere between nine and 30 plus rounds a year or even more.

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

“Our research showed that avid golfers are generally between 25 and 65 years of age,” said Burns. “So, there is a huge portion of the player market that has been under-serviced by Alberta Golf.”

The Alberta Golf UpSwing program is designed to reach out to these tens of thousands of players.

“This investment by Alberta Golf into the creation of a brand dedicated to serving and engaging with the recreational golf market also includes access to a digital platform, or in today’s terminology, an app,” Burns said. “This app will connect Alberta’s golf courses with players and collect membership data in one centralized location, making it easy to find your next game or group. Over time this will help us increase participation.”

Alberta Golf has uploaded data from every golf course in the province into the UpSwing platform, according to Burns. As winter fades and thoughts of golf creep in, the golf public will be able to go to the site to get a first-hand look at the program’s features and benefits.

“The UpSwing site will list every golf course in Alberta, featuring a course profile, a few pictures, course amenities, and price points,” said Burns. “Alberta Golf has sent

out an email and a letter to each course, welcoming the courses to this new and exciting platform. The next step will be for each course to take ownership of its own profile and start populating it with events – events that can be easily searched and located by upwards of 80,000 potential new customers looking for a place to play.” All of the services of UpSwing are available to the courses at no charge, either!

Getting this program off the ground is a massive undertaking, but Burns feels it has virtually unlimited potential. The UpSwing site will help feed the needs of those players who are not necessarily concerned about a Golf Canada membership, but instead see there might be a taco and beer night at a nearby course that they can attend with some friends for a fun night out.

Burns sees the program as another way to draw in more people to the game after COVID opened that door to those newbies allowing for casual get togethers on a golf course.

UpSwing can then become another step in their progression into the sport as a family or an individual by being able to find a family event or track down a professional who can help a child learn the game.

A Closer Look

Alberta Golf's UpSwing program is built to attract new players from every demographic group.

“We don’t even care if it’s a golf related event,” said Burns. “Over Christmas, a club could promote a Boxing Day brunch or they might have a used club sale going on at the pro shop in February. They can put whatever they want on it. Think Eventbrite (the managing, ticketing and promotion site) for golf.”

When courses advertise an event these days it’s often by way of a poster in the dining area, the pro shop or even near the washroom. Those seeing it are likely to be members or a visiting green fee player. UpSwing allows member courses to in effect take that poster off their walls and put it up on the site where more people can see what their course is up to.

A course can also use this software to manage its tee sheet bookings.

Burns says at this time a price for that service has yet to be determined. “We haven’t rolled that out this year because we found a lot of courses have an online booking program in place and we don’t want to try and interface them. If you want ours, you can have it,” he explained.

The software company behind the UpSwing platform did some market research testing this past summer, uploading a handful of courses which then populated their own site with information about course events.

Burns says the feedback has been largely positive which cements the feeling he has about the unlimited potential for UpSwing.

has been flying, often hosting non golf-related events that could be marketed through UpSwing. Indoor golf simulators are becoming more and more popular and many of them are not necessarily housed at golf courses. UpSwing has the potential to bring these types of businesses under one umbrella to help further grow the game.

The venture also allows those 50,000 Alberta golfers who are Golf Canada members to seamlessly become UpSwing members. They can participate in specific UpSwing

by Alberta Golf events, similar to the Recreational Series that Alberta Golf had supported.

Burns is very excited about the massive potential for UpSwing as it replaces the Rec Series which Alberta Golf was behind. This plan now includes those players who were already familiar with the Rec Series events, but now has the capability to add dozens more of these fun-focused events.

Burns is confident players who are more serious about participation in golf will continue to benefit from their Golf Canada membership and UpSwing may be a nice complementary offering to further engage all golfers with the governing bodies.

In this time of reinvention for so many businesses, golf courses have been steadily looking for ways to remain open even when the snow

“We are positioning UpSwing to be at arm's length from the provincial championships to allow the brand to appeal to a more relaxed golf crowd,” said Burns. “We want everyone to have fun.It’s all about family and friends and having a good time.”

Keep a close watch on your social media apps as UpSwing is coming your way this summer.

AlbertaGolf.org

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Looking Ahead

Canmore Golf and Curling Club Hosts the

2022 Alberta Ladies Amateur

By Kevin Smith The Town of Canmore, nestled in the mountains 45 minutes west of Calgary, is used to hosting elite athletes for competition, whether it’s the Winter Olympics, the Alberta Winter Games or in this case, a provincial golf championship. In early July, the Canmore Golf and Curling Club will be the host of the 2022 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship and the golf club’s general manager Darren Cooke says everyone involved is eagerly looking forward to hosting the tournament.

“We are very excited to participate in an event of this calibre,” Cooke explained. “We’re always proud to bring events like this not only to the Canmore Golf and Curling Club but to the entire community. Canmore has always been a community ready to welcome the world really, going back to the Olympics in 1988. Up to that time, there were two separate entities: Canmore Golf and Canmore Curling. For the Olympics in 1988, we became known as the Canmore Golf and Curling Club.”

The golf club itself dates back to 1926, has 630 adult members, over 100 juniors, 88 life members and is a very busy semi-private facility.

The members are so involved

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

Hole #5 at the spectacular Canmore Golf and Curling Club.

that the volunteers for the Ladies Amateur championship may actually outnumber the competitors. As for the golf course itself, the competitors will have to plot their way around the tree lined layout and try not to get distracted by the jaw dropping mountain scenery.

“The competitors this year are going to find it a nice challenge. Our superintendent Reid Solodan has been with us over 18 years and has done a great job and the club supports him to produce the best product that he can,” Cooke said. “Looking at the scorecard, you wouldn’t consider it a long golf course, but you have to keep awake and pay attention. Course management is key. The fairways are narrow and tree lined; it’ll be a really good test for them.”

After the round, where better to reflect on the great shots and the ones that got away than bonding with fellow competitors on one of the most beautiful golf course patios anywhere in Canada.

“The deck is beautiful and we’ve expanded it over the years,” Cooke beamed. “The patio overlooks a nice body of water and when you look up at the mountains, it’s always beautiful.

This is a pretty special place and we hope the ladies enjoy it and will be happy.”

The calibre of female golf in our country is at an elite level. Brooke Henderson is a global superstar on the LPGA Tour, Ontario’s Hailey Katona shot 29 on the back nine to win the 2021 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship at Broadmoor in Sherwood Park and Alberta’s Kim Carrington has competed internationally for decades.

“All the ladies deserve our support and we’re 100% behind them,” Cooke stated. “Our facility will open its arms to all the competitors. I even received a text from Kim Carrington on how excited she is to compete on our golf course. She’s another one of those wonderful players that has represented our province and country.”

The field will be a mix of established amateurs in our province as well as the best juniors testing their games against more seasoned competitors. From July 5-7 at the Canmore Golf and Curling Club, it will be time to clear the air and compete for a provincial title in the mountains.

Looking Back

"I deserved to be here."

By Wes Gilbertson

Katy Rutherford realized these were honest mistakes. Nobody was trying to be rude.

Rather than be offended, she treated the mix-ups as compliments, as further proof that she was doing something special as the lone female in the field at the 2021 ATB Financial Classic, a Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada event at her home club of Country Hills in Calgary.

“Throughout the week, I’d get some looks walking up to the range when I was by myself and I had a couple people asking if I was there to watch or if I was carrying a bag,” Rutherford said. “In the pro-am, they were asking if my pro had showed up yet. And I was like, ‘Yep, I’m here.’

“I knew when people were saying stuff like that, it’s because I was doing something out of the norm, something that’s not necessarily expected. So it was a compliment.

It was a reminder that, ‘Hey, I’m here. I’m doing this. No other women are here, I have this amazing opportunity, and I’m going to make the most of it.’ ” She did just that.

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

- Katy Rutherford

This was a week that Rutherford will never forget. From the feeling as she stood over her ball on the first tee: “My heart was beating straight out of my chest.” To the feeling after draining a birdie putt on her final assignment: “The cherry on top of the whole week.

“When I was out there and I was making the shots, and making the shots under pressure, I was like, ‘Yeah, I deserve to be here.

I’m keeping up with these guys,’ ” Rutherford said. “And that was so important. That week meant a lot to me going in, because I knew what a big deal it was being the only woman in the field. I definitely wanted to play my best and kind of put to bed any issues of how women can’t keep up with the men or anything like that.

And I’m so happy with how I played. I felt like I really did leave it all out there.

“From that standpoint, I definitely put enough pressure on myself, and I do feel like I followed through.”

The Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada has been a career springboard for several current PGA Tour stars — it wasn’t that long ago Tony Finau was setting the course record at Country Hills — and

Rutherford certainly held her own in what was only her second start after turning professional. With a two-day total of eight-over 150, the talented left-hander ultimately missed the cut but posted a better score than 27 of the boys.

She figures she could have shaved several strokes if she wasn’t so nervous on the lightning-fast greens on the first day. She proved that with an even-par 71 in the second round.

Tournament director Colin Lavender, also a member at Country Hills, was confident the 22-year-old — a past provincial champion at the juvenile and junior level and recently graduated from a four-year stint with the NCAA’s University of Nevada Wolfpack — could be competitive.

They played a round together in the spring, when he first floated the idea of a sponsor exemption.

“Leading up the tournament, she was the biggest story,” Lavender said. “There were more people rooting for her over those first two days than anybody else.” She put on quite a show for a gallery that included family, friends, fellow members and some complete strangers.

Looking Back

Katy Rutherford of Calgary was the only female in the field at the 2021 ATB Financial Classic at Country Hills GCC.

“That was the best I think I’ve ever seen her hit the ball,” said Gerry Rutherford, who was on the bag for what was a special week for both this proud father and his smoothswinging daughter. “I mean, she was just striping it, so I felt pretty relaxed, as a caddie and a dad. It was fun to watch. I was more of a fan than anything, to be honest.”

Averaging about 280 yards off the tee, Rutherford is accustomed to being one of the longest hitters at women’s events. She called that the biggest difference when matched up against the men — “I’m watching these guys hit wedges into holes that I’m hitting mid-iron into” — but added, “I did feel that level of respect coming back, which was amazing.”

The Rutherfords moved around when Katy was growing up, living for spells in Paris, Dubai and Houston before returning to Calgary. This was a constant — when dad was golfing, she liked to tag along. She’d ride on the cart during their vacations to Hawaii, taking a few more swings as time passed, and soon developed a passion for the game.

Equally special was the admiration she was feeling from outside the ropes. “I saw a bunch of dadand-daughter pairings out there watching, and that meant so much,” she said. “That was just a reminder to keep my shoulders up, keep my chin up and make sure I’m setting an example and hopefully a goal for one of those little girls to someday get into the situation that I was in.”

“I always like golfing with other men and they think, ‘Oh, this is just a girl playing golf,’ ” Gerry said. “And then they see how she pounds the ball out there, and it’s kind of fun to see how they react.”

There were some of those same reactions from the big-boppers on the Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada. (The Talons Course at Country Hills was stretched beyond 7,000 yards to test the pros.)

Rutherford has been hired to the professional staff at Silver Springs for this season and will work closely with the junior program, another opportunity to inspire the next generation of birdie-seekers. She plans to continue to compete and hasn’t ruled out eventually trying to qualify for the LPGA Tour. Whatever the future holds, she’ll never forget her experience at the 2021 ATB Financial Classic.

She teed off in Friday’s afternoon wave and still had a handful of holes remaining when play was halted due to darkness. The bright side of having to set an early alarm Saturday? “Now, I joke with people that I did make it to the weekend.”

She made more memories that next morning. Wrapping her work on No. 18, she knocked her approach to about six feet. All that was left was an arrow-straight uphill putt. “It all came together on the last hole for a pretty simple kick-in birdie, and that was just so satisfying,” Rutherford said. “That was the cherry on top of the whole week. It was like, ‘Yeah, I deserved to be here.’ ”

“I definitely put enough pressure on myself, and I do feel like I followed through.”

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Travel

Seaside Swings: Kauai and the Dominican Republic

By Andrew Penner A favourite exercise for couchpotato tourists is the ol’ spin the globe and point game. Wherever your finger lands, well, that’s where you gotta go. True, the results can easily end in disappointment.

I mean, if you’re looking for an awesome golf getaway in January, maybe Siberia isn’t really your best option. However, Kauai or the Dominican Republic? Yes, either of those would work nicely. No re-spin necessary.

Just What The Doctor Ordered As far as tropical golf destinations go, it’s tough to top the Dominican Republic. With 26 golf courses to choose from - many that cruise along the surf-crashing coastline this is Caribbean golf at its finest.

In fact, if you cherish holes that sit tight along the water, and if you don’t mind a little swirling sea spray as you swing, then the Dominican Republic should definitely be on your bucket list; a bullseye worth spinning for!

For nearly fifty years now, the Casa de Campo resort near the port city of La Romana has been the granddaddy of golf in the Dominican. Serving up three

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

spectacular courses - all designed by the master, Pete Dye - Casa de Campo is a ‘must’ for the avid golfer hoping to capitalize on some of the best warm-weather golf on the planet. The legendary Teeth of the Dog course is rightfully regarded as Pete Dye’s tropical masterpiece.

And if you play just one course in the Dominican Republic, this should probably be the one.

Teeth of the Dog features seven holes that are situated right along the sea. The two par-3s on the front side - especially the diabolical 5th, which features a tiny postagestamp green that’s framed by sand and surf - are legendary.

Travel

Hole #7, Teeth of the Dog GC

While the two additional courses at Casa de Campo - the Links and Dye Fore - don’t feature seaside drama like the resort’s showstopper, they are rock-solid courses that should be on your itinerary. Dye Fore, which boasts three distinct nines, parades along the vast and beautiful banks of the Chavón River and is ‘Diabolical Dye’ at its finest.

Deep bunkers, do-or-die hero shots over ravines, and wicked greenside contours are just a few of Dye’s many trademarks that are well represented on this creative and difficult layout.

The inland Links course, while beautifully shaped and bunkered, is softer and kinder than the other courses at Casa de Campo.

My advice? Play it first as your warm-up round!

Not surprisingly, given the size of this three-course community, it will take you some time to map out Casa de Campo’s 7,000 acres.

Numerous restaurants, pools, beaches, and bars are peppered throughout the property. But fear not. Your private golf cart (each room is assigned one) will allow for ample exploration. Discounted golf packages can be booked at www.casadecampo.com.do.

If you want to extend your trip to another Dominican golfing hot spot, rest assured, there are other excellent options for spectacular seaside golf. For example, with eight awesome holes that cruise along the coastline, you might want to wear a neoprene golf shirt at the Punta Espada course at Cap Cana. Designed by Jack Nicklaus,

Punta Espada is rightfully considered one of the best seaside courses in the tropics. A few notable publications rank it neck-and-neck with Teeth of the Dog. www.puntaespadagolf.com.

And, situated right beside the Punta Cana International Airport, the Tom Fazio-designed Corales Golf Course is yet another Dominican gem that boasts six holes that skirt the sea. This stunning course has hosted the Puntacana Championship now a regular stop on the PGA Tour - for the past five years.

So, yes, you’ll be challenged! www.puntacana.com.

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Travel Hole #6 - Makai Club Resort - Princeville, HI

Kauai’s Seaside Swings Kauai is the 21st largest island in the United States. But when it comes to golf, it might just be #1. While most of the Hawaiian islands have, perhaps, one or two awesome seaside courses, Kauai has six! So, yes, If you’re thinking this sounds like the ultimate place to spend a week playing golf, well, you would be correct.

Of course, you can’t go wrong visiting any Hawaiian Island. (Interestingly, there are actually well over 100 Hawaiian Islands, but only seven are inhabited.) But Kauai, dubbed ‘The Garden Isle’, is widely considered the most natural and beautiful of all of them. (At least, the ones that are inhabited.) Having been to a handful of them myself, I cannot disagree!

Another strength here is the fact that there is no clear-cut favourite.

The six courses that comprise the Go Golf Kauai consortium are all outstanding. However, if you tallied up all the votes, Princeville Makai on the wave-smashed north shore might eke out a win.

Opened in 1971, this was Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s first solo design. And many would say it’s his best. Stunning white-sand bunkers, gorgeous views of Hanalei Bay, outstanding paspalum greens, and one of the prettiest

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

par-3s on the planet - the 7th, which requires a daring shot over the sea are just some of the highlights.

The highlights also come fast and furious on the Ocean Course at Hokuala, which boasts the longest continuous stretch of oceanfront golf in all of Hawaii. The dramatic seaside cliffs, the lighthouse, the idyllic cove on the closing run, it definitely makes for a special golf experience. To add to the thrill ride, you can also ‘surf the earth’ on Hokuala’s Golf Boards during your round. Also, the Ocean Course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, is conveniently located near the Lihue Airport so it’s perfect for your grand finale.

Of course, before you get to the salivating conclusion, you’ve got to plot your way through the main body of your golf story. And that would be rounds at Poipu Bay, Puakea, and Wailua.

Also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Poipu Bay is yet another Kauai course with a beautiful run of holes that careen along ragged seaside bluffs. Poipu Bay played host to the Grand Slam of Golf from 1994 to 2006. So yes, you can expect a world-class golf experience here.

Although further inland, Puakea, designed by Robin Nelson, shouldn’t be missed. The massive ravines

and the unique jungle setting (the backdrops here were used for the Jurassic Park series) make for a visually stunning golf experience.

And, finally, Wailua is a decades-old municipal course that’s rock-solid from start to finish. And yes, there are a number of oceanside holes here too! It’s been chosen to host three USGA Amateurs and three US Public Links Championships, so don’t expect a cake walk. In 2020, GOLF Magazine named Wailua one of the “30 Best Municipal Golf Courses in America.”

Indeed, this could be one of the best fifty buckers you’ll ever play.

Not surprisingly, there are numerous accommodation options for your Kauai getaway. The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa at Poipu Bay, Timbers Kauai, and the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort are all can’t-gowrong options. For more information and to book your Kauai golf getaway visit www.gogolfkauai.com.

If you’re an aficionado of the sport, a globetrotting golfer that’s familiar with the world’s best golf destinations, you’ve no doubt heard about the fabulous golf in the Dominican Republic and Kauai. True, it’s always a tough call in terms of where to go on your bucketlist golf getaway. So many choices!

Maybe just ‘spin the globe’ and, fingers crossed, you’ll hit the jackpot.

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Looking Ahead Hole #3 - Sundre GC

The Alberta Open Returns to Sundre GC

By Kevin Smith

AJ Armstrong remembers vividly the first time he set foot on the grounds of the Sundre Golf Club.

“The first time I ever went out to Sundre was for a McLennan Ross Alberta Junior event when I was 13 or 14 and I had no expectations at all. You think ‘Central Alberta’ and you’re not really expecting too much in terms of a golf course,” admitted Armstrong. “I was shocked at how nice it was, how good a condition it was in, a hidden gem. I remember comparing it to Augusta because of the pine straw and the trees and how well manicured the course was.

I remember it having some of the best greens and it’s been in great shape every time I’ve played it.”

Armstrong, raised in St. Albert, was an amateur when he played the Alberta Open at Sundre in 2017. A teenager at the time, he played well finishing in a tie for fifth, four strokes behind champion Dustin Risdon.

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“In 2017, I remember driving the ball really well and I was able to play pretty aggressively. That course is fairly narrow and tree-lined and it’s not very long, so it gives you some options off the tee", said Armstrong.

“Some guys will lay back with irons off the tee but if you’re feeling good with your driver you definitely have an advantage by playing more aggressively.”

The Alberta Open returns to Sundre Golf Club in late June to kick off the 2022 Championship season at Alberta Golf. Scott Shouldice is the director of golf there and says the course doesn’t favour any specific style of play and could produce an unexpected leaderboard.

“It’s a tight tree-lined course; you have to be accurate off the tee. It’s not the longest course in the world but a lot of strategy comes into play with your club selection off the tee and the greens can be quite

tricky as well. It’s an all-around good challenge,” Shouldice explained. “It’s not just bomb the ball off the tee and hit it wherever, you have to think your way around the course. There’s a lot of strategy. There’s a lot of different types of players that could compete well at the event.”

Armstrong, who won the Alberta Open in 2020 on The Links Course at Wolf Creek, agrees with Shouldice that Sundre could produce a much more varied leaderboard.

“The Links Course at Wolf Creek, looking at the field before the tournament even started, you kinda know who’s going to be up there near the end. You gotta hit the ball far and it really separates the guys who can hit their long irons well and have distance", explained Armstrong. “At Sundre I think you could get a guy who comes out of nowhere if he’s hitting the ball straight enough and putting well.”

Looking Ahead Armstrong’s win in 2020 was the biggest of his career and his first as a professional. The Alberta Open is the only event on the Alberta Golf schedule where amateurs compete with professionals, so the 25-yearold whose 2020 win earned him the $7,000 first place prize, is looking to return to Sundre this summer and compete for more than just pride.

“It’s a nice perk to be able to play for something, not just pride, but mentally not much changes. I’m still playing to win and beat the golf course and my game has come a long way since 2017,” admitted Armstrong. “I’m excited to see how the course is with my game now. I have two more years of college golf and two more years of professional golf so I know a little more what to expect and I certainly have higher expectations.”

Both Armstrong and Shouldice agree that the amateurs in the field love testing their game against professionals and it can lead to some great stories. In 2019, Andrew Harrison, then an amateur, beat everyone in the field to take the Alberta Open title at Trestle Creek Golf Resort.

“I think that’s the great thing about this event having a pro side and an amateur side,” said Shouldice.

“A lot of younger kids are trying to go off to college and test their game against the best pros in the province.”

Armstrong offered advice for any amateur playing in the event this year.

“Just enjoy it, at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter who you’re playing with or against, you're just trying to put the ball in the hole,” explained Armstrong. “Every big event you can play as a junior is a great experience and you can take a lot from it. Just soak it all in and give it your best shot. You never know, if you play well you can definitely contend.”

This year’s Alberta Open will shine a light on all of the talented players in our province and also give some exposure to how good a golf course Sundre Golf Club is, although that secret may already be out.

“People are now starting to find out about our golf course and how great it is,” Shouldice beamed. “Maybe it’s

not a hidden gem anymore, because now that people are finding out about it, it’s been really busy the past couple of years.”

The 180 members at the semiprivate club northwest of Calgary are also excited to welcome the best players in Alberta.

“Oh, the members love it,” Shouldice said. “Last time we hosted we had about 20 to 25 volunteers. Our members came out and helped with scoring and spotting on certain holes. They love being part of the event. They are proud to show off their course and watch the awesome golf as well.”

For AJ Armstrong winning this event again would be awesome.

“The Alberta Open is always a great event to have close to home. Winning it a couple years ago definitely adds a little more excitement to it and I hope to get my name back on the trophy,” Armstrong admitted. “It’s kind of a reunion every year seeing all the guys from Alberta who go different places in the winter; it’s great camaraderie.”

Hole #1 - Sundre GC

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A Closer Look

Hazelwood - Hole #6

ANATOMY OF A GOLF HOLE Innisfail Golf Club, Hazelwood #6

By Andrew Penner Ask any golf course architect - or, I suppose, any wannabe-architect that considers himself an aficionado of the craft - and he’ll tell you that the “cape hole” is one of the most beloved in the game. The 6th at Bermuda’s Mid-Ocean Club (designed by C.B. McDonald), the 18th at TPC Sawgrass (designed by Pete Dye), and the 18th at Pebble Beach (designed by Jack Neville) are notable examples. In layman’s terms, it’s a golf hole that bends around water and typically offers heroic shot options. Alberta’s best example? The spectacular par-4 6th on the Hazelwood nine at the Innisfail Golf Club makes a pretty strong case.

Curling around a pristine cove along the lake, the pretty peninsula green is almost completely surrounded by water. Hazelwood’s 6th is, plain and simple, an outstanding golf hole.

Designed by architect Bill Robinson, this gem is, without question, one of the best par-4s in the province.

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

“It’s definitely our signature hole,” says Jim Boomer, Innisfail’s Executive Professional for 35 years and counting.

“And if you haven’t played it since 2017, you’re in for a treat. It’s significantly better since the renovation.”

Now, thanks to plenty of tree clearing (on the right side of the fairway), a reconstructed shoreline (tidy rock has replaced all those ball-hungry bullrushes), and a new creek fronting the green (drainage has been significantly improved), the hole has a striking new look and feel. “From a visual standpoint, it certainly has a ‘wow’ factor,” says Boomer. “But the playability of the hole is also better.

There is more room to the right off the tee. But the green, which was also moved slightly to enhance its position by the water, is still extremely tricky.

It’s a highly strategic hole with the pin position dictating the ideal way to play the hole on any given day.”

From the back tee the hole plays 362 yards and, for accomplished players,

requires a solid hybrid or a fairway metal to reach the desired landing area approximately 250 yards out.

From there, a nervy little wedge or short iron is required to hit the putting surface, which is protected by a pair of bunkers on either side of the green and, of course, all that water!

Even if you’re playing from the middle (307 yards) or forward (220 yards) tee decks, you’ll still have your hands full.

That is, unless you drive the green! It’s not impossible if you possess some serious firepower!

Unquestionably, a round of golf at Innisfail - easily one of the best layouts in central Alberta - is bound to leave the golfer with plenty of memorable moments. Competitors in the 2002 and 2016 Alberta Mens Amateur Championship, as well as players in the 2009 Alberta Senior Ladies Championship, will attest to this fact.

They’ll also attest to the fact that the beautiful “cape hole” at Innisfail is one of the best you’ll find…anywhere.

A Closer Look

Dr. Melissa Davies of Rocky Mountain House on Hole #12 at Augusta National

Tour Talk

Getting young people involved in junior golf has a wealth of benefits, not only for kids to get their first exposure to the game in general, but also to enable these youngsters to learn so much about themselves and life as a whole.

In the 28 years that the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour has been part of the golf landscape in our province, tens of thousands of juniors have entered ‘Mac Ross’ events throughout the province as well as the higher-level provincial tournaments operated by Alberta Golf. Many of these players have gone on to achieve great things in golf on the competitive side, but just as many or more of these kids have used the life skills and character development that junior golf helped provide them to further their careers and personal growth in life away from the golf course. We have interviewed three Tour alumni to talk to them about what they learned through junior golf and how they have been able to apply those lessons to their careers.

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

A Closer Look

Dr. Melissa Davies

Tahlon Sweenie

Todd Halpen

Age: 34 Home Town: Rocky Mountain House Current Career: Assistant Professor, Sport Administration, College of Business, Ohio University, Athens, OH

Age: 37 Home Town: Stony Plain Current Career: Director of Golf at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club

Age: 39 Home Town: Calgary Current Career: Director of Instruction, Golfuture YYC in Calgary

After graduating high school in Stony Plain, Tahlon attended both Lethbridge Community College and MacEwan University to earn his degree in golf course management. He worked at a number of Edmonton and area courses and was head golf professional in Edson for a few years before being hired ten years ago at the Stanley Thompson-designed Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge GC. Tahlon is now the director of golf at one of the world’s finest golf resorts that is on everyone’s list as one of the Top Ten golf courses in Canada.

Born in Calgary, Todd spent much of his youth in Lacombe where his late grandfather Jack Brooks, a member of the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame, helped spark his interest in golf. Todd played collegiately at the University of Victoria, where he earned a degree in Behavioral Psychology. After competing on PGA TOUR Canada, Todd began to focus on instruction and he is now the DOI at Golfuture in Calgary, formerly the Golf Canada Teaching Centre.

his assistant Craig Kibblewhite.

I worked at the golf course to earn my membership but didn’t start playing tournaments on the McLennan Ross Tour until I was 15.

Q: All three of you played a lot of junior golf tournaments, both on the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour and in Alberta Golf and Golf Canada events. What was your first big success in junior golf that maybe spurred you on to bigger and better things in golf?

After playing collegiately at California University of Pennsylvania, Melissa earned her masters degree at that school, and then obtained her PhD in Sport Administration from the University of Northern Colorado.

Students in the Sport Administration program at Ohio University learn the business side of sport: marketing, ticketing, attraction of customers, contract negotiations, supply chain management and many more aspects of how to run a successful sports franchise or business.

Q: When did you start playing golf and who were some of the early influencers in your life that got you into golf?

MD: My parents, Peter and Wendy, got me started around age 6 in Rocky Mountain House, mostly for family outings and travel. My dad was my first instructor and he got me started playing McLennan Ross events at about age 13.

TS: I got started in the very successful junior program at Stony Plain GC under the supervision of head pro Grant Cammidge and

TH: My parents got me into golf at age 5, but my grandfather Jack Brooks was my main influence at the Lacombe GCC because my parents were both working so hard. My first tournament was the Lacombe Junior Open, probably a couple of years before the Mac Ross Tour was founded.

TH: When I made a couple of travelling teams for Alberta Golf, I think I could see that I could compete with the other top juniors in Alberta on any given day. The Alberta Golf junior program helped make it very measurable for me to chart my progress.

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A Closer Look MD: I remember playing in my first Alberta Junior Championship (now known at the U19s) and I was so nervous. But I calmed down, and improved my score by 14 shots on Day 2 and 10 more shots on Day 3, and I thought, ‘Hey, I can do this!’

multi-sport athlete in school and I thought that perhaps being a physical education teacher was where I was heading. But certainly my background in golf was instrumental in getting into the business of sport.

TS: I can’t think of any one particular tournament that lit the fire, so to speak, but what I immediately liked about tournament play was the individual aspect of golf. The structure of junior golf with the emphasis on etiquette and how to carry yourself on and off the golf course was so important to me.

TH: By my second year at UVic, my interest in behavorial psychology led me to start coaching fellow teammates on the golf team. It only seemed natural to have that evolve into the coaching and instruction part of the golf business.

(Ed. Note: Todd is the 2021 PGA of Alberta ‘Teacher of the Year’)

Q: At what point did you start to think of golf in terms of a career path?

Q: What was one thing you learned in junior golf that helped you the most with your own personal character development for later in life?

TS: I think I knew by the time I was 16 or 17 that being a club professional was what I wanted to do with my life. I set my educational goals accordingly, first to go to LCC and then to MacEwan for their golf management programs.

MD: Well for me, golf per se isn’t my career path. I had been a

MD: I think the fact that in golf, you are so vulnerable personally. With all the ups and downs in golf, the sport can’t help but make you more resilient and mentally stronger.

TH: The overall fairness of the game. Lots of times, people

say ‘golf isn’t fair’ but if you play well, you usually get rewarded accordingly. Hard work matters.

I also loved playing in a team atmosphere with Alberta Golf and later at UVic, and that has helped me be able to build long-lasting relationships.

TS: The structure of junior golf with the emphasis on etiquette and how to carry yourself on and off the golf course was so important to me.

Q: What would be the most important piece of advice you could give an aspiring junior golfer and/or the parents as kids get started in the junior development programs available with Alberta Golf?

TH: Be sure you’re a good person.

TS: Have fun. Don’t worry about your score.

MD: Golf is hard. Give yourself permission to have a bad round but be proud of your overall successes.

This sport is not about instant gratification.

Hole #9 - Cleopatra - Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge GC

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

Looking Back

By Wes Gilbertson

SHIRO MANI Alberta Mens Mid Master Championship

Shiro Mani has a history with Alberta Golf. Now, he has his name in the history books.

Mani, who has long been a regular on the tournament trail, earned his first provincial title at the inaugural edition of the Alberta Mens Mid Master Championship, a new event for the 40-and-over crowd.

“I’ve been playing Alberta Golf events since 2005, trying to qualify for the Alberta Open, Alberta Amateur, Alberta Mid Amateur ... ” said Mani, a member at The Canal at Delacour. “It’s very cool to win any Alberta Golf event. Just to get your name on an Alberta Golf trophy, that’s really, really special for me.

It’s just my hard work paying off. I’ve waited a long time.”

The

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Mani fashioned back-to-back rounds of 1-over 72 at the two-day competition at Inglewood, including a crucial sand-save on No. 17 during his last lap. He was preparing for the possibility of a playoff but that ultimately wasn’t necessary after one of the host-course hopefuls missed a par putt on the final hole.

Now, Mani is looking forward to another first — his initial trip to an Alberta Golf event as the defending champion. “It’ll be a big challenge,” he said. “Once you have your name on the trophy, everyone is coming after you, right?”

Champions

Looking Back

BRANDON MARKIW

BRADEN O’GRADY

HAILEY KATONA

HEATHER LEE

Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Championship

Alberta Mens Amateur Championship

Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship

Alberta Ladies Mid Amateur & Mid Master Championship

Brandon Markiw was feeling comfortable. As a junior, some of his best pals were members at Edmonton Country Club, so he was excited that the historic course was hosting the Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Championship. And he was feeling uncomfortable.

Everybody was.

Braden O’Grady was thrilled to be getting a glimpse of this highly-ranked and historic layout. To leave Calgary Golf & Country Club as the 2021 Alberta Mens Amateur champion, that was a bonus.

Hailey Katona had been struggling with her game.

Despite her hard work, she was admittedly wondering whether she was capable of this sort of performance.

This was a family affair for Heather Lee. She signed up for the 2021 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship, in large part, because her daughter wanted to enter.

Mom made the most of it, too, topping the leaderboard in both the Mid Amateur and Mid Master Divisions.

“It was really, really hot. It was really, really windy,” Markiw recalled. “So I knew it was going to be a bit of a week of survival.” Markiw didn’t simply reach the finish line. He topped the field of 240 competitors, the largest of any Alberta Golf event in 2021.

“I’m quite big into golf course architecture and with all the history surrounding that course, it was one that I had circled on my calendar for the whole year,” said O’Grady, who turned 18 shortly before the provincial showdown. “I played it for the first time the day before the tournament in a practice round, and I just kind of fell in love with it. It was unlike anything I’ve ever played in Alberta.”

That changed with an incredible week at the 2021 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship at Broadmoor, where Katona surged to a five-shot victory. Just 19 at the time, she punctuated a confidence-boosting breakthrough by playing her final nine holes in 7-under 29.

“It was really fun to see myself play that kind of golf in a tournament, especially after going through a few tough The 34-year-old completed years,” said Katona, who three tournament rounds — The golf course loved him back. hails from Tilbury, ON and two at Edmonton CC and one was the only out-of-province at The Ranch — in even-par talent to win an Alberta Golf 213. He described the backA member at Blackhawk, the title last summer. “I honestly nine conditions on trophy talented teen from Edmonton didn’t know if I could do that day as “particularly tricky,” so opened with rounds of 71 and anymore. My putter felt so there was no relaxing until he 70 before catching fire on the good that day, and my irons reached the clubhouse. final day. He started with five felt so good that day. I’m birdies over a six-hole stretch, just really grateful for that then knocked down a clutch “It was a week where you had victory.” par-saver at the seventh. He to definitely find an extra dose of patience, stick with the game added two more circles to his scorecard on the back nine en Highlighted by a pair of 66s, plan and recognize there were route to a 6-under 64 and a Katona wrapped her visit going to be some challenges,” one-shot victory. to the Wild Rose province said Markiw, who now lives with a three-round score of in Calgary and is a regular at 10-under 206.

The Glencoe. “But that’s one “When I made my putt for par of the reasons why you play is on No. 18, it was just such a to get into those situations to sigh of relief — like, ‘Whether “It was so special that I try to win and see what you’re I win or not, I’m so proud of started crying immediately made of and what you can do. the way I played,’ ” O’Grady afterwards,” Katona said.

I’m pretty happy with the way recalled. “It was the most “It’s still emotional. It was things turned out.” pressure I think I’ve ever felt.” amazing.”

“That was her first big tournament and I thought, ‘Well, if she’s competing, I might as well try,’ ” Lee said of her daughter, Eva Hogue.

“Now, I’ve got the bug again.”

Lee, a member at Edmonton Country Club, was a two-time winner of the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship in the early 90s and was oh-soclose to earning an LPGA Tour card. Thanks to a total tally of 15-over 231 at Broadmoor, she added two more trophies to her collection. Beyond that, she left impressed with some of the smooth-swinging upand-comers from across the province.

“To go back and compete in a three-day event and see how good these girls are, it’s very motivating,” Lee said. “They hit it a long way and they manage their games. I think back to when I was their age, I was nowhere near as good as these girls are now. I was blown away.

AlbertaGolf.org

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Looking Back

KIM CARRINGTON

SENAN FOLEY

PAXTON MAXWELL

GRACE BELL

Alberta Senior Ladies Championship

Alberta Senior Mens Championship

Alberta Boys U19 Championship

Alberta U19 Girls Championship

Calgary’s Kim Carrington had been short on practice and preparation time. Luckily, she has a long list of positive experiences to draw from.

It’s never a surprise to see Senan Foley’s name atop a leaderboard. This, however, was a particularly impressive show of staying power.

Birdie. Eagle. Birdie. What. A. Finish.

As Carrington put it: “I really had to pull a confidence-booster from what I’ve done in the past and say to myself, ‘You’ve done it before. Why can’t you do it again?’ ” She did it again.

“That’s my first wire-to-wire win,” Foley said, reflecting on his one-shot triumph at the 2021 Alberta Senior Mens Championship. “It means a lot, because it’s not easy to do. There were a lot of good golfers out there, and any one of the guys could win.”

Grace Bell figured she’d need a few birdies to climb back into contention at the Alberta Girls U19 Championship, and she delivered. Then, in a suddendeath playoff that lasted four holes, she piled up pars under pressure.

Carrington is now a five-time winner of the Alberta Senior Ladies Championship. She’s racked up all those victories in a six-year span, with her only miss in a summer that she was sidelined by foot surgery.

Her latest triumph came at Lethbridge Country Club, where she opened with consecutive rounds of 2-over 75 and capped a steady performance with a 76 in a fierce wind.

With a handful of senior titles, Carrington now has the same number as the great Marilyn O’Connor. The record belongs to Diane Williams, who hoisted this particular trophy eight times.

“Some of my accounts, the pros will say to me, ‘You’re in that legendary lineup.

And I’m like, ‘No, I’m not,’ ” said Carrington, a regular at Cottonwood and sales rep in the golf industry. “I still need to work hard to get there. I mean, they’re in the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame.”

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

This particular week, the rest of the guys couldn’t catch Foley. The Calgary-based public player posted a threeround total of 2-under 214 at the senior shootout at Sturgeon Valley, signing for scores of 68, 71 and 75.

He left feeling an immense amount of gratitude — thankful for the opportunity to compete, for the support of his wife, — and a pile of pride, too.

“I got a really good feeling when I got to Sturgeon Valley for a couple of practice rounds,” Foley said. “I thought it was a great setup for me and I really enjoyed the course, and it really helps when you can feel that way.

“I felt very calm that week.

Every round, the pressure builds, but I was able to deal with that. Overall, I felt really relaxed.”

Paxton Maxwell of Magrath captured the 2021 Alberta U19 Boys Championship in dramatic fashion, playing his last three holes in 4-under in a thrilling come-from-behind victory at Carstairs Community GC. “My finish was something that I’ll never forget,” Maxwell said.

“I wasn’t playing too well in that last round. I wasn’t hitting it very well. But I stuck it out and was resilient and the way I was able to collect myself and have that finish to overcome Logan (Graf), that was definitely rewarding.”

This is the sort of streak you usually only see on Golf Channel.

Maxwell grabbed his driver for a rip at the green on No. 16 and although he was slightly off the mark, he managed a clutch upand-down from a bunker. At the Par-5 17th, the 18-year-old relied on a more conservative combo — five-iron, then hybrid — to get home in two and drained his eagle attempt. He capped the remarkable comeback by rolling in a birdie from the fringe on the last, sealing a one-shot victory at 10-under 206.

“Just a surreal moment,” said Maxwell, who was understandably fired up. “I don’t usually show a ton of emotion on the course. One of the guys said when they saw me fist-pumping, they knew something was up.”

“I didn’t play the playoff very well, in my opinion,” Bell admitted. “I won on pars, which is just scrappy golf. But it ended up being enough. I’ll take it.”

Bell had an aggressive mindset as she arrived for the final round at Carstairs Community GC. The 18-year-old from Calgary carded the best score of the day — a 2-under 70 — to force a playoff. On the first extra assignment, she drained a 20-footer to keep her title hopes alive. Three holes later, she clinched a trophy that had been on her wish list.

“I grew up watching Kehler (Koss) and Annabelle (Ackroyd) and they have their names on there quite a few times, so it was really cool to join them,” said Bell, referring to a pair of fellow members at The Glencoe GCC. “It means a lot to me. And it really gave me confidence because I had tournaments the next four weeks and I was like, ‘I’m able to go low when I need to.’

“I ended up having a really good summer, and I think it’s because I pulled off that playoff.”

Looking Back

KALEE SETO

BRETT JONES

AASTHA SAVADATTI

TYLER KIDD

Alberta U17 Girls Championship

Alberta U17 Boys Championship

Alberta U15 Girls Championship

Alberta U15 Boys Championship

Edmonton’s Kalee Seto wasn’t expecting this news. Suddenly, some of her friends were offering congratulations. “And my mom looked really happy.”

Calgary’s Brett Jones and one of his buddies traded birdies all day. Jones ultimately scored bragging rights, celebrating a narrow victory at the Alberta Boys U17 Championship.

The practice is already paying off for Calgary’s Aastha Savadatti. Despite playing catch-up with some in her age group, Savadatti has invested a lot of time on her golf game and it showed as she cruised to a four-shot victory at the 2021 Alberta Girls U15 Championship at Alberta Springs.

The stats are staggering.

At the Alberta Boys U15 Championship, shortened to one round due to rotten weather, Buck Lake’s Tyler Kidd didn’t miss a single green in regulation. He didn’t record any bogeys. He sizzled to a 65, his career-best round in either tournament or recreational play. And he achieved all that at age 13.

As it turns out, Seto had sizzled to the top of the leaderboard at the Alberta Girls U17 Championship, punctuating her round with a birdie at the weather-shortened showdown at Alberta Springs.

“When I finished, everyone was like, ‘Good job, Kalee!’ And I was so confused,” recalled Seto, a junior member at Royal Mayfair. “I was very surprised and happy. I actually don’t think I seemed as happy as I was, because it really hadn’t hit me yet. This is probably the biggest tournament I’ve won, so it was surprising. It just felt really good, and I was proud of myself because all that hard work has paid off and I finally have a big win.”

“It’s a big milestone,” he said.

“At the start of the year, I really wanted to win this one.” Just turning 15 at the time, making him one of the youngest sharpshooters in the field, Jones fired a two-round tally of 4-under 140 to edge Jaiden Koonar in an epic back-andforth battle.

“That whole final round, the furthest apart we were was just one shot,” recalled Jones, who sharpened his skills at The Glencoe. “He was one-up, then I was one-up ... it stayed really close so especially at the end, there was a lot of pressure on both of us. It was lots of fun.”

Seto shrugged off a pair of early double bogeys and really started to heat up after the turn. In fact, she played her final nine holes in 1-under. Just 15 at the time, she earned a two-stroke victory at 4-over 76 for her first provincial crown.

Jones didn’t allow himself to be defeated by the relentless rain in the opening round at Alberta Springs; weather so awful that some agedivisions were later called off the course. And he didn’t dwell on a frustrating finish earlier in the summer at the Alberta U19 Championship.

“On the first hole on the back nine, I chipped in for birdie,” Seto said. “After that, I had a lot of nice up-and-downs or good chip and putt saves. That really helped with my game.”

“The pressure really got to me there,” Jones admitted.

“But that prepared me for this one, knowing what to do in a situation like this. That was my biggest help, probably.”

She smoothed a 4-over 78 — with nothing worse than a bogey — at what was reduced to a one-round event due to awful weather. “It felt really nice, especially since this is my first provincial win,” Savadatti said. “And just looking at the amount of experience I have, it feels really good. I’ve only been competing for two years, and I have three years of experience collectively.”

It was another sort of victory that initially set Savadatti on this path. A few years back, at a summer camp, she won a pass to the National Golf Academy. She made the most of it, spending countless hours inside the dome.

“I wanted to start playing a sport, so it kind of started out as just a hobby,” said Savadatti, now a junior member at Canyon Meadows. “And then when I started practising pretty much every day, I realized I really liked it and wanted to start competing. The feeling of trying to win and trying to do your best, I really enjoy it.”

“Everything was just clicking.

I’ve never hit my irons that well, ever,” Kidd said, reminiscing about that remarkable round at Alberta Springs. “Both bogey-free and hitting all the greens, that’s always such a big accomplishment. And especially to do it at one of the biggest tournaments in Alberta for juniors, that was very cool.”

The history book will show that Kidd celebrated a three-shot victory at 7-under, but that doesn’t tell the full story of what was a clutch finish. Standing on the teebox on his last assignment, he thought he needed a seventh birdie to simply force a playoff.

“I hit my approach to maybe 15-20 feet and I took the longest look that I ever have at a putt, ” said Kidd, who represents Priddis Greens.

“I made it, and then realized I didn’t have to. But I’m happy I did. It’s good to know you can play under pressure.”

AlbertaGolf.org

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Looking Back

BRANDON MARKIW

RILEY FLEMING

Alberta Match Play Championship

The Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers

Brandon Markiw had just plopped his approach in a green-side bunker.

He was sizing up the sort of shot he’d been struggling with all summer. Since this was a sudden-death playoff in his semifinal showdown, he was facing the prospect of another near-miss at the Alberta Match Play Championship.

“I wasn’t really feeling too good about the situation, but just kind of dug deep inside, went through all the things that I needed to do, got myself into a good headspace and executed. I hit a good shot to about five feet and made the putt,” Markiw recalled. “Right then and there, it could have gone the other way. Ryan (Hodgins) was in there with a decent look at birdie, and we both wound up walking away with pars.”

Hours later, Markiw walked away with the trophy.

He ultimately defeated Hodgins on the fifth playoff hole. With that marathon match in his rearview, he was soon back on the first tee at River Bend for a championship bout with Nicolas-Guy Landry.

Markiw finished 1-up in another nail-biter.

“A proud moment,” said Markiw, who claimed a pair of provincial titles in 2021, also winning the Mens Mid Amateur. “I stuck with it and despite not having my best stuff physically, I feel like where I was at mentally is what saved me.”

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

It’s a hat trick for Riley Fleming.

A top-notch teaching professional at Lynx Ridge, Fleming is now a three-time champion of the Alberta Open.

“Even just hearing that I’ve won three, it’s pretty cool. That really jumps out at me,” Fleming said.

“Obviously, Wes (Heffernan) has won six, so it’s fun to be chasing him down — or at least trying to.”

Fleming turned 28 shortly after this latest triumph, so he has plenty of prime trophy-collecting years ahead. Like Heffernan, he always seems to be in contention at this marquee event. He fired rounds of 65-67-69 at the latest installment, contested on The Links Course at Wolf Creek.

The Airdrie resident teed off the final round with a five-shot cushion but watched that lead disappear as Andrew Harrison filled the cup with birdie putts in the early stages. The turning point came on No. 8, where Fleming turned the momentum by making amends on a chip that was almost identical to one that he’d botched in 2020.

“I was kind of thinking in my head, ‘You know, it’d be nice to hit a good shot and make up for last year,’ ” Fleming recalled. “I just hit a perfect chip and holed it for eagle. We didn’t look back after that.”Fleming eventually cruised to a six-shot victory at 12-under 201.

397 acres of championship golf and casual serenity

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta www.pinehillsgolf.ca

A Closer Look

The Time

CAPSULE

The Alberta Golfer magazine has been published annually by Alberta Golf since 1986. In a new feature started last year, we are going to showcase some of the articles, advertisements and personalities from previous issues of The Alberta Golfer. Enjoy a trip down memory lane with this collage of material from the 1992 edition of The Alberta Golfer.

Betty Stanhope Cole was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

The front cover of the 1992 edition of The Alberta Golfer magazine.

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

A Closer Look

Shown are a sample of some pictures and advertisements from the 1992 edition.

Tommy Armour irons, junior golf, and Alberta Golf champions.

AlbertaGolf.org

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18

Looking Ahead

LAKEWOOD GOLF RESORT

expanding to

By Jim Claggett When you have a dream in your head sometimes it’s just a matter of time and good timing in order to bring it to fruition.

In the case of Lakewood Golf Resort just north of Sylvan Lake, the plan to expand from nine holes to 18 is quickly becoming a reality.

“When the course owner Darcy Carruthers hired me back in 2007, one of the main focuses was to free up his time, have somebody run the operation ...so he could focus on the golf course," said head professional Scott Bergdahl.

Lakewood has been on the Alberta golf map since 1967 as a nine-hole track with an RV park and the footprint has been essentially the same over the years. There was a redesign done in 2004 by Puddicombe Golf Design and Construction, said Bergdahl. Now a major new addition is in motion as dirt has been moved to add another nine holes and more RV space.

“We built our whole reputation and our clientele based on the nine-hole golfer.

So, the intention is to keep those ninehole golfers while we expand to 18 holes,” he said.

This means players will have membership options of playing one of the nines or taking on the entire 18-hole layout. This will be something new for the loyal patrons of Lakewood. If someone wants to experience only the new nine holes , there is a plan for that as well.

“Our plan will be to alternate our first-tee starting from month to month so that both our nine-hole member leagues and our green fee players get the chance to play both sides,” said Bergdahl.

The RV component is a huge part of Lakewood’s DNA. The RV park expansion will more than double with the addition of 143 new sites, bringing the total up to 253.

HOLES

Bergdahl says Lakewood really is its own community, one which drives the golf course.

“Our member play now exceeds our public play. Before we had 60 percent public play and 40 percent members.

Now we’re 55 (members) to 45 (public), so we now need to do things for our community members,” such as having on-site concerts or special memberonly events throughout the year.

“We have to find a balance to take care of our public which is very important to us as well as the community we have that has grown,” he said.

Bergdahl says the membership for the most part have embraced this expansion. “Whether they’re a nine-hole golfer or an 18-hole golfer, it really doesn’t matter. They’re all super excited about it. We’re taking everybody along with us on this journey because everybody helped us build it.”

In his 30 years as a golf professional Bergdahl says this is ground-breaking for him to be a part of a major expansion project. He is as excited as someone might be when getting news of a first grandchild or maybe purchasing a new car.

View from above existing hole 7 to new #2 tee, # 16 green and on the left side #14 tee box

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

“I’m going to say it has that new car smell,” said Bergdahl. “It’s pretty exciting to know that in about a year and a half people will be on the golf course playing.”

1-800-565-0525 5154 Hwy 27 Sundre, Alberta SUNDREGOLF.COM

Looking Ahead

Red Deer GCC Hosts the

Golf Canada Senior Men's CHAMPIONSHIP

By Gord Montgomery

What better way for a golf club to celebrate its centennial anniversary than by hosting a national golf championship. That was the thought process behind the Red Deer Golf & Country Club bidding on, and then being awarded the right to play host to the 2022 Canadian Senior Men’s Championship.

The event runs from September 6-9 at the venerable and challenging Stanley Thompson-designed layout.

The club’s head professional Dean Manz said his membership is ready to pitch in and do whatever they can in order to make this a very special 100th birthday party. He said that the 750plus members have recent experience in hosting major competitions, as they played host to the 2019 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Make no mistake, this is another big deal for all involved.

“It’s an exciting time.” Manz boasts.

“Any time you can host a national championship in your centennial year, it’s special. It’s not only great for the club, but for our membership as well.”

Manz noted that one of his members will receive an exemption into the championship, so “there are a lot of senior men hoping there will be the one to play in the event, for sure.”

membership has done this already.

When we need volunteers, there’s definitely no shortage.”

As for what competitors will face at this great layout, located alongside the Red Deer River valley, there are not really any hidden tricks, Manz explained.

“It’s a parkland golf course. It’s all in front of you. Once you arrive at the tee box, you’ll see the green. We’re known for pristine conditioning and we have very fast greens. You have to hit it straight off the tee and hit greens. If you do that, you’ll score well. If you’re off line from the tee box, you can definitely make some big numbers.

We can play from 7,000 yards down to 6,500 yards. If you shoot around par, that’s a good round of golf here at the Red Deer Golf and Country Club.”

While this may sound a bit like a walk in the park if you’re hitting the ball well, there are some areas out there that can penalize you in a hurry.

“There’s no question .We have treelined fairways, so if you’re crooked off the tee, it can make for a long round of golf. And we do have the Red Deer River on a few of our holes which also makes for some excitement!

We really look forward to hosting players from across Canada, and even the United States. We have a beautiful golf course that we can’t wait to share with the players and their families.”

So with a great golf course, with the best senior-aged players in the country, and an upcoming celebration for the club’s 100th anniversary on tap, this will be a great time for the entire community, said Manz.

“The membership and the board of directors wanted this and we’re thrilled to have this event here.

It will be a celebration of the club’s history. There’s lots of that here and we are looking forward to celebrating this special time.”

While Manz noted that he expects the vast majority of the volunteer roles for the tournament to be filled by club members, aside from the one lucky gent who earns his way in via the host club’s exemption, he said there’s always room for anyone who’s not a member that would like to help out. For more on the tournament, or possible volunteer roles, go to golfcanada.com or contact the Red Deer Golf & Country Club at 403-347-5441.

Red Deer Golf & Country Club - Hole #12

As for those who won’t be teeing it up this coming September, the pro pointed out the buy-in by his membership for on-course assistance will be second to none.

“One thing about our membership is they absolutely love golf! We were fortunate in 2019 to host the Canadian Women’s Amateur, so our

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

Looking Back

Bob Wylie (R), and his longtime friend and fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Doug Silverberg (L), Honorary Starters at the 2021 Alberta Mens Amateur Championship at the Calgary GCC.

Robert L. (Bob) Wylie In Memoriam

September 25, 1929 – September 19, 2021 On September 19th, 2021, the Calgary Golf and Country Club said goodbye to Robert L. (Bob) Wylie, one of its favourite sons and greatest champions.

Mr. Wylie began his sixty-five year association with the club in 1954 as an assistant professional under the legendary Jack Cuthbert before venturing out onto the PGA Tour in 1957. With a return to the amateur ranks in 1960, Wylie would embark upon one of the greatest championship careers in Canadian golf history, amassing fifteen provincial titles and eight national championships over his illustrious playing career, including an unprecedented run of seven Canadian Senior Amateur crowns in a nine-year stretch from 1985 to 1993.

In 1995, Robert Wylie was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, joining fellow club contemporaries Keith Alexander and Doug Silverberg, who were elected in 1986 and 1989, respectively. Despite all his successes on the national and international stage, Robert Wylie’s most meaningful link to the golfing world will forever be the Calgary Golf and Country Club. It was his second home, where he touched the lives of countless members and staff with his kindness and generosity of spirit. It would be easy to define Wylie’s legacy by the championship pedigree he built over several decades but his loss has been felt equally by those that understood the gravity of his achievements and those that knew him only for the gentleman that he was.

AlbertaGolf.org

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A Closer Look Bob Villeneuve of Beaumont has played every public golf course in Alberta.

PLAYING Them All

By Gord Montgomery Like postmen of yesteryear who proclaimed, ‘Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night,’ would keep them from their appointed rounds, Bob Villeneuve did the same by playing every public course in Alberta. Of course, that journey took him a bit longer than your average postman’s work day – 16 years to be exact.

The Beaumont resident began this journey in Drayton Valley in 2005 and dropped his final putt at the Fairmont Banff Springs Tunnel Mountain Nine course in July of 2021 at an Alberta Golf event.

During those 324 rounds of golf at every public layout and some private tracks in Alberta, Villeneuve figures he took approximately 22,000 swipes at his various projectiles, noting he didn’t have all his actual scores so there were a few more swings along the way. The only higher number on his ultimate scorecard were the kilometers he put on his vehicles — “about 41,000.”

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

By the way, Bob is married, to Linda, who was somewhat baffled by his long-ago proclamation but who played alongside him as often as possible on this Alberta-bound junket.

“I guess when he said that (he wanted to play every public course), I probably had my druthers if he’d really do it or not, but I said, ‘Sure, let’s do it,’ not really expecting 16 years of golfing! It was kind of tough that we were giving up our summer holidays to go from course to course every single day. We had to golf in terrible weather, snow or whatever, because we had to golf that course that particular day …. yeah, I thought this might be the death of me!” she noted in an earlier interview.

When asked if he ever thought this goal may not be achievable, Bob replied in the positive. “Yeah, the last five years. When I saw the number of courses I hadn’t yet played go down to single numbers, then I kind of got excited.”

Over this expedition, Bob said he came to realize how lucky Alberta golfers are given the diversity of Alberta’s golfing playpens. That being said, it took a while for him to get comfortable on some of the tracks he took on.

“Oh yeah, we’ve got everything you could possibly think of. Because of the way the province has mountains, and prairies, and coulees, there’s a nice variety of courses. When I first started we played more of the smaller courses, the nine-hole ones.

As I got closer to the end, I got used to playing whatever it was. At a strange course you’re a little more focused.”

So while he’s done in one way, he still has another golfing goal to be reached.

“My goal was to get every public course done and private ones were a bonus,” of which he has 11 left to play.

“Now that I’ve gotten so close, I’m anxious to get those done,” which will more than likely happen in 2022.

Only minutes from Calgary’s southwestern edge in the spectacular Alberta Foothills, members of Priddis Greens enjoy unrestricted access to two (2) 18-hole championship courses: Raven & Hawk.

We set out in 1983 to offer an exceptional golf experience that intentionally aligns course excellence and concierge-style member service - all amidst a natural woodland setting that is second-to-none. Today, we continue our quest to create exceptional experiences, foster inclusivity, and embrace continuous improvement.

P R I D D I SG R E E N S.CO M

@PRIDDISGREENS | #GOLFPG

Looking Ahead

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

The Alberta Open Championship

presented by SVR Lawyers

Alberta Mens Amateur Championship June 28-30 – The Ranch Golf & Country Club

June 21-23 – Sundre Golf Club Field: 120 players 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 This Championship requires players to be

Format: 54 holes of stroke-play competition with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties Eligibility: Must be a 8.0 Handicap Index or less This Championship requires players to be exempt or

exempt or to qualify in regional qualifying events

qualify in regional qualifying events

Alberta Senior Ladies Championship

Alberta Senior Mens Championship

Alberta Mid Master Championship

July 26-28 – Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club

August 03-05 – Desert Blume Golf Club

August 08-09 – The Winston Golf Club

Field: 120 players

Field: 120 professional and amateur players

Format: 54 holes of flighted stroke-play competition or 54 holes of net Stableford

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

Format: 36 holes of stroke-play competition

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

Eligibility: Must be a 20.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 55 & over as of the first day of the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship

Field: 120 players

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

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

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

Looking Ahead

Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship

Alberta U19 Championship

Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Championship

July 05-07– Canmore Golf & Curling Club

July 12-14 – Cougar Creek Golf Resort

July 19-21 – Highwood Golf

Field: 120 players

Field: 160 players

Field: 120 players

Format: 54 holes of flighted stroke-play competition or 54 holes of net Stableford

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

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

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

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

Alberta Match Play Championship

Alberta U17, U15 & U13 Championship

Alberta Interclub Championships

August 16-18 – Water Valley Golf & Country Club

August 22-23 – Alberta Springs Golf Resort

September 06 - Kananaskis Country Golf Course

Field: 120 players Field: 36 players for qualifying round. 16 player bracket for championship Format: 18 holes of stroke-play competition to determine qualifiers and seeding in brackets Eligibility: Must be a 8.0 Handicap Index or less

Format: 36 holes of stroke-play competition for Juvenile and Bantam. 36 holes of Stableford competition for Novice Eligibility (U17 & U15): Must be a 30.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 16 or 14 and under as of August 1st Eligibility (U13): Must be a 54.0 Handicap Index or less and aged 12 & under as of August 1st

Field: 36 teams of four players (men), 36 teams of four players (ladies) Format: 18 holes of team stroke-play.

Gross only for men, gross & net for women. The best three of four scores per hole will be counted to the team total Eligibility: Males and Females, must be registered by club.

AlbertaGolf.org

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Looking Ahead

LOCAL QUALIFYING (18 holes stroke-play competition): The Canal at Delacour GC

Westlock Golf Club

Nanton Golf Club

May 30 June 07 Mens Amateur, Calgary Region Qualifier– Mens Amateur, Edmonton Qualifier – The Canal at Delacour GC Barrhead GC

July 04 Senior Mens, Calgary/South Region Qualifier – The Bridges at Claresholm GC

June 01 Alberta Open, Calgary Region Qualifier– The Canal at Delacour GC

June 14 Mens Mid Amateur, Calgary Region Qualifier – Nanton GC

July 05 Senior Mens, Edmonton Region Qualifier – Edmonton Garrison Memorial G&CC

June 01 Alberta Open, Edmonton Region Qualifier– Westlock GC

June 15 Mens Mid Amateur, Edmonton Region Qualifier – Camrose GC

July 07 Senior Mens, Central Region Qualifier – Water Valley GC

Another Year with Stableford The Stableford format lends itself to be one of the most inclusive in golf by rewarding golfers with points for good holes, instead of punishing them for bad ones. One of the biggest benefits of Stableford is the ability to pick up at any time and simply take a zero for the hole.

Something golfers of any skill level can relate to.

For the past few years Alberta Golf has run net Stableford divisions in both the Senior Ladies and Ladies Amateur Championships. While the participation in these divisions does not yet rival that of the Championship stroke play side, it is gaining momentum. Over the last two years, 16 seniors have elected to play on the net Stableford side, allowing them to compete for the

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

ever-popular Marg Ward trophy.

There are a few reasons for making net Stableford an entirely separate division. First, it allows for the players to compete from a different tee, usually more forward than the stroke play side.

Second, it allows for the stroke play championship to remove any net components, instead this side of the tournament has very small gross flights, providing fun and fair 3-day rivalries. The net Stableford side has no flighting, as everyone finds even ground for their net point totals.

If you have ever been curious about playing in a provincial championship, Stableford presents an easy and less intimidating way to check it out!

2021 Ladies Stableford Champion (Candace Wickins)

M MccLENNAN LENNANROSS ROSS ALBERTA ALBERTA JUNIOR JUNIOR TOUR Six Six core core values values of of the McLennan Ross Ross Alberta Alberta Golf Golf Junior Tour:

2022 2022McLennan McLennanRoss RossAlberta Alberta Junior JuniorTour TourGoals: Goals: Provideyoung youngAlbertans Albertansthe theopportunity opportunity • •Provide developtheir theirgolf golfgames gamesininaaseries seriesof of totodevelop coordinatedtournaments tournamentsthroughout throughoutAlberta Alberta coordinated fun,but butcompetitive competitiveenvironment environment ininaafun, Tomake makethe thetournaments tournamentschallenging challengingfor for • •To theelite elitelevel leveljunior juniorgolfer, golfer,but butalso alsoto to the provideyoung youngplayers playersjust juststarting startingout out provide their first exposure to well organized their first exposure to well organized tournamentcompetition competition tournament Togive giveback backto tothe thedevelopment developmentof ofjunior junior • •To golfininAlberta Albertaby byassisting assistinghost hostcourses courseswith with golf fundingfor fortheir theirjunior juniordevelopment developmentprograms programs funding Toeducate educateplayers playersand anddeveloping developingreferees referees • •To withthe theunderstanding understandingand andapplication applicationof of with the Rules of Golf the Rules of Golf

11

TEACH RESPONSIBILITY RESPONSIBILITY TEACH

22

TEACH THE THE RULES RULES OF GOLF TEACH

33

PROVIDE GOLF GOLF AT A MINIMAL COST PROVIDE

44

TEACH SPORTSMANSHIP SPORTSMANSHIP TEACH

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PROVIDE TRAVEL TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDE

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PREPARE FOR FOR HIGHER HIGHER EDUCATION EDUCATION PREPARE

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

As well well as as etiquette etiquette and and fundamentals As

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2022ALBERTA ALBERTA JUNIOR JUNIOR TOUR TOUR SCHEDULE SCHEDULE 2022 June11 11- -12 12 June HendersonLake Lake Henderson July44 July Water Valley Water Valley July66 July Ponoka Ponoka July 7 July 7 Barrhead Barrhead July 11 July 11 McKenzie McKenzie Meadows Meadows

July 13 13 July WhitetailCrossing Crossing Whitetail July 18 18 July Innisfail Innisfail July 20 20 July Montgomery Montgomery Glen Glen July 21 July 21 Lacombe Lacombe July 25 July 25 Canmore Canmore

July 26 26 July Collicutt Siding Siding Collicutt July 27 27 July Olds Olds

July 28 28 -- 29 29 July Goose Hummock Goose Hummock August 2 August 2 Nanton Nanton August 4 August 4 Edmonton Edmonton Petroleum Petroleum

August 8 August 8 Desert Blume Blume Desert August 11 August 11 Strathmore Strathmore August 12 August 12 Taber Taber August 15 August 15 Stony Plain Stony Plain August 16 August 16 Westlock Westlock

August August 17 17 Wainwright Wainwright August August 22 22 Camrose Camrose

August August 23 23 Carstairs Carstairs Tour Tour Championship Championship August 29 August 29 Wolf Creek Wolf Creek albertagolf.org albertagolf.org

Travel Dinosaur Trail GC, Drumheller

ALBERTA -

North and South

By Andrew Penner

Ask any golfer, “driving for show” is a pretty big deal. Hearing those “oohs” and “ahhs” after crushing a 330-yard bomb down the middle never gets old! Of course, not all of us possess that kind of firepower. But sometimes - especially in Alberta’s deep south or far north - it’s not really about “the driving” at all. It’s all about the drive.

If you stay in Alberta (a pretty common theme these past couple of years) you’ve got plenty of options.

The mountains, certainly, have a powerful pull. The many famous courses that rest in the Rockies’ shadows are time-tested classics that will never lose their lustre. But sometimes you just gotta take the road less travelled. Enter the south and the north!

The vast, wide-open spaces in the far south - complete with badlands, golden wheat fields, and rolling ranchland - present an idyllic Alberta road trip that should definitely be on your radar. And in the north?

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

The beautiful boreal forests, mighty rivers, and beautiful valleys make that particular drive something you’ll savour.The quality of the golf in both of these regions will not disappoint.

The Southern Swing The highways in Southern Alberta serve up a smorgasbord of stunning scenes that capture the essence of Alberta. From the coulees of Cypress County to the cow-peppered hills around Cardston, the highways in the south dip and dive through a variety of terrain. The unpretentious golf you’ll encounter in the south can be surprisingly good.

From Calgary, start your southern swing by making a beeline for the badlands. Head to the Dinosaur Trail Golf Course in Drumheller and play one of the most spectacular and eclectic courses in Alberta. While the

front nine is traditional parkland golf, the back nine takes you into the wild world of sun-baked hoodoos, deep ravines, and cacti-covered hillsides.

Tip: hit it straight!

Although much more conventional in character, Desert Blume Golf Course in Medicine Hat is Alberta desert golf at its finest. Featuring bold and contemporary shaping, dramatic holes that cross creeks, plunge into arid coulees, and curl along eroded cliff banks, Desert Blume will exceed your expectations.

Not surprisingly, given its similar dry-as-a-bone climate and rugged topography, the golf in Lethbridge has many of the same characteristics. In other words, expect wind, heat, and fantastic prairie-meets-desert golf!

In Lethbridge, a round at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort should be on your itinerary. With numerous elevated

Travel tees, Paradise Canyon serves up beautiful bunkering, drivable par-4s, and a string of sweet riverside holes on each nine for one of the best overall golf experiences in southern Alberta.

Further south of Lethbridge, Magrath, Lee Creek Valley GC in Cardston, and the new Crowsnest Pass GC in Blairmore are other can’t-go-wrong options. Regardless of where you play - or stretch your legs along the way! - the golf and stunning scenery in southern Alberta will leave a lasting impression.

Northern Tour If variety is the spice of life, then the winding roads of Northern Alberta will not disappoint. From never-ending jackpine forests to broad and beautiful river valleys, the spacious, sparsely-populated regions of northern Alberta are ideal if you’re craving a rewarding road trip with a golf-focussed theme. From Edmonton, head northeast about 2.5 hours to Bonnyville. Picturesque trout-filled lakes and rivers are a common site. You are now in the heart of the lovely Lakeland region!

The Bonnyville Golf & Country Club is a sneaky-good layout that always gets great reviews from visiting golfers. Excellent turf conditions and gorgeous lakeside holes are a few of the reasons why this lakeland layout is a perennial northern favourite.

To continue your northern tour, head northwest to La La Biche, cruising through old-growth forests and rambling along shimmering lakes that are home to hundreds of bird species. Enjoy endless opportunities to stop and fling lures into sandbottom lakes loaded with fish!

After playing the scenic lakeside course at Lac La Biche, keep heading west to Athabasca. The Athabasca Golf Club is home to a spectacular 7,300-yard (from the tips) jewel that swerves through the boreal forest and parades along the mighty Athabasca River. This rocksolid course will test every facet of your game plus a few more you didn’t think existed.

Watching wildlife and taking great photographs is also par for the course at the beautiful Barrhead Golf Course, located just an hour

south of Athabasca. Designed by Les Furber, Barrhead features awesome bunkering, plenty of water,excellent turf conditions and a tidy 36-stall RV park right on site.

Why not keep heading west to Whitecourt? Indeed, a “bonus round” at the wonderful Whitecourt Golf & Country Club is the ideal way to cap off your drive.

Also designed by Canmore-based architect Les Furber, Whitecourt is an unheralded gem that epitomises parkland-style golf. Tree-framed fairways, a meandering creek, and plenty of natural and machine-made contours will keep you on your toes.

If you’re looking for an even longer drive, multi-day side trips up to Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray can easily be incorporated. Each is home to multiple courses that comfortably belong in the “outstanding” category.

Regardless of where you go - north or south, east or west - make sure you take your time to smell the roses. After all, you are in Wild Rose Country!

Hole #4 - Barrhead GCC

AlbertaGolf.org

55

Looking Back

Scholarship RECIPIENTS The Alberta Golf Association Foundation is pleased to

announce the distribution of

$53,000 in scholarships to the following 42 students.

Scholarships are made possible through the contributions from the AGLC as well as from the following funds:

Bob Rintoul Memorial Fund Charles C. Reid Memorial Fund Frank Lindsay Memorial Fund Lola Rozsa Memorial Fund Mike Bower Memorial Fund Carol Stevens Memorial Fund Christa Spahmann Memorial Fund Jeff Llewellyn Memorial Fund Marg Condon Memorial Fund R.E. Courage Memorial Fund For more information about the Alberta Golf Association Foundation visit www.albertagolffoundation.org

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Ethan de Graaf

Kaitlyn Wingnean

University of British Columbia

Western Carolina University

The Alberta Golfer 2022

Alcaz Mirela Amanda Graham Andrew Makarchuk Cailynne Smith Carolyn Huang Chase Broderson Chevy Kallenberger Christina Mai Dylan Conley Ethan Choi Ethan de Graaf Graham Enns Hailey Rosborough Iain Smiley Jared Caldwell Joel Thomas John Scanlon Jordan Bean Justin Lee Kai Iguchi Kaitlyn Wingnean Kate Martens Kimberley Soares Korbin Allan Masooma Tahir Matt Ramsay Max Murchison Max Sekulic Max Von Muehldorfer Melanie Murchison Michael Grant Muhammad Tayyab Owen Burzminski Owen Clayton Quinn Ceplis Rafeh Khan Samantha Copeland Sarah Nagel Sergio Murillo Shahab Marzoughi William Li Zachary Grant

University of Calgary UBC Okanagan Minot State University University of Calgary University of British Columbia Medicine Hat College University of Lethbridge Mount Allison University University of Calgary NC State University University of British Columbia University of Calgary Trent University Humber College University of Calgary Mount Royal University Queen's University Simon Fraser University University of Alberta Utah Valley University Western Carolina University University of Victoria University of Calgary Savannah State University University of Calgary University of Calgary University of Victoria Washington State University King's College at Western University of Calgary Western University University of Calgary University of Calgary University of Waterloo University of Calgary University of Calgary UBC Okanagan U of A - Augustana Western University University of Alberta Babson College University of Calgary

c.

Pragmati Play the ball as it lies. It’s deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.

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What's New

A ROCKING Good Ride

By Andrew Penner

Golf, apparently, is a good walk spoiled. My advice? Take a cart. But not just any cart. A state-of-the-art, solar-powered, made-in-Alberta FTR Model 1 would be your best bet. It has the potential to be a game changer in the golf world.

For starters, the Model 1 is faster, goes farther and lasts longer than any cart currently on the market. This is in large part due to the significantly lighter, maintenance-free, lithium-ion battery that charges twice as fast as conventional golf cart batteries.

And the owners of FTR Golf Alberta PGA Professionals Sean Mills and Garret Fraser - would say, wholeheartedly, that the golf cart scene has been a little stagnant in the past few decades and in need of an overhaul.

Not only that, but FTR’s carts are also equipped with solar panels on the roof - the Solar Drive - that harnesses power from the sun. This state-ofthe-art system - guaranteed to last 20 years! - further alleviates charging costs and dramatically boosts overall efficiency. Even with overcast skies the solar panels will still provide a power boost and make the cart go farther!

“Every aspect of golf has seen significant technological advancements except golf carts,” says Fraser, who resides near Wainwright, not far from the facility where the carts are currently being manufactured. “The same ‘big three’ manufacturers have been playing virtually the same game with the same products for years now.

Something needed to happen. We sensed an opportunity.”

Enter FTR Golf. (In case you’re wondering, “FTR” is short for “Future.”) After a number of years of testing, trials, and tribulations, the FTR Model 1 cart has been launched.

Make no mistake, the Model 1 is not your grandpa’s cart.

“Instead of getting a round-and-ahalf out of a cart, our carts can go all day without any issues,” says Fraser, who has over 10 years of experience developing and manufacturing various products and systems in

the oil and gas industry. “The cost savings are significant. Golf carts that use traditional lead batteries are approximately three times more expensive to run.”

Another benefit is the programmable controller that allows each facility to customize torque, hill-climbing power, and overall speed of each cart in the fleet. This ensures the experience for golfers is comfortable, enjoyable, and efficient based on the unique demands of the terrain that must be negotiated during the round.

“Our service guarantee is another notable benefit when choosing FTR carts,” says Fraser. “We have a talented team of technicians that are readily available to assist courses when required. There’s no need to wait in a queue and talk to operators who are likely a world away. We’re in Alberta. We’re here. And we’re ready to assist at a moment’s notice.”

And, last but not least, FTR carts are equipped with a customized entertainment system with built-in Bluetooth, phone holders, USB phone chargers, and waterproof speakers.

So, make no mistake, with a Model 1 cart, your golf game will not be a “good walk spoiled.” It will be a rocking good ride.

Garret Fraser (L) and Sean Mills (R), owners of FTR Golf.

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

What's New

Shaw Charity Classic

Sets New Fundraising Mark for PGA TOUR Champions The PGA TOUR Champions is scheduled to return to Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club later this summer for the 10th annual edition of the Shaw Charity Classic, Canada’s only stop on PGA TOUR Champions. A total of 81 players will compete for a prize purse of $2.35M USD in the 54-hole stroke play event from August 3-7, 2022 with the winner earning $352,500.

But the big story with the Shaw Charity Classic has always been the incredible success the tournament has achieved in raising millions of dollars every year for youth-based charities throughout Alberta. Even in 2020, when the tournament was unable to be played due to COVID, the event raised a staggering total of over $12M, without one golf shot being struck! In 2021, the tournament outdid itself again, with Canadians from across the nation contributing a mind-boggling

Canada's Mike Weir is one of the newest stars on PGA TOUR Champions.

$14,797,233 to help support 233 children’s charities in Alberta.

to be a part of,” said Jim Riddell, Chair, Shaw Charity Classic.

This was an all-time record fundraising effort by any tournament in the history of the PGA TOUR Champions. The Shaw Charity Classic has now raised over $76M since 2013 through its Shaw Birdies for Kids, Presented by AltaLink, charitable program. Efforts such as this have been recognized by the PGA TOUR Champions, which has awarded the Shaw Charity Classic the prestigious President’s Award as the top event on PGA TOUR Champions in 2017, 2015, and 2014.

Brad Shaw, the Executive Chair and CEO of Shaw Communications, added, “The growth and impact of the Shaw Charity Classic is undeniable, both in the amount of money raised and the number of charities supported.”

“When the tournament started, we knew we had something special, but never could we have dreamed it would have grown into so much more than just a golf tournament. It is now a massive community support event that exceeds our expectations each year, and is something I am so proud

Doug Barron of the US, champion of the 2021 Shaw Charity Classic.

The life-changing impact of the tournament on Alberta’s youth helped provide: • More than 12,000 lunches for children through Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids.

• 8,900 kids in Edmonton with sports equipment through Sport Central.

• 36,000 kids with literacy through the Educational Partnership Foundation.

• 60,000 books to children participating in Calgary Reads • 7,000 backpacks to Stephen Ames’ Backpack School Program.

The 2021 champion, Doug Barron, will be back in Calgary to defend his 2021 Shaw Charity Classic title and will be joined by many of the world’s best aged 50-and-over competitors, including Canada’s Stephen Ames and Mike Weir. Superstars of PGA TOUR Champions the likes of Bernard Langer, Fred Couples, Jim Furyk and Ernie Els are also expected to compete in Calgary. Make it a point to take in this exciting display of world-class golf.

AlbertaGolf.org

59

A Closer Look

The new indoor Virtual Golf Centre at Wainwright Golf Club.

for lessons, golf club fittings, golf club sales, corporate events, league play, additional advertising revenue, offseason junior clinics, and so on. Having this facility certainly adds extra value to being a member as well. It’s an exciting, multi-faceted opportunity and we’re trying to take full advantage of it. Given all of the possibilities, I’m not surprised we’re seeing many indoor golf facilities opening their doors in Alberta.”

THE INDOOR GOLF ADVANTAGE

By Andrew Penner

It’s Saturday, January 8th, 2022 at the Wainwright Golf Club. A rather chilly morning; Minus 32 Celsius with a brain-numbing wind whipping out of the north. But it’s a hardy bunch in Wainwright. The “tee sheet” is booked solid. The place is packed. The crack of golf balls on metal and cold beers being cracked is reverberating around the club. It’s game on. The indoor game, that is.

Yes, thanks to a brand new indoor Virtual Golf Centre - complete with a spacious hitting bay, two Foresight simulators, a putting green, and food & beverage service - the game of golf in Wainwright has suddenly become a year-round sport.

Not surprisingly - especially when you consider all of the factors in play (more on those later) - brand new state-of-the-art indoor golf facilities are popping up all over the province.

Private golf clubs, stand-alone driving ranges, bars, recreation centres, and, yes, even under-the-radar rural

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

courses like the Wainwright Golf Club are getting in on the action.

“Having an indoor golf facility has definitely added a new dimension to our club,” says Josh Copeland, the head golf professional at the popular course located approximately 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

“All of the sudden our quiet ‘off season’ doesn’t exist anymore. The popularity of the centre has definitely exceeded our expectations.”

While not many rural courses in Alberta have constructed a brand new building specifically purposed for indoor golf as Wainwright did, year round facilities are popping up at many other courses. In the Calgary area, for example, Earl Grey, Mickelson National, and Heritage Pointe are just a few examples of courses that are capitalizing on the trend.

The idea of building a comprehensive indoor golf facility was certainly the vision at a brand new Calgary facility called, fittingly, Total Golf, a spacious 11,000 square-foot golf oasis that has it all covered. Five cutting-edge Foresight simulators with the most accurate launch monitors available on the market, a short game area, and multiple putting greens equipped with Puttview technology are just a few of the highlights.

Unquestionably, while the phenomenal technology that’s out there has certainly played a pivotal role in terms of the success of indoor golf centres, there are other key factors at play as well.

Obviously, the opening of an indoor facility at a traditionally closed-forwinter facility opens the door for additional revenue on a number of fronts. So, from purely a business standpoint, it can be a huge win.

The main one, surprise surprise, would be COVID-19. “COVID has been double-edged for our business,” says Total Golf's owner Garrett Jenkinson.

“The energy in the golf industry is unprecedented right now. However, the fear of COVID has also deterred many people from venturing out and about.”

“Besides the simulator bookings [the club is charging $45 per hour per simulator, regardless of how many golfers are playing], we’re now offering food and beverage service during a time of year when that revenue source was negligible. It also opens the door

Finally, the pandemic has definitely kiboshed the winter getaway plans of thousands of avid golfers throughout the province. But, thankfully, when it’s 32 below you can still play the game you love. Just ask the fearless folks in Wainwright!

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A Closer Look

G-Tech Hand Warmers

By Andrew Penner

An image can pack a punch. Case in point: during the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, a wide-eyed Paul Casey, clearly ‘wowed’ by the, well, ‘heat’ of the moment, was photographed sneaking his right hand into Dustin Johnson’s G-Tech hand warmer pouch. I know, it sounds a little weird. That is, until you see the photo.

And you realize that, yes, this picture is, indeed, worth a thousand words.

Of course, the photo also ‘speaks’ to the fact that, maybe, just maybe, these fellas were on to something. As it turns out, they were. In fact, all of the competitors at the 2021 Ryder Cup on both the US and European teams - were feeling the ‘heat’ of G-Tech’s one-of-a-kind hand warmers, that is. In fact, these lithium-powered warmers have been the official hand warmers of the past three Ryder Cups.

But thousands of golfers (who play the game in cool climates) have benefited from G-Tech’s gamechanging technology. Founded in 2014, G-Tech has been taking the golf industry - and many other industries!

- by storm. The cool part? (Pardon the pun.) G-Tech’s Co-Founder, President, and CEO, Jesse Galvon, was born and raised in Alberta.

Paul Casey (L) of Team Europe tests out the G-Tech hand warmer of Team USA's Dustin Johnson (R) at the 2021 Ryder Cup

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

“I grew up in Calgary and played golf at Heritage Pointe,” says Galvon, who now lives in Dallas, Texas where G-Tech’s US head office is located.

Galvon, an accomplished player himself, was also the 2019 Alberta Mens Mid Amateur Champion. So, yes, he knows a thing or two about the game.

“The interest and the demand for our products is exceeding our wildest expectations,” says Galvon, who now spends nearly fifty percent of his time on the road attending various sporting events and business meetings. “It’s been quite the ride. We sell tens of thousands of our hand warmers every year and they are available in over 40 countries.”

So what, exactly, is making these Alberta products so popular?

“There really is nothing else like it on the market,” says Galvon. “Our warmers provide the fastest, hottest, and most concentrated heat on the market directly to your hands.” The patented lithium-powered heating bar, which is equipped with three heat settings, is surrounded by advanced fabric technology and soft fleece. The heat lasts for hours, ensuring your fingers will maintain all the feel that’s necessary to play the game at the highest level on even the coldest days.

It’s not just golfers that are benefiting from G-Tech hand warmers. Professional athletes in the NFL, CFL, MLB, NCAA, and the NBA are using the product. In addition, people who participate in outdoor sports and activities such as hunting, ice-skating, climbing, dog walking, and snowshoeing, just to name a few, are benefiting from G-Tech pouches. Fans sitting in the stands, people with poor circulation (arthritis and Raynaud’s syndrome),

and literally anyone working outside in a cool climate can benefit.

“We noticed CFL football players were struggling to keep their hands warm using the basic fleece pouches,” says Galvon. “So we decided to start making them with battery-powered heating elements.

When the first 500 units arrived in Calgary in 2014, I decided to go to every golf course in the city where I knew the head professional to see if I could generate some interest. I sold all 500 units in a day. Based on the feedback from many of those pros, we knew very quickly that this product would be ideal for many other activities outside of golf.”

Naturally, given the popularity of G-Tech’s hand warmers, finding them at your local golf course or sporting goods retailer isn’t always easy. To top it off, the recent supply-chain issues have also been challenging for the company.

“Many of our members are using G-Tech warmers,” says John Wilson, Senior Associate Professional at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club.

“This is a ‘top of class’ product and we’ve had to re-order it a number of times now. It was also the giveaway for both the Calgary Flames Alumni Tournament and the Priddis Charity Classic. Participants loved receiving such an innovative, high-quality product. In my opinion, a G-Tech hand warmer should be included in everyone’s equipment.” The G-Tech pouch retails for approximately $150.

Considering the fact that many of the world’s best players are using G-Tech hand warmers, you might want to get one for yourself. It’s definitely a better option than, say, ‘sneaking’ your hands into a fellow competitor’s pouch.

Looking Back

Heaven IN THE BAG

By John Burns From the Caddyshack-inspired gopher head cover, the 'send beer' towel, or the plastic ball & tee holder nestled on the side of your bag, first impressions tell the story of who we are as golfers. I give you, case in point...the 2004 Callaway Heaven 7 that resides in my bag.

Inherited years ago from Scottie Read, the Callaway representative at the time, the club was, is, and will continue to be my club of choice for shots from 175-190 yards.

Oh sure, there are sexier clubs on the market. Newer woods and hybrids are far more common and likely more efficient. But who looks at you when you saunter up to your shot with a hybrid and says, ‘I haven’t seen that club in years!’ or perhaps, ‘wow, I had that club, loved it’, or if truth be told the more common response, ‘my dad had that club!’, which is frankly more a commentary on age than performance.

Truth be told, I’d have it no other way. For me, the Heaven 7 serves a twofold purpose.... first and foremost, it works! When all other clubs have let me down, the Excalibur of my bag comes through.

To quote a renowned movie line,

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

“75% of the time, it works every time”. Second and most rewarding of all, the conversations, jeers, and responses it solicits are priceless.

Loving the game has always meant getting out and playing. It hasn’t been about becoming (other than in my mind) a scratch player. As they say, ‘own it’, and for me that’s where the fun begins.

Owning the fact that I’m part of the recreational players club, those guys, gals, and youth who simply play for fun, the occasional par or birdie, and a whole lot of laughs.

And why not? This category of player makes up the majority of us who play golf. Look around, we’re everywhere!

So, don’t be shy, own it... get out and play. Pick up that persimmon Ping Eye 2 driver or your Spalding starter set (remember those? 3,5,7,9 irons only...) Dust off that Odyssey Dual Force Rossie putter and let the fun begin, and all because you’ve got it in the bag.

John Burns is the Field Manager for Alberta Golf Competitions and Brand Manager of UpSwing, focusing on recreational golfers across the province.

Every drive here is perfect We are a small town non profit club that has come a long way in the past 10 years.

We are very proud of our turf quality and host to Canada’s largest introduction to the game of golf.

Our junior academy has over 1,000 children from the ages 4 - 14 sign up for a weekly lesson that goes from the end of May until the end of July. We are also proud to be the home of Riley Fleming and Patrick Murphy.

In 2019 our team received the 2019 Junior Leader of the Year Award.

Call (403)946-2343 | collicuttgolf.com Equity Memberships Available

NEW “Optimist L’il Loop” 2021 (3 holes specifically for children)

The Year in Looking Back

1

3 1. Riley Fleming (L) and Wes Heffernan (R) share a laugh at the Alberta Open presented by SVR Lawyers (Wolf Creek GR).

They share a combined 9 victories at this event!

2. All ears when Lanny McDonald tells a story.

Representatives from 17 Youth on Course facilities joined celebrities to raise money for the Youth on Course program.

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The Alberta Golfer 2022

2

4 3. Brynne Davies of Earl Grey GC is one of the many young golfers participating in the U17, U15 & U13 Championship (Alberta Springs GR).

4. Earl Grey GC's men's team proudly displays their hardware with mountains in the background at the Alberta Interclub Championship (Kananaskis Country GC).

5. The staff and volunteers at Broadmoor GC were proud to host the best ladies in the province.

A huge thank you to all the host club volunteers who make our events possible!

6. A good caddie knows when it’s “in the bag”.

7. Our province is home to some of the best maintained golf courses in the country. The crew at Lethbridge CC get things ready for the Senior Ladies.

8. The final group at the U19 Girls Championship (Carstairs Community GC) gets ready to go.

9. The McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Championship descends on Wolf Creek GR with a flurry of activity.

10. Contrary to what some might say, our friendly referees can actually help you!

Pictures 5

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Looking Back

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AlbertaGolf.org

67

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