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

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.”

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 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.

By Gord Montgomery

Red Deer Golf & Country Club - Hole #12