Tour Talk

Serin Girard of River Bend GC

By Dunc Mills

Jalen Apedoe of Serenity GC For 25 years, the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour has been a fantastic opportunity for young golfers in the province to get their first exposure to the world of junior golf competition.

As they progress through the learning tree of junior golf, some of these youngsters will rise to the top of the pyramid and represent Alberta in national and international events. Others may not necessarily achieve that level of success on the course, but all of these kids have the chance to become not only better golfers, but better people, from their exposure to junior golf.

We have interviewed three fathers of young golfers who have started down the path of junior golf development. We wanted to get the perspectives of the parents of these young people about their respective family’s involvement with the Tour and junior golf in general.

Ken Rohr of Camrose is the father of 12-year-old Nicole, who will be entering her third year on the Tour in 2021. Brett Girard of Red Deer is the father of Serin, age 11, who plays at River Bend GC and who will be going into her sophomore season on the Tour this summer. Andrew Apedoe of Serenity GC in Calgary is the father of son Jalen, age 12, who played his first Tour event in 2018.

KR: Nicole played two events in 2018 to get her first exposure to tournaments. She played in 13 Tour events in 2020.

BG: The 2020 season was Serin’s first on Tour. I think she competed in eight events this past summer.

AA: Jalen started out with a few events in 2018 at age nine. He played seven tournaments in 2020, mostly within an easy driving distance from our home in Calgary.

AA: I think it is the confidence that Jalen has gained which has carried over into day-to-day life. He sets his own agenda for practice and for competition. We try to put the emphasis on fun and to just let the kids play!

KR: I would say it’s the sportsmanship that Nicole has learned. She knows that she can compete hard, but fairly, and she has actually turned into a bit of a mentor for other young girls at the Camrose GC to help them learn the etiquette of the game.

BG: Learning the Rules and the integrity of the game has been very important for Serin. She has made many new friends on the Tour and looks forward to seeing as many of them as possible at each tournament.

BG: My wife and I wanted Serin to learn the Rules and help build a foundation for her golf moving forward. We like the fact that they aren’t allowed caddies. I think this helps them learn to be independent out on the course. AA: Jalen has always been ‘playing up’ against older boys, but our main goal has been to find ways for him to get more tournament experience. We have always encouraged him to be involved in multiple sports.

KR: Her mother and I wanted Nicole to learn a new sport and gain selfconfidence. Playing on the Tour and with Enid Botchett’s girls’ club in Edmonton has really helped. Now her main focus is on improving her game. She went from a 35 handicap to a 16 last summer!

KR: Increased self-confidence and pride in her accomplishments.

AA: As a family, we look at athletics as a metaphor for life. The kids are always meeting new players at tournaments, and Jalen has now found it much easier to make new friends.

BG: Serin is meeting new players and adults at every event, which has really helped in her ability to show respect to everyone at the competitions.

BG: Without doubt, it’s the post-game camaraderie. Serin really enjoys the travel, seeing her friends and learning how to compete.

AA: Jalen just loves the thrill of competition. He has lowered his handicap to a 7 and is learning how to transfer this to competitive tournament rounds.

KR: Nicole and Serin have become good friends on the Tour, and like Serin, Nicole can’t wait to get to a tournament to see which of her buddies will be there.

KR: Just get out and do it. Get the kids involved.

AA: Be patient. Don’t focus on the results as much as the process, and above all, keep the emphasis on the fun.

BG: Enter a few events to find out if your kid likes it. Get a feel for what the tournaments are like and enjoy it together.

The McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour has a full slate of events this summer in every corner of the province. They’re fun, affordable and a great way to get entrylevel experience while also providing older juniors excellent high-level competition on outstanding golf courses. Visit www. albertagolfjuniors.org and we will see you on Tour!

By Andrew Penner

It sits tucked away in the valley – on a hidden bend along the Elbow River – just minutes from downtown Calgary. Established in 1897, it's the oldest private golf course still in play in Alberta. Whether you're a member or a fortunate guest, the Willie Park Jr.-designed Calgary Golf & Country Club is always a treat to play. While the layout features many outstanding, one-of-a-kind holes, there is one hole that is the undisputed 'champ' on the course: the stunning riverside closer.

A par-4 that stretches to 483yards from the upper tee deck, the 18 th at the Calgary Golf & Country Club has long been considered one of the great finishing holes in Canada. Most recently, in the August, 2020 issue of SCOREGolf Magazine, numerous panelists – comprised of dozens of talented players and industry professionals from every region in the country – included this hole in their list of the top par-4s in the country.

And, without a doubt, thanks to a few aesthetic tweaks, the hole has only gotten better. “It's a stunning and challenging finishing hole,” says Tom Greiner, the head professional at the esteemed private club. “The tee is elevated about 125 feet above the fairway and the Elbow River wraps around the back of the green and along the right side of the fairway. The removal of some large evergreens behind the green has opened up the view of the river and the escarpment, which was hidden before. So the ‘wow’ factor is even higher now.”

With the shimmering Elbow River to the right and a pair of punishing bunkers left, the tee shot is critical. “It's the most important and the most intimidating tee shot on the golf course,” says Richard Zokol, who won the Canadian Amateur at the Calgary Golf and Country Club in 1981. “A miss right or left will most likely lead to a bogey or worse. But the view from that tee is incredible. It's just a perfect golf hole, visually, aesthetically, strategically, you name it. It's one of my favourite holes in Canadian golf.”

If you are successful in terms of hitting the fairway, your approach to the green – a mid-iron is typically required – will need to avoid the bunker left and the trees right. Although missing short will likely leave a tricky pitch or chip, it's the best option if you don't hit the green. And the green itself – a massive surface with seemingly hundreds of challenging hole locations – has some of the most perplexing contours on the course. Even for the scratch player, a four is a great score.

And par is exactly what Zokol was forced to make here on the 72 nd hole of the 1981 Canadian Mens Amateur Championship. “I had a four-shot lead going into the final round,” recalls Zokol. “But Blaine McCallister shot 64 and I stood on #18 needing a par to get into a playoff. Long story short, I made a clutch 5-footer to get into that playoff. At the time, it was the biggest putt of my life.”

But Zokol, who went on to have a successful professional career, isn't the only accomplished Canadian golfer with a 'career' moment on the hole. The eccentric Moe Norman, perhaps the best ball striker in the history of the game, won the 1955 Canadian Amateur at the Calgary Golf & Country Club as well. And, not surprisingly, his story on the 18 th hole has a decidedly different flavour.

After winning the tournament (he beat Lyle Crawford in a playoff), Norman, who was socially uncomfortable and painfully shy, couldn't bear the thought of making a speech and attending the ceremony on the 18 th green in front of all those dignitaries. When it came time for the final trophy presentation, he was nowhere to be found. Officials looked everywhere for him. Finally, they spotted him along the river by the 18 th hole, skipping stones, at peace, hiding out. But the ceremony was long over.

In The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story, author Tim O'Connor wrote, “Moe was enormously proud to win the national championship, but the thought of facing all the bigwigs in the their blazers and ties in front of all those people and reporters, not knowing where to stand, whose hand to shake, what to say – it was all too much.” When O'Connor interviewed Norman prior to his passing in 2004, Moe, responding to the incident, had simply stated, “Crawford thanked everybody for me.”

Indeed, the legendary Moe Norman – he went on to win the Canadian Amateur the following year as well, played in two Masters, and won 55 professional tournaments – was an extraordinary figure. A one-of-a-kind gem. Not unlike the 18 th hole at the Calgary Golf & Country Club.

Field: 120 players

Format: 36 holes of stroke-play competition

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

Field: 120 players

Format: 54 holes of stroke-play competition

Eligibility: Must be a 25.0 Handicap Index or less

Field: 120 players

Format: 54 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

Field: 120 players

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

Field: 120 players

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

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

Field: 120 players

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 and aged 25 & over as of the first day of the Canadian Mid-Amateur

Field: 160 players

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

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

presented by SVR Lawyers

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

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

Field: 120 players

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

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 gross & net stroke-play competition with the best three of four scores per hole being counted to the team total

Eligibility: Males and Females, must be registered by club.

Olds Golf Club Westlock Golf Club Nanton Golf Club

Mens Amateur Central Qualifier – Olds Golf Club

Mens Amateur Calgary Qualifier – Elbow Springs Golf Club

Mens Amateur Edmonton Qualifier – Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club

Mens Amateur North Qualifier – Westlock Golf Club

Alberta Open North Qualifier – Coal Creek Golf Resort

Mens Amateur South Qualifier – The Bridges at Claresholm Golf Course

Alberta Open South Qualifier – Silver Springs Golf & Country Club

Senior Mens South Qualifier – Nanton Golf Club

Senior Mens Central Qualifier – Olds Golf Club

Senior Mens North Qualifier – Cattail Crossing Golf & Winter Club

Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club

By Gord Montgomery

One thing players teeing it up at the Fort McMurray Golf Club for the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship late this summer can take heart in is that the track won’t play like it did when it hosted professionals at the PGA TOUR Canada (now known at the Mackenize Tour- Canada) Syncrude Boreal Open for a couple of years. You see, it will likely play harder.

The club’s general manager, Dave Callum, explained that since the devastating fire that roared in and around this northern Alberta community in 2016, the toughness aspect of his 27-hole layout has changed.

“I wasn’t here in the Boreal Open days but the biggest change from then is we lost tens of thousands of trees that burned down,” Callum noted. “The golf course now is a little different. You don’t have those overhanging limbs as much but I think that actually helped the golf course itself get into better shape. It actually gets a little more sunshine and a little more wind goes through.”

As if the fire devastation wasn’t enough, the course also suffered flood damage in 2020, again changing the complexion of the course.

“A lot of areas along the riverbank that were tree-lined aren’t there anymore.

Fort McMurray GC is surrounded by evidence of the forest fire that ravaged the community in 2016.

So the wind whistles through some of those holes, bringing some different challenges. The Big River nine, which will be the front nine of the event, has a bunch of brand new bunkers and we had six new greens in play this year.”

The combination of the Big River and Black Bear nines which will be used exclusively for the event are long, and yes, tough. The slope rating of the pair, off the back tees, is 139 and they play to a par of 72 (36-36) over 7,100-plus yards.

As if that isn’t enough difficulty for players to deal with, there’s also this tidbit that Callum tossed in: “It’s not by today’s standards the longest golf course, but if you miss it (fairways) here, you’re in trouble. There are no shots out of the bush.

“For us, hosting this isn’t just about putting a feather in our cap. It’s a chance to show Canada how we’ve bounced back from two devastating events here. Fort McMurray, in some people's eyes, has a stigma about it, which is so untrue. This is an unbelievable community,” Callum boasts.

“The most important thing about hosting is this isn’t just about our golf course. This is about golf and about our city. It’s such a strong and resilient community. It’s just an amazing place. This is going to show the country what a great city we have here.”

The fact the membership is willing to share their course with the best players of this calibre in the country, and pitch in to help out where needed, is another tick in the community spirit box. Callum said it’s not a difficult thing for his members to turn these 18 holes over for a week as “..they have the Fox Tail nine to use.”

In the end what this event will do is once again showcase Fort McMurray as a congenial host. “I know there was a feeling of loss when we lost the Mackenzie Tour tournament, so I think we’ll show we can still host these topnotch events. It’s a stern test of golf that I think will impress people.”

Oh, one other thing. In closing, Callum mentioned that in late August when this tournament happens, black bears are frequent visitors along the course’s surrounding areas. And, they’re often in the company of foxes, “..that will steal your sandwich right off your cart,” so players will find some wildlife here other than birdies and eagles.

The Golf Canada Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship runs from August 24-27

By Jennifer Davison

As the golf landscape dramatically changed through the spring of 2020, it became apparent that new solutions were going to be needed for almost every area of the industry. As a non-profit organization, Alberta Golf needed to adapt our programming so that we could still have an impact in the community through new and innovative channels. One of these channels became the 2020 Sport Development Camp Grant program.

Through our close partnership with the PGA of Alberta, we helped to connect PGA pros with their local communities by offering a grant program for junior camps being run in their area. These grants were available to every PGA member who is employed at an Alberta Golf Member Facility. Pros applied for funding, sent in lesson plans, shared player data and encouraged players to fill out an online survey. Twenty grants of $1000 were available for 2020, and approximately 400 participants attended the various camps. We are pleased to confirm that the same number of grants will be available for 2021.

We feel this program is important because it helps encourage participation throughout the province at local clubs. It also highlights the importance of teaching the fundamentals of the game through professionals who make the game fun and accessible for kids.

For more information regarding the program please contact Jennifer Davison, Director Sport Development at jennifer@ albertagolf.org.

Over 400 kids attended golf camps funded by the Sport Development Camp Grant program in 2020.

As River Valley Junior Golf rises up to enter its third decade of junior golf excellence in the Edmonton area, they are excited to reveal a brand-new logo, website and a new look to their program. “It was definitely time for an update!” says Kyrstie Green, RVJG volunteer.

River Valley Junior Golf (RVJG) was formed in 2002 as a non-profit organization to promote the game of golf amongst Juniors (6-18) in Edmonton and surrounding areas.

It welcomes players of all levels of expertise, from beginners to low handicappers. Members get access to discounted rates for tournaments, events, and lessons, as well as opportunities for mentorship, grants and scholarships.

Junior members can tee it up at three golf courses in Edmonton: Riverside, Victoria and Rundle Park; all at family-friendly discounted rates.

Sign up today online www.rvjg.ca or call 780.616.9168.

Follow @RVJuniorGolf on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter for contests, and everything tee to green in the Edmonton golf scene.

One of the casualties of the golf landscape in Alberta last summer was the cancellation of the 2020 Shaw Charity Classic, originally scheduled to be held at Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club last August. COVID-19 might have derailed the Shaw Classic itself, but it certainly didn’t affect the charity aspect of Canada’s only stop on the PGA TOUR Champions. Despite having had to cancel the 2020 event, tournament organizers were nonetheless able to raise an incredible $12,572,483 to support over 200 youth-based charities throughout Alberta.

Since the first Shaw Charity Classic in 2013, the event has been the flagship tournament on the PGA TOUR Champions in terms of its spectacular performance in raising funds for charity. The Shaw Charity Classic is a three-time recipient of the Tour’s highest honour – the prestigious President’s Award - in recognition of the event’s incredible success in charitable giving and overall tournament operations. After the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the tournament’s title sponsor, Shaw Communications, along with the Shaw Family, were the first to step up in the annual fundraising drive with a commitment to match up to $2 million in community donations. This generosity and leadership triggered an avalanche of donations from over 3,000 contributors across Canada, resulting in the secondhighest total of charitable fundraising in the eight-year history of the tournament. The Shaw Charity Classic has now raised the staggering total of over $61 million for charity since its inception.

Jim Riddell, Chair of the event’s seven-member Patron Group, spoke about the success of the 2020 fundraising. “We are humbled and touched by everything that has been accomplished, thanks to thousands of Canadians who have rallied together in a time of crisis to support hundreds of charities through this much needed fundraising platform.” The COVID-19 situation this summer will determine the fate of the Shaw Charity Classic, but the 2021 instalment is scheduled to be held August 11-15 at the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club in Calgary.

The Shaw Charity Classic supports over 200 youth-based charities in Alberta.

Volunteers are the backbone of the Shaw Charity Classic.

Play Golf Calgary is a consortium of five golf courses in the greater Calgary area. Their portfolio of properties includes The Links at GlenEagles in Cochrane, the 27-hole HeatherGlen Golf Course just east of the city on Glenmore Drive, as well as Blue Devil Golf Club and its sister course, the Lil Devil 9-hole short course, both situated in Fish Creek Park in Calgary’s south end.

The fifth and newest course in Play Golf Calgary’s collection is Serenity Golf Club, located a few minutes southeast of the Calgary city limits. Serenity opened in 2017 with their Dancing Bull 18-hole layout, added the first nine holes of the Sun Catcher course two years later, and expands this year to 36 holes with the addition of the back nine on the Sun Catcher course. Play Golf Calgary’s general manager Slade King talks about the history of the Serenity Golf Club and the excitement building this year with their newest nine holes. “Construction actually first started on Serenity back in 2008,” King said. “We purchased some raw farmland in 2006, and put shovels in the ground two years later. But sometimes plans get changed.”

The Blue Devil property had been in development by Calgary’s wellknown Shaw family, and ten years ago consisted of a 12-hole course that was never opened for public play.

Scott Atkinson, the majority partner of Play Golf Calgary, had the drive and vision to complete the Blue Devil project. He purchased Blue Devil with the intention of developing the course into to a full 18-hole layout

Serenity GC - Dancing Bull #12 and adding both a clubhouse and the family-friendly nine-hole Lil Devil short course.

Focusing on the Blue Devil project left construction at Serenity on the back burner for a few years. Well known architect Gary Browning, who did the design and layout of Blue Devil in addition to the restoration of Kananaskis Country Golf Course, was brought back to finish his work at Blue Devil with the construction of their final six holes.

“It was only natural that we would use Browning to complete the layout at Blue Devil,” King noted. “Gary is so talented and we had such a good working relationship with him already. It was a ‘no-brainer’ to have him finish the job. During the completion of Blue Devil, Gary was still nibbling away on the construction out at Serenity.”

Naming the course ‘Serenity’ was a very appropriate choice. This is not a typical real estate / golf course project by any means. There are no homes or condos surrounding the Serenity layout. King boasts, “It is so peaceful out here at Serenity. City traffic is miles away and no back yards border the golf course.”

This latest addition to Calgary’s golf landscape is scheduled to open in June.