A LIFE-LONG PASSION FOR NATURE Dorothy Dickson has legacy of connecting people with the environment
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
C2 PATS EDGE REBELS Regina scores with 16 seconds left in the game to win 3-2. STORY ON PAGE B4
MADAME PREMIER Advocate columnist Joe McLaughlin gives Alison Redford a tough grading on her first year as premier
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WEEKEND EDITION CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER $1.00
BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
SATURDAY, OCT. 6, 2012
Economic challenges and recent demographic shifts may force many Central Alberta golf destinations to
CHANGE COURSE More on Pages A2 & C7
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Balmoral Golf Course member Tyler Salahub chips a shot onto the eighth green earlier this week. BY HARLEY RICHARDS ADVOCATE BUSINESS EDITOR If the recent demise of Eckville’s Fairways at Last Hill Golf and Country Club and the Rimbey Golf and Trailer Park didn’t raise eyebrows, the receivership last month of Pheasantback Golf and Country Club near Stettler certainly did. Those who work in Central Alberta’s golf industry agree that the economic downturn and bad weather have hurt most courses. But they also point to deeper problems that could threaten the viability of even more golf courses. “A lot of golf courses — 10, 15 years ago — were doing maybe 5,000 to 10,000 more rounds than they are now,” said Ryan Vold, director of golf at Wolf Creek Golf Resort near Ponoka. This decline reflects an aging population, with many young people choosing not to step into the golf shoes of their parents and grandparents. “There’s definitely been a shift in demographics,” said Blair Felesky, general manager of the Pine Hills Golf Club at Rocky Mountain House. “We’ve been aware of that for many, many years.”
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RECYCLE
‘This is a very competitive environment right now, so you’ve got to find ways to separate yourself from the others.’
— Blair Felesky, General manager of Pine Hills Golf Club
Please see GOLF on Page A2
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The extent of that shift came into focus on Sept. 12, when the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) — a body representing a half-dozen Canadian golf organizations — published the results of a golf consumer behaviour study. These indicated that as many people are leaving the game as entering it, far fewer youths are taking up the sport than was the case a generation ago and among current golfers, there are many more reducing their play than increasing it. “They’re definitely hitting the nail on the head with the trend,” said Lesley McMahon, who manages Balmoral Golf Club just east of Red Deer and is president of the Alberta chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada — one of the partners behind NAGA. McMahon thinks part of the fault rests with golf course owners and operators who favour challenging layouts for skilled players rather than easier tracks for novices. This approach would be comparable to a ski resort offering only black diamond runs, she suggested.
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NEWFOUNDLAND E. COLI CASE PROBED
NO PAPER ON MONDAY
Health officials are investigating whether a person who got sick from E. coli in Newfoundland is the sixth case to be linked to an Alberta meat plan at the centre of a major beef recall. A3
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