Another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has been added to the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company’s already impressive list of experiences.

The winning team from this year’s national final at Cabot Links in Inverness, N.S., will receive an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to the 2018 RBC Canadian Open. The winners can expect all-out VIP perks, including:

– Return flights and car rental from hometown to host city.
– Accommodations at a partner hotel near golf course.
– Valet parking on the grounds of the RBC Canadian Open.
– RBC Clubhouse Suite passes.
– Access to player dining, practice area and media centre.

“Team experiences are some of the fondest of my career—whether it was in college or as a professional,” said Team RBC’s Adam Hadwin. “Building a team, travelling together, and competing for a championship are memories I cherish,” he said, adding, “the 2018 RBC Canadian Open VIP experience to relive the victory at Cabot Links will only make it that much sweeter.”

The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada is a national series of team events featuring amateur golfers and PGA of Canada professionals taking place at more than 100 golf facilities around the country.

“We’re thrilled to add this experience to the winners of the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice President, Brand Marketing RBC. “The RBC Canadian Open is a celebration of golf in Canada and we are excited to give these champions a unique opportunity to attend the tournament with VIP access.”

All RBC PGA Scramble of Canada local qualifying events in 2017 will have guaranteed prize tables for the top three teams.

The series of events expects to draw thousands of amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national final later this year with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team at one of Canada’s greatest golf courses.

Taking place Oct 12-14, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs will see teams from across the country—comprised of four amateurs and a PGA of Canada professional—playing in the 54-hole national final.

Cabot Cliffs ranked No. 1, while Cabot Links ranked No. 4 on SCOREGolf’s 2016 Best Golf Courses in Canada list. Cabot Cliffs also debuted 19th on the World’s Top 100 Courses list by Golf Digest.

While the RBC Canadian Open experience wasn’t a carrot for last year’s RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company winners, the Angus Glen Golf Club squad—PGA of Canada professional Terry Kim, Patrick O’Leary, Dan Mesley, Mike Asselin, David Fotheringham—have been awarded the opportunity to experience the VIP treatment at this year’s RBC Canadian Open in July.

Participants in The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada presented by The Lincoln Motor Company must have a registered handicap index with Golf Canada, with winning teams of four joined by a PGA professional in the regional and national finals. All rules and regulations can be found at rbcpgascramble.com.

Lexi Thompson had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch and finished with a 6-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

Playing her third tournament since losing the ANA Inspiration in a playoff after being penalized four strokes for a rules violation that a TV viewer spotted, Thompson had a one-stroke lead over U.S. Solheim Cup teammates Gerina Piller and Brittany Lincicome and young American Angel Yin.

Thompson played her opening nine in even par with a birdie on No. 11 and a bogey on No. 17, then birdied No. 1 and Nos. 3-7 on Kingsmill Resort’s River Course.

“The second nine was pretty crazy,” Thompson said. “I hit some great shots and rolled a few good putts, so definitely helps out my confidence.”

“Words can’t even describe the feeling. It was just like a feeling of freedom jumping out” @Lexi talks skydive & current lead @KingsmillLPGA pic.twitter.com/5FEzuur0JA

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 18, 2017

Thompson played alongside Piller and defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn.

“It always helps to see the other players in your group play well,” Thompson said about Piller. “She played great today, too. She struck it very well and rolled a lot of great putts. It’s something that we feed off each other with.”

Jutanugarn shot a 72.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 70 while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 71.

On Wednesday, Thompson began a charitable partnership with the SEAL Legacy Foundation called the Lexi Legacy Challenge, completing her first parachute jump by landing on the first tee for her pro-am round. She made her sky diving debut in tandem with a Navy SEAL.

“It was an unbelievable experience,” Thompson said. “Supporting the SEAL Legacy Foundation is my No. 1, and just the military in general. But the only way I would jump out of a perfectly good plane is with a SEAL on my back. There was nothing like it. Words can’t describe the feeling. It was just like a feeling of freedom jumping out.”

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was two strokes back at 67 along with Sarah Jane Smith and Giulia Molinaro.

“I don’t think I was hitting the ball fantastic, so there is a little bit of improvement to do there,” Ko said. “The girls are playing great, so I know that I need to try and keep up, and to be in contention, I need to make a lot of birdies out there.”

Piller had six birdies and a bogey.

“It’s always good to get off to that kind of start and get comfortable,” Piller said. “The greens are rolling phenomenal. The course is in the best shape I’ve ever seen it. Just happy to be under par and looking forward to tomorrow.”

“I’d love to get my first win but golf is merely my job it’s not who I am.” Watch more from @Gerinapiller at @KingsmillLPGA: pic.twitter.com/km21oabrit

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 18, 2017

Lincicome had five birdies in a bogey-free round. She won the season-opening event in the Bahamas.

“I think it’s best I’ve ever seen it,” Lincicome said about the course. “The greens are so fast. If you get above the hole you got to be really careful.”

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Brooks Koepka leaned in for a closer look at his ball buried in deep rough when a critter he couldn’t identify caused him to jump back with a bit of a startled look.

His best guesses were a frog or rat, though he was too disoriented to be sure. It definitely wasn’t a birdie, because Koepka was on his way to finishing with two straight bogeys after sharing the lead late in his opening round of the AT&T Byron Nelson on Thursday.

A year after losing to Sergio Garcia in a playoff at the TPC Four Seasons, Koepka settled for a 3-under 67 and trailed co-leaders James Hahn and Ricky Barnes by three shots.

“It jumped out and I didn’t know what was going on, freaked me out,” said Koepka, who needed help from a bevy of tournament volunteers and fans to find his ball while hitting two shots out of the thick grass and just missing a chip that would have saved par on the ninth hole, his last.

“I was so in amazement of what just happened, whether it jumped out, scared me. I couldn’t see it because it ran underneath the grass again.”

Matt Kuchar, Jhonattan Vegas, Jason Kokrak and Cameron Tringale shot 66, and top-ranked Dustin Johnson topped the group at 67, a stroke ahead of fourth-ranked Jason Day and Jordan Spieth, the No. 6 player competing in his hometown event.

Masters and defending Nelson champion Garcia, ranked fifth, had three bogeys on the front nine and just one birdie in a 73 that left him tied for 93rd.

The event is the last at TPC Four Seasons, ending the tournament’s 35-year run in Irving. The tournament will move to the new links-style Trinity Forest Golf Club south of downtown Dallas next year.

Tringale was the only player with a lower score than Johnson in a blustery afternoon round, while Hahn and Barnes played in slightly calmer conditions in the morning.

“It was blowing hard and it was gusty,” said Johnson, who has four top-10 finishes in seven previous Nelsons. “I thought it was very difficult to judge the wind and control the ball. Felt like there were a lot of times I hit really good shots that didn’t end up in good spots.”

Using a mallet putter instead of his traditional blade, Spieth made a 10-footer for his second straight birdie on his 17th hole, the par-4 eighth. Normally one of the best putters on tour, the Dallas native was frustrated with that part of his game after missing the cut at the Players Championship last week.

“It’s nothing crazy new,” said Spieth, whose best Nelson finish remains his tie for 16th as a 16-year-old amateur in 2010. “It helps me line up a bit better and that’s kind of been my struggle is lining the putter up where I want to. I just haven’t quite dialed in the speed yet.”

.@JordanSpieth makes the turn at even par, thanks to the new flatstick.

He's in Featured Groups on PGA TOUR LIVE ? https://t.co/W7BrGNui1M pic.twitter.com/AK4J9HY72B

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 18, 2017

Day birdied the par-4 11th when he chipped to 12 feet off a cart path behind the green after a 326-yard drive on the 309-yard hole. On the next hole, he had to bend his second shot around tree from the rough and saved par. Day eagled the par-5 seventh and curled in a 28-footer for birdie on 18.

“In this wind, I think everyone’s kind of scrambling,” said Day, whose first PGA Tour win came at the 2010 Nelson. “I was not going to drop it all the way back onto the other side of the road. It was just in long grass and I wouldn’t be able to flop it over. It was quite a simple shot. You just had to contact it correctly.”

Cart path? No problem. ??@JDayGolf is inside the top 10.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/n6WtLS2gAa

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 18, 2017

Hahn finished a bogey-free round with a 22-foot birdie putt on 18 to match his lowest round of the season. The two-time tour winner saved par with a 24-footer on 14. Hahn’s first four birdies were inside 10 feet.

Barnes, who has made four straight cuts after missing 10 of his previous 13, started a run of three straight birdies with a chip-in on his 15th hole, the par-4 sixth. He had two bogeys.

“I’m having signs of brilliancy,” said Barnes, still looking for his first win in his 255th PGA Tour start. “I just need to put it all together.”

Koepka birdied his first two holes and was 5 under through 13 holes before stumbling late. On No. 8, his 17th hole, Koepka had to lift a folder lawn chair to uncover his ball behind the green. He missed the par putt.

Brooks Koepka with a hot shot early ? pic.twitter.com/wbpZf77lx2

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 18, 2017

After missing on a birdie chance for the win in 2016, Koepka went in the water on 18, the first playoff hole, to open the door for Garcia to become the only two-time winner since Lord Byron’s event moved to the Four Seasons.

“I didn’t play very good today,” Koepka said. “Even last year, I didn’t play very good around this place and just managed to get a decent score. Three under isn’t very good around here. I’ll take it for how I played.”

After a 1-over par 69, Winnipeg’s Nick Taylor, is the top Canadian in a tie for 26th.

The full leaderboard can be seen here

Team Canada Amateur Squad member Grace St-Germain, finished T3 at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship at Chateau Elan Resort, in Braselton, GA. St-Germain finished at 11-over par, two strokes back of medallist Sena Ersoy, of Iowa Western Community College, who came in at 9-over par.

St-Germain’s school, the Daytona State Falcons won the overall team title for a second consecutive year. This is the ninth National Championship in the program’s history and the Falcons fourth in the the last five years.

@DSCFalconSports Women's Golf has gone back-to-back!!!!! Congratulations!!! 2017 NJCAA Women's Golf National Champions!!!

— NJCAA Women's Golf (@NJCAAWGolfChamp) May 19, 2017

After a 2-over par opening round (73), St-Germain, a freshman at Daytona State, struggled in the second round, carding a 7-over par 78, to sit T9, after 36 holes. She battled back in the third round, posting a 3-under par 68, the lowest score of the day and was T2 after three rounds.

In the final round Thursday, St-Germain parred her first four holes, then double bogeyed the par-4 fifth. She gained one stroke back the following hole with a birdie on the sixth. After another bogey on the eight, St-Germain posted a 2-over par 38, on her outward nine.

On the back nine St-Germain made two more bogeys, a double bogey, and just one birdie, coming home in a 3-over par 38, to post a score of 5-over par (76) for the day.

In her inaugural junior college season St-Germain had three top-5s, and four top-10s, including two second-place finishes.

The Falcons finished at 55-over par, 14 shots clear of the second place Seminole State College of Florida Raiders, who posted a team score of 69-over par.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

The founding and development of sport clubs has helped shape communities nationwide.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Canada transformed from a collection of provinces and territories into one unified nation. Confederation connected hundreds of communities, big and small, into a vast and diverse collective. But the thousands of municipalities that make up that mosaic each possess a unique social tie that binds us. A significant number of these social ties come with the founding and development of sport clubs.

Looking at all of the clubs established across this country is staggering. Some are even older than Canada.

It speaks to the rich tradition of sport in this country, with the longevity of the following clubs being particularly impressive:

The Montreal Men’s Curling Club founded in 1807

The Toronto Cricket Club founded in 1827

The Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron founded in 1837

It is no surprise that Montreal, Toronto and Nova Scotia are home to some of the oldest sporting clubs in Canada, as they were inhabited for the longest period of time before migration moved westward.  What is surprising is the growth and formation of golf clubs in very sparse locations across the country.

The first written reference of golf in North America can be found in an 1826 edition of the Montreal Herald inviting golfers to play on the Plains of Abraham. There are two important things to note when examining this reference. Firstly, that golf was being played in this country well before any clubs had been organized and, secondly, that golf was gaining popularity in Canada prior to it appearing in the United States.

Research indicates that towns were not considered civilized in a sense until an established club was founded. The purpose of the club was to play organized golf and be social venues, often with its members being leaders of their communities. Due to population sizes, most small towns could only sustain one or two types of sporting clubs, in contrast to its metropolitan counterparts such as Toronto and Montreal. Many of the golf clubs that were established at the turn of the century were rudimentary courses, yet the people used these clubs as an opportunity to develop their community.

When we think about community in the prairie provinces, we often imagine men and women with young families building a homestead. But the community of Stony Mountain, Man., was a prison town — and yes, they built a golf course in 1890. In fact, the prisoners did. The penitentiary warden, Lt.-Col. Samuel Bedson, thought it beneficial to the prisoners (in order to keep them out of trouble) for them to physically construct the nine-hole layout. The village of roughly 200 people enjoyed the course, as did other communities from far away.

Two years later the course of Virden Wellview was built, arguably because of its citizens traveling east to play golf at Stony Mountain. How important is the club to the 3,000 residents of Virden, Man.? Well, when oil was discovered on the property, the golfers simply put fences around the oil wells so that they could continue golfing.

The Stony Mountain course no longer exists but it created an important building block for golf in Manitoba, in which Virden Wellview remains the oldest active golf club.

“Many of the great clubs in our province — such as St. Charles CC or Pine Ridge — are the product of Virden Wellview growing the game from 1892,” explains Dave Comaskey, executive director of Golf Manitoba.

Nothing epitomizes the definition of community more than when its citizens come together in desperate times of need. During both world wars, many Canadian communities were decimated through lack of income or the sheer number of citizens that had enrolled to aid the war effort. From Calgary alone, over 200 golfers enlisted in 1917 leaving their families behind.

However, many golf clubs held fundraisers to support the war effort. The Canadian Ladies Golf Association, a close-knit community of female golfers from across Canada, provides the most significant example of community when the CLGA (then known as the Canadian Ladies Golf Union) established their War Service Fund from 1940-45. Every provincial branch, club and individual member raised and collected more than $82,000 from field days, club competitions, dances and raffles. That great achievement funded a Spitfire war plane.

It would be difficult to call the 1909 city of Prince Albert, Sask., the golfing epicenter of Canada yet in that same year a golf club was established so members of the community — which two years later was just over 35,000 people — could have a place to play golf and socialize. Ironically enough, this is roughly the same number of people who reside in Prince Albert today. A golf course has remained a fixture in their community for more than a century.

Prince Albert’s Ward 4 councillor Don Cody knows first-hand the importance of the Cooke Municipal Golf Club (formerly named Prince Albert GC) to the city and its citizens.

“Cooke Municipal continues to give back to its community, partly by trying to keep rates affordable for families and golfers of various skill levels,” notes Coun. Cody, who is a member of the club along with his wife.

That said, the course has still turned a profit every year and in 2017 will receive a substantial $2 million in funding for needed upgrades, namely to the irrigation system. The town’s investment not only helps secure the facility’s future but ensures various organizations can continue to use the club for fundraising efforts.

“It is that kind of thing, that community spirit, that allows the club to give back and we make it work,” he adds.

Cooke Municipal Golf Course is one of many sports clubs around the country that continuously contributes back to its community, all the while promoting the sport and ensuring its survival in Canada. History shows the great bond that clubs and members have with each other in shaping their local neighbourhoods and, in doing so, shaping the cultural and social landscape of our diverse country.

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

If you’re looking to be more grounded in life, golf is the answer.

Literally and figuratively.

Just ask Dr. Joe Parent, founder of Zen Golf (www.zengolf.com).

“You should use golf as a form of meditation. When you stand on the tee, breath down through your body, through your feet and into the ground. Feel connected through the earth, through space and then to your target.”

If you’re a cynical old so-and-so like me, that Zen stuff doesn’t adhere all that much. But when Parent starts talking about slot machines, well, here we go.

He talks about “random intermittent reinforcement” where every so often, after you’ve poured a bunch of quarters into the one-armed bandit, the light goes off and “ding, ding, ding,” you’re a winner. And, like that one great shot during your otherwise unremarkable round of golf, that keeps you coming back.

Parent says that golf is “90 per cent mental and 10 per cent mental because your mind runs every swing you take.” (It must be a Zen thing.)

And while the physical benefits of the game are well documented, golf can clear your mind, give you increased self-awareness and improve your mental and psychological well-being.

“If you’re mindful, simply being outside, participating in an activity that you enjoy, you breathe more deeply and your thoughts slow down, all of which has a calming effect. It’s not dissimilar to the benefits of mindfulness meditation where practitioners focus on their breath,” says Tim O’Connor, mental performance coach at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. (www.oconnorgolf.ca)

Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood (www.drtoogood.com) is Team Canada’s sports psychologist. While her focus in that role is on elite athletes, she recognizes the mental health benefits of golf for everyone. But the onus is on the golfer to do the same.

“You have to accept what you can control and what you can’t. You’re striving to get better, but you must accept the present reality. Once you do that, there’s a great opportunity for growth and you can then translate that realization into other areas of your life, whether it’s family, business or something else. It’s self-realization.”

And rather than castigate yourself for a bad shot, Leslie-Toogood says take the opportunity during every round to implement the “self-compassion theory.” It’s kind of the converse of the Golden Rule in that you should treat yourself the way you would ideally treat others.

“If you make a mistake, forgive yourself. Have realistic expectations. Take the opportunity to learn something about yourself and to grow. That takes courage.”

Too much has been made of the frustrations associated with golf. The frustrations are on you.

And so are the gratifications.

The choice is yours.

As the late great golfer Walter Hagen said: “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

Editor’s note: If you’re looking for a fun golf experience that is forgiving of the occasional bad shot, create your “Ultimate Scorecard” – one of the many features available to Golf Canada members. Allowing you to track your play at a course over a season, or even a lifetime, your Ultimate Scorecard only gets better – guaranteed! 

Get yours now for free!

Putting in full resolution could be the key to your putts rolling on line, and into the hole, more often, says Tristan Mullally, Team Canada’s Head Women’s Coach

Everyone’s eyesight is a little different. Near sighted, far sighted, astigmatism, cataracts — they all affect our sense of sight to varying degrees. What we do have in common though is a focal point in front of our binocular vision that creates our field of view. Everyone balances this focal point differently, which suggests that each player will have their own eye position, relative to the ball, to be more successful.

When it comes to putting, traditionally the eyes were taught to be directly over the ball. In my early career, it was suggested that I drop a ball from my left eye to create the correct eye position. Over the years I have experimented with the best place for me to position my eyes and nowadays I spend a lot of time helping players find the right eye placement for their success.

Here is a simplified version of how I help players gain the correct eye position:

1. Position one three-foot ruler at the mouth of the hole and another three feet away extending out from your golf ball. There should be a three-foot gap between them. This setup will test your binocular vision.

2. Address the ball and look towards the target while retaining your posture. Start with your eyes inside the ruler line (A) and then outside the ruler line (B) and watch how the lines change orientation. There will be a point between positions A and B where the rulers look perfectly straight towards the target and this is your ideal eye position (C).

3. When you find this position, place a putting mirror (or a DVD) under the ball. Re-address the ball and check the lines still match up. From this position look down at your reflection and look at where your eyes are relative to the ball. Most successful putters have their eyes slightly inside the ball to the target line but by how much varies based on your field of vision.

4. Mark the position of your eyes on the mirror and start putting yourself in this position each time you practise.

Follow @tmullallygolf

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

Team Canada Amateur Squad member Grace St-Germain is T2 after three rounds of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship at Chateau Elan Resort.

On Wednesday, the Ottawa native went out with a bogey free, 2-under par 34 on the front nine. After two more birdies on the back nine and just one bogey, St-Germain carded a 3-under par 68, the lowest score of the day. She currently sits at 6-over par (73-78-68), two strokes off the pace set by leader Peerada Piddon.

In her inaugural junior college season, St-Germain had three top-5 and four top-10 finishes, including two second-place results.

St-Germain’s Falcons have won eight NJCAA national championships in program history and are looking to defend their title from 2016.

After three rounds Daytona State is well-placed to repeat. They are 38-over par and 16 shots clear of the Seminole State College of Florida Raiders who sit second at 54-over par.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Team Canada Amateur Squad member, Jared du Toit, finished T10 at 2-under par at the NCAA Division I Austin Regional at the University of Texas Golf Club.

After posting a 3-over par 74 in round one, the Kimberley, B.C., product rebounded with two solid scores. He carded a 2-under par 69 in the second round and was T12 after 36 holes.

To start round three Du Toit birdied the first hole for a second consecutive day, but gave it right back with a bogey on the third.

He then parred seven straight holes before making back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13. He finished his round with a birdie on 18 to post a 3-under par 68.

He finished 12 shots behind medallist Nick Voke of Iowa State, who posted a final-round score of 10-under par (61), thanks to eight birdies, an eagle and no bogeys to win by five strokes at 14-under par over Texas’ Doug Ghim.

Du Toit had seven top-10 finishes this season, including two first place results. He claimed sole possession of the top spot at The Prestige at PGA West, and was part of a three-way tie for first at the Amer Ari Invitational at Waikoloa King’s Course.

In the team competition the Sun Devils finished in 5th place, with a team score of 7-over par, securing the last spot available in the National Championship at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., from May 26-31.

They’re going to the SHIP! @asumensgolf comes up huge on Day 3 to punch their ticket! ?? #GoDevils #NCAAGolf pic.twitter.com/McvuP5hQXC

— Sun Devil Athletics (@TheSunDevils) May 17, 2017

Du Toit, a senior, will look to help the Sun Devils improve on their 9th place finish in the stroke play portion of the tournament in 2016. Arizona State will be chasing their third title in school history. The first came in 1990, and the second in 1996.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Golf Canada is pleased to honour Elmwood Golf and Country Club with the Future Links, driven by Acura Facility of the Year award for the 2016 season.

Elmwood, located in the Southern Saskatchewan town of Swift Current, earned the award for its outstanding success in delivering Future Links, driven by Acura—Canada’s junior golf program. Under the direction of head PGA of Canada professional Jeff Chambers, Elmwood excelled in delivering fundamental junior golf curriculum and values of golf through Future Links.

“We are very proud to acknowledge Elmwood Golf and Country Club for their dedication to junior golf and the youth of the Swift Current community,” stated Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “The leading effort put forward by the facility staff is an accomplishment worth celebrating, and we are happy to honour their success in delivering junior golf in their community.”

Chambers’ Future Links program has seen numbers at Elmwood grow from 60 kids to a remarkable 340 participants per year in the last nine years through activities such as Junior Skills Challenge, Girls Club, Learn to Play, and Learn to Compete.

“I was ecstatic to hear the news that we were selected to receive Facility of the Year award,” said Chambers, who also won the PGA of Canada’s Junior Leader of the Year in 2010. “It’s because of Elmwood and its drive to provide junior golf opportunities that I was able to make a big impact in the sport.  I’m so happy that Golf Canada recognizes golf clubs out there that are dedicated to youth programming.”

Chambers implemented several Get Linked initiatives to enhance the junior experience while expanding the facility’s connection to students in the community. He conducted a Future Links, driven by Acura Field Trip event, which connect local students to nearby golf clubs for introductory lessons. In addition, Chambers conducted 10 professional visitations to sites registered in the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program, reaching over 1,080 additional juniors.

“Teaching the Golf in Schools program has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me as a golf professional,” said Chambers. “Our facility has also been a great supporter of outreach efforts by inviting every student to the club for additional learning experiences.”

Elmwood Golf and Country Club is the fourth Canadian golf club to receive the Future Links, driven by Acura Facility of the Year Award, which was introduced in 2013.

“On behalf of the PGA of Canada and its 3,700 members, I’d like to congratulate Jeff Chambers and his staff on the Future Links, driven by Acura Facility of the Year award,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “It’s important for PGA of Canada members and Candidates for Membership like Jeff to be recognized for all their hard work in growing the game of golf in Canada through the Future Links program.”

Last year alone, Future Links junior golf activities were conducted at 536 golf facilities with more than 7,200 juniors registered in the Learn to Play program. In addition, 170 golf facilities took part in the Junior Skills Challenge while more than 64,000 youngsters participated in more than 1,200 Mobile golf clinics presented by Acura across the country. Since 2006, more than 1.3 million children have been introduced to golf through the Future Link, driven by Acura program.