There has been discussion among the Canadian golf industry following a recently aired documentary – Dad and the Dandelions. The documentary, produced by filmmaker Andrew Nisker, aired on CBC on Thursday, March 2 as part of David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things program.

While the filmmaker set out to find specific answers related to the use of pesticides on golf courses, it is disappointing that he chose not to consult with representatives from the Canadian golf industry to help provide viewers a more in-depth understanding of the topic.

To provide a sense of balance, below are some commonly asked questions related to the use of pesticides on Canadian golf courses under the stewardship of course superintendents.

The FAQ were developed in consult with an number of Canadian golf industry representatives along with expert sources including:

– Health Canada
– Guelph Turfgrass Institute
– University of Guelph
– IPM Council of Canada
– Audubon International
– Canadian Golf Economic Impact Study
– NGCOA‎ Canada
– Canadian Golf Superintendents Association
– Golf Canada
– PGA of Canada
– Canadian Society of Club Managers

Using best management practices as directed by Health Canada, golf course superintendents are committed to ensuring that golf course green spaces continue to be a valuable benefit to the environment in communities from coast to coast.

Why do golf courses use pesticides?

– Golf courses use very minimal pest control products but they are an absolutely necessary last resort to prevent the spread of disease.

– Pesticides are expensive and golf courses minimize their use to save money.

– Golf course superintendents, their assistants and staff are environmental stewards of the land and are well educated in turfgrass management, conservation and best management practices.

– Turfgrass professionals who apply pesticides have been through a stringent Ministry of Environment licensing process to do so.

– Pesticides on golf courses are applied using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles.

– IPM requires the judicious use of pesticides only when and where necessary to eliminate infestations of turfgrass diseases, weeds or insect pests:

– Infestations are determined by site specific historical data and established thresholds to minimize pesticide use.

– Golf courses are some of the few remaining urban nature reserves in existence:

– There is over 175,000 hectares of green space managed by approximately 2,346 golf courses, including 30,000 hectares of unmanaged wildlife habitat under golf course

– The professional turf managers that take care of golf course properties take the environmental impact of their operations very seriously.

Are pesticides dangerous to human health?

– Pesticides for sale in Canada are regulated by Health Canada and if on the market have been determined to be safe.

– Pesticides are only approved after rigorous testing and a lengthy approval process managed by Health Canada.

– Canada has one of the most respected and rigorous science based safety protocols for pesticide approval in the world.

– Regular testing assures that products are safe based on applicator exposure. Products must be determined to be safe for individuals who work with these products on a regular basis who are at greatest risk for exposure.

– The general public and golfers would have minimal exposure to these products.

What testing do golf courses do to ensure pesticides are safe?

– The safety of pesticides is typically tested by independent University and Government scientists who specialize in toxicology and safety of pest control products.

– Because the applicators of the products experience the greatest exposure, they occasionally fund research independently to ensure the safety of the products.

What is the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)?

– The few pest control products utilized by the golf industry are each federally approved through Health Canada’s PMRA.

– This agency is responsible for all pesticide regulation in Canada, under the Pest Control Products Act They employ the very best PHD’s specializing in‎ toxicology and related sciences.

– PMRA adheres to the most stringent, science-based product evaluations and continuously promotes sustainable pest management that includes agriculture, parks, sports and residential applications.

– Any pest control product used by a golf course superintendent is approved as safe by Health Canada’s PMRA.

How does golf course use of pesticides compare with the agriculture‎ industry?

– Pest control products for golf courses are derivatives from the agriculture industry.

– The same basic products are used to protect plants from disease.

– Agriculture in Canada uses approximately 94% of all pesticides applied and Health Canada’s PMRA ensures that the safety of the food grown is well within the acceptable risk levels for consumption.

– On the golf course, golfers only walk on the grass, as opposed to digesting any minimal residue‎, and with far less frequency than food.

– There is no significant risk.

Is the industry attempting to reduce the number of pesticides used on golf courses?

– These products have a significant cost and therefore any reduction helps the business model of golf.

– Since the inception of the cosmetic pesticide bans in some regions across the country, the Guelph Turfgrass Institute (GTI) has been instrumental in testing acceptable, alternative pest control products some of which are available on the market today.

– Much of the current research at GTI focuses on alternative pest control products and sustainable ecological cultural practices to aid turfgrass managers in reducing overall pesticide use.

– Sustainable landscapes are a key focus of researchers with emphasis on reducing inputs.

Don’t the pesticide companies fund all the research? If so, does this funding have any impact on opinions related to pesticide use?

– Health Canada requires that the data collected for safety and efficacy trials must be collected objectively from independent researchers and often University faculty whom have no vested interest in the company nor the results of the research – this is assured by the rigour within the Health Canada review process.

– Researchers have no vested interest in the companies who choose to test their products nor the results of these tests.

– Much of the research is funded by Not-For-Profit Industry professional associations who are interested in protecting their members such as golf course superintendents, owners, sod farmers and sports field managers.

Some sports fields have started eliminating pesticides. Why have golf courses not followed this strategy?

– The users of sports fields would generally prefer higher quality turfgrass surfaces, and acceptable playing conditions have been shown to be achievable by restricting access, installing irrigation and using proper turfgrass management techniques such as topdressing, aeration, proper fertility, overseeding and irrigation practices. These all come at an increased cost.

– Golf courses have not adopted a ‘no pesticide’ policy as the requirement for acceptable playing conditions are high, and fungal pathogens such as dollar spot and snow moulds are diseases that would destroy the playing surface.

– The only way to achieve these conditions is through use of pest control products.

Is there a difference between the pesticides used on golf courses in North America, and those used in other countries?

– North America, in particular Ontario, has been very progressive in reducing the amount of overall pesticide used on golf courses.

– Many other countries, Scotland in particular, use fewer pesticides than Ontario on their golf courses:

– Many turfgrass weeds and diseases are directly related to climate and type of turfgrass used on the golf course.

– Scotland has an ideal climate for ‘naturalized’ golf courses, consequently requiring less overall pesticide.

– Other countries have access to and use additional pesticides:

– North American golf courses have recognized the need to implement sustainability into all maintenance aspects of the golf course, and pesticide reduction is included under this umbrella.

Is it possible for golf courses to function without pesticides?

– Yes, but there would be fewer golf courses, and therefore fewer green spaces in our urban areas.

– Canadian conditions are not conducive to pesticide free maintenance.

– Yes, this is possible, however, golf would look and play very different from what golfers want.

Are golf courses, which cannot be maintained without pesticides, a danger to the environment?

– No golf courses are not a danger to the environment.

– Golf courses are quite the opposite, in that they are some of the few greenspaces remaining in the urban environment.

– They provide refuge for many animal and insect species, as well as act as ideal growing environments for native plant and tree species.

– Turfgrasses on golf courses also have many notable environmental benefits:

– Preventing erosion and reducing run-off during storm events

– Carbon sequestration and oxygen production

– Improving air quality by trapping airborne particulate matter and pollen

– Providing a safe recreational surface for play

– Regulation of urban temperatures

What are the environmental benefits of golf?

– There is no more environmentally friendly development of raw land than a golf course.

– Roads, housing, office space, retail and other commercial development drastically disrupts the original environment.

– Golf preserves green space, and even improves the environmental sustainability of raw land in many cases.

Is it true that many golf courses are certified Audubon sanctuaries?

– Yes, over 200 golf courses in Canada are either fully certified or in the process of earning that designation, with more on the way

– These courses demonstrate an even higher standard of environmental value that enhances habitat for wildlife and plants‎, water conservation, limiting invasive species and adding nature to the communities surrounding the property.

How does golf differ from homeowner lawns and parks?

Lawns and parks have historically preferred pest control products‎ for cosmetic appeal

At golf courses, these products are a necessity, not cosmetic, due to the requirement for professional turf grasses grown in difficult climate conditions

Canadian golf courses adhere to the highest standards of safety, as regulated by the approval process for all pest control products by Health Canada’s PMRA and various Ministries of the Environment.

These standards exceed the safety threshold for our own employees‎ who have much more exposure than the public ever would. The data confirms that golfers themselves have no significant risk.

Golf is the #1 participation sport in Canada, responsible for more economic impact, employment, charitable fundraising, taxation, and greenspace‎ than all other participation sports. It is important that our environmental stewardship and safety protocols be properly understood so that we may continue to provide Canada’s favorite participation sport as effectively as possible.

SINGAPORE – Inbee Park made a birdie on the last hole Friday to take a one-stroke lead over Michelle Wie and two others after two rounds of the LPGA’s Women’s Champions tournament.

Park lost her place atop the leaderboard when she made a double-bogey on the 12th hole, her only blemish in two rounds at the Sentosa Golf Club, but regained her composure with birdies on the 14th and 18th holes.

The Olympic gold medallist had a second consecutive five-under-par 67 to lead the $1.5 million event at 10-under 134.

Wie, who led overnight after an opening round of 66, shot a bogey-free 69 to join Hur Mi-Jung (67) and Ariya Jutanugarn (68) in a three-way tie for second.

Suzann Pettersen (67) and Park Sung-Hyun (68) reached the halfway stage at 8 under, tied for fifth.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who opened with 5-under for a share of second place, slipped back with a round of 70 and now sits at 7-under 137. Henderson and five others, including No.1-ranked Lydia Ko, who shot 68 Friday, trail Park by three strokes.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton was at plus-5 after her round of 2-over.

With the greens soft after a morning rain shower, Park birdied five of her first nine holes to go out in 31 before an unlucky break at the 12th when she got mud on her ball.

“I hit a good shot but it’s that unlucky bounce. Making double-bogey was a mistake,” she said. “I didn’t want to ruin the day with one bad hole with an unlucky shot. I think it’s just trying to keep the calm emotions going. Obviously there were a few birdie holes coming in, so I was trying to get a couple from there.”

Wie made a flying start when she sank two long birdie putts, but managed just two more for the rest of the round.

“I hit it in the bunker on 2, and then I hit it to about 25 feet and made that putt, which is a nice one to make on the second hole,” she said.

“And then the next hole I made a 15-footer. It was just one of those days where after that, it looked like every putt was going to go in, but just didn’t go in.”

Ko’s putter was running hot at the end of her round as the New Zealander knocked in three long birdie putts at the 16th, 17th and 18th on the new Tanjong course at Sentosa.

The Olympic silver medallist has not won a title since July _ a barren run by the 19-year-old Ko’s standards _ but she produced the shot of the day when she hit a fairway wood within inches of making a double-eagle at the 534-yard 5th hole.

“I just kind of gripped my 5-wood and ended up being like a foot by the hole,” she said. “Because the hole was kind of behind this little slope, I didn’t know how long it was, because I thought it had kind of gone off the green. But it ended up being perfect.”

Pettersen also made a strong start, making seven birdies in her first 13 holes, before she slipped back into a tie for fifth with two late bogeys.

“Eight-under through two rounds, yeah, it’s good,” Pettersen said. “I wish I could have taken back a couple of those dropped shots, but I’m going to have more opportunities coming my way on the weekend.”

MEXICO CITY – Rory McIlroy leaned over and rested his hand on the top of his driver. At the turn, waiting for the green to clear, he twirled half of a bagel in his finger and then ducked inside a tent to sit on a table. In his return to golf after seven weeks, he didn’t look to be in the best of shape Thursday at the Mexico Championship.

Only it was his stomach, not his ribs.

As for his golf? That looked to be as good as ever.

McIlroy, playing for the first time since Jan. 15 because of a hairline rib fracture, was rarely out of position, blasted a 4-iron out of the rough from 256 yards to set up an eagle and wound up with a 3-under 68. He finished the opening round at Chapultepec Golf Club one shot out of a six-way tie for the lead.

Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood, two of the four players who were in the field for the first edition of this World Golf Championships event in 1999, each shot 67 and were joined at the top by PGA champion Jimmy Walker, Ross Fisher, Jon Rahm of Spain and Ryan Moore.

Westwood and Walker each made it to 6 under until two bogeys over their final few holes.

It was an impressive return for McIlroy, and equally impressive was the debut of Chapultepec, hosting this WGC event after it spent nine years at Trump Doral.

“I’ve waited long enough to play,” McIlroy said. “I wanted to get out here and be competitive and try to shoot a good score. I don’t feel anywhere near as bad as I did in China last year when I had the same thing. So hopefully, it’s just a day thing and it will pass.”

British Open champion Henrik Stenson wasn’t so fortunate. He withdrew after 11 holes with a stomach virus.

The biggest surprise was Chapultepec, hosting the best players in the world at nearly 7,800 feet. Roberto Castro hit a tee shot 407 yards. Mickelson hit one 379 yards, his longest in recent years without hitting a cart path. Dustin Johnson, in his debut at No. 1 in the world, hit 3-wood on the 316-yard first hole that bounded over the green, into the hedges and out-of-bounds.

For all that length, no one could do better than 67. Only 27 players in the 77-man field broke par.

“Even though the golf course doesn’t play long because of the altitude, it is challenging in many other respects with the precision of the irons, the small targets that the greens present and the speed and undulation of the greens,” Mickelson said.

Westwood certainly didn’t expect to make eight birdies, and he wasn’t all that disappointed with his two bogeys at the end.

“It’s a great golf course,” Westwood said. “You’ve got to be really patient. It’s a pleasure to play a golf course where your caddie doesn’t hand you the driver walking off the previous green. You’ve got to put in a bit of thought on this golf course.”

Westwood, Mickelson, Sergio Garcia (68) and Jim Furyk (77) were all at Valderrama in 1999 for what was then the American Express Championship. It was the one WGC originally designed to travel, and when the PGA Tour couldn’t secure at sponsor at Trump Doral outside Miami, it moved to Mexico City.

The crowd was loud and energized, no cheer louder than when Justin Thomas holed a punch-and-run from 103 yards on No. 4.

That was about the time Walker reached 6 under with a birdie on the par-5 sixth hole. But he was a victim of the thin air on the par-3 seventh when his 7-iron on the 235-yard seventh hole bounced hard and went all the way to the back of the green, leading to a three-putt bogey. He went long again on No. 8, leaving him a chip that didn’t even reach the green. If it had, it might have run some 70 feet back into the fairway because of the slope.

“Good to post a 4 under, especially on a course … no one has seen it,” Walker said.

No one was more flummoxed than Johnson, who played as well as anyone and got nothing out of it on the poa greens. He won on the poa at Riviera two weeks ago by five shots. This time, he didn’t get the right bounces and turns. Johnson missed six putts from 6 feet or closer and still managed a 70.

“That’s how it goes,” he said. “The greens are a little tricky. I felt like I hit the ball really well, though. I scored poorly. I missed five putts inside 4, 5 feet. That’s the difference between playing a really good round and just playing an OK round.”

Jordan Spieth had an OK round. He had two early bogeys and had to rally to get back to 71.

SINGAPORE _ Michelle Wie rolled in several clutch putts on Thursday and had six birdies in a 10-hole stretch to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the HSBC Women’s Champions.

The 27-year-old Wie, who has struggled with injuries and form since winning the U.S. Open in 2014, shot a 6-under 66 at the new Tanjong course.

Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., was in a five-way tie for second place. Henderson, Inbee Park, Mo Martin, Anna Nordqvist and Ariya Jutanugarn each shot a 5-under 67.

“We love Singapore,” Henderson said of her and her sister Brittany. “It’s our favourite place that we travel to. We love it. Just being in a hotel room and looking out over the city is cool. Maybe a night safari or something like that.”

Among other scores in the 63-player field, Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer had 68s, top-ranked Lydia Ko shot 69, Shanshan Feng and Lexi Thompson 70, Karrie Webb 75 and Cristie Kerr 77.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton opened with a 3-over 75.

Wie, who had eight birdies and a pair of bogeys on Thursday, has managed just one top-10 finish since 2014 and only got into the $1.5 million LPGA tournament on a sponsor’s invitation after her ranking slumped to No. 179.

But she was in vintage touch Thursday despite playing in tricky winds and light rain.

After making a bogey-5 at the third, Wie’s putter suddenly got hot as she made three birdies in a row to go out in 34.

She made another three birdies at the start of the back nine, draining a 12-foot putt on the 11th and then sinking another long putt from below the hole on the 501-yard, par-5 13th to take the early lead at a tournament featuring nine of the world’s top 10 players.

Wie slipped a shot behind Nordqvist when she bogeyed the 15th after an errant tee shot and the Swede picked up her sixth birdie, but Wie regained the lead with back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17.

“It feels good to play without much pain, to go out there and just play some golf and focus on my game rather than trying to finish out rounds,” Wie said. “It’s always exciting to be on the top of the leaderboard.”

Scott Simmons, the outgoing CEO of Golf Canada after 10 years on the job, doesn’t want to talk about a “legacy.” He prefers “framework.” He also discounts “challenge,” substituting “opportunity” whenever the former word is mentioned.

When Simmons took over in 2007, he might have done well to recognize Charles Dickens’ opening sentence in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

A decade ago, the landscape of golf was shifting, as it continues to do. The demographic, economic and related tectonic plates that had hoisted the game to historic levels were settling, even faltering.

But, typically, Simmons saw not a challenge, but an opportunity.

The year before he took over, the Royal Canadian Golf Association had been anointed as the National Sport Federation for golf.

“I saw this as such an exciting time for the game to leap forward in Canada,” Simmons said in an interview. “It was a unique opportunity for a traditional association, which had been known only as the ‘governing body of golf’ to evolve into the National Sport Federation [NSF] for golf in a country which has such a love of the game.

“If I had to give one reason for taking the job, that would be it.”

In full disclosure, I have known Simmons for more than 20 years. We worked together in the early 1990s at the RCGA. I was director of communications. He was my counterpart on the marketing side. We both left to pursue other interests eventually. He to private industry, me to, well, I remain unsure.  It was a pleasure, and I mean that sincerely, to work with him on many projects, including the infancy of what now is Future Links and Golf in Schools. I was always impressed by his passion for the game. That passion was, and remains, genuine.

If you want the boilerplate checklist on what he is most proud of as he departs, you can have a look at his sayonara message in Golf Canada’s annual report. It’s impressive.  Of course, he didn’t do it all on his own. It required the valued input of Boards of Directors, provincial associations, national associations and other contributors.

Nonetheless…

The thumbnail sketch of his “legacy” includes developing an ongoing strategic plan for the association, a much-needed revision of the organization’s governance model, introducing “Golf Canada” as the public-facing brand, securing long-term sponsors for our men’s and women’s national Opens, introducing a new membership model, revitalizing the Golf Canada Foundation and numerous other checkpoints.

“I love this game and I thought, 10 years ago, that I could bring a different perspective and energy and give something back to golf,” says Simmons. “Aside from building on the NSF designation and the other achievements, I am most proud of the success we have had in getting kids involved in golf.”

When I spoke to Simmons recently, he had just returned from a meeting with the folks looking for his successor.

He suggested to them that, among other items, their criteria should include the ability to continue to expand the framework he established over the past decade, specifically to strengthen the relationships with all international, national and provincial golf associations.

I would suggest some other criteria. Visionary, communicator, diplomat, marketer, ambassador, administrator, hide of an elephant…

But not golfer.

Simmons’ advice to his successor is that they prepare to “see a lot of golf courses and not play any of them.”

As the National Sport Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), has unveiled a preview of the proposed new Rules of Golf. This joint initiative was designed to modernize the Rules and make them easier to understand and apply.

The online release of this preview by the R&A and USGA begins a six-month feedback and evaluation period during which all golfers worldwide can learn about the proposed changes and provide input before they are finalized in 2018 and take effect on 1 January 2019.

The announcement follows a comprehensive review process that began in 2012 with a working group of key R&A and USGA Rules administrators, a Golf Canada representative, professional tour officials and other Rules experts. While the Rules are revised every four years, this is the first fundamental review since 1984, and was established to ensure the Rules fit the needs of today’s game and the way it is played around the world.   

David Rickman, Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “Our aim is to make the Rules easier to understand and to apply for all golfers. We have looked at every Rule to try to find ways to make them more intuitive and straightforward, and we believe we have identified many significant improvements. It is important that the Rules continue to evolve and remain in tune with the way the modern game is played, but we have been careful not to change the game’s longstanding principles and character.”

“We are excited and encouraged by the potential this work brings, both through the proposed new Rules and the opportunities to use technology to deliver them,” said Thomas Pagel, Senior Director of Rules & Amateur Status for the USGA. “We look forward to an ongoing conversation with golfers during the feedback period in the months ahead.”

“There was considerable effort, exploration and dialogue around how these proposed changes would both modernize the Rules and make them easier for all golfers to understand and apply,” said Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status with Golf Canada. “We encourage Canadian golf enthusiasts to review the proposed Rules changes and participate in the feedback process of the next six months.”

The proposed 24 new Rules, reduced from the current 34, have been written in a user-friendly style with shorter sentences, commonly used phrases, bulleted lists and explanatory headings. The initiative also focuses on assessing the overall consistency, simplicity and fairness of the Rules for play.

The Rules are currently delivered in more than 30 languages, and the proposed wording will support easier translation worldwide. When adopted, the Rules will be supported by technology that allows the use of images, videos and graphics.

Highlights of the proposed Rule changes include:

– Elimination or reduction of “ball moved” penalties: There will be no penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball; and a player is not responsible for causing a ball to move unless it is “virtually certain” that he or she did so.

– Relaxed putting green rules: There will be no penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes, animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt.

– Relaxed rules for “penalty areas” (currently called “water hazards”): Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc., in addition to areas of water; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

– Relaxed bunker rules: There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club. A limited set of restrictions (such as not grounding the club right next to the ball) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand; however, an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker, allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.

– Relying on player integrity: A player’s “reasonable judgment” when estimating or measuring a spot, point, line, area or distance will be upheld, even if video evidence later shows it to be wrong; and elimination of announcement procedures when lifting a ball to identify it or to see if it is damaged.

– Pace-of-play support: Reduced time for searching for a lost ball (from five minutes to three); affirmative encouragement of “ready golf” in stroke play; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play.

– Simplified way of taking relief: A new procedure for taking relief by dropping a ball in and playing it from a specific relief area; relaxed procedures for dropping a ball, allowing the ball to be dropped from just above the ground or any growing thing or other object on the ground.

A series of materials have also been prepared to explain the proposed Rule changes and provide background on the initiative. Found on randa.org and usga.org/rules, they include:

– Overview of the Rules Modernization Initiative: goals, proposed changes and process for implementation in 2019

– Draft New Rules of Golf for 2019: the full text of proposed Rules 1-24 and Definitions

– Draft Player’s Edition of the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Written from the perspective of “you” the golfer, this shorter version covers the most commonly used Rules and is meant to be the rule book golfers will use when finalized and adopted in 2019

– Explanation for Each Major Proposed Change in the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Short summaries of each major proposed change

– Summary chart of major changes

– Videos and Infographics: Visual explanations of the proposed Rules.

Golfers are encouraged to review the proposed changes and submit feedback online via worldwide survey technology that can be accessed at randa.org or usga.org/rules from now until 31 August 2017.

The feedback will be reviewed by golf’s governing bodies in establishing the approved final version of golf’s new Rules. These are due to be released in mid-2018 ahead of a 1 January 2019 implementation. Social media users can also follow the discussion using #GolfRules2019.

Players are reminded that the current 2016 Edition of the Rules of Golf remain in force when playing, posting scores or competing, until the new Rules are officially adopted by The R&A and the USGA as well as Golf Canada in 2019. The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of this review process.     

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to announce that Montreal natives Judy Darling Evans and legendary golf club maker Robert (Bob) Vokey have been elected as the 2017 inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Darling Evans will be inducted under the player category while Vokey will be inducted as a builder. With their inductions, the Quebec duo will become the 78^th and 79^th honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and their tremendous impact on the game of golf and it is without question an honour welcome Judy Darling Evans and Bob Vokey as our newest honoured members,” said Sandra Post, Chair of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. “During her competitive career, Judy was fierce and accomplished competitor while the Vokey name has become synonymous with excellence in craftsmanship. Their respective elections exemplify the diversity of talent represented among the members of the Canadian Golf Hall Fame.”

During her stellar amateur career, Darling Evans, 79 was a dominant force in Quebec and Canadian women’s amateur golf with a resume that includes three Quebec Junior Girls’ titles (1953, 1956 & 1957); six Quebec Women’s Amateur titles (1957-1961, 1972); and a Quebec Women’s Senior title (1988); three Quebec interprovincial team titles; a Canadian Junior Girls title (1957) and a pair of Canadian Women’s Amateur victories (1960-61). She also represented Canada at the 1959 and 1963 Commonwealth Games and in 1998, her accomplishments were recognized with induction into the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame.

A product of a proud golfing family, she and her mother Dora are the only mother-daughter duo to have both won the Quebec Ladies Amateur Championship and the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

“Just last weekend I was at the Honda Classic at PGA National where I live, and I was cheering on Graham DeLaet who was well under par, when my phone kept buzzing and I ran home to find Sandra Post had called,” said Darling Evans about getting the call from the Selection Committee.  “She told me that I had been selected to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. I was overwhelmed and shed more than a few tears. It was the most wonderful surprise. I would like to thank Sandra and the Selection Committee for bestowing this honour on me. It is truly a great privilege to be in the company of such distinguished and accomplished honored members and I am very excited about the upcoming ceremony this summer at Glen Abbey.”

Born in Montreal and raised in Verdun, Que., Vokey has become one of the world’s foremost wedge designers and trusted short game advisor to many of the modern game’s greatest golfers. His innovative designs have made Titleist Vokey wedges a trusted brand among golfers of every age and skill level.

Over his illustrious career, Vokey, 77, has designed wedges for many of golf’s notable players including Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino, Bernhard Langer, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, as well as Canadians Mike Weir, Ian Leggatt, Graham DeLaet and Brad Fritsch.

“I’m truly humbled by this incredible honour. This is something I would never have dreamed of as a young boy growing up in Verdun, working in my Dad’s machine shop. I’ve never forgotten where I came from, so to see my name on the same list of Canadian golf legends is overwhelming. I have always been surrounded by passionate, hardworking people who love the game as much as I do. This honour really is a reflection of everybody that has provided me the opportunities to live out my passion over the past 50 years in golf.”

Darling Evans and Vokey will be officially inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame during ceremonies to be held later this year.

About Judy Darling Evans….               

For nearly a decade, the name Judy Darling Evans was synonymous with amateur golfing success. She was born on October 6, 1937 in Montreal and was first introduced to the game at Whitlock Golf Club where her grandfather, J.A. Darling—a Quebec Amateur champion himself— served as the club’s first president.

Through the years, the Darling family was an institution at the Whitlock club. Judy’s father, Bill won 11 club titles as well as the Western Canada championship. Her mother, Dora, twice captured the Québec Women’s Amateur crown and won the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in 1936. Her sister Mary was a three-time Québec junior champion. As well, her brother Brian was twice named to the junior interprovincial team and was a five-time member of the Québec team in matches against Ontario.

Darling Evans first joined the Whitlock club at the age ten, although she had begun swinging a club almost as soon as she could walk. In 1953, her family also held membership at Royal Montreal Golf Club, although she continued to compete under the Whitlock banner. It was during her time at Royal Montreal that she was

It wasn’t long before Judy earned a formidable reputation in the junior ranks. In 1952 she finished runner-up in the Québec Junior Girls’ Championship as a 14-year old and then the following year captured her first Québec Junior Girls’ title. Her domination in Québec junior ranks continued with a runner-up finish in 1955, before winning her second of three Quebec Junior crowns in 1956. She would go to capture national attention with a runner-up finish at the 1956 Canadian Junior Girls’ Championship.

By age 19 she had become one of the province’s elite players. In 1957 she captured the first of five consecutive Québec Women’s Amateur crowns (1957-1961), earning her the distinction of becoming the first golfer to win both the Quebec Junior Girls and Quebec Women’s Amateur titles in one year. She carried that success to the national level by capturing the 1957 Canadian Junior Girls’ crown.

Judy’s domination at the provincial and national level earned a selection to the Canadian women’s golf team competing in the 1959 Commonwealth Games in St. Andrews, Scotland. She would help Canada finish second at the four-nation event.

In 1960, after graduating from McGill University, she would finish runner-up in the Canadian Ladies’ Close Amateur Championship before winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. The victory was historic as it marked the first time a mother-daughter duo – her mother Dora won the Open title in 1936 – would have their names inscribed on the Duchess of Connaught Trophy. That year she would rank third in voting for Canadian Female Athlete of the Year.

In 1961, Darling Evans captured her record fifth consecutive Québec Ladies’ Amateur title and went on to successfully defend her Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship crown. She was again nominated for Canadian Female Athlete of the year, eventually finishing second in the balloting. Later that year Judy Darling would wed Douglas Evans.

The summer of 1962 brought different joy with the birth of her first child, daughter Katherine. Eight months later, after taking more than a year off from golf, Darling Evans accepted the invitation to play for Canada in the 1963 Commonwealth matches in Australia. Those Commonwealth matches were to be her last hurrah as a competitor as she redirected her focus toward family life.

Competitive golf made way to recreational enjoyment as her family grew to include four children, Katherine (1962), Cynthia (1964), Tracey (1967), and Daphne (1969). In 1970, she rejoined Royal Montreal Golf Club and two years later entered the Québec Women’s Amateur Championship. Although she had spent nearly a decade away from competitive golf, her talents led to capturing her sixth Amateur title in 1972.

Amateur golfing success continued into her later years with a win (1988) and runner-up finish (1989) at the Québec Senior Women’s Championship.

Darling Evans career as one of Canada’s most accomplished amateurs was recognized with induction into the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.

About Bob Vokey…..

Bob Vokey was born in 1939 in Montréal, Québec. and credits his early inspiration in club design to the summers he spent with his father, a fine tool and die maker who had a penchant for golf and enjoyed tinkering with equipment.

He was a three-sport athlete in hockey, baseball, and football growing up and his talents on the football field led to a professional stint with the Québec Rifles of the United Football League as a punter, receiver and safety. He moved to Southern California in 1965 to work for AT&T laying telephone lines and it was during this time that he developed a passion for golf and the tools required for golfers to play their best.

In 1976, he pursued his passion by opening Bob’s Custom Shop which offered club building and repair services. From there, it didn’t take long for the ‘Bob Vokey’ name to become synonymous with craftsmanship within the South California golf community.

In 1986, he joined TaylorMade as their primary club builder in the company’s Tour department. It was during this time that he developed relationships with players such as Lee Trevino, Seve Ballesteros and Mark O’Meara.

In 1991 he joined Founders Club and continued to gain the trust of the game’s greats including Lanny Wadkins and Peter Jacobsen with performance products that included the TV-1 Irons, Founders Forged and Fresh Metal Plus metal woods.

In 1996, the lead club designer at Titleist, Terry McCabe, asked Vokey to join him in the R&D and Tour Departments. His first project at Titleist was assisting with the final design of the Titleist 975 driver, which quickly became the No. 1 driver in play on the PGA Tour in 1996.

Shortly thereafter, Titleist CEO Wally Uihlein entrusted Vokey with the task of driving the company’s wedge business. The 456.14 wedge was the first Vokey Design wedge in play on the PGA Tour when it debuted in the summer of 1997 and introduced to the consumer market in 1998.

Vokey’s innovation with wedge design introduced popular concepts such as bounce and grind into golf equipment lexicon. The 400 series Vokey Design wedges delivered the finest in product design and committed service to the world’s best players and were complimented by 200 and 300 series wedges from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, Vokey Design wedges became the No. 1 wedge in play on the PGA Tour, a distinction of excellence that continues today.

In 2005, Vokey’s innovation introduced the Spin Milled groove cutting process, which ultimately led to Vokey Design wedges becoming the No. 1 wedge in the world’s largest consumer market, the United States, in 2009, a market leadership position it has held now since 2011.

Vokey and his design team continue to focus on innovation and in 2016 introduced ‘progressive centre of gravity’ to the wedge category with the Spin Milled 6 models. The technology represented another leap in wedge design from custom sole grinds, to spin milled grooves and centre of gravity precisely positioned based on loft. Each innovation to this day is grounded in Vokey’s commitment to the golfer, and his mission to deliver the best in wedge play performance.

Earlier this year, his contributions to the game were honoured with election into the Quebec Hall of Fame.

Players in this year’s GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship will now have an opportunity to win $1-million (USD).

Sponsored by Greg Norman Apparel and the Fairmont Southampton, the $1-million hole-in-one shootout will feature two professional and two amateur golfers.

“Adding this exciting element to the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship rounds out one of the best—and most fun—tournaments in Bermuda,” says Turtle Hill Golf Club’s director of golf Paul Adams. “The possibility of someone becoming an instant millionaire with just one swing of the club is electrifying.”

Professional and amateur participants will compete in two closest-to-hole games (on Nos. 9 and 18) during Friday’s first round, with the four winners (two professionals and two amateurs) participating in the $1-million shootout later that evening on No. 18.

The $1-million shootout will be live streamed through the PGA of Canada’s Facebook page.

The GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship takes place March 16-19.

With a total purse of $75,000 (USD), entry into GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship is still available. Both professional and amateur golfers can register HERE.

The $300 entry fee includes a myriad of experiences, including:

• Welcome Reception at Bacardi Headquarters (evening on Thursday, March 16, 2017)
• Lunch at Italian resort restaurant Bacci on Tournament Days (Friday, March 17, 2017 and Saturday March 18, 2017)
• Prize Giving Reception at the 10th Tee at Turtle Hill Golf Club (evening on Saturday, March 18, 2017)
• Golf Practice Round, complimentary access to the new golf practice area and an amenity bag
• Opportunity to win $1-million in hole-in-one shootout

Past champions of the GREY GOOSE® World Par 3 Championship include Bermudian Daniel Augustus, PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, PGA of Canada member Ian Doig, American Jordan Mitchell, Mark Mouland of the European Senior Tour and last year’s winner Rafael Becker.

The GREY GOOSE® World Par 3 Championship, as well as the Bacardi National Par 3 Championship, are both integral to Fairmont Southampton’s strategic golf plan, which aims to drive golfers to Bermuda’s shores. Both golf tournaments will benefit the Bermuda Sea Turtle Project, the official charity partner of the Turtle Hill Golf Club. The Turtle Hill Golf Club has been recognized by Golf Magazine as one of the “Top 5 Par 3 Courses in the World” and is a recipient of Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play Golf Award.”