GASTONIA, NC – Canadian Mackenzie Hughes fired a 7-under 64 on Monday at the Gaston Country Club to nab one of four spots in the PGA TOUR’s Wells Fargo Championship this week.

Hughes, a 25-year-old Dundas, Ont., native, carded a bogey-free round to share a three-way tie of second place. The trio trailed medalist Corey Nagy of Charlotte, N.C., by one stroke.

The Young Pro Squad member has played seven times on the Web.Com Tour this year, making four cuts in total—he currently sits at No. 99 on the money list.

The Kent State alumnus is set to join fellow Canucks Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor when play begins this Thursday at Quail Hollow.

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Is Golf Canada guilty of false advertising when they offer golfers across the country their new “free” Bronze-level membership?

We’re being facetious, of course, but there is a hidden cost as Peter Kirkpatrick, Golf Canada’s Managing Director of Brand and Marketing Services, points out.

While no money changes hands, joining the new membership initiative comes with a price. That “price,” he says, is the time it takes you to sign up and make use of the array of utilities and benefits. “Just because there may not be a payment involved in becoming a Bronze member, we realize that time and attention are valuable commodities for everyone these days. We have tried to ensure that there is enough value there for golfers to make that investment,” Kirkpatrick says. Much of that value stemmed from the input of focus groups and surveys across the country over the past three years.

“Our research gave us insight into what golfers want,” says Karen Hewson, Managing Director of Membership and Heritage Services.  “They want to track scores, they want meaningful experiences and more information about the game. They told us they would like to be part of the larger golf community so we created a no-cost membership to remove any barriers to that objective.”

At present, the free membership level offers golfers online game and score tracking (not to be confused with an official Golf Canada Handicap Factor® which is a benefit at the paid level), the opportunity to win rewards for playing and posting scores, online Rules of Golf education access, free subscriptions to online golf publications, and exclusive offers on event tickets and merchandise. Bronze members are also entered into some impressive contests when they sign up and each time they post a score. Currently, The Great Canadian East-West Contest offers a golf vacation for two to either Cabot Links/Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia or Banff Springs in Alberta.

The objective of Golf Canada’s Bronze membership category is to engage the millions of Canadian golfers who are not members today, to build that community for all golfers, and to encourage them to support the game. To welcome those golfers, the Bronze membership comes at no charge and offers a lot of value. Call it the “starter” membership for those who want to test the golf community experience.

For those who want all the trappings of a full-fledged Golf Canada membership, there is the Gold level. For $49.95, Gold-level members receive an official Golf Canada Handicap Factor, multiple rewards opportunities, the Golf Canada Equipment Replacement Guarantee, golf club identification labels and access to the Golf Canada Equipment Identification and Retrieval System, discounts on event tickets and merchandise, online Rules of Golf education access, as well as lifetime scoring history and even more digital utilities.

Member dues support myriad national and provincial programs such as Long-Term Player Development, multiple junior initiatives such as Golf in Schools, Team Canada, Rules of Golf, national amateur championships, handicapping and course rating, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, the Canadian Golf Foundation, and more.

No matter which level you choose, a Golf Canada membership definitely is one of golf’s best “value propositions” and will pay immediate dividends not just for you, but for the game itself.

And that’s truth in advertising.

(To become a member of Golf Canada and the Canadian golf community, visit www.golfcanada.ca and click on “Join Now.”)

Concussions and physical impact in youth sport has never been more top of mind. Parents and medical experts often discuss the benefit versus danger, while some brain experts have questioned whether kids should even participate in contact sports. Golf offers a direct competitive advantage — a safe and social alternative that can provide a lifetime of quality golf experiences.

It’s vital to get children experiencing the game and having fun on the course so families can feel a sense of engagement and attachment to the sport — introducing them to golf’s etiquette and life values, such as integrity, honesty, fair play and the spirit of camaraderie inherent with our game. Consider the health benefits of burning 1,450 calories walking 18 holes as well as muscle endurance, blood circulation, flexibility and mental alertness.

As John Gordon writes in Time for Parents to Pitch In, parents play an important role in connecting children to the game. They decide the activities in which to get their children involved and to what level. A study on youth sport suggests that a child is 50 per cent less likely to participate in a sport or activity if he or she has not been introduced by the age of 12.

I agree wholeheartedly that parents play a critical role. I also believe golf facilities can do more to engage with youngsters and parents. Junior golf is a proven revenue driver for golf clubs. There are numerous success stories of PGA of Canada professionals using innovative programming to grow their junior program and subsequent revenue at their facilities. Many are recognized National Junior Golf Development Centres — recognized by Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada as premier facilities for junior development. Clubs with a strong junior golf program often see the fruit of their efforts as those children get older. Junior members with a connection to the game or a course represent a potential lifetime customer.

Clubs that connect with schools in their community offering Golf in Schools understand engagement. They recognize that students learning golf in a school gym might want to continue with golf after the bell rings. That could be buckets at a driving range, lessons, green fee play or a summer junior membership. With 10,000 elementary schools and 4,500 high schools, Canada’s physical education system is the most concentrated opportunity to get children of all ages and demographics introduced to any sport.

What happens when your child is old enough to make their own choices to spend recreational dollars? What is awaiting intermediate-aged golfers who want to enjoy the game but are cost-conscious on spending? The sport cycle relies on those same folks — they will have their own families and will make choices on what sports are best for their kids.

Clubs need to offer golf experiences that deliver the values that today’s consumers are expecting. That includes children, families and potential enthusiasts such as new Canadians or under-represented demographics. For some, it’s a function of cost. For others, it’s joining recreational activities that are social and open to innovation.

Access is important. I wonder if every golf course offered free access to children, how many kids and their families would take up the offer? Kids need to feel welcomed at the golf course. Grassroots programs like Golf in Schools, CN Future Links and Take a Kid to the Course are introducing thousands to the game each year. But kids and their parents make choices. Golf is competing for their attention with other sports and activities.

Junior golf is good for our kids. And it might just be the perfect alternative that safety-conscious parents are looking for.

Golf’s no-contact rule This article was originally published in the April 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

On October 19, 2015, Canadians decided it was time for change. Nearly seven million citizens voted the Liberal party into power and Justin Trudeau into the Prime Minister’s office.

Not only did they elect for a change in the House of Commons, they opened the door for change in the golf industry and for the more than 2,300 golf course operators across the country too.

That’s because a majority Liberal government provides a new opportunity for the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA), which has unsuccessfully lobbied previous regimes for tax fairness. For many years Canadian golf industry leaders have met with close to 200 members of Parliament and senators, generating multi-party support to reform the dated Income Tax Act introduced in 1971. To date, the act has remained unchanged but golf continues to share its story.

Enforced by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Income Tax Act prohibits golfing-related expenses from being claimed against corporate incomes despite the sport’s standing as an arena for business-related outings. This has become an increasingly significant issue for the $14-billion golf industry, which employs more than 300,000 citizens from coast to coast.

“The vast majority of Canada’s 2,346 golf facilities are small businesses, owned and operated by entrepreneurs, who are competing on an uneven playing field right now,” says Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “We’ve had strong discussions with ministers and government officials to tell golf’s story.”

Not only would allowing deductions for corporate golf outings have an impact on current golfers, it could encourage more players and business people to take their meetings to the links. That would result in an uptick in rounds played and boost the bottom lines of many Canadian courses. It is why, in the eyes of Canada’s 2,346 golf course operators, this tax legislation is no longer a tolerable disadvantage.

“Virtually every other recreational or hosting option in this country is tax deductible — hockey games, baseball, basketball, football, ski resorts, theatre tickets; the list goes on and on,” adds Simmons. “Golf is one of the only things excluded. This isn’t about writing off annual membership dues. We’re simply talking about daily green fees spent when entertaining customers. Every day, business people are making choices of where to entertain clients, and golf should not be excluded.”

The game has proven to be more than a recreational sport, positively impacting our society (through health and charitable benefits) and a multitude of connected industries (through economic and tourism contributions). At a time when other sports are facing health and safety questions, golf offers a safe and fun alternative that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

With close to 200 new MPs on the job familiarizing themselves when it comes to dealing with national organizations and federal policy, NAGA leaders are hoping the latest change on Parliament Hill will aid the Canadian golf industry’s advocacy efforts.

But NAGA can’t do it alone. If you want to find out more or get involved, contact Golf Canada by emailing members@golfcanada.ca.

Asking for equality This article was originally published in the April 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

Water is a touchy subject for golfers. The beauty they see in a sun-drenched pond or a swiftly flowing creek is often matched by the frustration they feel when their shot lands in unreachable territory. However, the issue of water features on the golf course extends beyond aesthetics and playability for superintendents. While the keepers of the course spend a large part of their time making sure the turfgrass is healthy, they also must have one eye on managing the creeks, ponds, lakes, rivers and marshes that sit on their properties.

Peering into a water feature is like opening the door to a world of information about the successful management of the whole golf course. At Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, all the water that falls on the 200 acres of turf drains into the course’s five ponds, via over 200 catch basins. This gives superintendent Dustin How and his team the perfect opportunity to measure how their inputs are affecting the property.

“Our pond health is an indication of the overall health of the golf course and our management programs,” said How, who has been at Southwood since 2009.

“Our pond quality is really an indication of how our fertility program is doing. If we were over-fertilizing or had some issues, everything runs into the ponds and we’re going to see it,” says How.

The story is the same at Legends on the Niagara, Battlefield Course, where superintendent Tom Newton frequently examines the site’s various large ponds and Usher Creek for red flags.

“Testing the water features helps us determine whether our management strategies are impacting the environment and if we are impacting it positively or negatively,” says Newton, who played a large part in helping the course become Audubon certified.

There are a few telltale signs that can help a superintendent determine if there is something amiss with the water quality. One of these indications is the appearance of algae blooms, says How. When he sees a bloom in a pond, it is usually a symptom of a larger problem somewhere else on the site. This allows the turf care team to begin searching for the problem and rectifying it sooner.

While six-legged pests are usually frowned upon in the world of golf course management, the team at Legends embraces them when it comes time to determine the health of their water features and, by extension, their turf. As part of his water management strategy, Newton and his environmental intern test for certain bugs in the ponds to tell them if the water is fit as a fiddle or in need of some love and care.

“There are different bugs or macroinvertebrates that tolerate different levels of pollution,” says Newton.

“You can use the variance of species to determine the health of the water features based on what you find. It’s just another tool we use to verify that what we’re doing is not having a negative effect on the water quality.”

Tracking water quality on the property is especially important to a site like The Rock Golf Course in Minett, Ontario where superintendent Deni Terenzio must monitor nine ponds and 12 interconnected wet meadows that drain in two separate lakes. These water features act as drainage basins for the course. They also contain isolation valves from draining the water that falls on the site to drain into the lakes, which is crucial in lowering the potential for negative effects on the environment.

“If those features weren’t there, we’d be free draining into the lake without any sort of buffer zone,” says Terenzio.

“We as turf managers place a lot of inputs on our turf and most, if not all, of those inputs are consumed before they exit our property by different types of plants that grow by the water.”

The wide range of plant life that grows around The Rock’s water features is a common sight at most golf courses. Water gives turf managers an opportunity to incorporate native species, which can be beneficial to the course, but it also gives Mother Nature a chance to sprout invasive species that wreak havoc. This double-edged sword adds a whole other element to managing large swaths of H2O for superintendents.

One of the major native species that grows around the ponds at Legends is called green arrow arum. The plant is not only an aesthetically pleasing feature, but it is also a very useful tool for the course maintenance team, says Newton.

“It’s a good plant that shows if you have healthy water features,” says Newton.

“Before the construction of the golf course, Usher’s Creek had very little of the green arrow arum in it and now it’s loaded with it. It helps us gauge the health of the water on the course and the other plant life in and around the water.”

Newton attributes the amplified growth of native species to the increased sunlight that now touches the creek.

The native species also help the team at Legends ensure a proper buffer zone around the course’s water features, further minimizing the chance of unwanted runoff into the ponds. On the road to Audubon Certification, this was one of the biggest steps for the Niagara site, says Newton.

“(Establishing the vegetative buffer zone) was a joint effort before me and the golf pro to implement the measure without affecting the playability and aesthetics of the holes too much,” says Newton.

“The biggest factor was determining how to implement it without ruining the golfer experience, but also ensuring a proper buffer.”

While it seems the more vegetation, the better when it comes to water features, that’s not always the case. Invasive species can cause more than a few headaches for turf managers who venture near their sites’ ponds, streams or marshes.

At The Rock, invasive species that flourish near the property’s approximately 20 acres of water can have a devastating domino effect on the course’s overall health. Bulrushes are the major worry for Terenzio and his crew, says the superintendent. The bulrushes grow tall and block light from reaching other, more beneficial plants around the water’s edge, while debris, such as dead leaves, can impede the flow of water through the course and cause a drainage backup.

“It’s important to manage debris, like leaves and fallen trees, because they impede proper flow,” says Terenzio, “and because the wet meadows are shallow, this will cause certain parts of the course to flood, which will affect the drainage system as a whole.”

Clearing the bulrushes and other material is a time-consuming task as it needs to be done manually. Terenzio says his team tries to cut all the bulrushes down to size by July and then monitor them until winter.

As much as invasive species can be a curse, native species and the water itself can team up to be quite the blessing when it comes to attracting wildlife to golf courses. There aren’t many other features of a golf course that make animals feel at home as much as a well-maintained pond or creek.

The wildlife that appears on a regular basis at Southwood would not be nearly as diverse without its multitude of water features, says How.

“We went from having a farm field here five years ago to having basically a small wildlife sanctuary,” says How about the water’s effect on drawing animals to Southwood.

Wild turkeys, deer, coyotes and a variety of ducks are just a few of the animals that How has seen flock to the water features within the property.

“The wildlife we have seen on the property would not have been there five years ago when it was just an open field and it all stems from the bodies of water that we constructed.”

The influx of wildlife at Southwood extends to the water itself where flooding in the course’s first season after construction brought some unexpected house guests with it.

“The La Salle river flooded in 2009, which was the first year the ponds were in existence,” says How, “and with the water that backed up into these ponds came fish.”

The ponds are now full of species like jackfish and carp simply from the flood.

“It was really neat to create something and then see nature move in given the opportunity in such a short time.”

The march of wildlife to the water features at Legends is a similar marvel.

“The biggest thing we see from (the ponds) are the benefits they provide for the aquatic wildlife,” says Newton, “whether it’s a food source or a nesting area or a cover from predators.”

Newton says the list of wildlife that comes to the ponds is endless and includes deer, turtles and too many species of birds to count. Usher’s Creek is also home to a run of grass pickerel in the spring, which is a point of pride for Newton and his team as the fish is a species of special concern in Ontario.

Water features bring animal life, stunning views and benefits to the turfgrass, but they are also delicate parts of a golf course’s ecology. Lots can go right with ponds, creeks and marshes, but lots can also go wrong.

Newton’s biggest challenge at Legends is tweaking some of his cultural practices to match the oft-changing needs of one of his water features.

“We have one water feature that tests significantly higher for nutrient loads than the rest,” says Newton.

“It’s a challenge for us to determine why this is happening and where these inputs are coming from – whether it’s something in the soil to begin with or if it’s something we’re doing.”

Newton and his team have taken several steps to reduce the possibility of their contribution to this increased nutrient load. The first was to increase the buffer zones in the areas around the water feature. Newton’s crew has also raised the height of cut to three inches or more for the maintained turf around the feature. They also attempt to spoon-feed nutrients around that part of the course instead of going out with a tractor-mounted sprayer.

Maintaining the area around the ponds is also a tricky endeavor at Southwood where How and his crew must constantly track their activities around the water.

“The most challenging part about managing the ponds is making sure we’re maintaining our buffer zones. Those are the biggest things we keep an eye on,” says How.

Water features are as unique as the ways to manage them. Just as each water feature has its own special place on the course, its own wildlife, its own vegetation and depth, its own stories from unfortunate golfers and hardworking turf managers, each superintendent has their own advice on how to maintain these features best.

“Try to incorporate as many native grass and plant areas as possible to encourage wildlife,” says Terenzio on the words of wisdom he would give on managing water features.

For Newton, a keen eye and attention to detail are key to having a successful water management strategy at any golf course.

“The biggest thing is to establish baselines or understand what your features have to begin with,” says Newton.

“There are visual inspections, but there are other ways to get this information, whether it’s testing for macroinvertebrates or water quality testing. It sounds daunting, but a lot of the time it just means an investment in a meter and familiarizing yourself with how to use it.”

Newton also says that having a dedicated area to store and mix pesticides is critically important to ensuring the health of all water features, as well as the groundwater, at any course.

How has a unique perspective on the maintenance of water features, having been at the course when earth made way for water and the ponds were constructed out of a farm field. He says one of the most crucial aspects of managing any H2O happens before a drop of water even appears on the scene.

“It all starts with construction,” says How.

“It’s making sure that the ponds are built correctly and you have enough depth to get rid of issues like algae blooms before they happen. The shallower the water feature, the warmer it’s going to get and the more algae blooms are going to appear.”

Once the water features are up and running, or flowing, it’s important to have a controlled exit point, says How. This will help turf managers to ensure that if anything ever does go wrong, they can stop the water from exiting the property with potentially hazardous materials in it.

Despite the trials and tribulations of maintaining a pond, stream or marsh; the exact science, the murky depths and the careful observation; a golf course just isn’t a golf course without at least a little bit of water, says Newton.

“Missing that water feature is going to remove a lot of your wildlife and a lot of those natural elements in general,” he says.

“And I’ve always believed that golf is a game that’s played in nature.”

I love the off-season. It’s the perfect time to develop and reinforce key techniques. But putting into a coffee cup can get boring after a while. Here’s a drill to try in your basement or living room. It is a bit risky but productive and exciting too.

Grab your 56- or 58-degree wedge and some small whiffle balls. Start with the ball in the middle of your stance (A). Then narrow your stance so your heels are closer together than your toes (B). Keep the shaft of your club perpendicular to the ground or very slightly leaned towards the target (C). Then reach down with your lead hand (left for right-handed golfers) and touch your left knee (D), as this will put your shoulders in a level position and your spine perpendicular to the ground.

Hit a few practice shots from this setup with only your trail hand (right hand) on the club. Try to softly pitch the balls onto a couch four or five paces away. I love the feel of hitting one-handed shots with the right hand as it naturally allows the club to open and slightly hinge in the backswing before releasing naturally in the downswing. Finally, in your follow-through, the club head can overtake and pass the hands, allowing for soft pitch shots and great use of the bounce of the club.

Rotate hitting three balls with only your trail hand on the club and then three balls with both hands on the club trying to feel the same thing. Do this four or five times to really get the feel of the correct setup and how the club works. Then use both hands like you would outside on the course and hit pitch shots to different targets. Once you’re comfortable with the whiffle balls graduate to real golf balls.

Why do I like this drill? Indoors you will learn to soften up your hands and arms in a hurry, otherwise you will not hit high and soft landing shots. Plus the firmness of the floor under the carpet gives great feedback on how the club head is working along the ground. It should slide along the ground rather than crash down into it. This feedback allows for quick learning of solid contact, a shallow angle of attack and nice use of the bounce.

Learning to feel the correct pitch shot technique and enjoying some valuable indoor practice is the perfect type of preparation before golf season starts.

Sharpen your short game This article was originally published in the April 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

No more pencils, no more books…it’s time to give golf a look.

At least, that’s according to longtime educators Jim King, of Nova Scotia, and Patti Christensen, of Alberta. For them, golf is a lifelong passion, almost equal to that of their desire to educate young people. And with the Golf in Schools program, both have been able to bring that personal passion into the classroom — all while following a curriculum that delivers on a number of educational benchmarks.

“I found it connected very well with a lot of the curriculum outcomes, especially in terms of the healthy active living outcomes,” says King, who is now a staff officer with the Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union. He was the principal at Atlantic View Elementary School for the past five years.

“I didn’t feel like I was implementing anything extra for the students; I felt like it was contributing to the students’ overall academic and physical literacy success,” he continues.

The Golf in Schools program, created by Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada, has been evolving since its inception, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the focus on the student. More often than not, the young people who become involved with Golf in Schools are students who may not have had the opportunity to try golf before.

“I’m in a school where the kids may not have been exposed to golf, and I was lucky to have the parent council purchase two kits for me,” explains Christensen, the principal at Kensington Elementary School just outside Edmonton. Christensen has been a principal at Edmonton-area schools for the past 13 years and involved with Golf in Schools since 2009.

However, she has played the game nearly her whole life.

“I think the most important thing for me is that I wanted to give back to a game that has given me so much,” she explains. “My parents taught me how to golf, and I wanted to share the love of something I had with the students.”

To increase awareness for the program, Graham DeLaet was named an ambassador for Golf in Schools in mid-2015. In a press release at the time, DeLaet said that he felt it was “important to introduce golf in schools so that kids can start learning the sport early, seeing more kids with clubs in their hands, and ultimately growing the game of golf.”

King adds that he is seeing examples of that first-hand with students.

“For some, the image of golf was that it wasn’t very exciting, but this (the Golf in Schools program) completely changed their perspective,” he says.

Especially for the younger students — who get to use modified equipment — because the program is another way to introduce them, at an early age, to a sport that is gender inclusive, promotes a healthy active lifestyle, and is one they can play for life.

“The nice thing about the program is that it’s safe for the kids,” states Christensen. “The equipment is safe, the balls are big and easier to hit for the younger kids. It can be set up to be successful pretty quickly.”

For King, he was able to set up some Golf in Schools activities for all students during end-of-year field days, so even then the students outside the Golf in Schools group were able to have some fun with the equipment.

“We had stations where everybody could use the equipment and try it for themselves,” he says. “We wanted to raise awareness of golf as a lifelong sport and a great way to enjoy the fresh air.”

Away from the schoolyard or gymnasium, Golf in Schools has a component where organizers can partner with a local golf course and its head professional for continual learning.

Christensen says she is going to have some of her students volunteer at a charity golf tournament this year, and is hopeful she will secure students a couple of memberships at that club.

Meanwhile, King has brought groups of students to learn from the staff at the Links at Montague in Dartmouth, N.S., for the past two years.

“Some of the young people went on to do their summertime clinics, and others joined golf courses,” King proudly states. “The reactions and the enthusiasm from when the students were involved in the program was always very rewarding.”

Because the program aligns with governmentally assigned teaching objectives, it’s easy to pick a curriculum that fits with a teacher’s existing lesson plan. But for Christensen, she says the non-golf parts of Golf in Schools are just as important.

“Incorporating life skills into the program is very important for me. That’s going to be highlighted very strongly,” she states.

But of course, the program is about having fun as well.

As King says, “The program has grown to the point where now students will ask in September, when they come back from summer vacation, ‘When are we going to do Golf in Schools?’”

Golf in Schools

Divided into different programs by age groups, the Golf in Schools program has been implemented at close to 2,800 schools and involved more than 306,000 students. It is the single-most concentrated opportunity to get kids of all backgrounds and demographics introduced to the sport.

What’s it all about?

For teachers, the Golf in Schools program comes with instructional manuals not unlike other curriculum documents. Teachers can easily assess students’ physical proficiency with a variety of fundamental movement skills. Golf in Schools now integrates a ‘Life Skills’ component to each lesson plan, which are selected for their relevance to golf.

What life skills are learned?

The life skills component, developed through a partnership with the University of Ottawa, emphasizes core values — perseverance, focus, goal setting, emotional regulation, honesty, teamwork, respect and sportspersonship — which are transferable on and off the golf course.

Where do students go next?

If students are showing an interest in the sport, Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada and provincial golf associations are proud to run CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program. Parents can find junior-friendly clubs in their community that offer free clinics geared to young golfers.

More information can be found at golfinschools.golfcanada.ca

Best in class This article was originally published in the April 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

Golf Canada is proud to release our new Rules Education platform. An online portal for golfers looking to learn the details of golf etiquette, rules basics and commonly encountered situations.

Whether you’re interested in becoming a referee or just want to learn more about the game, our new rules platform offers plenty of great content including a fun and interactive way to learn the rules of golf.

Level 1
A beginner program that introduces the basic concepts and language of the Rules of Golf. Used to introduce the principles of the Rules and how to use the Rules book. The program is ideal for juniors, beginners and golfers who have had no previous experience with the Rules.

• FREE!
• 2016 Rules of Golf book (online version in PDF format)
• Online quizzes and exercises

Level 2
This course builds on the experience of Level 1 and introduces the key reference manual for officials: the Decisions on the Rules of Golf. In addition to introducing some of the fundamental rules through examples, videos and exercises, Level 2 teaches the student how to use the Decisions book effectively.

• $39.95 one-time fee
• 2016 Decisions on the Rules of Golf book (hard copy plus online version in PDF format)
• Online quizzes and exercises

Click here and begin your journey with the Rules of Golf today!

Listening intently as the guest of honour spoke, 19-year-old Maddie Szeryk was amazed by what she was hearing. The travel, the pressure, the fun — it was everything good, bad and ugly of professional golf. But what made the dialogue so fascinating was from whom it was being delivered: Alena Sharp.

Coming off a career season in 2015, the 10-year LPGA Tour veteran Sharp was visiting a national team training camp in Phoenix to chat with Canada’s next wave of golf talent. And Szeryk was all ears.

“We talked a lot about life on tour; finding a good caddie; she recommended a couple books for us to read; and just the whole mental part because she said it’s totally different from college to playing professional,” explained Szeryk. “You have to stay positive. You have to play well to make money.”

Szeryk has had no trouble playing well lately. She’s entering her second season as a member of Team Canada’s national squad, beginning the year inside the top 40 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Taking home the 2015 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur — held at St. Thomas Golf & Country Club, a 20-minute drive for a large contingent of relatives in nearby London, Ont. — provided a big boost, not just for her ranking but for her confidence as well.

“It was really kind of a hometown thing so I had some family come out. I didn’t play very well in the first round and then kind of got up closer and, I think I shot three or four under the last day and won, so kind of came from behind.”

The 73-70-70-68 she posted for the victory delighted the four generations of family out on the golf course, which included aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and her 101-year- old great-grandfather.

While she considers London her Canadian home, Szeryk is a dual-citizen hailing from Allen, Texas. Her Canadian parents moved to the Lone Star State before planting their roots and starting a family. That hasn’t swayed her national pride though.

“I definitely love representing Canada more because that’s where my family is from,” said Szeryk, who proudly carries a Canadian passport.

Tristan Mullally, Team Canada’s national women’s coach, sees promise instead of nationality when observing Szeryk.

“Maddie is a soft spoken and polite young lady but on the course you can see her grittiness and determination to compete at her best,” he said. “Rarely does she give anything but 100 per cent when it comes to preparing and playing. She comes from a great family who push her to work hard but love her regardless of results.”

Along with her Ontario Amateur crown and a quarter-finals appearance at the Ladies British Open Amateur, Szeryk did most of her damage last season on the NCAA circuit representing Texas A&M University.

The Sports Management major burst onto the scene in her first year setting multiple school records and recording nine top-10 finishes for the Aggies. Arguably the team’s most consistent player, the teenager was named Women’s Golf Coaches Association Second Team All-American, All-SEC and the SEC Freshman of the Year. Winning the conference’s team championship — in which she was runner-up for medalist honours — superseded all the individual accolades.

“It was pretty awesome,” she reminisced. “We were kind of the underdogs going in but we all just played so well and we played great team golf. We’re all really close and we’re best friends and always cheer each other on but it was unreal to win. Especially me being a freshman, I was like ‘Oh my god, we won!’”

Working with Mullally, Szeryk has been able to grow into a more well-rounded player. She’s always considered herself to be a strong ball-striker with her weakness lying on the greens.

“I struggle with speed because normally I’m a pretty aggressive putter. So I’ll have like 10 feet and then maybe leaving four feet (coming back) and just learning from Tristan that if you’re hitting it that firm the chances of you making it goes down.”

“Maddie can get very aggressive,” added Mullally. “We have worked to temper this a little and have the correct speed regardless of how important the putt is. But she is very strong off the tee and gives herself a ton of chances from mid-range. She is lethal from 90 yards.”

If she continues down her current path, there’s no doubt Szeryk will be challenging for LPGA Tour status in a few years. Annika Sorenstam inspired her as a kid due to the Swede’s spectacular play on the course and class off it. Nowadays the young Canadian tries to model her game after another top-ranked superstar.

“I look up to Stacy Lewis a lot. Just because she’s also from Texas and I’ve gotten to talk with her, I met her once and she had surgery on her back and I have back problems so it’s good to see that if she can do it, I can do it.”

Diagnosed with a herniated disc last September, the diminutive right-hander showed no signs of struggle most of the year. Solid runs at the Porter Cup, PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, Canadian Women’s Amateur and a first career LPGA Tour start at the CP Women’s Open made her the easy selection as the nation’s Top Female Amateur in 2015.

Szeryk is currently finishing up her second year at Texas A&M — in which she notched her first NCAA victory this February — before she returns to Team Canada in the summer and resumes her quest to join the Brooke Hendersons and Alena Sharps of the world on golf’s biggest stage.

The reality check from Sharp in that early January encounter hasn’t dissuaded Szeryk from continuing to pursue her dream. If anything, it’s only better prepared her for when it eventually becomes a reality.

Maddie’s mission This article was originally published in the April 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

As we celebrate this year’s Earth Day, here are five facts about golf and the sport’s focus on the environment.

1. Golf courses are professionally-managed landscapes where environmental protection and preservation are important – from using water and nutrients efficiently to implementing improved methods of erosion control.
2. In general, the golf industry strives to deliver firm playing surfaces that are better for everyone and improve the bottom line. More than two-thirds of golf courses report that they are keeping turfgrass drier than in the past.
3. The golf industry is continually investing in research to identify drought-tolerant grasses and improve water conservation through best management practices.
4. Golf courses provide habitats for wildlife, including a number of protected species.
5. Many golf courses make use of recycling programs to reduce and reuse.