AUGUSTA, Ga. – In a year marked by racial injustice, Augusta National announced Monday it would honour Lee Elder with two scholarships in his name at Paine College and an honorary tee shot next year for the first Black player in the Masters.

“It’s mind-boggling every time I think about it,” said Elder, who made his barrier-breaking debut in 1975.

It was about time, according to Masters Chairman Fred Ridley, who said racial injustice and equality have been at the forefront of the nation this year.

“Our question was not so much what we can say but what we can do,” Ridley said.

The Masters for some two decades has provided scholarship money for Paine College, a private, historically Black college in Augusta. The Lee Elder Scholarship will be endowed for one man and one woman on the golf team. The fact Paine doesn’t have a women’s golf program was not a problem. Ridley said Augusta National would pay to start one.

Elder already was looking ahead to next April when he returns to the first tee, this time with a shot that doesn’t count toward a score but is more meaningful to him than when he first played the tournament.

“That is one thing that’s going to be significant to me, because 1975 was just an ordinary shot playing a golf tournament, even though it was the Masters,” Elder said. “It’s not as significant as this shot will be come April 8, 2021. Because my heart and soul will be into this shot.”

(New York, N.Y.: Lee Elder (L) and Arnold Palmer share a laugh.

The criteria have changed over the years at the Masters, and when the club began issuing invitations to PGA Tour winners, Elder qualified by winning the 1974 Pensacola Open. That made him eligible for the 1975 Masters. He missed the cut, though Ridley said the moment was historic because of the message it sent that “I belong.”

Next April, he will join Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as the honorary starters. Ridley referred to it as a “special moment in time,” suggesting it will be a one-time appearance as honorary starter.

Elder ended his career with four PGA Tour victories. He played five more times in the Masters, with his best finish a tie for 17th in 1979.

“To know that I would be hitting a shot off the first tee alongside the great Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, you have to think about where you’re at and what you’ve accomplished and why you’re there,” Elder said. “A young man from the ghetto of Dallas, Texas, man, you’ve achieved world fame. The whole world will be watching and looking.

“For the chairman to present me with that opportunity is something I’ll never forget. Never forget.”

The connection to Paine College goes beyond it being an HBCU.

Elder arrived in Augusta more than 45 years ago to much fanfare as the first Black competitor in a tournament that for four decades only included Blacks as caddies or in catering.

Finding a place to eat dinner was difficult – Elder said that was more because he had some 15 people with him than “being segregated against.” Julius Scott, in his first year as president of Paine College, handled the catering for Elder all week.

From that week, Elder began a relationship with the college.

“Look at old yearbooks and you’ll see pictures of him with the golf team,” said Cheryl Evans Jones, the president of Paine College. “He’s made a a lot of contributions to the sport.”

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Ridley said he did not know how much it would cost to start a women’s golf program and that was irrelevant. He said Augusta National would pay for everything.

“The times I have visited, a lot of the ladies came out to watch the men play,” Elder said. “I heard quite a number of times, `Gee, I wish we had a team so we could play.’ By Augusta National making that decision, it’s now going to give them a chance to fulfil that dream of being able to come to college, get a four-year scholarship plus compete on the golf team.”

PHOENIX — Kevin Sutherland and Paul Broadhurst traded missed birdie putts as the sun raced toward the horizon, each time agreeing to keep playing despite the decreasing visibility.

After six playoff holes, it was just too dark to see the ball anymore.

Now the PGA Tour Champions season will last at least another day.

The final round of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship will be played on Monday after Sutherland and Broadhurst kept making pars as darkness fell.

“As quick as I’ve ever played six holes,” Broadhurst said. “I didn’t dream we’d get six holes in. I thought a couple holes (about stopping).”

Broadhurst played a superb final round on Sunday, erasing a six-shot deficit with a bogey-free 63 in the season finale for the over-50 tour, which won’t crown a champion until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sutherland stumbled through the early part of the round to lose an overnight five-shot lead over Wes Short Jr., but closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to shoot a 2-under 69.

Broadhurst and Sutherland finished at 15-under 198.

After all those birdies, neither could get anything to fall in the playoff.

The darker it got, the quicker Sutherland and Broadhurst seemed to play as they tried to avoid the tournament getting pushed into Monday. They even rode in carts to their second shots to speed up the process.

They finally agreed to call it when Broadhurst missed an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18 and Sutherland dropped in a 4-footer for par.

The darkness had won.

“We played them really fast,” Sutherland said. “Just seemed like we couldn’t make a putt. We had some opportunities for birdie, but neither one of us could find a way to make one.”

Plenty happened before the sun went down.

Sutherland, who once shot 59 on the PGA Tour Champions, opened with a 6-under 65 in benign conditions on Friday. He was even better when the wind picked up Saturday, shooting a 64 as scores around him soared.

On a chilly Sunday, Sutherland couldn’t take advantage of good scoring conditions early, allowing the field to pull closer. He opened with five straight pars and a bogey on the 460-yard par-4 sixth dropped him to 12 under.

Broadhurst took a unique approach to putting, looking at the hole rather than the ball while making his stroke.

It certainly worked early as he holed one putt after another.

Playing in the group ahead of Sutherland, Broadhurst had five birdies in the first eight holes to tie for the lead. A long birdie at the par-3 eighth hole moved him into a tie with Sutherland, but a pulled short birdie putt on No. 9 cost him a shot at the outright lead.

“I played great today,” Broadhurst said. “I started off really well. I played the front nine well all week.”

Sutherland made his first birdie by dropping in a 4-foot putt on the long par-4 10th to take the lead back.

Broadhurst made a short birdie putt at par-3 13th to tie it again, then made another birdie on No. 16 for the lead.

Sutherland poured in a birdie putt from a similar length right behind him, tying it at 15 under.

Broadhurst wasn’t done.

He hit his tee shot on No. 17 into the left the rough, but punched a shot under tree limbs to about 12 feet. Broadhurst pumped his first as the ball came to rest and he made the birdie putt to go back up a shot.

Sutherland wasn’t done, either.

He had to lay up from a fairway bunker on No. 18 and looked away in disgust as his third shot fell short left. He made the putt, though, and had an excited reaction of his own after forcing the playoff.

“Obviously, the long putt on 18 to get into the playoff was pretty much the highlight of my day,” Sutherland said.

Then the missed putts and darkness came, and now the finish won’t come until Monday.

Stephen Ames of Calgary, Alta., was the top Canadian of the weekend, shooting 3-under 210 and tying for 28th. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., was one point behind Ames, finishing in a tie for 36th.

HOUSTON — Carlos Ortiz held off Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama by closing with a 5-under 65 to win the Houston Open on Sunday, becoming the first Mexican to win on the PGA Tour in 42 years.

He earned every bit of it, caught in a tight battle on the back nine with the world’s No. 1 player and Japan’s biggest star. Ortiz delivered the winner with a 6-iron to 8 feet on the par-5 16th. He had to settle for a two-putt birdie, and it held up when Johnson and Matsuyama narrowly missed birdie chances coming in.

Ortiz finished in style. Needing two putts to win, the 29-year-old holed a 20-foot birdie putt for a two-shot victory.

Mackenzie Hughes was the top Canadian, finishing six shots off the lead in a tie for seventh place.

Ortiz held back tears as he waited for his playing partners to putt. The victory sends him to the Masters next April. He was there a year ago to watch his brother, Alvaro, who qualified by winning the Latin American Amateur.

“It feels awesome,” said Ortiz, who grew up in Guadalajara and played at North Texas with Sebastian Munoz of Colombia, the most recent Latin American winner on tour. “This is like my second home. There was a bunch of people cheering for me, Latinos and Texans. I’m thankful for all of them.”

It was the loudest cheer for a winner since March. The Houston Open was the first domestic PGA Tour event that allowed spectators, with 2,000 tickets sold daily. They were treated to a good show.

The last Mexican-born player to win was Victor Regelado, who captured the Quad Cities Open in 1978.

Johnson was making his first start since the U.S. Open after a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

After opening with a 72, Johnson rallied with two rounds of 66 and a closing 65. His one regret would be the 16th hole. Tied for the lead, Johnson fanned a 7-iron for his second shot on the par 5, leaving a tough chip to 18 feet and a birdie putt that grazed the left edge of the cup.

Johnson had another birdie putt catch the lip on the next hole.

Matsuyama briefly tied for the lead with birdies on the 16th and 17th, making a 15-footer on the 17th just moments before Ortiz made his birdie on the 16th.

Ortiz finished at 13-under 267.

Sam Burns, the 54-hole leader, had a 72 and Jason Day closed with a 71. Neither was a factor for much of the day. This was about Ortiz holding off two players with plenty of experience winning and tasting it for the first time.

Mackenzie Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., was the top Canadian in the tournament, leapfrogging Conners and scoring a 63 — the lowest final-round score of his PGA Tour career. His previous low was a 65 at the 2018 John Deere Classic. Hughes ended the Houston Open tied for seventh place.

“It really felt like a relatively stress-free 63, which you can almost never say,” Hughes said. “It’s pretty rare to say that. Yeah (I) left a few putts out there that would have been really nice to make. Just really thrilled with the round.”

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., (68) finished in a tie for 24th at 3-under 277.

PHOENIX — Kevin Sutherland hit a sand wedge to inches on the par-5 18th for one last birdie on a windy Saturday afternoon in the desert at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Sutherland shot a 7-under 64 to take a five-stroke lead into the final round at Phoenix Country Club. He had a 13-under 129 total.

“Yeah, it played hard, I just hit a lot of shots really close to the hole, hit it solid,” Sutherland said. “What was important for me today was I holed out of the bunker on 6. At that point I felt I couldn’t find a rhythm. After that, I I hit just about every shot right on the button and made a few putts and got a couple really close and just kind of snowballed.”

The tournament is the final official event of the year, but not the season as in the past. Because of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent loss of tournaments, the 2020 and 2021 seasons have been combined with the Schwab Cup winner to be determined in a year.

The 56-year-old California player won the 2017 event — as well as the season points title — at tree-lined Phoenix Country Club for the first of his three PGA Tour Champions victories.

“This place has been so good to me,” Sutherland said. “It’s hard to believe that was three years ago that I won here and I won the Schwab Cup. This place has great memories for me.”

Sutherland had eight birdies and a bogey, playing the back nine in 5-under 30 in the high wind.

“My ball was wobbling on the tee on 16, it was kind of disconcerting,” Sutherland said. “It was a little disconcerting watching the ball kind of wobble a little bit as you’re getting ready to hit it. When it’s windy like this, you’ve just got to go.”

Wes Short Jr. was second after a 66.

“It was tough conditions I thought for the way the wind was blowing,” Short said. “I just didn’t hit it in play enough off the tee to really attack. It was just like defence-mode all day.”

Tom Lehman (67) and Paul Broadhurst (68) were 7 under, and Jim Furyk (68) was 6 under with Corey Pavin (67) and Woody Austin (69)

Canada’s Mike Weir also ended the round with a score of 69, placing him in a tie for fifth place going into the final round. Fellow Canadian Stephen Ames shot a 72 and ended the round at T19.

“The way this course is, someone’s going to shoot a good round,” Sutherland said. “I might have to shoot something at least 3 or 4 under par tomorrow to win. It doesn’t change my mindset at all. ”

First-round leaders Paul Goydos and Brandt Jobe dropped back after their opening 64s. Jobe was 5 under after a 73, and Goydos had a 75 to fall to 3 under.

HOUSTON — Jason Day, eyeing his first PGA Tour victory in more than two years, was a stroke out of the lead in the Houston Open on Saturday, shooting a 3-under 67 two weeks after withdrawing during the final round at the CJ Cup because of neck discomfort.

Sam Burns shot a 68 to hold onto the lead at 9-under 201 at difficult Memorial Park.

Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz was tied with Day after a 67.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson was another two shots back after a bogey-free 66. This was his first start since the U. S. Open following a six-week break brought on by a positive test for the novel coronavirus.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was eight shots off the lead, posting a 73 for the round. Mackenzie Hughes (70) was another stroke back after a 68 left him at even-par 210. Canadian players Graham DeLaet and David Hearn missed the +3 cut.

Johnson nearly put himself out of the tournament after opening with a 72 on the public Memorial Park course near downtown that’s hosting a Tour event for the first time since 1963.

PHOENIX — Paul Goydos and Brandt Jobe each shot 7-under 64 in calm, overcast conditions Friday to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The tournament is the final official event of the year, but not the season as in the past. Because of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent loss of tournaments, the 2020 and 2021 seasons have been combined with the Schwab Cup winner to be determined in a year.

The 56-year-old Goydos birdied the par-5 18th in a bogey-free round at Phoenix Country Club. He won the event in 2016 at Desert Mountain for one of his five senior titles.

“The greens are embarrassingly good,” Goydos said. “If you miss a putt, you either misread or mis-hit it, there’s no way it’s not going to roll on the line that you hit it on.

“It might be the best Bermuda greens I’ve ever seen in my life. Today there was an absolute absence of conditions, there was no wind, no sun. I can’t imagine you could have a better day for scoring than you had today.”

The 55-year-old Jobe also birdied the 18th in a bogey-free round on the tree-lined course near downtown. He has two victories on the 50-and-over tour.

“Started off a little shaky and I was kind of scrambling a little bit and then kind of about the middle I started hitting greens and having opportunities and started rolling a few putts in,” Jobe said. “Kind of got the green speed. Greens are perfect, course is in great shape, so it was just kind of getting everything in order to get going.”

The two Canadians on the course in Phoenix came in strong — Stephen Ames of Calgary, Alb., and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., played rounds of 67 and are among the group tied for seventh at 4-under.

K.J. Choi was a stroke back with Mark Brooks and Kevin Sutherland.

Fred Couples opened with a 67. He’s set to play in the Masters next week.

Charles Schwab Cup leader Bernhard Langer and defending event champion Jeff Maggert shot 70.

HOUSTON — Jason Day was back in contention on the eve of the Masters after two eventful days alongside Phil Mickelson.

Winless in 2 1/2 years and fighting lingering back and neck problems, Day shot a 2-under 68 on Friday in the Houston Open to pull within two strokes of second-round leader Sam Burns at difficult Memorial Park.

The Australian watched the 50-year-old Michelson hit into the water twice en route to an 8 on the par-3 ninth, then hole out from 193 yards for eagle on the par-4 18th. Lefty missed the cut, following an opening 76 with a 73.

“He kind of left himself in some pretty tough positions and you’re just struggling the whole day,” Day said. “It’s one of those courses where you’ve just got to be patient and try to get your birdies when you can.”

Day had three birdies and a bogey.

“It’s one of those courses where you can walk off kind of shaking your head even though you play some good golf,” Day said. “I was chatting to Phil about that on the second hole today because he went out there and hit a nice 9-iron, pulled up short, rolled away off the green and you’ve got a 60-footer putting back up that hill. It’s one of those golf courses where it can be a little bit frustrating at times, so just got to kind of be smart about it.”

Day was in contention three weeks ago in Las Vegas in the CJ Cup when the neck problem forced him to withdraw early in the final round. The 12-time PGA Tour winner returned the next week at Sherwood to tie for 60th, and took last week off.

“It’s been very inconsistent, obviously, because I’m trying to change my swing a little bit just to try and help the back out,” Day said. “I guess I’m stuck in between patterns right now, what I want to feel, my body just won’t handle it and sometimes it just compensates elsewhere. That’s why it happened to my neck at CJ.”

Burns birdied all three par-5 holes in a bogey-free 65 to reach 7 under.“

It takes a lot of discipline around here,” Burns said. “You get out of position, you just try to get it back to where you can get it up-and-down or get it in a section of the green where you can lag putt it. Fortunately, early we got some good looks and I was able to convert, so solid.”

Winless on the PGA Tour, the 24-year-old Burns also took a two-shot lead into the weekend in the season-opening Safeway Championship in September. He ended up tying for seventh that week at Silverado.

“I think slowing down a little bit, really talking through the shot with Travis (caddie Perkins) and making sure we have a clear picture of what we’re trying to do,” Burns said. “I think that was really helpful to learn that.”

Carlos Ortiz of Mexico had a 68 to match Day at 5 under.

First-round leader Brandt Snedeker followed his opening 65 with a 71 to drop into a tie for fourth at 4 under with Dawie van der Walt (66), Aaron Wise (66) and Patton Kizzire (67).

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. (67) also ended the round tied for fourth. Conners had four birdies and a bogey, improving his score and jumping twelve spots from Thursday.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., made it to the weekend, following an opening-round 70 with a 2-over 72.

David Hearn, from Brantford, Ont., (77) missed the plus-3 cutline, while Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., pulled out before the second round after a 6-over 76 on day one.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson followed an opening 72 with a 66 to get to 2 under in his return after a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of the CJ Cup and Zozo Championship.

“It was very solid today,” Johnson said. “ I felt like I played pretty well yesterday, just a little rusty. … I swung it pretty well, just hit a couple bad iron shots. But I think that was more just from not trusting what I was doing, just from not being out there. But today did a lot better, hit a lot of really nice iron shots and felt like I managed my game very well, drove it well, hit a lot of quality shots.”

The tournament — at public Memorial Park for the first time since 1963 — is the first domestic PGA Tour event to have fans since March. Tickets are capped at 2,000 a day.

Brooks Koepka was 2 over after a 70 on the course where he served as a consultant on architect Tom Doak’s renovation. Koepka s playing for the second time since a two-month layoff to heal injuries.

Jordan Spieth, playing alongside Koepka, missed the cut with rounds of 73 and 71.

HOUSTON (AP) — Brandt Snedeker found a lot of fairways and greens at difficult Memorial Park, top-ranked Dustin Johnson returned from the coronavirus, and fans were back, too, Thursday at the Houston Open.

Snedeker shot a 5-under 65 in the afternoon to take a two-stroke lead in the last event before the Masters. He’s one of 37 players in the field this week set to play at Augusta National.

“Drove it great,” Snedeker said. “Around this golf course you have to be in the fairway, otherwise it’s going to be a long day for you. Did a great job of that. Made some putts. And the par 5s, birdied every par 5 out there. This course is a long, tough golf course, so to play well you need to take advantage of the scoring holes, which I did a great job of today.”

The tournament — at public Memorial Park for the first time since 1963 — is limiting ticket sales to 2,000 a day. It’s the first domestic PGA Tour event to have fans since The Players Championship on March 12.

“I think that’s a big reason why I played well today,” Snedeker said. “I love having fans out here. I kind of feed off their energy. It’s great to hear some claps and people excited for good shots and some birdies.”

Johnson had a 72 — bogeying five of the last seven holes on his front nine — in his return after a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.

The 39-year-old Snedeker won the last of his nine PGA Tour titles in 2018. He followed a birdie on the par-4 13th with a bogey on the par-4 14th after driving into the right rough, then birdied the par-3 15th and par-5 16th.

“I’ve been driving it well, so it just kind of depended how I hit my irons and kind of hung in there,” Snedeker said. “Did a great job of kind of thinking my way around the golf course.”

Jason Day was tied for second with Scottie Scheffler, Harold Varner III, Carlos Ortiz, Michael Thompson and Cameron Davis.

“The golf course kind of forces you into being patient just because you can’t really miss too many greens,” Scheffler said. “Around the greens out here is very, very difficult to get up-and-down and you can get into some spots where you start playing ping pong across these greens.”

Corey Conners posted a score of 69 at the end of his first round, placing him in a tie for 16th and making him the highest scoring Canadian of the day. Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, On., trailed one point behind. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 3-over 73, while Graham DeLaet, from Weyburn, Sask., came in with a 6-over 76.

Brooks Koepka also had a 72. He’s playing for the second time since a two-month layoff to heal injuries. Player partner Lanto Griffin, the winner last year at Golf Club of Houston, also shot 72. Jordan Spieth rounded out the morning threesome with a 72.

“It certainly felt more normal as we were playing today and especially as we were finishing up,” Spieth said about the fans. “Just the look of it is way more normal than when it was just so bare.”

Koepka served as a consultant on course architect Tom Doak’s renovation.

“I think every time Jordan hit it in the water, he told me that was my fault,” Koepka said.

Phil Mickelson shot 76. He had two double bogeys and two bogeys.

On November 4^th, 2020, members of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC), took part in an online discussion on the topic of Municipal Golf in Canada. This inaugural GJAC Virtual Summit is part of an ongoing series intended to help golf journalists across Canada stay connected, as well as to generate discussion and opportunities around important issues in the game.

Format of these events consist of a moderated question and answer period, followed by a brief opportunity for questions from attendees.

Panelists for the first summit included:

• Jeff Moore, CPGA Head Professional, Golf Operations, City of Brantford
• Ryan Logan, Director, Membership, Golf Canada
• Malcolm Bromley, Former GM, Vancouver Parks and Recreation Facilities

SCOREGolf columnist Rick Young acted as moderator.

The one-hour event was recorded and is available to watch below.

The Canadian golf industry generated $18.2B in economic benefits across our nation in 2019, according to a recent economic analysis conducted by Group ATN Consulting Inc. on behalf of the National Allied Golf Associations (We Are Golf).

According to The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019), the Canadian golf industry employs the equivalent of nearly 249,000 people through direct and spin-off effects and contributed to $10.6B in household income. The industry also contributed $4.5B in government tax revenue ($1.8B federal and $2.1B provincial) used to support a variety of programs for all Canadians.

Based on nationwide surveys completed by golfers and golf course operators in 10 provinces and three territories along with multiple industry data sources, The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) is a follow up to previous comprehensive and independent assessment studies (2014, 2009) of the economic impact of the golf industry in Canada. The $18.2B economic impact of golf represents a 14% increase in contribution to Canada’s GDP between 2013 and 2019.

“The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) further reinforces the enormous financial, employment, charitable, tourism and positive environmental impact that the sport and the business of golf are affecting across Canada,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chair of We Are Golf and CEO of Golf Canada. “This third iteration of the study provides the golf industry with a powerful snapshot of the scale and magnitude that our sport has on the Canadian economy and within the communities where we live, work and play.”

The study presents economic insights for each of the 10 provinces and three territories from coast to coast. Also captured in the report are comparisons to international economic insights from select countries and regions including the United States, European Union, and Australia.

The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) was conducted on behalf of We Are Golf by Group ATN Consulting Inc., a world leader in economic development and analysis for communities, regions, and industries. Group ATN previously conducted the 2014 and 2009 Canadian Golf Economic Impact Studies (based on 2013 and 2008 data respectively) which have allowed the Canadian golf industry to benchmark the game’s economic impact over five-year periods.

“Every industry has its own unique circumstances to allow for, and the ability to repeat the same application of our model for Canadian golf is a significant advantage,” said Tom McGuire, Principal with Group ATN Consulting. “Beyond consistency, we have also been able to further improve certain aspects based upon learnings from the prior studies we did for the National Allied Golf Associations (We Are Golf).”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GOLF IN CANADA (2019)

The game of golf accounts for an estimated $18.2B of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is up 14% from the $15.9B reported in 2014*. Included within the 2019 economic impact:

• The golf industry directly employed nearly 150,000 full-time, full-year equivalent positions, representing many more individuals who are employed in the sector. This number grows to approximately 249,000 when accounting for direct, indirect, and induced employment.

• The golf industry directly contributed $4.8B in household income, rising to $10.6B when considering the combined direct, indirect, and induced impacts.

• The golf industry generated $4.5B in government tax revenue; including $1.8B in federal tax revenue and $2.1B in provincial tax revenue.

• Conservatively, course operators invested $727M industry-wide on capital expenditures.

*Note that 2014 figures are adjusted by the consumer price index and reported as current dollars.

Additional Insights from The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019)

• Employment – The golf industry is a significant job provider for youth with 48% of its workforce identified as students.

• Travel – Canadians along with international visitors contributed to $8.6B in golf-related travel nationwide. Canadians made approximately 4.8M trips involving golf, including 3.0M in their home province and 1.8M outside their home province and abroad.

• Golfer Spending – golfers in Canada spent approximately $19.3B on items such as green fees, memberships, lessons, equipment, travel, hospitality, events, and other golf-related expenditures.

• Canadian Course Operators – a total of 2,283 facilities were estimated to be operating in 2019, accounting for 2,043 courses (18-hole equivalent); course operators collectively spent approximately $3.8B in course expenditures.

• Land management – Golf course operations manage between 155,000 and 175,000 hectares, including 30,000 to 35,000 hectares of wildlife and wetland area.

• Charitable Impact – The golf industry generated an estimated $330M in charitable impact through more than 51,000 tournaments and events.

• Golf Participation – Canadian golfers played an estimated 57.0M rounds in 2019.

Although released in 2020, The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) does not factor in the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian golf industry.

“Establishing a baseline for the economic impact of our sport measured against pre-2020 Covid-19 spending is an important benchmark consideration for the integrity and continuity of the study,” added Applebaum. “Based on what we learned through the 2020 season, the safety of golf through this pandemic and the potential for a lift in participation and spending on the game, we are optimistic in looking ahead.”

An executive summary along with a complete report outlining the results of The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) is available by clicking here or by visiting any of the We Are Golf partner websites.