Starting mid-July, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., will have a new leadership as Jeff Germond has been appointed the club’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Germond has more than 25 years of private club management experience including senior roles at Hamilton Golf & Country Club, the National Golf Club of Canada, and most recently, as COO of The St. Catharines Golf and Country Club where he has held the position since 2008.  Jeff is also the president of the Ontario Branch of the Canadian Society of Club Managers.

Jeff’s experience includes having been involved in all aspects of running a private club including administration, financial planning, marketing, capital projects and membership. Jeff also brings a strong food and beverage background, having spent some time as a chef early in his career.

New Bedford, MASS. – Less than two years ago, former Titleist and TaylorMade golf ball engineer Dean Snell left the comfort and safety of working for a large golf ball manufacturer to launch his own business, Snell Golf.

With headquarters in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Snell has quickly seen his golf ball line-up chalk up record sales numbers and earn high praise from independent golfers and media including rave reviews in Golf Digest’s 2016 Hot List issue.

Today, Snell announced that he is expanding his business into Canada with the launch of SnellGolfCanada.com to provide avid and recreational Canadian golfers with easy access to purchase and enjoy golf balls with excellent performance at affordable prices.

“At the heart of Snell Golf is an e-commerce business model, zero player contracts and low overheads,” said Snell Golf President Dean Snell. “Our intent is to create a high-quality golf ball and sell it an attractive price lower than comparable balls in the market. Golfers everywhere – including Canadians – are starting to take notice, which is why expansion into Canada was a logical and inevitable move for the company.”

As a result of the launch in Canada, Snell Golf has named Ron Stenzl, from Kingston, Ont. as President. Stenzl, 58, is an entrepreneur with a strong sales and finance background with previous ownership and management experience at Leeds Transit. Moreover, Stenzl is a life-long, avid golfer who understands the golf consumer and is excited about the Snell Golf brand.

“Dean Snell is a golf ball guru and our group intends to transfer his expertise and effectively market and distribute his existing golf ball line and any future golf ball innovations to the Canadian golf community,” Stenzl said. “Both golf balls are outstanding. Golfers who now play the balls are quick to talk about how much they like them and we are thrilled with now easily available they will now be to Canadian golfers.”

Snell Golf Canada is going to initially introduce the 2 piece ball (Get Sum) at $27.50 per dozen and the 3 piece ball (My Tour Ball), the flagship product at $42.00 per dozen which is 20-25% percent less than other recreational and tour quality golf balls. We are confident that our customers in Canada will have amazing shot-making moments with Snell Golf balls.”

Snell, who has worked with countless Tour professionals, owns 40 granted U.S. golf ball patents and is the co-inventor of the original ProV1 has parlayed his 25 years of experience with equipment giants Titleist and TaylorMade to bring forth the same philosophies and materials to create his premium golf balls.

A premium multi-layered ball with a thin cast urethane cover, Snell Golf’s “My Tour Ball” ($31.99 per dozen) is the company’s flagship model and its performance is akin to the balls played on today’s professional tours. The ball features a low compression high velocity core allowing lower driver spin rates and faster ball speeds for all swing speeds to promote longer and straighter drives. The cast urethane cover is a Tour-proven technology that produces excellent short game spin and control while delivering soft feel and outstanding durability.

Saskatoon – Graham DeLaet and brewer Bomber Brewing have launched a new craft beer, Prairie Baard – Blue Collar Craft.

Over the upcoming weeks, the beer will be available in SLGA locations across Saskatchewan and in liquor distributors throughout Alberta – including Sobeys, Safeway, Co-op, and Liquor Depot, with plans to expand its footprint coast to coast across Canada in the near future.

For the launch and just in time to kick off the May long weekend, Prairie Baard will hit shelves at SLGA University Heights in Saskatoon and SLGA South Albert in Regina.

To officially launch Prairie Baard, DeLaet will be touring two locations to host kick-off events, where consumers can enjoy Prairie Baard tastings and meet Graham DeLaet and the team behind the beer:

• Wednesday, May 25th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
  SLGA University Heights – 503 Nelson Road, Saskatoon, SK

• Thursday, May 26th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
  Sobeys Royal Oak – 8888 Country Hills Blvd NW, Calgary, AB

DeLaet, born and raised in rural Saskatchewan, has a passion for all things Canadian – including hockey, fishing, golf and of course, beer. In collaboration with Bomber Brewing, the concept of Prairie Baard was designed by DeLaet with these passions in mind while building the concept of the beer from the ground up. Throughout the creation process, DeLaet inserted his personal tasting notes into the development of the recipe with Bomber.

Prairie Baard’s Golden Ale is brewed with 70% Saskatchewan Barley and 30% Saskatchewan wheat, both of which are malted in Biggar, SK.

In celebration of this weeks THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, we thought we’d share this footage of Rickie Fowler hitting trick shots to the famous island green 17th hole. Enjoy the show!

WOODBRIDGE, Ont. – TaylorMade Golf have introduced Phenom, a set of clubs designed and engineered to support junior golfers with proper swing fundamentals through optimized lengths, weights and lofts, allowing for shots from tee to green with consistent distance gapping throughout the set. For each club in the set, the shafts have been both flex and weight-optimized and made to appropriate lengths, while the grips have been developed to meet the needs of smaller hands, allowing proper feel throughout the swing.

Driver & Fairway
The Phenom driver is a 400cc titanium driver made to the same exacting standards of performance and design for which TaylorMade drivers are known. Designed at the USGA limit of COR, the Phenom driver delivers remarkable distance, forgiveness and easy launch technology in a visually appealing design, three key performance attributes rarely found in junior sets.

The Phenom fairway wood features a stainless steel head with a low profile, low-CG design, providing technology that will help junior golfers get the ball airborne off the tee or from the fairway. A larger head size adds forgiveness and promotes confidence at address.

Rescue & Irons
Similar to the fairway wood, the Phenom RescueTM club features a stainless steel head design in the first Rescue that junior golfers will be excited to hit. Designed to be easy to launch with long distance, the versatile Rescue will also help bridge the critical gap between a players’ fairway wood and irons.

Availability
Phenom is available in two set configurations, each created for a specific size and age range of player. Both sets include graphite shafts that have been flexed specifically for junior swing speeds.

K40 comes in a 6-piece set for golfers ages 5-8 (12” – 18” fingertips to floor) that includes a 400cc Titanium driver, Rescue, 7-iron, SW, putter and bag at an MSRP of $349.99 CDN starting June 15th.

K50 comes in an 8-piece set for golfers ranging from 9-12 years old (18” – 24” fingertips to floor) that includes a 400cc Titanium driver, fairway wood, Rescue, 7-iron, 9-iron, SW, putter and bag at an MSRP of $399.99 CDN starting June 1st.

Augusta National is the carrot. The Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association (USGA) and PGA of America dangle it like a winning lottery ticket, like a sweepstakes for junior-aged golfers and their families.

Can you blame them? Having Augusta as the centrepiece of America’s Drive, Chip & Putt initiative helps make it the junior golf development windfall it has become. That and Golf Channel providing tour-level coverage, players in the Masters field and Augusta National members handing out medals, and finalists invited to stay over for Monday’s Masters practice round.

Let’s not kid ourselves (apologies for the pun): This is a juggernaut. As a grassroots development platform, the Drive, Chip & Putt profile has no equal. It’s unparalleled.

But it wasn’t the first. From a curriculum standpoint it might not even be best.

Five years before Drive, Chip & Putt, there was the Junior Skills Challenge. Ever heard of it? CN sponsors the program. Golf Canada administers it. The PGA of Canada and provincial golf associations deliver it.

The Canadian version actually uses a fourth category — iron play — to join putting, chipping and driving as the skills pillars. Regional qualifiers are held across the country with winners converging at Glen Abbey GC the Saturday prior to the start of the RBC Canadian Open for the finals. Up to $500 in travel subsidies are available. Did I mention Acushnet Canada provides qualifiers with more than $300 worth of prizing? Not bad, right?

“The national finals during RBC Canadian Open week is a wonderful stage for these talented kids,” says Scott Simmons, Golf Canada’s CEO. “It’s an inspirational and exciting atmosphere for them and their families.”

Wait, there’s more. On Sunday, kids participate in a nine-hole Golf Canada Junior Open tournament after the skills finals. They also get an opportunity to walk with a PGA Tour pro during the Wednesday pro-am and attend junior clinics. The clinics are hosted by Team Canada Young Pro squad members during RBC Canadian Open practice round days.

“This program is community-based. Families do not need to invest significant money to travel to regional qualifiers and PGA of Canada professionals represent the front-line delivery for these quality golf experiences. What separates our Skills Challenge is the depth and quality of the CN Future Links program in its entirety. It really is an exciting platform to motivate Canada’s junior golfers,” adds Simmons.

Look, I’m not here to apologize for being a proponent of Drive, Chip & Putt. It’s an amazing program. Canadians sign up and a few have even gone on to compete at Augusta. Simmons says discussions are ongoing about CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge one day becoming a qualifier for it.

“They (USGA & PGA of America) certainly recognize the quality of our program up here,” he says. “I think there is strong potential to somehow align Junior Skills Challenge with Drive, Chip & Putt in the near future.”

Until then, however, I need to pay better attention to my own backyard. Truth is, CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge has, rather quietly, been quite a success story in this country. Last year 3,400 kids signed up at cnfuturelinks.com to try qualifying at 168 regional events, a year-over-year increase of 28 more sites from 2014. Of those 3,400 juniors involved, 40 per cent were ages nine to 11. That’s a key target demographic Golf Canada is trying to engage. It’s promising and it bodes well for the game’s future.

For kids who participate in the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge there’s plenty of motivation and reasons to take part.

No, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Glen Abbey is not Augusta and the RBC Canadian Open will never be confused with the Masters. But that’s okay.

They’re still great carrots.

Canada’s Drive, Chip & Putt 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.

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.

By mid-summer most golfers avoid the 100 year-old maples that dot several of the fairways at Thornhill Golf and Country Club at all costs, but in the early spring, these leafless giants are a welcomed sight to many.

Superintendent Greg McFarlane, who has been the caretaker for the 150-acre property for the past 19 years, has been as busy as a bee, (and we will get to those buzzing creatures momentarily) for the past few weeks collecting sap once or twice a day from about 50 tapped trees on the property. In the kitchen, every week or so, executive chef Tim Ayiotis and his staff have been enjoying the sweet aroma of boiling down the sap and bottling liquid gold – or maple syrup for members to enjoy at home or at the Young Street club that dates back to 1922.

This is unusual business for a private country club in the GTA, but it’s one of the many attributes that set the 27-hole Stanley Thompson designed layout apart from other establishments.

“We’re a golf course first and foremost, but we also recognize that we play a big part in the natural environment that encompasses the property and we strive to preserve and enhance what Mother Nature has given us,” McFarlane says who has worked with Global Organics since 2008 to reduce pesticide use annually without negatively impacting turf conditions. The program that is also in play at Toronto’s Oakdale Golf and Country Club, has been so successful, that Thornhill is now using 90 per cent less active ingredients when it comes to pesticides and fertilizers than the other top-100 private clubs in Ontario, as confirmed by an audit by KPMG.

Thornhill is home to deer, coyotes and foxes. There’s a naturalized water retention pond surround by water plants and bulrushes that is inhabited by snapping and painted turtles, ducks, fish and other creatures – even the odd Canadian goose!

Thornhill superintendent Greg McFarlane checking out his sap buckets (Brent Long)

McFarlane and Ayiotis have also teamed up to introduce a honey-producing bee colony that’s multiplying to six hives and a hollowed out tree this year. Their ever-expanding vegetable garden is taking root in new areas of the golf course and the bees also enjoy a variety of fruit trees that are scattered throughout the golf course.

“I like to call it the farm, and we’re putting it to work for the members to enjoy the fruits of our labour and love for the property,” says Ayiotis, who has been the club’s executive chef for four years.

The wild leaks that they planted among some hostas last spring will be ready for picking by the middle of May and Ayiotis can’t wait to incorporate them into soups and other dishes.

“Our members eat differently here and I think they have come to appreciate that,” he added. “We’re about creating menu items that are homemade, handmade, made fresh, as local as we can make it, almost everything we use is grown or produced within a 100 kilometre radius.”

Ayiotis doesn’t serve berries from California or South America during the winter months, but in the summer, he’ll flash freeze berries and fruits and then incorporate that fruit into preserves, syrup and puree that can be used throughout the year.

He’s even created a one-of-a-kind health bar for members using the maple syrup and the honey that’s produced from the golf course . . . and his poached pears in honey are a menu favourite.

Ayiotis also provides members with a fridge full of “To Go” menu items that can be picked up on the spur of the moment and the kitchen crew will also put together “Cottage Packs” for those members who like to enjoy prepared steaks or smoked ribs on the BBQ without all the work when they head north during the summer.

“Back in February I sat down with Greg and we went through the seed catalogue together and picked up the vegetables and herbs that we’ll be growing this summer,” he explained.

Many of the different seeds were planted indoors in March and will be transplanted when the weather warms up. They’re always experimenting and new this year will be some specialty cauliflower, squash and potatoes to go along with tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, kale, Swiss chard, lettuce, 200 bulbs of garlic and a wide variety of herbs.

So if healthy eating isn’t enough, how about a club that engages and promotes a healthy lifestyle, with a state-of-the art fitness center that opened in 2015, six sheets of curling ice, four new Har-Tru tennis courts that will be unveiled this spring and construction of an outdoor swimming pool is scheduled to start this fall.

“We like to say that Thornhill G&CC is an oasis within the city where the entire family can escape to a special place where they can focus on being together and have fun in a healthy and active environment where we care for the entire person, not just a golf game,” says Joe Murphy, GM and COO at Thornhill.

Back on course, McFarlane is preparing the turf to host the mid-summer 2016 Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship from July 12th to 15th. The club has a long tradition of hosting major events including the 1987 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship won by Steve Hayles and more recently the 2006 Canadian University/College Championship, the 2009 Toronto Star Women’s Amateur won by Jennifer Kirby and 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship won by Team Canada Development Team member Grace St-Germain, who carded four consecutive under-par rounds to claim the title. In addition, Thornhill was the site that played host to 1945 Canadian Open where Byron Nelson claimed his remarkable 11th victory in a row.

It should be another memorable year at one of Canada’s most remarkable country clubs.

For more information on Thornhill, visit www.thornhillgcc.com.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – COBRA PUMA GOLF has announced a long-term partnership with Bryson DeChambeau the 22-year-old phenom who last year became only the fifth golfer ever to win the NCAA Men’s Individual Championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same calendar year.

DeChambeau, who is playing his first pro tournament this week at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C., will be wearing PUMA Golf apparel, accessories and footwear during all his on-course play, incorporating his signature Hogan Driver Cap and Red, White & Blue ensemble on Sundays, a nod to his alma mater – Southern Methodist University. Additionally, he will fill his COBRA staff bag with COBRA Golf equipment during tournament play.

“Bryson has this unique combination of talent, ingenuity and personality that makes him such a dynamic golfer and a great fit for the COBRA PUMA GOLF brands. He shares in our mission of Game Enjoyment and our desire to grow the game and make it more fun and inclusive for golfers of all levels,” said Robert Philion, President & CEO of COBRA PUMA Golf. “Right away we noticed his progressive approach to the game, which is rooted in science and art, along with his passion and dedication. We can’t be more thrilled to have him as part of our COBRA PUMA GOLF family.”

“I believe that I found the perfect partner in COBRA PUMA GOLF,” said DeChambeau. “The COBRA and PUMA brands complement my style, attitude and desire to be innovative, while allowing me to continue to be myself, and think outside the box. I’m really thrilled to be part of this cutting-edge and creative company.”

What’s currently in DeChambeau’s bag:

• Driver: Cobra King F6+ Pro 7^o | Oban Kiyoshi Tour Limited 70X | 45 in” | weight removed
• 3 wood: Cobra King F6 14.2^o | Oban Kiyoshi Tour Limited 70X | 43 in” | 61.5 ^o
• Utility: KING Utility Iron 18.5 ^o D | Project X HZRDUS Black Hybrid 6.5 105x
• Irons: Edel Prototype (3-P) | KBS Tour C-Taper Lite 115X |37.5 in”, 73 o | Lofts: 25 (3), 30 (5), 34 (6), 38 (7), 42 (8), 46 (P)
• Wedges: Cobra King V Grind 50°, 55° and 60° | 37.5 in” 73 o

For more information about COBRA PUMA GOLF’s athletes, brand ambassadors and product, please visit www.cobragolf.ca.