The Golf Lab and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Lorne Rubenstein are giving away used Miura Irons to two (2) junior golfers.

“Lorne Rubenstein generously donated two sets of his gently used Miura Irons to us,” said The Golf Lab’s Bradley Lawrence. “We, in turn, would like to put these in the hands of two lucky junior golfers.”

In order to enter, contest entrants must be between the ages of 12 and 18.

Entrants should write a 500-word essay describing what golf means to them. Along with the essay, entrants must submit a current report card and golf resume which outlines any accomplishments.

Applications must be dropped off at The Golf Lab’s Satellite Location located at ClubLink’s DiamondBack Golf Club on Saturday, May 23rd or Sunday, May 24th between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Winners will be notified Monday, June 1st, and will also receive a free fitting from one of the Golf Lab Professionals.

Check out the top-10 putts from THE PLAYERS Championship at the infamous par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass with shots from Martin Kaymer, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods and more.

The Canadian golf community has spoken and the team at Golf Canada has listened. Golf enthusiasts, fans, players and members have wanted a more interactive and intuitive online experience and that appetite for change has resulted in the evolution of Golf Canada’s website – golfcanada.ca.

The change offers enhanced accessibility within a responsively-designed, mobile-friendly interface which adapts to display in a manner tailored to your viewing device – be it your desktop, tablet or smart phone.

The re-envisioned golfcanada.ca being launched today is just one aspect of a larger project taking place across all Golf Canada digital touch points. Earlier this spring, we launched a completely redesigned Golf Canada mobile app to help members track their Official Golf Canada Handicap Factor^®. The new app – available for free on iOS and Android devices – offers a new user-friendly interface that makes posting scores and tracking game statistics easier.

The new golfcanada.ca presents a sleek and clean interface while maintaining many of our audience-favourite features from the previous site, including:

• in-depth information and resources to service Golf Canada members and member clubs
• up-to-date results from various professional tours and amateur events
• the latest news from around the golfing world
• insights into Canadian golf from experts and industry leaders
• information on Canada’s national golf teams and the rising stars of Canadian golf
• all the happenings from Canada’s national amateur championships, as well as the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open

One goal of the redesign was to bring content and functions most often sought by our visitors to the forefront. A detailed analysis of site analytics helped identify these items and guided the design decisions in developing the new interface. Buttons to post scores, verify handicap factors and look up courses have been placed front and centre to allow members to quickly access these key resources. Before entering the details of their rounds, members will need to login – which can be done through the Post a Score button or via the Login button, which remains situated in the top right corner.

After logging in, members will find a new personalized Members area which contains detailed records of their past performances and their most recent statistics.

On the homepage, a quick scroll down reveals a revamped News interface which now houses information from across the golf landscape, all available at a glance. From blogs to features; golf insider insights to national team updates; quick words from the road to all the latest in equipment – everything you need to know about the game will be available in a single area.

All results – professional tours, events with Team Canada athletes and national amateur championships – will still be readily available on the main page. Scrolling down past the news will bring you to the results area.

Members of Canada’s national amateur, development and young pro squads will be featured in a random rotation to allow users to meet the newest additions to Team Canada and to easily find information about the athletes they already know.

A comprehensive menu can be accessed through a dropdown interface in the top left corner. For ease of reference, a full site map is available at the bottom of the page.

It has been said that a website is never done and this holds true for the new golfcanada.ca. While the look and feel will remain, we will continue to review and revise as we stay up–to-date with the changing needs of Canada’s golfing community. One feature we will be launching shortly is a completely revamped Course Lookup tool that will display detailed information on courses and clubs across the country, powered by Golf Canada’s comprehensive CRM database.

We are excited to launch our new website and we want to hear from you! Please let us know what you think of the new golfcanada.ca and we’ll continue to build the site together.

You can contact us via:

Email: members@golfcanada.ca
Phone: 1-800-263-0009 ext. 399
Twitter: @thegolfcanada
Facebook: facebook.com/thegolfcanada

With two new courses opening this summer, as well as, the returns of the popular Web.com Tour Nova Scotia Open and the RBC Canada Cup to Halifax and the captivating PGA Tour Canada Cape Breton Celtic Classic, Nova Scotia seems like the perfect destination to tee up a golf vacation – and let’s not forget to raise a toast to Fortress Rum, which is now being aged in oak barrels at the Fortress of Louisbourg!

We probably could have waited until this summer for a family golf vacation to Canada’s East Coast, but as we packed the Toyota Highlander to the roof with three sets of golf clubs, baseball gloves, a football and bathing suits last August – Jenifer, Jacob and I knew our 12-night family escape would feel like a whirlwind adventure.

Our first stop was a friend’s home 15 minutes outside Fredericton and that’s where the golfing adventure began. Not sure why we had never played golf in a provincial park, but that’s where we headed – to Mactaquac Provincial Park Golf Course – a wonderful, par-72 from the blue tees, forested routing that stretches to 7,030 yards. We chose the whites at 6,430 yards. Surrounded by Mother Nature, the 18-hole layout is truly a beautiful walk in the park. Surprisingly, it was one of the top-two conditioned courses we played throughout the journey and for rates under $50 (depending on the time of day), the value is excellent. I’ll go back to try and break 80 after posting an 85 in that first encounter. The course, you’ll also want to play when passing through Fredericton is Kingswood, which has its own 7,000-yard routing designed by Graham Cooke, as well as, an award-winning nine-hole, par-3 course that’s entertaining for all – especially kids learning the game and don’t forget to drop by the 80,000 square-foot family entertainment center.

Our next stop took us to Fundy National Park Golf Course – a Stanley Thompson creation that has been on my bucket list for a couple of decades after playing his natural wonders at national parks in Banff, Jasper and Cape Breton. I know, it’s just nine holes, the yardage signs are in metres (and yards) and Parks Canada has paid little attention to it over the years, but for less than $20, Fundy National remains a gem and truly a special place for anyone who appreciates Thompson’s legacy across Canada; every hole is unique. It’s only 3,069 yards from the tips, but nearly a year later, I can still walk through all 41 shots I took that sunny morning. The original clubhouse overlooking nine green is padlocked shut, the bunkers are on the neglected side and the greens are shrinking, but the views from the tees are stunning and you can only wonder what would have been if they had let Thompson build the second nine he had designed. Away from the golf course, the park is filled with natural wonders and magnificent hiking trails, the highest tide changes in the world and an enlightening Dark Sky Preserve with millions of stars visible to the naked eye.

For our last round of golf in New Brunswick, we headed off to the four-diamond Algonquin Resort at St. Andrew’s-by-the-Sea for two awesome nights following its $50 million renovation. With 125 years of history behind it, The Algonquin is easily one of the country’s signature hotels and its hospitable ambiance is magical. Whether taking a complimentary bike for a stroll into town and down to the local wharf to see the community of fishing boats, dropping by the local farmer’s market, enjoying an evening campfire with loaner guitars, building sand castles at the beach at Katy’s Cove overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay or sliding down the indoor pool slide – the Algonquin is a delightful destination unto itself.

Its neighbouring golf course – that goes by the same name – is a solid Tom McBroom design with some strong holes alongside the bay, but its fairway conditioning left something to be desired last summer; hopefully it will make a strong comeback for 2015 because it is worthy of a visit even at the full price of $85.

From New Brunswick, we popped across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia for the second half of our journey via a foggy ferry ride. Digby is a quaint seaside town known as the home for giant scallops and another Thompson design at Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa. We didn’t stay at the resort because it was sold out, but there are a couple of smaller establishments in town that will do the trick for a night or two. For a course that measures less than 6,300 yards, the Pines has all the highlights of an original Thompson masterpiece with naturally rolling fairways, great views off the tees (especially on the par-3s), some wonderfully intricate greenside bunkering and a remarkable – and perhaps reachable – 278-yard par-4 that plays uphill to a green that’s protected by a bunker in the shape of a question mark. The only question is, are you willing to go for it? It is $73 full rate, but two can play with cart at twilight for $88 and that’s a steal.

From Digby, we headed to the South Shore for a couple of nights at White Point Beach Resort, which dates back to 1928 with a rugged nine-hole layout designed by none other than Donald Ross. It’s a struggling community golf course at its heart and remains partnered with the resort, although they don’t get a ton of tourist traffic – which is too bad. It’s a wonderful, timeless layout bordering the ocean and overlooking the one-kilometer white beach that leads to the resort’s main lodge – it really does feel like time has stood still for decades as you gaze out towards the Atlantic Ocean.

The iconic and historic resort that had been recently renewed after a major fire gutted the main lodge in 2011, reminded us of the cozy, comfort of Tigh Na Mara Seaside Spa Resort on Vancouver Island. Recreation is the name of the game here; although quite a few patrons donned wet suits to go surfing in the frigid waters, we regrettably passed on that. We opted for kayaking, the swimming pool, a games room and some awesome seafood in the main restaurant.

For our final round, we headed up to Bridgewater, an inland community not too far from historic towns like Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg, where the Bluenose II makes port. Here we found Osprey Ridge Golf Club, another intriguing Graham Cooke that seems to fly under the radar for some reason, but not sure why. While it would be a heck of a walk, especially on the back nine, what you’ll remember is a solid 6,600-yard course that is very playable from four sets of tees. There’s water on more than half the holes, lots of bunkers and the two finishing holes for each nine climb steadily uphill back to the clubhouse. For $32 to $53 dollars depending on the time of day, it was easily the best conditioned and best valued course we played!

As we drove through Halifax and started to the return journey, we made a brief stop at The Links of Brunello for a quick peak at the new Tom McBroom design that’s opening on June 15, 2015 and it looked amazing. The other new course opening in July is Cabot Cliffs, the sister course to Cabot Links. Both courses have captured the fancy of golfers around the world as the little town of Inverness is transformed into a mini Bandon Dunes. They are certainly the talk of Canadian golf and are about to take the world stage – it’s hard to imagine a better one-two punch!

A little quick math tells me I have now played 15 courses in Nova Scotia, eight in New Brunswick and another 10 on Prince Edward Island, but with two more now on my bucket list, it’s going to be difficult to resist the temptation of returning once again this summer for some great golf and a taste of that Fortress Rum.

Websites worth checking out:

• www.algonquinresort.com 
• www.cabotlinks.com
• www.digbypines.ca
• www.fortressoflouisbourg.ca/FortressRum
• www.golfnb.ca
• www.golfnovascotia.com
• www.mactaquacgolfcourse.com/mactaquac-golf/
• www.novascotiaopen.com/
• www.ospreyridge.ca
• www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nb/fundy/activ/ete-summer/golf.aspx
• www.thelinksatbrunello.com
• www.whitepoint.com

Outside of the game itself and the thrill of competition, there are so many other positives to hitting the links and playing a round. Meeting up with old friends; hosting an important client outside of the boardroom; having the chance to get outside and connect with nature – these are just a few of the reasons why golf reaches so many.

While seeing a deer at the edge of a forest or taking a sip by a stream can make you feel at ease and calm your nerves for the putt ahead, nature can sometimes have the opposite effect on your game.

Not everyone will appreciate a prehistoric monster of several hundred pounds on the greens, but the thrill-seekers among us will certainly enjoy the added challenge.

See? Just another example of the game of golf offering something to everyone.

Enjoy the game and whatever nature brings your way!

PHOENIX – Just a few days after turning professional, Corey Conners capped a memorable week at the Masters by signing an agreement to play PING equipment, PING Chairman & CEO John A. Solheim announced. He’s making his professional debut at the RBC Heritage, playing on a sponsor’s exemption from RBC.

Conners is a 2014 graduate of Kent State University, where he won three times as a senior. He was recently #1 in the Golfweek World Amateur Rankings, and last year was runner-up in the U.S. Amateur, which earned him an invitation to this year’s Masters.

The 23-year-old Canadian from Listowel, Ont., was a four-year member of the Golf Canada National Amateur Team and champion of the 2014 Jones Cup. He now transitions from the amateur team to Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad.

“Corey’s recent performances have received attention, but in fact he captured our interest years ago and it has been fun to watch his steady climb in an amateur career built on consistency, which will serve him well,” Solheim said. “He is an accomplished player with a number of prestigious titles. We’re delighted to have Corey as part of our team and we’ll be watching the RBC Heritage with extra interest as he begins his pro career playing alongside the game’s best.”

As part of the multi-year agreement, Conners will wear a PING hat, carry a PING staff bag and play a minimum of 11 PING clubs. Financial terms and the length of the agreement were not disclosed.

BRISBANE, Australia – A golfer who was bitten on the leg by a crocodile while playing at an Australian tourist resort said Tuesday he was partly at fault for hitting his ball in the water and disturbing the aggressive reptile while it sunbaked.

John Lahiff, 75, had puncture wounds in his right calf after he was bitten by the 1.2-metre (4-foot) saltwater crocodile on Monday at the Palmer Sea Reef Golf Course in the tourist town of Port Douglas on Queensland state’s Great Barrier Reef, police said.

Lahiff told Australian Broadcasting Corp. from his Cairns Hospital bed that he had seen crocs on the course before and should have been more wary of them.

He was attacked after retrieving a ball from a water trap on the 11th hole.

“I drove a cart around there to retrieve the ball and I didn’t see the croc sunbaking just on the edge of the water,” Lahiff said.

“I’ll just stay away from them, that’s all. Just don’t hit balls in the water,” he said. “It’s partly my fault for disturbing it – it was just sunbaking.”

The croc quickly retreated into the water.

Lahiff drove his cart back to the club house where paramedics were called. They told him he was lucky no artery had been severed.

Lahiff said he played the course three times a week and would return there soon.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection will attempt to catch the crocodile, which is a protected species under Australian law, so it can be relocated to a zoo or crocodile farm where crocs are grown for their meat and hides.

Crocs are a common sight on golf courses in Australia’s tropics and signs warn golfers of the dangers.

The department told the ABC it was unusual behaviour for a small crocodile to interact with people.

The resort’s owner, mining magnate and federal lawmaker Clive Palmer, wished Lahiff a speedy recovery.

“Crocodile has been removed from all menus at Palmer properties following today’s incident,” Palmer joked in a tweet on Monday.

Crocodiles can grow up to 6 metres (20 feet) long and have become abundant across Australia’s tropical north since they became protected in 1971.

The Mulligan International factory on the outskirts of Montreal was ravaged by an intense fire this past Saturday. While thankfully, the 20 or so employees of the sporting goods manufacturer and golf ball recycling plant escaped without sustaining major injuries, the same cannot be said for the four million golf balls being processed in the facility.

Thick columns of black smoke caused by the burning plastic enveloped the area and a nearby highway, forcing authorities to close off the major artery into the city. The factory, which annually recycles approximately 27 million balls, will unfortunately have to cease all operations.

Video on this story, courtesy of CBC.ca:

Dollard St-Laurent passed away April 6 at the age of 85 in Beloeil, Quebec – a community on Montreal’s South Shore. He was rightfully acclaimed by the Montreal Canadiens and the entire National Hockey League for his fine career.

St-Laurent, a former Canadiens defenceman whose 11-year NHL career included four years with the Chicago Blackhawks, was one of the founders of the NHL players union, along with Ted Lindsay and Doug Harvey. It was a pivotal development in the sport’s history, considering the current strength of the players’ association.

Along with his contributions to hockey, St-Laurent had a significant impact on golf, the sport to which he devoted his attention after hanging up his skates.

St-Laurent was an influential captain and president at the Beloeil Golf Club and along with the former Club pro, Jean-Paul Alary, he was a firm believer in junior golf.

St-Laurent was one of the pioneers in setting up this level of play for Quebec golf prospects, along with Jack Bisseger, Luc Brien, Jean-Guy Périard, André Gagnier, André Maltais, Phil Giroux and a host of others.

“Dollard St-Laurent was an outstanding person,” said Daniel Talbot, the long-time Quebec golf pro who is a product of the junior system in Beloeil. “He never had a bad word to say about anyone and he did a lot for our sport.”

Dollard’s son, Michel, is a former Golf Québec President.  He was also a past member of the Golf Canada Board of Directors and a former Golf Canada Governor.

On behalf of the entire Québec golf movement, I join René Noël, Guy Fabre, Mike DeFalco, Robbie Jackson, Bruce Heuchan, Michel Pépin, Daniel Talbot and so many others in thanking Dollard St-Laurent for the example he set and the positive influence he exerted.

Our heartfelt sympathy to Michel St-Laurent and his family.

Extraordinary athletes serve as idols to the next generation. Their greatness inspires, and in turn, the inspired become role models themselves.

Tiger Woods idolized Jack Nicklaus. Rory McIlroy looked up to Tiger Woods. And now, Woods and McIlroy compete side by side as they fuel the dreams of sport’s future greats. It’s a ripple effect.

In that vein, Nike Golf has created a new short film, “Ripple,” that captures the powerful influence of Woods on a young McIlroy.

Produced in one- and two-minute versions, the film follows the inspirational journey of McIlroy growing up, captivated by Woods’s awe-inspiring performances, his strokes of genius, his athleticism and his swing. Seeing fist pump after fist pump, victory after victory, and with posters of Woods in his room, the film shows McIlroy dreaming of one day competing against Woods – symbolic of the dream held by many young golfers around the world.

“As a kid, I looked up to Tiger,” said McIlroy, who hit a 40-yard drive at the age of just two. When I first saw him on TV, I remember being completely enamored by the energy he brought to the sport. His will to win. His determination. His fight.”

“I’ve been in that same situation,” said Woods. “Growing up, Jack was my idol. My first recollection of The Masters was 1986, when Jack won. I remember him making a putt at 17 and lifting that putter up. Fourteen years later at the 2000 PGA Championship, I got to play with and against him – someone I looked up to.”

The film begins with a reenactment of a young McIlroy intensely watching Woods win his first U.S. Amateur Championship on TV in 1994. A few years later, still from his hometown in Holywood, Northern Ireland, McIlroy witnessed Woods’s electrifying performance of winning his first Masters title by an astounding 12 shots. As the film progresses, we see McIlroy emulating Woods’s work ethic, perfecting his game in the rain, working on his putting stroke on a putting green at his house (filmed at his actual childhood home), with his mother Rosie and father Gerry supporting him all the way.

The film culminates with the two professionals competing against each other, walking side by side down the fairway–inspiration for who’s next.

“It’s been an incredible journey for me, going from massive fan to competitor,” said McIlroy. “To think that not too long ago I was that little boy watching him on TV to where I am now. It’s been a cool journey and I’m very lucky I get to compete with and against him, because he inspired me as a kid and he inspires me now. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s neat because I’ve been able to be a part of different generations of competitors. Now I’m competing against the younger ones. It helps me train a little harder, because these guys are athletic,” said Woods.

Here’s the two-minute version of the film.