Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. unveiled the newest addition to their world famous teaching academy today… Canada, meet RoboGolfPro.

Canada’s first robotic swing trainer launches today at Glen Abbey. @RoboGolfPro #clublink pic.twitter.com/FNhJPSgTza

— Glen Abbey Golf Club (@GlenAbbeyGC) September 17, 2014

Glen Abbey Golf Academy is the first home for the RoboGolfPro in Canada. Lori Heller of Heller Productions is one of the partners behind bringing the RoboGolfPro to Canada. She is looking  to partner with more golf courses across the country in hopes of making it more widely available. Clubs or individuals interested in purchasing a unit can click here for more information.

Heller’s partner is golf instructor Scott Nei, who helped develop the original RoboGolfPro. Nei, who owns a large golf teaching group called Tour Bound Golf Academy, came across the original inventor at a PGA Merchandise show and used his expertise to develop it into a highly effective golf training tool that teaches people how a proper swing really feels. Because the machine relies on the use of muscle memory, you can see immediate improvements in your golf swing.

Heller arranged to have the 840 pound robot placed in a building she had constructed at Glen Abbey Golf Club. Now, club members and the public can book lessons on the RoboGolfPro all year long. Lessons cost roughly $200/hour for ClubLink members, $250 for non-members.

Glen Abbey Golf Club is home to the Academies of ClubLink, Golf Canada, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as the TaylorMade Performance Lab.  Glen Abbey Golf Club will also host the 2015 RBC Canadian Open.

Click here to see the Robo Golf Pro in action.

Top 10 aces of the 2013-14 PGA Tour season

Phil Mickelson Design (PMD) has been signed to create a championship golf course west of Calgary in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Barry Ehlert, Managing Partner of Windmill Golf Group, is developing Mickelson National Golf Club of Canada as a centerpiece of Harmony, a 1,700-acre community built by partners Qualico Communities and Bordeaux Developments.

“I could not be more excited about the partnership we’ve formed for my first signature golf course in Canada,” said Mickelson. “The Calgary area has a huge number of golf fans and players and we plan to create an outstanding golf course – one that’s both fun for amateurs and challenging enough to host the world’s best players in a PGA Tour event.”

The gently rolling foothills will be transformed, with shaping reflective of the mountains, water features and sensational landscaping to accentuate the golf course design. It also will be true to the guiding principles of the community: purposeful, caring and stable. That is, complementing the fabric of family-oriented community, ensuring sustainability and honoring the legacy of the Copithorne family, which settled the land more than a century ago.

“Harmony presents a tremendous new opportunity for us,” said Mickelson. “Our setting is magnificent and I’m really looking forward to contributing to a quality, family-oriented community.”

Mickelson’s first design was Whisper Rock in Scottsdale, AZ. PMD recently completed successful projects in Kunming and Shanghai, China, and has ambitious plans for the renovation of Torrey Pines North, home of the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

The design process is in progress with the groundbreaking planned for this fall and full construction taking place in 2015.

Wentworth Golf Club sold to Chinese investors

Luke Donald (David Cannon/ Getty Images)

VIRGINIA WATER, England – One of Britain’s most famous courses and the headquarters of the European Tour – Wentworth Golf Club – has been sold to Chinese firm Reignwood Investments for 135 million pounds ($220 million US).

Chanchai Ruayrungruang, founder of the Reignwood Group, says “Wentworth is a key strategic acquisition for our rapidly growing luxury lifestyle division, whose unique culture we are dedicated to preserving.”

The course that hosts the European Tour’s flagship PGA Championship and is located 25 miles west of London was previously owned by restaurant entrepreneur Richard Caring.

Caring – the 112th richest person in the United Kingdom – says in a statement released by the Wentworth club that it is “in great hands for the next chapter in its amazing story.”

NORCROSS, Ga. – Edmonton’s Tim Buckland capped off six months of “playing famously” by capturing the 2014 Mizuno JPX Invitational championship title. The tournament marked the culmination of the second year of Mizuno’s “Play Famously” campaign at Country Club of the South in Johns Creek, Ga. Highlighted by a back-nine run that featured back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14, Buckland netted an impressive 68 (gross 82) for an eight-shot victory.

Although it was his first “pro” tournament, Buckland displayed the poise and shot-making skills of a tested PGA Tour professional.  Playing the JPX-EZ irons, JPX Series Wedges, and JPX-EZ Woods, Buckland’s accuracy off the tee allowed him to attack the course’s plush greens with consistent iron play. Buckland’s strongest competition came from Joe Bracamonte, a middle-school principal and 16-handicapper from Fresno, Calif. and Opera singer and 17-handicapper Eric Berry of New Haven, Conn. Both finished the tournament at net 4-over 76.

“What an incredible end to an amazing experience with an amazing group of people. Being treated like a pro by Mizuno for the past six months has been something I’ll never forget,” said Buckland. “I definitely came determined to play well, but to get the win is something really special. It’s been an honor to be among so many people who love the game of golf like I do and have made it through so many incredible and unique challenges.”

This season, Mizuno took a slightly different turn with its popular “Play Famously” campaign, focusing on everyday amateur golfers who credited golf as a critical element to overcoming unique and significant life challenges. Twelve inspiring stories were selected from thousands of entries, including Buckland, a former low single-digit handicap who’s golf aspirations where side-tracked by a battle against cancer. Buckland, and his 11 teammates where outfitted like Tour pros, receiving custom-fit sets of Mizuno’s award-winning JPX-EZ game-improvement irons, JPX wedges, driver, fairway woods and hybrids, along with a full-supply of Mizuno Golf apparel and accessories. The group also received personalized Mizuno staff bags and one-on-one instruction from PGA Master Instructor and golf historian, Dr. Gary Wiren.

“Giving amateur golfers across the country a platform to tell their story is something Mizuno has been proud and honored to do,” said Iver Maple, Division Brand Marketing Manager, Golf, Mizuno USA. “The power of golf has been on display in the lives of the 2014 members of Team JPX, and we’ve been fortunate to associate our brand with such a wonderful group of people.”

“Congratulations Tim Buckland and the 11 other 2014 members of Team JPX. What an incredible display of talent and commitment to the game of golf in North America. You are all an inspiration!”, said John Stacey, President of Mizuno Canada Ltd.

Top-10 putts of the 2013-14 PGA Tour season

Earlier this week I had the chance to play in PGA TOUR Canada’s TOUR Championship of Canada Pro-Am at Sunningdale Golf Club in London, Ont.

It’d been quite a while since I’ve been a part of any sort of pro-am environment (four years to be exact) and being on the other side of the spectrum for so long, either caddying or playing as a professional, I took for granted how neat the experience is for an amateur golfer.

Now, I’m a little biased, but I really had a great group to play in. Paired alongside SCOREGolf’s equipment expert Rick Young and CTV London’s Peter Uzzi we had a late switch out for our pro and lucked out by getting paired with Canada’s Cory Renfrew of Victoria, B.C.

Cory’s a past champion on PGA Tour Canada and for never meeting the majority of our group before, he fit in with our rapid-fire question filled media group right from the start, easily answering Young’s confusing lie-loft angle questions like a true pro.

After being introduced by Golf Canada’s pro-am starter Len Obokata’s booming voice off the first tee at Sunningdale our group was off to Renfrew’s drive in the left rough, 65 yards in front of everyone else, which was a common trend the entire day.

What I find the most fun about the pro-am experience and golf in general is that you can show up to any tee anywhere and make new friends with complete strangers over the course of a round.

The amount of connections and contacts I’ve made over my short 27-year lifespan playing golf is astounding and Tuesday’s experience only added to my list. Being paired alongside any pro like Cory, a stranger and now new friend (Peter) and an industry mentor (Rick) certainly made for a memorable day.

There is such a fine line between what defines a guy like Cory Renfrew from being on the PGA Tour tomorrow. Each of the 60 players teeing it up at Sunningdale this week could be on tour with one lucky break, a hot-streak or maybe even a little more funding. All of these guys can play and you can hear it when they hit the ball.

The sound that comes off a great players clubface is very unique. The amount of times Peter marveled at the noise that echoed off Renfrew’s Titleist driver made me smile – he was simply astounded at how effortless and easy every ball flew off that clubface.

On top of watching these guys effortlessly navigate their ball around the course, what’s maybe the most fun is getting the chance to interact with any of them as they’re on their way up.

As I mentioned earlier, there’s a fine line separating the 60 players at Sunningdale from the big leagues. It’s pretty cool to imagine that if Renfrew wins this week our group got to play with the guy that earned his full-time Web.com Tour card and will likely make an appearance on the PGA Tour someday soon.

At the end of the day our group ended up at the top of the leaderboard after a smooth 53 thanks to Peter sinking two birdie putts on par-3s for net hole-in-one’s. We all shared a lot of laughs that morning, plenty of fist bumps and I’m sure all of us will remember the experience for many years to come… especially when Cory gets his next win.

FootJoy has debuted golfgloveguide.com, a new microsite dedicated to educating players about the importance of a proper-fitting golf glove and providing insight as to how a glove can enhance a player’s game.  The site includes instructional and experiential content, outlining the five most important topics pertaining to a golf glove: equipment, grip, fit, durability and care.

“All of the feel in your golf game comes through your hands. You must wear a glove with the best feel,” says professional golfer Adam Scott. “It is so important that I have a good feel through my glove, as my hands are connected to the club, which is doing all of the work.”

FootJoy estimates that over 50% of players are wearing the wrong sized glove, often dismissing the glove’s importance as a piece of equipment and the improvement a glove can provide to an individual’s game.

“The make and fit of a golf glove can affect a player’s swing more than most realize. At FootJoy we’re dedicated to making the best golf gloves in the world. The care we take in their creation reflects a long-held philosophy that the right glove can mean as much to your game as the right ball or right club,” says Maria Bonzagni, Senior Director of Marketing, FootJoy Gloves & Accessories, Acushnet Company. “The glove is not just an accessory but an essential part of every player’s game.”

A proper fitting can improve a player’s performance and provide valuable insight to adjustments the player should make to their grip and hand positioning on the club. This information is readily accessible to consumers on golfgloveguide.com. From the make and fit of a glove to its care and durability, these items are essential to consider when purchasing a golf glove and utilizing the glove to improve one’s game.

“We need our hands so much in this game and we need to take care of them. I need a combination of protection and feel in my glove and I trust FootJoy gloves to provide both of these qualities,” says professional golfer Hunter Mahan.

Ten years ago I was diagnosed with Kidney Disease and now I need a kidney transplant.

Most people don’t realize I have this disease because there are so few visible signs of actual illness. I probably went undiagnosed for a couple of years. From this vantage point, I can look back and see symptoms of kidney disease, which at the time didn’t seem like much at all. Adding them up led to a diagnosis.

Since that diagnosis I have certainly had my share of ups and downs. I take very little medication, which is a good thing. However my Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which is how much blood is filtered in the kidneys per minute, continues to drop and now sits at 11%.

I have been on the transplant list since June of 2013, beginning a staggering 8-10 years wait for a cadaver donor. (These are possible because people have decided that if something terrible happens to them—usually an accident—they want something good to come of it. You can sign your donor card by clicking here.

As the disease progresses, without a transplant, my health will eventually decline, forcing me to go on dialysis.

That scares the hell out of me.

I have lost 25 pounds in two years as I struggle with diet and sticking to low sodium, low phosphorous, low potassium and gout triggers. I’m also lactose intolerant and have to stay away from fructose. Ironically, as I’ve lost weight, many people have commented to me how great I look. Some, who haven’t seen me for a while, comment on how thin I am getting.

I find it overwhelming at times. In order to cope with all of this I am taking advantage of counselling provided by the Kidney Foundation so that I am mentally prepared for the next stages . . . I also have to organize my life, so that I have plans in place as my life changes.

When I begin dialysis, I am going to need assistance in the form of a chauffeur, to and from the hospital. I may need some support for daily life, especially when tired out from the disease and treatment.

As I wait for a transplant, I will lose a level of health and well-being. If a live donor could be found, it would be my best chance for avoiding more declines in health and a much better outcome for the rest of my life.

I have found it really hard to imagine asking someone to consider becoming a donor. I know being a live kidney donor is now much easier and less invasive and traumatic to the donor than it was in the past. Surgery used to require a full incision and a long recovery time. Modern medicine now uses laparoscopic surgery with recovery time of 5-7 days.

I am blood type O and will need another O to donate to me. At this time, live donors must know whom they are donating to. But if you are willing to be a donor and are not blood type O, the kidney foundation may be able to set up a ‘domino’ surgery, where donors and recipients who don’t match are matched with others in the same situation, to make a match. Last year there was a donation like this where four live donors each gave a kidney to four people who needed a kidney.

Everyone has two kidneys, but only needs one to be healthy.

There is no long-term consequence to a donor’s health, other than the surgery itself. To see if you can be a donor; first you have to talk with your doctor and if there are no preexisting health issues, you will have some basic medical tests performed ensuring t you are able to be considered as a donor. It takes about six months for the screening process before donation can even be considered.

So there is lots of time to think about it, prepare and be sure this is the right thing for you. If you were wondering if you might be able to be a donor, would you consider taking the first step? Ask your doctor if you might be able to be a kidney donor.

Now my life is all about hoping someone will give me the best gift: the rest of my life.

So despite all of this, I continue to set goals for my future and look forward to life after transplant. My career as a golf professional continues to be my passion in life. Every day I learn new things about the students I teach and coach, creating a fun positive learning environment and more importantly I strive to be better at what I do.

I am grateful for the support of close friends, family, coworkers, members of Willow Park Golf Club and McDougall United Church who continue to be in my life and show a great capacity for caring and kindness. Sharing my story wasn’t easy in the beginning, but lately it has become a necessity if I am to continue to have a decent quality of life in the future.

Ten years ago I was diagnosed with Kidney Disease and now I need a kidney transplant.

Most people don’t realize I have this disease because there are so few visible signs of actual illness. I probably went undiagnosed for a couple of years. From this vantage point, I can look back and see symptoms of kidney disease, which at the time didn’t seem like much at all. Adding them up led to a diagnosis.

Since that diagnosis I have certainly had my share of ups and downs. I take very little medication, which is a good thing. However my Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which is how much blood is filtered in the kidneys per minute, continues to drop and now sits at 11%.

I have been on the transplant list since June of 2013, beginning a staggering 8-10 years wait for a cadaver donor. (These are possible because people have decided that if something terrible happens to them—usually an accident—they want something good to come of it. You can sign your donor card by clicking here.

As the disease progresses, without a transplant, my health will eventually decline, forcing me to go on dialysis.

That scares the hell out of me.

I have lost 25 pounds in two years as I struggle with diet and sticking to low sodium, low phosphorous, low potassium and gout triggers. I’m also lactose intolerant and have to stay away from fructose. Ironically, as I’ve lost weight, many people have commented to me how great I look. Some, who haven’t seen me for a while, comment on how thin I am getting.

I find it overwhelming at times. In order to cope with all of this I am taking advantage of counselling provided by the Kidney Foundation so that I am mentally prepared for the next stages . . . I also have to organize my life, so that I have plans in place as my life changes.

When I begin dialysis, I am going to need assistance in the form of a chauffeur, to and from the hospital. I may need some support for daily life, especially when tired out from the disease and treatment.

As I wait for a transplant, I will lose a level of health and well-being. If a live donor could be found, it would be my best chance for avoiding more declines in health and a much better outcome for the rest of my life.

I have found it really hard to imagine asking someone to consider becoming a donor. I know being a live kidney donor is now much easier and less invasive and traumatic to the donor than it was in the past. Surgery used to require a full incision and a long recovery time. Modern medicine now uses laparoscopic surgery with recovery time of 5-7 days.

I am blood type O and will need another O to donate to me. At this time, live donors must know whom they are donating to. But if you are willing to be a donor and are not blood type O, the kidney foundation may be able to set up a ‘domino’ surgery, where donors and recipients who don’t match are matched with others in the same situation, to make a match. Last year there was a donation like this where four live donors each gave a kidney to four people who needed a kidney.

Everyone has two kidneys, but only needs one to be healthy.

There is no long-term consequence to a donor’s health, other than the surgery itself. To see if you can be a donor; first you have to talk with your doctor and if there are no preexisting health issues, you will have some basic medical tests performed ensuring t you are able to be considered as a donor. It takes about six months for the screening process before donation can even be considered.

So there is lots of time to think about it, prepare and be sure this is the right thing for you. If you were wondering if you might be able to be a donor, would you consider taking the first step? Ask your doctor if you might be able to be a kidney donor.

Now my life is all about hoping someone will give me the best gift: the rest of my life.

So despite all of this, I continue to set goals for my future and look forward to life after transplant. My career as a golf professional continues to be my passion in life. Every day I learn new things about the students I teach and coach, creating a fun positive learning environment and more importantly I strive to be better at what I do.

I am grateful for the support of close friends, family, coworkers, members of Willow Park Golf Club and McDougall United Church who continue to be in my life and show a great capacity for caring and kindness. Sharing my story wasn’t easy in the beginning, but lately it has become a necessity if I am to continue to have a decent quality of life in the future.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysian golfer Mohd Nazri Zain had a rare hole-in-one on a par-4 during the SapuraKencana National Qualifier tournament on Wednesday.

He holed out on the water-lined 289-yard 16th on the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s west course.

“I saw the ball rolling into the hole and I started celebrating with my caddie,” Zain said. “It was unbelievable. This is definitely a huge achievement for me and I’ll keep the ball as a memory.”

Zain finished with a 2-over 73 and in 20th place, 15 strokes behind playoff winner Danny Chia of Malaysia. By winning, Chia earned a place in the $7 million CIMB Classic, a PGA Tour and Asian Tour event in late October.

The 30-year-old Zain already had a hole-in-one – on a par-3 hole – in 2012.

There has been only one hole-in-one on a par-4 on the PGA Tour, by American golfer Andrew Magee at the TPC Scottsdale during the FBR Open, now Phoenix Open, in 2001. Asian Tour officials said Wednesday that Zain’s ace was the first on a par-4 on their tour.

Magee’s hole-in-one came with a driver on the 332-yard 17th. His tee shot ran up onto the green while the group of Steve Pate, Gary Nicklaus (Jack Nicklaus’ son) and Tom Byrum were putting. Magee’s ball bounced on to the green, ran through Byrum’s legs and struck Byrum’s putter and deflected about eight feet into the hole.

The most recent par-4 hole-in-one came in July when Tyler Raber aced the 279-yard 17th hole on the developmental eGolf Pro Tour’s ArrowCreek Open in Reno, Nevada.

Raber, who at first thought he had lost his ball with his tee shot before discovering it in the hole, lost the ArrowCreek Open in a three-man playoff.

You sure made us proud Canada!

We we’re truly impressed by the entries we received for our “Canada’s Craziest Golfer Contest”. It was almost impossible not to share them all. Here are your 3 winners:

1st place: Mark Balon

” Too much snow! Waiting for warmer weather and remembering a great trip to Pebble Beach and Palm Springs just a month earlier! What better way to reminisce than to practice your putting!”

2nd Place: Ed Bergen

“My greatest day of golf was a long one.  My golfing partner Rob, and myself were up early and were lucky enough to have the first tee time of the day at the beautiful Mt Lorette course at Kannaskis.  With no one in front of us, we walked and were able to complete the round in good time and collect our “I kept the pace” ball marker upon completion.  We also had a tee time booked at The majestic Banff Springs Golf course in Banff.  It’s hard to play quickly when surrounded by such scenery, but the pace of play was good and we still had a good piece of the day ahead of us.  With maybe a lack of sleep or a bit to much sunshine on the brain, we thought, “hey, why not race to Jasper National Park, if there’s no tea times available. we will play in the morning”.  For anyone that hasn’t travelled that stretch of road, its only 287 km, but in the middle of July it is about a four hour drive!  After the lengthy drive through what may be Canada’s most scenic stretch of road we arrived in Jasper and secured the last tee time of the day!  At last light we, we walked off the 18th green, knowing that we had just finished walking 54 holes of great golf, on 3 of Canada’s greatest courses and travelled over 350 km by car and still had time to set up our tent in the dark and get some sleep so we could start over in the morning!”

3rd place: Sebastien Arcand

4 years ago I built a backyard putting green for my kids and myself. The green is made of bentgrass and built to USGA standards. After 4 years, my kids and myself are still practicing almost everyday on it. My kids love golf as much as I do…

Honourable Mentions:

A creative “Urban golfer”.. Jeremy La Salle-Pike

A golf-crazy scuba diver who took his homegrown love of golf all the way to Belize, Todd Keirstead

Desi Harcourt’s son is an impatient and innovative golfer. He’s been known to shovel himself a makeshift driving range and spend days in the cold training for the upcoming competitive season.

Thank you Canada for sharing your photos and passion for the game, keep on golfing!

TORONTO – Nike Golf has reimagined golf irons with the introduction of its new Vapor franchise – Vapor Pro, Vapor Pro Combo, and Vapor Speed.

The modern family of irons was unveiled to a global media audience this week near New York City during an event featuring Nike athletes Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, and celebrity golf aficionado Jimmy Fallon.

The Vapor irons blend the detailed craftsmanship of Nike’s master club builder, Mike Taylor; the engineering expertise of The Oven; and the imagination of Nike designers. The result; a family of irons featuring a pinnacle Nike innovation called Modern Muscle.

Modern Muscle is a modification of a standard muscle-back design that moves the iron’s center of gravity to the centre of the clubface, crafted to yield more efficient and pure strikes. The innovation has already contributed to a major championship victory when Rory McIlroy put a prototype Vapor Pro Combo 2-iron (MM Proto) in the bag and went on to win the 2014 Open Championship.

While Rory was the first to win with Modern Muscle in the bag, the innovation itself started with insights from Tiger Woods.

“Our engineers and designers at The Oven have been working with Tiger for quite some time to evolve this innovation and bring it to the golf athlete,” said Rob Arluna, Nike Golf’s Global Golf Club Business Director. “We started with the traditional blade and asked what could be done to enhance its performance and modernize the design while maintaining a traditional, pure look at address. Thanks to Tiger’s inspiration, coupled with Rory’s added insights, we made the Vapor Pro blades feel and perform better with a technology advantage over the traditional blade. We then extended that innovation and design to Vapor Pro Combo and Vapor Speed.”

“Years back when we tested the parts with adjusted weighting, I immediately noticed a more balanced feel and more consistent performance.” said Woods. “Working with the club team to bring this concept to life was a great experience.”

With a modernized take on the classic blade profile, the Vapor Pro is Nike Golf’s most precise iron to date. The Vapor Pro Combo has the clean lines and workability of a blade with the power of a distance iron – resulting in the ultimate blend of precision and power. The Vapor Speed delivers pure power for the golf athlete who wants maximum distance and forgiveness through the set.

Within Nike, the name Nike Vapor is synonymous with the company’s most premium innovations that boldly elevate athlete performance. The Nike Vapor name is featured in other categories within Nike, including baseball and global football.

The Vapor irons will be available on Nike.com and at select retailers October 31, 2014.

Vapor Pro Irons

Specifications: 3-PW, True Temper Dynamic Gold X/S/R (RH/LH);

Cdn MSRP:  $1100 3-PW Steel

Vapor Pro Combo Irons

Specifications:  3-AW; True Temper DG Pro (RH/LH)

Cdn MSRP: $1200 4-AW Steel

Vapor Speed Irons

Specifications:  3-SW; True Temper Dynalite 105 Steel S/R (RH/LH); MRC Fubuki Z graphite S/R/A/W

Cdn MSRP:  $850 4-AW Steel; $950 4-AW Graphite;  $780 5-PW Women’s