TORONTO – When it comes to timing, Donalda Club appears to be perfectly in sync with Mother Nature’s clock.

On October 3, 2011, Donalda Club’s membership agreed it was time to breathe new life into its aging poa annua greens. They voted in favour of rebuilding the greens to modern USGA standards with a consistent new look and a weather-tolerant bentgrass turf. Looking back, and knowing what we know now, you might think they have a psychic on staff or a crystal ball hidden away in the clubhouse boardroom.

While numerous established clubs across the GTA are scrambling to reseed or resod greens or trying to come up with a plan to deal with devastating winterkill, Donalda’s new bentgrass greens are set to reopen as planned Saturday, June 28^th, with a weekend-long celebration highlighted by fireworks for its 800 family members.

“We were out there laying the last of the bentgrass sod on November 18th in the snow. The ground froze just as we were laying the final rolls on the last green, No. 7 and I was a little worried the new sod wouldn’t take,” says Scott White, Golf Course and Grounds Manager at Donalda Club. “Then the winter freeze hit and I got a little more nervous, but all the greens came through the winter in amazing shape. There wasn’t an inch of the new bentgrass that didn’t survive and we just let them mature throughout the spring.”

White’s crew aerified the greens four times this spring, removing 25 per cent of the original turf and filling it with sand to encourage new growth – one more aeration is planned for August. Root growth is now eight to 12 inches deep depending when the sod was laid.

Hole closures started last August at Donalda Club. The entire course shut down with no play whatsoever after Labour Day to allow for the greens rebuild. “I don’t think the golf course has ever been in better shape. A few members have been walking around watching the progress, but there hasn’t been a shot played out there in nearly 10 months,” White added, noting No. 11 was the first green sodded on September 11th.

Donalda Club opened in 1960 with 18 holes designed by golf professional Jimmie Johnstone ready for play in June 1962. The Club called upon noted golf course architect Tom McBroom to redesign the course in 1993-1994. He rebuilt 14 of the 20 putting surfaces including two practice greens, leaving six original greens in the mix. He also renovated the bunkers in 2005-2006.

“What you will find today is that we have created subtle internal contours through the use of soft crowns, muffins and subtle transition slopes within the green complexes, as well as adding some bold contours that will really capture your eye and make reading a putt more challenging,” McBroom says, noting bentgrass fall-a-ways were also added to Nos.4, 10, 11, 13 and 14. “Bottom line is that in my opinion, the new Donalda greens are amongst the best in the country for interest, detail and character.”

It took 15 months to grow four acres of Mackenzie/Declaration (50/50) bentgrass for the greens and four acres of Pencross was seeded for tees and fairways at a turf farm in Beeton, Ont. Overall, the green sizes have been enlarged 15 per cent to 124,455,000 square-feet.

“I think the timing was right to take a fresh look at the greens and do them all this time to modern day USGA standards,” White says, noting the original greens had a roly-poly feel to them, while the newer McBroom designs were more tiered and regionalized. “We needed to find a middle-ground between the two styles to give us some consistency throughout the entire layout. Our 1960’s greens had too much roll and slope and the 1990’s greens were too flat in spots.”

Now there’s more life and motion in every green as the severity is more subtle, but overall the greens should be more playable for members. There is less than a three per cent slope on all parts of all greens allowing for a significant increase in pin position options with many tucked more closely to the green side bunkers.

Aside from the new greens several other changes have been in the works including a larger practice area for chipping and putting near the first tee and an expanded putting green near the golf shop. Out on the course – there’s a new back tee deck on No. 6 that adds close to 70 yards to the par-5 to 560 yards; all of the smaller tee decks on No. 7 have been fused into one huge 7,000 square-foot deck and there’s significantly less fairway in front of the green; on No. 8 there’s a new fairway landing area and the green is nearly 40 yards further back on a new plateau, while on the par-3, 14^th hole all tee decks have been completely redone with three expanded levels to give everyone an amazing view of the green, as well as some improvement along the Don Valley River, which comes into play on 14 of the 18 holes. That said, the Golf Association of Ontario increased the slope rating from the back tee decks to 141 from 139.

Despite the course closure, membership sales and development are at an all-time high at Donalda with a very active and engaged membership. Donalda Club is a family-focused, multi-activity facility with varied dining options, Har-Tru indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash courts, curling, an outdoor pool, a new Fitness Center that opened in September 2013, a new Men’s Locker Room and Indoor Golf Academy with four high-definition golf simulators that opened in 2013 and a renovation to the Ladies’ Locker Room scheduled for this fall.

TORONTO  – Nike Golf announced that former Stanford athlete and former No.1-ranked amateur in the world Patrick Rodgers has joined the brand, signing a multi-year agreement to represent the Swoosh head-to-toe.

The 21-year-old, who was recently named the winner of the 2014 Haskins Award – given to the outstanding collegiate male golfer of the year – in addition to this year’s Ben Hogan Award and Jack Nicklaus Award, will use Nike Golf clubs, ball, footwear, glove, bag, apparel, headwear and accessories. Rodgers will make his professional debut as a Nike Golf Athlete at the Travelers Championship June 19-22 in Cromwell, Conn. He joins an elite group of fellow Nike Athletes who are also Haskins Award winners, including Tiger Woods, Kevin Chappell, David Duval, Russell Henley, Jamie Lovemark and Bob Tway.

Since switching to Nike Golf equipment earlier this year, Rodgers has won five out of his last seven college tournaments.

“Nike has always been behind the most elite players in every sport. To be joining the Nike stable is exciting because I know I am joining the best,” said Rodgers. “I was thrilled with the immediate impact the Nike equipment had on my game and I am excited for the future knowing I am aligning with the premier company in sport and golf.”

A three-time NCAA Division I All-American and 2014 PAC-12 Player of the Year at Stanford University, Rodgers broke the school record for lowest career stroke average of 71.1 set by Woods, with a 70.33 average score, and tied Woods’ all-time wins school record with 11 victories. A member of the 2011 and 2013 U.S. Walker Cup teams, the Avon, Ind. native also set a single-season scoring record this year of 69.4.

“Patrick’s phenomenal college career and outstanding achievements as an amateur make us excited and proud to welcome him to the Nike Golf family,” said Mark Thaxton, Senior Director of Global Sports Marketing Operations. “He is a tremendous athlete with a passion for sport and the Nike Brand, and we look forward to being a part of his continued success as a professional.”

TORONTO – Henry Brunton is now paving a pathway to performance excellence for thousands of aspiring young Chinese golfers and their families.

His Canadian best-seller, High Performance Golf, The Serious Golfer’s Guide to Effective Training, has been translated into Chinese and is now selling in softcover throughout China’s main book distribution channels, including major online and physical bookstores, and junior golf associations and networks.

While it may not end up making the top-sellers list in China, young Chinese golfers, their families and coaches have an unique opportunity to learn from Canadian golf guru Henry Brunton.

“Golf is growing more rapidly in China than any other country in the world, so to have a chance to connect with Chinese people who share a passion for golf like I do is a tremendous honour,” says Brunton,  a PGA of Canada Master Professional and Golf Canada’s Men’s National Team coach for 13 years. “With golf being reintroduced to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than 100 years in 2016, the sport is going through a fundamental shift as many countries that have not paid a lot of attention to golf now put it on their radar including China.”

High Performance Golf identifies scientifically-proven tour-tested training strategies used by the game’s elite players. In it, Brunton shares a wealth of personal knowledge and the key ingredients: coaching, skill assessment, goal setting, scheduling, deliberate practice, choosing proper equipment, fitness and developing mental toughness – as a game plan for success.  “Hopefully they can take what I have learned over the last couple of decades and use this information to move the sport forward in China,” he says.

“High Performance Golf is the first book that will introduce the idea of Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) to China’s young golfers and their parents and coaches,” Wanli Ma says. Ma owns and operates Vision Golf in Beijing and contacted Brunton to get the book published in China. “We want to be able to provide the best information available to those youngsters who are interested in becoming serious golfers.”

There is a good chance that China will produce many more stellar amateurs like Guan Tianlang who played in the 2013 Masters where he made the cut and finished 58^th. Copies of the Chinese version of High Performance Golf, The Serious Golfer’s Guide to Effective Training, are also available through Brunton’s web site – henrybrunton.com  – for $24.95, plus shipping and taxes.

TORONTO – There’s something about turning a negative into a positive that strikes architect Ian Andrew’s fancy.

Actually it is two negatives – the summer flood from 2013 and the coldest winter in decades in 2014 – that wreaked havoc on the course that Stanley Thompson designed for Islington Golf Club in 1922 and many others in Ontario.

While it’s easy to blame the double-whammy on Mother Nature’s mean streak, it’s the membership’s positive and timely response to the adversity that energizes the noted Canadian golf course architect when it comes to the renovations and repairs that have taken place and that will continue throughout the summer.

“These are challenging situations for memberships to deal with, nobody wants to lose their golf course for an entire summer, but in this case the membership has planned for the long-term viability of the golf club,” says Andrew, who was disheartened by the dramatic winterkill when he first saw the course in April.

In December, a winter storm first covered Islington GC with a blanket of four to six inches of ice that didn’t melt until well into March. Extensive amounts of turf on its poa annua greens and fairways died due to the harsh winter conditions that included three freeze/thaw cycles. In response, on May 26^th, the membership voted 86 per cent in favour of rebuilding all greens to USGA standards, renovating the majority of the green side bunkers and revamping the practice area to include a netted practice range and short game area with two bunkers and two greens.

The one green that isn’t being rebuilt this spring, No. 11, was rebuilt with Luminary creeping bentgrass last summer after the flood. It came through the winter with barely a scratch, said Superintendent Ian McQueen. Reconstruction of the greens and bunkers started the day after the vote and Andrew expects to have all greens rebuilt and seeded by July 31^st. The clubhouse remains open for business, but the range is also closed for renovations until at least the fall, while members continue to play golf on temporary greens. The renovated course is slated to open for play in May 2015.

As a very early Thompson layout, Andrew says the original routing of the course demonstrates Thompson’s innate ability to make the most of the land and its features, but overall it was understated – with little drama when it came to bunkers. Over time, several architects left their finger prints on the course adding bunkers and altering tees and greens here and there. As a result, the work Andrew is doing at the club is not purely a restoration of Thompson’s original design. It’s a renovation that preserves some of Thompson’s original work and also builds upon the various evolutions of the golf course over the years.

“When push comes to shove, you must solve issues of ice and drainage and that too has brought about a few alterations designed to protect the club from going through this again,” says Andrew, who has been the Club’s consulting architect since 2010. “There is some pure restoration, but with nine greens previously renovated by other architects and superintendents, there are also some changes being made to have those greens become more appropriate for a Thompson course.”

Last summer, Islington GC was ravaged by a July rainstorm that dumped five inches of water throughout the course in the span of two hours. It devastated the course and Andrew was enlisted to rebuild the 11^th green after half of it went missing. He also rebuilt the greenside bunkers on holes No. 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 as a result of severe washouts and contamination. The Club also approved rebuilding the par-3, 15^th hole. This spring they moved the green 30 yards away from Kipling Avenue and raised it into a better growing environment. The result is a striking new hole that will add more challenge to the closing stretch of holes. That work was completed in mid-June and No. 15 will reopened this fall.

When it comes to greenside bunkers, Andrew is taking out a total of three on No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6; he’s adding two on No. 5 and renovating 16 others. It’s interesting to note that there are no bunkers whatsoever on the three closing holes at Islington and that’s the way Andrew will leave it.

Over a two-to-three week period Andrew spent an excessive amount of time sketching in his office or doodling on his front porch to find a solution for the troubling sixth green. In the end, after 11 doodles and three fully worked out concept designs, an out of the box answer he had never dreamed of in the beginning of the process finally came. “Every once in a while a solution comes and you can say to yourself, “That was clever, I earned my keep today.” and that’s what happened with No. 6 when I drew it without the left front bunker,” Andrew says.

Creating something exciting, new and positive out of two game-changing blows from Mother Nature reenergizes the Club for growth and renewal. As one of the premier private Club’s in the Greater Toronto Area, Islington is charging forward as a confident membership continues to foster a solid foundation upon the gem Thompson first designed over 90 years ago.

Islington GC Superintendent Ian McQueen and architect Ian Andrew check out the new green on No. 15 at Islington GC. (Brent Long)

TORONTO, ON – The Markland Wood Golf club is very excited to be the chosen host for the 2014 Toronto Star Ladies Amateur.  Perhaps even more exciting is the planned visit of one of Canadian golf’s greatest stars – Marlene Stewart Streit.

Marlene is the most successful amateur golfer in Canadian history and was inducted in to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 – the first Canadian to gain that honour.  Her list of wins on home soil is incredibly impressive, but it is her quality of play away from Canada that helped her receive her most distinguished award.

Marlene is the only woman ever to win the Canadian, British, American and Australian amateur titles.  The most recent of those victories was the 2003 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur which she won at age 69, becoming the oldest champion in USGA history.

On Monday June 23^rd, Marlene will be arriving at the course at 10am and will be on-site until the early afternoon.

More information on her incredible accomplishments has been shared by The World Golf Hall of Fame and  the USGA.

Top 10 Emotional Wins on the PGA Tour

Golf is as much a mental game as it’s a physical one. Occasionally, a win can mean the world to golfer who has been struggling in either their game or personal life. Here are some Tour winners who’s victory overwhelmed them in the moment.

Top 10 Aces on the Champions Tour

The over-50 crowd proves they’ve still got it in this top 10 segment put together by the Champions Tour… and you thought Zach Johnson’s hole-in-one at Pinehurst this past weekend was impressive, lets see him do it again in 20 years.

I found myself nervously pacing the carpet of the lobby of the stately Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, mulling over ways to kill a few hours before my afternoon tee time. Should I go to the Willow Stream Spa? They have a wonderful indoor/outdoor pool there with a waterfall.

Should I stroll the beach? It’s arguably the most breathtaking I’ve seen. Should I wander over to the course early? after all, the Fairmont’s undulating Turtle Hill Golf Club, with ocean views at every turn, is among the finest par-3 courses anywhere in the world. Such are the considerations of the anxiety ridden amateur unaccustomed to tournament golf. I was fresh from one of my best rounds in at least a year, scrambling madly to par the final nine holes in shooting a six-over par 60 in Round One of the Bacardi World Par-3 Championship (now known as the Grey Goose World Par-3 Championship). That had put me into the last group of the handicap division for the final round, and I was both exhilarated and terrified. I mean, there were actual fans watching me play, a few media members with cameras, competitors scrutinizing my every move.

Recreational players like me will probably never qualify for the RBC Canadian Open (okay, truth be told, I’m not even good enough to caddie in the Open), but there are a number of events around the globe that specifically cater to less accomplished golf enthusiasts seeking a little competition on a lot of quality layouts — many in some of the world’s most appealing vacation spots. Sun destination tourneys include the much-lauded Jamaica Invitational Pro-Am presented by Appleton Estate rum, which is contested over Jamaica’s elite courses such as the spectacular (and punishing) White Witch and Cinnamon Hill. How big a deal is this event?

Its official sponsors include Cobra Puma Golf, Bridgestone and American Airlines. Your arrival gift bag is valued around $550 and there’s $15,000 in team and on-course prizes, not to mention a $30,000 purse for professional participants.

Then there’s the Scottsdale Open presented by Waste Management, a slickly run three-round event for two-player teams that features a trio of the most famous tracks in Arizona: Grayhawk, Troon North and the TPC Course at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. The latter, just three weeks shy of staging the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Open, was in absolutely mint condition when I teed it up earlier this year. It also allowed participants the opportunity to play the famed par-3 16th—aka The Thunderdome—with its amphitheatre-like stands already set up for the Tour event. Or there’s the World Amateur Handicap Golf Championship in Myrtle Beach, with more than 3,000 competitors from around the world. Looking for an even more esteemed setting? Try the inaugural Dean’s Scottish Clans Golf World Championships. Set for June 23-27 at the prestigious Gleneagles Golf Resort in Scotland, it’s a four-round event featuring World Top-50 course Kingsbarns, as well as Gleneagles’ famed King’s, Queen’s and Centenary courses, the latter of which is playing host to this year’s Ryder Cup matches in September. The tournament is inviting anyone with blood ties to Scotland to compete over sacred ground — either as a single or as part of a four-player team — while dipping deeply into all things Scottish, from the bagpipes and Highland dancing to tours of whisky distilleries and other vital attractions.

While the entry fees vary, all of these fun-filled affairs have something in common: Every event requires that all participants have up-to-date, verifiable Handicap Factors. Yes, some of those figures are invariably more speculative than others—one need only look at the performances of many a supposed high handicapper at the PGA Tour’s annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where 16-handicappers seem to routinely shoot 78…gross…in the wind. But that doesn’t diminish the appeal for the rest of the amateur field. And while you may not be able to finagle an invite to a PGA Tour stop in Pebble Beach, your Golf Canada Handicap Factor is your private invitation to a multitude of unique and unforgettable events the world over.

To become a member of Golf Canada and your provincial golf association, click here.

The highly anticipated 2014 US Open will officially get underway this Thursday, drawing in golf’s biggest names as they vie for the chance to hoist the US Open trophy in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

PGA TOUR Top-10 Players to Watch: 2014 US Open

Of those names, here are the top 10 that should be on your radar as put together by the PGA TOUR.

US Open Thoughts with Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell isn’t a name you immediately associate with the phrase “US Open at Pinehurst No. 2” but the man sure does have some imaginative ideas to improve the game of golf, including big game cats and booby traps.

Maybe we’ll see some of his suggestions implemented for 2015? But don’t hold your breath.

A (more accurate) US Open Preview:

In the meantime, Pinehurst No. 2 might not look quite how you remembered it. In anticipation of hosting both the Mens and Women’s Open this June, 40 acres of turf were removed in favour of more sandy areas and wiry grass. These renovations have restored the course to its more rustic and natural 1930’s appearance.

Here’s what you can actually expect to see at the 114th playing of the US national championship:

While Will Ferrell would have all US Open competitors in mesh tank tops, it is far more likely these athletes will be opting for a less breathable more sleeved look while on the course.

Here is a look at what Graham DeLaet will be wearing when he competes this week:

EA SPORTS PGA TOUR Official Trailer 

EA Sports has released a preview of their first golf video game not featuring Tiger Woods in over 15 years. The game promises the chance to play on golf’s most prestigious courses (Pinehurst No 2. is among them) and even some fantasy courses, including teeing off in the midst of an Ocean battle, which might satisfy the ‘Will Ferrell’s’ of the golf world for now.

Check it out here:

TORONTO – St. George’s Golf and Country Club is embarking on a greens reconstruction project starting July 8^th, 2014.

With a 95 per cent approval rating, members voted to rebuild all the greens to USGA specifications plus two fairways on No. 5 and No. 9.

The golf course, which was ranked No. 30 in the world in the February 2014 issue of Golf Digest magazine, will remain open throughout the renovations including clubhouse operations and the outdoor golf academy. The golf course will continue to operate with temporary greens and a series of rotating hole-closures, while reconstruction on the greens takes place. Construction crews are scheduled to start digging up the existing greens on July 8th. Seeding of all new greens is expected to be completed in early September to give the putting surfaces time to grow in, with a projected reopening date in June 2015.

Consulting golf course architects, Tom Doak and Ian Andrew, who were retained by the club last September to review the greens complexes, as well as other potential capital projects, spoke to members along with Property Superintendent Keith Bartlett, as members voted to accelerate the project to this summer.

“When we were here last fall I certainly didn’t think we’d be looking at doing the greens this summer, but the winter storm and ice damage pushed the decision forward,” said architect Ian Andrew, who is also supervising construction of new greens just down the street at Islington G&CC for similar reasons. “Across the Northern United States and throughout Ontario and Quebec ice damage to older poa annua (annual bluegrass) greens and fairways has been extensive at many clubs. The issues surrounding the viability of the poa annua greens at St. George’s that we talked about with members last fall came to fruition this spring.”

Doak, a minimalist designer from Traverse City, Michigan, is considered by many to be today’s preeminent architect. He has personally designed and built five courses in the Top 100 in the world and helped preserve and restore another 10 on the current list, including a much heralded green rebuilding program at San Francisco Golf Club that carefully preserved Tillinghast’s greens.

“These greens projects that I get involved with are because I don’t like to see old golf courses making changes to the greens without some thought for the original design and the character of the course. Many architects I know go in there and make changes and it doesn’t bother them a bit to tear up original green sites and build whatever they want,” said Doak, who has built 35 of his own courses and consults for another 30 clubs.

The goal of the project is to rebuild all greens based on the original design by legendary Canadian golf course architect Stanley Thompson who created St. George’s G&CC in 1929. The most significant change to the course will be returning the green to its original design and site to improve pinning locations and exposure to sunlight. Doak ensured members that it will be a fair challenge when complete and certainly not the easiest hole on the golf course.

A detailed plan outlining changes to individual greens has been provided to members and it addresses poor drainage, shrunken green sizes, slopes within greens, increased pin areas and other issues. Work is starting in July to allow Doak and his shapers to finish up some other projects before coming north, while he continues to oversee two new golf course projects in New Zealand and France this summer.

“This is meticulous work, and we are playing with the smallest percentages,” said Doak who compared it to the exacting detail and pressures of being a surgeon performing open heart surgery on a living patient. “Somebody has to get in there and do it, while all of the time you have to take into consideration the overall condition of the patient.” He told members the key for a successful project is not to over react when making changes, but to focus on ensuring that the greens continue to play as they did in the past.

The Green on Hole No 5 (Photo: Clive Barber)

I’ve spent many years working with golfers and they are a pretty easy crowd to describe. Let’s see if you fit into this description: You’re obsessed with the game. You spend countless hours on the range, in the sand and on the putting green practicing. You get coaching to help improve your swing. You’ve spent a lot of money on a new driver or putter. Or both.

Like many golfers you likely see the value of investing time, effort and money on your game. You may, however, forget to work on the single most important tool you have at your disposal on the course: Your body. Your body swings the club. Your nervous system controls the muscles. Your eyes collect information about the course – distance, wind, angles, and more. Your brain processes the information and helps you execute that perfect shot. Or maybe not…

When you make mistakes on the course your first thought might be “what was wrong with my swing?” In fact the cause might be even more basic. What if the poor shot was caused by the fact that your body didn’t have the basic fuel or nutrients that it needed to perform? One single nutrient is the most important factor in helping your body think and move. Carbs? Protein? Nope… Keep going… What’s the nutrient for your muscles and brain? That’s right! Water! There is not a single cell in your body that doesn’t rely on water. Water helps transport the carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that the cells in your muscles and brain need to make energy. When your body works at its best it does so because water helped deliver energy and nutrients to your cells and also helped all the energy creating processes inside the cells work most efficiently. Remember that great quote, “Golf is 90% mental and the rest is in your head.” Make sure that you remember to fuel your brain. Your brain needs water. While 60 percent of your body weight is made up of water, incredibly it makes up almost 90 percent of the brain. Water lubricates and cushions the brain. It also helps you think, concentrate, problem solve and remember – which just happen to be all the tasks you need to do when you’re on the golf course. Always take a water bottle with you when you play or practice and sip at regular intervals while you’re playing. Doing so will ensure that you stay hydrated and will help keep your brain on track for all 18 holes.

We’ve taken care of the mental side but what about the rest of your body? While the brain has the highest concentration of water in the body, your muscles are comprised of nearly 75 percent water. Remember the Krebs Cycle from grade 10 biology class? Well, perhaps that time of your life is a little foggy. All you need to know from that class is that the Krebs Cycle is the series of steps that take place in your muscle cells to create energy. No water? No energy. Do you often suffer from fatigue on the last few holes? For many people the late-round crash is caused by a combination of dehydration and poor nutrition. So do yourself and your game a favour; support your muscles and create more energy by drinking water. If you do one thing to improve your on-course performance this season, make drinking water part of your golf routine. It’s a small change that can make a big difference to the scores of every golfer, from high-handicappers to the pros on tour. You’ll stay hydrated, feel more energetic and play better, and it’s more affordable than new gadgets!

Dr. Greg Wells is an Assistant Professor in Kinesiology at the University of Toronto and the sport scientist for the United States Junior National Golf Team.

Follow him on Twitter @drgregwells or visit his website at www.drgregwells.com.