TORONTO — Ontario is extending its stay-at-home order until June 2 to bring down high rates of COVID-19, a move Premier Doug Ford said was necessary to bring infection cases down and “save the summer.”

That means thousands of businesses and public schools will remain closed until the order is lifted. Outdoor recreational facilities will also remain closed, a decision public health experts have said is misguided and has consequences for people’s physical and mental health.

The government’s science advisers have said banning outdoor activities will not control COVID-19 and disproportionately harm children and those who don’t have access to their own green space. And Golf Ontario has told the Ford government that “golf is safe” and urged it reopen courses.

Ford acknowledged the criticism but said that measure would stay in place to limit mobility and other behaviour that could contribute to spread of the virus.

“They pick up another buddy, two or three go out, go golfing, there’s nothing wrong with golfing,” he said. “The problem is, then after golf they go back, they have some pops. That’s the problem.”

Ford said the goal was to vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID-19 in the next few weeks.

“These are precious weeks,” he said. “By June 2, so long as we stay the course, we will be able to reopen outdoor recreation. And by then, we will provide more details on our plan to carefully and safely begin to reopen.”

The premier blamed Ottawa for the third wave of the pandemic, suggesting a significant number of cases of the COVID-19 variants had entered Ontario through its land, air and water borders a claim that has been disputed by experts.

“The reality is, existing border measures have failed to keep the contagious variants out of Canada,” Ford said. “This brutal third wave is fuelled almost entirely by variants that pass too easily through our borders.”

Ontario declared a state of emergency and invoked the stay-at-home order in early April amid skyrocketing cases.

It initially gave police sweeping new powers to enforce the order but rolled those back amid intense backlash.

The National Allied Golf Association (NAGA) Alberta chapter has informed industry stakeholders of new rules for golf in the province that go into effect Sunday, May 9th at 11:59 pm.

To be part of the solution and battle the third wave of COVID-19, golfing in Alberta will be limited to members of your household or if living alone, to two close contacts.

“With the recent announcements based on surging case numbers, we are fortunate to have been provided with an opportunity to remain open for the enjoyment by Albertans. However, this needs to be done responsibly,” said Erica Beck, the president of NAGA Alberta, in her letter to stakeholders. “Today, we were informed that golf was on the list of industries to be closed, however, the industry’s commitment to being responsible and ensuring protocols were put into place to maintain the safety and well-being of golfers were the key deciding factors in the industry being permitted to remain open. We strongly urge all golf courses to continue to remain vigilant as the safety of staff and guests remains our utmost priority and we ask that all facilities do their part to adhere to all AHS guidelines.”

To read the full statement from May 6th, click here.

OAKVILLE, ONT. – Canadians Megan Osland and Noémie Paré clinched their spots in the field for the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open by capturing one of the precious tickets available in their respective qualifying events.

Noémie Paré, member of Team Canada’s amateur squad, won the 2020 Québec Women’s Amateur Championship and was runner up at the 2020 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship.

Native of Victoriaville, Que., Paré qualified in Massachusetts on May 5^th after tying Christina Kim with 137 total strokes at Dedham Golf & Polo Club.

In a post round interview with MassGolf.org, Paré said:

The 2021 U.S. Women’s Open will be Paré’s first major championship appearance.

After making her first appearance in 2019, Osland will be returning to the U.S. Women’s Open in 2021 as a result of placing second at a qualifying tournament in Ormond Beach, Florida.

The Kelowna, B.C. native remained close behind Kim Metraux of Switzerland, shooting a pair of 71s and finishing second at the 36-hole qualifier held at Oceanside Country Club.

The U.S. Women’s Open takes place from Thursday, June 3 to Sunday, June 6 at The Olympic Club in San Fransico, Calif.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce it will host a U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior Qualifier at the Oshawa Golf & Curling Club on Monday, June 21^st.

Held for the first time in Canada, the Qualifier will offer an opportunity for Canadian players to qualify for the respective USGA Championships. 

Eligibility to compete in the Qualifiers and details on the Championships can be found below. 

73rd U.S. Junior Amateur Championship
The Country Club of North Carolina
Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina
July 19^th – 24^th

U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier Eligibility
Handicap Index Limit: 4.4
Age Limit: Cannot be 19 on or before July 24, 2021
Entry Fee: $100
Entries Close: May 26^th at 5:00pm EDT 

72nd U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship
Columbia Country Club
Chevy Chase, Maryland
July 12^th – 17^th

U.S. Girl’s Junior Qualifier Eligibility
Handicap Index Limit: 9.4
Age Limit: Cannot be 19 on or before July 17, 2021
Entry Fee: $100
Entries Close: May 19^th at 5:00pm EDT 

Eligible players can register here.

For any questions pertaining to entry or registration, please contact the USGA at champs@usga.org or (908) 326-1950.

***Golf Canada championships only proceed with the authorization of local and provincial health authorities***

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his government have announced further restrictions to multiple industries across the province as they deal with the COVID-19 pandemic effective at 12:01am on Saturday April 17^th. Included in this announcement is the unfortunate news that outdoor golf courses and driving ranges in the province must be closed as of 12:01 am on Saturday, April 17^th. This is in conjunction with the stay-at-home order that has been extended by a further 2 weeks to May 20.

Ontario’s We Are Golf partners have been actively engaged with the Ontario government throughout this process, right up to and including this morning. The key message is that:

We have reiterated our commitment as a golf industry to continue to be a leader in Ontario in providing one of these safe recreational activities that will be so important in the coming weeks. 

Golf organisations are disappointed the Ontario government made the decision today to close golf courses and driving ranges as of April 17th. But it is clear they made a broad decision with health and safety as the top priority to eliminate any non-essential activities, including removing access to outdoor recreational amenities.

The Ontario We Are Golf team, comprised of Golf Ontario, National Golf Course Owners Association Canada, PGA of Ontario, Ontario Golf Superintendents’ Association and the Ontario Branch Director Canadian Society of Club Managers, will continue to communicate with the government in an appropriate manner to ensure they fully understand the benefits of having golf open as a recreational option.

Golf is an important outlet and will continue to make this case with the hope that we are able return to allowing courses to open as soon as possible. Some important factors to remember about golf – the most played sport in Canada.

• Golf is naturally aligned to physical distancing. It takes place in vast outdoor spaces and is played with 4 people or less. Perhaps no other sport is this well positioned against this terrible virus.
• Our protocols are well established and safe. We proved in 2020 that with the right protocols golf had no COVID outbreaks. We are committed to these (and more) protocols in 2021. Here is a link to the NGCOA Canada’s Best Practices & Operational Resources that was created last season, updated for 2021.
• Clear and consistent screening procedures – golfers must book a tee-time, can pre-pay, and are screened before entering facilities.
• Golf has important health benefits – studies are clear about golf … it gets people outside, it is good for your heart, it relieves stress, and it can improve mental health.

Ontario’s We are Golf partners will continue to push for the safe inclusion of golf courses and driving ranges as options that can be open in this stay-at-home order. Golf is an important to the well being of so many and it is safe to play.

TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford and the Ontario government announced today that the province will be under a stay-at-home order effective 12:01am Thursday, April 8th. Included in this announcement is confirmation that outdoor golf courses and driving ranges can remain open.

Provincial golf bodies have been actively engaged with the Ontario government conveying the message that golf is safe and that now, more than ever, safe outdoor recreational options will be critical to ensure the physical and mental well-being of Ontarians.

The golf industry continues to be a leader in providing one of the few safe recreational outlets that are vital during these challenging times.

 All Ontario golfers and facilities are required to adhere to the following mandates:

• If two riders from different households are on a cart, they must wear a mask while in the cart.
• All staff and players must stay at least 6 feet apart.
• Courses are required to have clear and consistent screening protocols.
• Pre or post game gatherings at not permitted. 
• Limiting the majority of non-essential retailers to only operate for curbside pick-up and delivery, via appointment, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., with delivery of goods to patrons permitted between 6:00 am and 9:00 pm, and other restrictions.
• During the current Stay-At-Home Order, indoor or outdoor (patio) food service is not permitted. Facilities are allowed to proceed with pick up, take out and delivery service (including halfway hut and beverage cart service). All seating must be removed.

AUGUSTA, Ga – Canadian girls continued their success at the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship once again on Sunday with a victory from Cambridge, Ont., native Alexis Card.

Card, 8, won the girls 7-9 division with a total of 23 points for a two-point victory over fellow Canadian Anna Wu of Victoria, B.C. Card impressed getting full points in both the driving and putting categories (10) while rounding it out with three points at the chipping station.

It was Wu stole the show at the chipping station, chipping one in and giving off a memorable reaction which caught the attention of star Phil Mickelson.

With the win, Card becomes the fourth Canadian (all females) to win a Drive, Chip and Putt title in as many years. Savannah Grewal (Mississauga, Ont.) won in 2017, followed by Vanessa Borovilos (Toronto) in 2018 and Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont.) in 2019.

Cole Roberts of Oshawa, Ont., was the lone male to play in the event, finishing in 7th place in the boys 7-9 division.

Click here to view final scoring.

(Acton, ON) – The PGA of Canada is pleased to announce that some of Canada’s top venues have been secured as host sites for the 2021 RBC PGA Scramble Regional Finals. 

The excitement of the RBC PGA Scramble is growing with the addition of these great facilities from coast-to-coast:

As the premier amateur team golf tournament in the country for teams of family, friends and colleagues, the 2021 edition of the RBC PGA Scramble expects to once again see more than 10,000 golfers participate in local and regional qualifying. 

In 2020, the RBC PGA Scramble saw a 73% year-over-year increase in female participation, a number the program hopes to further improve this season. There will be a spot in each regional final reserved for an all-female team. 

COVID-19 protocols will be in place at each qualifier in accordance with provincial health authority guidelines. There were no reported cases from any of the 140 RBC PGA Scramble qualifiers in 2020. 

The program is also pleased to announce the following updates and highlights for 2021:

• Open Local Qualifiers will run as 8-somes where permissible by local health authorities. Select open events will have volunteer scorers, instead.
• A Handicap and Scoring Committee is being formed to examine handicap and scoring inaccuracies.
• Through our partners at Titleist and FootJoy, prizes for the top teams at Local Qualifiers will have more options for male and female competitors.
• Teams that have qualified for Regional Finals three out of the past five years are required to split up by 50% to expand the program and allow more opportunities for all teams to enjoy the experience that the RBC PGA Scramble provides. 
• There will continue to be a female wild card team offered in any region where an all-female team does not qualify, ensuring representation in every Regional Final.
• Like in 2020, in any region where less than 18 teams qualify, alternate teams will be invited based on their performance in Local Qualifiers.
• New partners that will be announced shortly will offer exciting perks for competitors. 

• Additional staff have been hired in response to the additional demand as the program continues to grow. 
• Local qualifying events with 16 or less teams will qualify one team, 17 or more teams will qualify two teams.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble, visit:

 www.rbcpgascramble.com

Canadians needing a social outlet and a sense of recreational normalcy during the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020 turned to golf in a major way. Now Golf Canada, with the support of industry partners, will build on the excitement, increased interest, and elevated levels of play with a national golfer retention campaign to welcome new and returning players back to the golf course in 2021. 

The campaign – GOLF IS CALLING – is a Canada-wide marketing initiative to speak to new, younger golfers as well as the community of avid players, each uniquely drawn to the game whether it be for exercise, the social experience or the challenge of the sport. 

The golfer retention campaign is being led in partnership with Golf Canada’s Industry Advisory Council, a group of industry professionals that includes course owners, operators, general managers, PGA of Canada professionals, superintendents, and other stakeholders in the game. 

For Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, golf’s emergence through the pandemic as a safe, social, and inclusive activity during an extremely challenging period was a silver lining for a sport enjoyed by nearly 6M Canadians annually.

“Golf is a sport of invitation, where we bring others along to experience and enjoy the game for a lifetime. GOLF IS CALLING is also a return invitation to the avid players and new enthusiasts who enjoyed the game in record numbers this past year. It is also an outreach and welcome to young and diverse audiences and a powerful confirmation that our sport offers the healthy attributes, safe environment, and industry capacity of nearly 2,300 facilities to support physical, social, and mental well-being in a meaningful way.” 

GOLF IS CALLING features a vibrant and new look for golf. The campaign messaging and creative was informed by deep market research as well as creative trends from across industries and broader sport to reflect an industry-wide effort to promote golf participation. This season long, national marketing campaign features a fresh and inviting energy as the calling for Canadians to play more golf.

“As marketers and sport leaders, we look for moments to connect with golfers, and this past year has offered an unparalleled signature moment for the golf community to influence and entrench behaviours that will benefit our sport for the long run,” said Golf Canada Chief Marketing Officer Vanessa Morbi. “With more than 700 customizable assets that golf facilities and industry partners can leverage in their marketing efforts, this is a special moment to rally the full weight and collective voice of our sport to inspire more play in 2021.”

The suite of tools is available to golf courses and industry stakeholders to share in national roll-out of the golfer retention campaign. The bilingual campaign will be presented as SORTEZ, GOLFEZ across all French language assets and Golf Canada will support the campaign with a paid media buy executed across social and digital channels.

In conjunction with the campaign, Golf Canada has also relaunched its website as a portal to enhance the golfer experience and support tee-time booking through a national course look-up tool. This feature can be found on www.golfcanada.ca and will connect golfers with facilities across the country. 

Despite a season suspended in most parts of Canada through early May, data from the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) of Canada reported a 18.9% increase in total rounds played across the country in 2020. Golf Canada members as well as public players who track an official handicap index experienced a significant lift in play, posting a record 7.8M scores to the Golf Canada Score Centre, a 7% lift over the prior year with monthly score posting records set from June through October. 

Canadian levels of engagement in the sport mirrored strong growth metrics across North America as new and avid players invested in tee times as well as memberships, equipment, league play, junior golf, and instruction.

As Canadian golf facilities continue to manage the impact of the pandemic on non-golf revenues, the game is thriving as a safe and healthy recreational option that drives significant economic, employment, tourism, environmental and charity benefits to communities across Canada. 

Supported by comprehensive healthy and safety protocols enacted by the golf community as well as adjustments made to the golf course experience, the sport is well positioned with momentum. 

“Creating a national campaign that speaks to golfers of varying abilities and connection to the game is no easy feat, and we continue to be extremely sensitive to the disastrous impact of the pandemic which has taken a significant emotional, economic and mental toll,” added Shawn Evans, President and CEO of GolfNorth Properties who is also Chair of the Golf Industry Advisory Council. “At the same time, we see the opportunity in golf’s emergence through the pandemic to present our sport in a fresh way to new audiences with a visceral consumer experience that will be noticed.”

Just how busy were golf courses across Canada in 2020?

Early one morning at the beginning of the season, Stephen Jardeleza positioned himself in front of his computer at GreyHawk Golf Club. On his screen was a blank tee sheet for the Ottawa club where he is the Director of Operations.

In a few minutes, the computerized tee-times reservation system would open for members to begin booking tee times for the upcoming Saturday. Up for grabs were 130 tee times across the club’s 36 holes, which, if fully booked, would work out to 520 golfers.

At 7 a.m., the tee sheet came alive. “In 40 seconds, our tee sheet was fully booked,” Jardeleza said. “And this happened every day.”

The 2020 golf season—and the year—will go down in infamy as one of the strangest that most of us will ever experience.

Faced with a mysterious and deadly nemesis, golf provided a beacon of badly needed joy amid fear and frustration. We were smitten. We couldn’t get enough golf.

“It didn’t matter that there was a worldwide pandemic,” said Simon Bevan, General Manager of Riverbend Golf Club in London. “Golf was like a drug. We all wanted to hit the little white ball.”

Now that the season has ended, the golf club industry in Canada is celebrating a record year in which rounds skyrocketed to historic proportions. Thousands of people took up golf—some for the first time, and some came back to the game—and veteran golfers played more than they ever have.

But right out of the be-careful-what-you-wish-for playbook, the industry faced the challenge of how to mollify established golfers frustrated that they could no longer get to the first tee when they wanted.

Back in April, with cities around the world looking like ghost towns, and major league sports and the PGA TOUR shut down, golfers held on to a slender thread of hope that a golf season might be possible.

By early May, golfers in Ontario and Quebec had endured two months of a gruelling lockdown, made worse by a tantalizingly warm spring that screamed golf. Golfers ached for their game. A friend said, “Golfers can distance. I play golf with people. I don’t dance with them.”

After weeks of consultation with the golf industry on safety measures, the Ontario government said courses could open May 16. Quebec set May 20 as its opening day.

Golf clubs had only a few days to finish their preparations in order to keep golfers safe. Staff removed ball washers, water coolers, benches and outfitted flagsticks with doo-hickeys that allowed you to extricate your ball without having to touch the stick.

Held back from their usual start to the season, golfers were ravenous. On May 15—the first day that tee times could be booked—thousands of ClubLink Members went online to reserve their tee times at 7 a.m., causing the system to crash.

Many technology platforms serving the golf industry were overwhelmed. When Golf Ontario opened its online tournament registration on June 24, 17,000 people visited its site in a matter of minutes, causing it to crash for the first time in its history, according to executive director Mike Kelly.

On those first wonderful days of the 2020 golf season, golfers were over the moon to play and golf club personnel were cautiously nervous.

“We were hoping that members wouldn’t contract the virus just from touching things,” said Paul Carrothers, Director of Golf at Royal Ottawa Golf Club.

Thousands of golfers wanted to play the game—not just because they are an extremely obsessive bunch—but also to escape the same four walls at home. Without having to travel for work or commute, working from home also afforded many golfers the freedom to play when they wanted. More or less.

With offices and schools closed, and nearly every other option for having fun shut down, golf became the ‘it’ activity. Spouses, friends and kids who had not tried golf, and those who had given up the game, were playing.

“Almost all of the guys that I played slow-pitch with every Tuesday for 20 years were now playing golf,” said Kevin Thistle, CEO of the PGA of Canada. “The way we play golf, work, watch sports—it’s all changing, and forcing us to adapt.”

From the once-a-year golfer to the 100-rounds-plus player, everyone played more—and wanted more.

“Players who would normally play 30 to 40 rounds played 70 to 80 rounds,” said Adam Tobin, Director of Golf at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge.

Even with most corporate events cancelled at most clubs, tee times became a precious commodity.

By the end of June, Canadians had played more than 1.5 million rounds during the month, an increase of 17 per cent over June 2019. And that’s a monumental feat folks when you consider June is THE busiest and best month to play. For an industry that faced media reports a few years earlier that it was declining, business was booming.

But for avid golfers who routinely play three or more rounds a week and were used to convenient tee times, it was not all sunshine and rainbows.

“There was a lot of frustration,” said Jason Wyatt, Head Professional at Sunningdale Golf & Country Club in London, where demand shot up 52 percent over 2019 with the same number of members. “There were people who wanted an 8 a.m. time but had to settle for hours later.”

Even playing ‘executive’ or nine-hole courses was a challenge. “There were times that we had six groups lined up to play our nine-hole course,” said Dennis Firth, Head Professional at Royal Montreal which experienced a 30 percent increase in rounds over 2019. “It was unprecedented.”

As a golfer, and the fellow in charge of tracking golfers across the country for Golf Canada, Adam Helmer said he could no longer just head out to play. He had to become organized in scheduling his golf.

“A downside of golf being so popular was that not everyone was able to get the tee time they wanted,” said Helmer, senior director of Golf Services for Golf Canada.

The problem was simple. Demand for tee times appeared limitless, but every course has a finite number of holes and daylight. And to keep golfers from getting too close to one another, most clubs spaced out tee times, which meant fewer golfers on the course.

John Finlayson, Chief Operating Officer of ClubLink, says that—as a general rule of thumb—a private golf club with 18 holes carries about 400 full dues-paying members to sustain its business.

But even in June when the days are longest, there’s only enough room to accommodate about 225 golfers. “If 300 people want to play that course that day, you have a problem,” said Finlayson, whose ClubLink courses saw a 29 percent increase in rounds in 2020 compared with 2019.

Many private clubs responded by restricting the number of guests that members could bring, and restricted access for certain classes of memberships.

“To make room for our full members, we had to restrict our legacy and out-of-town members,” said Ian Leggatt, General Manager of Summit Golf Club in Richmond Hill. “We had to communicate to them that these are unusual times,” said Leggatt, who has since moved to the same position at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Initially, Leggatt and other senior club managers wondered if golfers would “drift from the game” because they couldn’t socialize in the clubhouse restaurant afterwards,

and the on-course experience was altered.

But with fewer golfers on the course, no need to rake bunkers, and single riders on carts, the speed of play improved dramatically.

“The measures were taken for safety, but it provided a better experience,” Finlayson said. “Most golfers expect to play 18 holes in 4 to 4.5 hours, but this year a 4-hour round was considered a bit slow.”

Nonetheless, many golfers were frustrated about access, and many golf clubs stepped up their communication efforts to help their members adapt.

“You couldn’t over-communicate,” Leggatt said. “This whole thing was shifting, and there was no template on how to make it work better.”

It affected everyone, including ClubLink Member and CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, Jeff Calderwood.

“I’d jump on the computer five days in advance at 7 a.m. this fall, and there were often no times at Eagle Creek (his Home Club in Ottawa),” he said. “It illustrated the dilemma we had.”

Industry leaders such as Calderwood are thankful golf provided a silver lining during a pandemic, but they are also mindful that the industry is challenged by how it satisfies core golfers while retaining new players.

“I don’t claim to have all the answers. You could restructure and find that, perhaps with a vaccine, demand doesn’t stay so high, and then you’re not sustainable if you got it wrong.”

Mike Kelly of Golf Ontario was among the industry leaders who consulted with the Ontario government to allow clubs to open this season, and he’s grateful golfers turned a possible disaster into a banner year for golf.

As a golf administrator who represents the sport in Ontario, as well as players who want to play and have fun, Kelly says he can’t lose focus on what’s truly important.

“Our job is to provide a safe environment. That’s our No. 1 priority during this pandemic. We can’t screw this up. The game has grown and the industry will evolve, but the priority must be safety.”

Tim O’Connor is a golf and performance coach, writer and author of four books, co-host of the Swing Thoughts podcast, and webinar presenter. He is the 2020 winner of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award given by Golf Ontario. tim@oconnorgolf.ca