KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships opened Golf Canada’s 2016 competitive season today at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club. Tony Gil and Mary Parsons each shot rounds of 6-under 66 to lead the Junior Boys and Junior Girls Divisions, respectively.

Gil, who is beginning his third year as a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, tallied four straight birdies between holes seven to 10 en route to a bogey-free round. The native of Vaughan, Ont., holds a three-stroke lead over Khan Lee of Surrey, B.C., who sits T2 alongside Calgarian Conaire Kehoe at 3-under. Kehoe, notched an eagle and four birdies on the day, including three across a bogey-free back nine.

Four players are tied for fourth, including Development Squad member A.J. Ewart. The 17-year-old bogeyed the third hole, but added three birdies on the day to reach 2-under. A product of Coquitlam, B.C., Ewart sits knotted with British Columbians Michael Crisologo (Richmond) and Gavin Ciulla (Surrey), as well as Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta.

Completing the Men’s Development Squad contingent are Alexander Smith of Calgary and Charles-Éric Bélanger of Quebec. Smith sits T24 at 1-over while Bélanger is T44 after an opening-round 76.

Delta, B.C., native Mary Parsons notched an eagle on the par-5 second hole and added eight birdies to finish with a 66. The 16-year-old is four shots clear of two members of Team Canada’s Women’s Development Squad: Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., and Tiffany Kong of Vancouver. The pair each collected three birdies on the day and were bogey-free across their final 14 holes.

Two British Columbians – Tiegan Taylor of Kelowna and Abigail Rigsby of Courtenay – carded rounds of 1-over 73 to open the tournament at T4. Taylor collected a trio of birdies on the day, while Rigsby’s bogey on the final hole broke her string of 17-straight pars.

Grace St-Germain, who claimed the Junior Girls title at this event in 2015, is T6 at 2-over-par. British Columbians Kathrine Chan of Richmond and Hannah Lee of Surrey – who are T16 and T22 respectively – complete the quintet of Women’s Development Squad members at the event.

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division will earn exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L., from August 1-4. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via a hole-by-hole playoff. All competitors in the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will gain exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The tournament will be conducted from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S.

The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls Division tee-off at 7 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 8:50 a.m. Additional information, including pairings and up-to-date scoring is available here.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Golf Canada’s 2016 competitive season will begin with the Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships. Hosted at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club in Kamloops, B.C., the competition spanning May 13-15 will feature a field of the nation’s top junior-aged golfers.

The CN Future Links Pacific Championship is the first in a series of six junior competitions presented in partnership with CN. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on Thursday, May 12 before the competition gets underway. Founded in 1996, The Dunes at Kamloops is an excellent example of the craft and care that are characteristic of course architect Graham Cooke’s designs.

“Golf Canada could not be more pleased to open the 2016 championship season in Kamloops. The CN Future Links Championships are fantastic platforms for Canada’s premier junior golfers to showcase their skills,” said Tournament Director Dan Hyatt. “The Dunes at Kamloops is in tremendous shape and we look forward to seeing this strong field challenge the course.”

Team Canada’s Development Squad will be well-represented at the season-opening event. The National Team contingent will be led by Grace St-Germain of Orleans, Ont., who will be on-hand to defend the 2015 Pacific Championship title she earned at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. The 17-year-old will be joined by the four remaining members of the Women’s Squad: British Columbians Hannah Lee (Surrey), Kathrine Chan (Richmond) and Tiffany Kong (Vancouver), as well as Mississauga, Ont., native Chloe Currie.

Four of the five members of the Men’s Development Squad – Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.), Alexander Smith (Calgary), Charles-Éric Bélanger (Quebec) and A.J. Ewart (Coquitlam, B.C.) – will attempt to make it two consecutive years in which a National Team player has claimed the Pacific title after Waterloo, Ont., product Trevor Ranton claimed victory last year.

Five additional CN Future Links Championships will span the country this summer:

• May 27-29 – CN Future Links Ontario – Midland, Ont. – Midland Golf & Country Club
• June 3-5 – CN Future Links Québec – Beauceville, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville
• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division will gain exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via hole-by-hole playoff. All players within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will each earn entry into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted by The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

Prior to the championship on Wednesday, May 11, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada will hold a regional competition in promotion of Special Olympics golf. This event will provide a specific focus on the growth and development of a relatively new branch of the sport. A field of 24 local athletes will compete over nine holes. Following the event, a PGA of Canada professional will conduct a Special Olympics coaches and athletes clinic to review the morning’s key learnings.

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.

UXBRIDGE — Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the launch of a new Ontario Junior Ranking system. The new system features numerous changes from previous years including: the inclusion of results from all partner regional and national junior tours, updated points allocation for junior events meeting minimum standards, and an updated placing points allocation chart for different field sizes and competition types.

The Golf Ontario Junior Ranking system is structured with events that are categorized into maximum point values according to competition scope, length of event and relative strength of field.  Point distribution for a given event will vary based on the total number of players in the field.

For 2016, the Golf Ontario Junior Ranking will include eligible events from April 30 to August 31. The top eight points scored will count towards the player’s respective age division 2016 Golf Ontario Ranking.   Public rankings will be maintained for Junior, Juvenile, and Bantam age divisions.

A key feature of the new system allows players to play ‘up’ an age division in events where separate recognized age divisions are contested, while still scoring points across all age divisions they are eligible for.  This will better support players finding events that are best suited for their competitive needs, without sacrificing potential placement on their age-eligible season rankings.

In order to be eligible for the 2016 Golf Ontario Junior Ranking, players must be a permanent resident of Ontario, holding a valid OHIP card; be a member in good standing of Golf Ontario at a minimum level of a bronze membership; and have unquestioned status as an amateur golfer.

For junior tours to be partners on the Junior Rankings System they must sign on as partners with Golf Ontario, and adhere to the Golf Ontario ‘Tour Standards’.  A list of recognized Golf Ontario Junior Tour partners will be maintained on the Golf Ontario website.   Partner tours will receive marketing and operational support from Golf Ontario.

“This an important day for Junior golf in Ontario.  After years of work by Junior tour operators, and a workforce led by Mary Ann Hayward, we are now in a position to welcome all of our Regional and National Junior Tour partners into the Golf Ontario competitive pathway.   We know it takes great experiences at every stage of an athlete’s development to allow them to reach their fullest potential.  The new rankings system and partnership with the Regional Junior Tours will help Golf Ontario better promote and celebrate these experiences.” said Golf Ontario High Performance Director, Andrew Moss.

More information about the new Junior Ranking system can be found on Golf Ontario’s website at: https://gao.ca/new-junior-rankings

UXBRIDGE — It was a night to honour the best in Ontario golf as Golf Ontario, along with Wooden Sticks Golf Course, hosted the 16^th annual Ontario Golf Hall of Fame ceremony on May 4.

This year, three inductees joined the list of who’s who in Ontario golf as journalist John Gordon, professional/teaching pro Patty Howard and former Golf Association of Ontario Executive Director Dave Mills joined the Hall as the 73^rd, 74^th, and 75^th members. In addition, journalist Bill ‘Skip’ Johns was honoured with the Lorne Rubinstein Media Award.

The event began with emcee Mark Zecchino, from TSN, welcoming all guests who packed the reception room at Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge.

Golf Ontario President Chris Osborne took to the stage next to congratulate all of the individuals being honoured. “We acknowledge all of tonight’s inductees’ contributions and accomplishments in the great game of golf, and through this induction ceremony wish to perpetuate the memory of their place in golf history.”

First up was the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award. Presenting the award was none other than Rubenstein himself who was honoured to give the award to his peer Bill ‘Skip’ Johns. Johns, a journalist for close to 60 years, brought smiles and laugher to the crowd as he did his best “athlete” acceptance speech before thanking all who made the award possible for him.

The first inductee to be honoured was John Gordon. Gordon, a golf journalist for more than 30 years, was involved in many aspects of the golf industry. In addition to his contributions in print, radio, television and online journalism, Gordon also held roles with Golf Canada, the Ontario Golf Association (now Golf Ontario), the NGCOA and Clublink. Gordon also helped to form the Professional Golf Management Program at Georgian College and is a published author of eight books.

During his speech, Gordon spoke about his passion to make the game more accessible and affordable, but emphasized to people to have faith in the game and to stop and admire it for what it currently is.

Next, Patty Howard joined the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. Howard was a multiple-time winner as a professional and went on to become a successful teaching pro. She held numerous positions in the industry, many of which were a first for females. Her accomplishments helped to pave the way for women in golf today.

Howard talked about her passion for the game and how it continues to burn even to this day. “People don’t remember what you did but rather how you made them feel,” said Howard. It was evident from the guests, including the coach bus of supporters that accompanied Howard, that she had made an impact on many people.

Last but not least, former Golf Association of Ontario (Golf Ontario) Executive Director Dave Mills took his place in the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. Mills, who started out as a volunteer on the Ontario Golf Association Board of Directors, went on to become the association’s Executive Director and led the organization out of a period of financial instability. He spearheaded a merger with the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association to create one of the largest golf associations in the world. To this day Mills continues to be involved with the association as a volunteer.

Mills took the opportunity to talk about his favorite memories with the association including his numerous trips to championships with junior teams and mischief the players would find themselves in.

The Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada’s  new website is now up and running.

Visitors to the website—www.hyundaipgascramble.com—can easily locate and register for local qualifiers across the country. Currently there are more than 100 local qualifying sites from B.C. to Newfoundland.

The Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada is a new national series of events taking place across the country beginning this June.

The series of events expects to draw nearly 20,000 amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national final this fall at Lookout Point Country Club, with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team.

Each golfer who plays in a Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada local event will receive impressive gifting and prizing from supporting partners.

In addition to the 36-hole championship, the Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada national final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime, which includes a festival of special events, prizing, activations and a chance to interact with the latest Hyundai vehicles.

The website also features a detailed summary of the Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada event rules, policies and eligibility.

The website was designed in partnership by Saskatoon’s Green Golf Designs and Yastech Developments.

The first Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada local qualifier takes place June 5th at the home of the PGA of Canada, Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ont.

For more information about the Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada, click here.

Water is a touchy subject for golfers. The beauty they see in a sun-drenched pond or a swiftly flowing creek is often matched by the frustration they feel when their shot lands in unreachable territory. However, the issue of water features on the golf course extends beyond aesthetics and playability for superintendents. While the keepers of the course spend a large part of their time making sure the turfgrass is healthy, they also must have one eye on managing the creeks, ponds, lakes, rivers and marshes that sit on their properties.

Peering into a water feature is like opening the door to a world of information about the successful management of the whole golf course. At Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, all the water that falls on the 200 acres of turf drains into the course’s five ponds, via over 200 catch basins. This gives superintendent Dustin How and his team the perfect opportunity to measure how their inputs are affecting the property.

“Our pond health is an indication of the overall health of the golf course and our management programs,” said How, who has been at Southwood since 2009.

“Our pond quality is really an indication of how our fertility program is doing. If we were over-fertilizing or had some issues, everything runs into the ponds and we’re going to see it,” says How.

The story is the same at Legends on the Niagara, Battlefield Course, where superintendent Tom Newton frequently examines the site’s various large ponds and Usher Creek for red flags.

“Testing the water features helps us determine whether our management strategies are impacting the environment and if we are impacting it positively or negatively,” says Newton, who played a large part in helping the course become Audubon certified.

There are a few telltale signs that can help a superintendent determine if there is something amiss with the water quality. One of these indications is the appearance of algae blooms, says How. When he sees a bloom in a pond, it is usually a symptom of a larger problem somewhere else on the site. This allows the turf care team to begin searching for the problem and rectifying it sooner.

While six-legged pests are usually frowned upon in the world of golf course management, the team at Legends embraces them when it comes time to determine the health of their water features and, by extension, their turf. As part of his water management strategy, Newton and his environmental intern test for certain bugs in the ponds to tell them if the water is fit as a fiddle or in need of some love and care.

“There are different bugs or macroinvertebrates that tolerate different levels of pollution,” says Newton.

“You can use the variance of species to determine the health of the water features based on what you find. It’s just another tool we use to verify that what we’re doing is not having a negative effect on the water quality.”

Tracking water quality on the property is especially important to a site like The Rock Golf Course in Minett, Ontario where superintendent Deni Terenzio must monitor nine ponds and 12 interconnected wet meadows that drain in two separate lakes. These water features act as drainage basins for the course. They also contain isolation valves from draining the water that falls on the site to drain into the lakes, which is crucial in lowering the potential for negative effects on the environment.

“If those features weren’t there, we’d be free draining into the lake without any sort of buffer zone,” says Terenzio.

“We as turf managers place a lot of inputs on our turf and most, if not all, of those inputs are consumed before they exit our property by different types of plants that grow by the water.”

The wide range of plant life that grows around The Rock’s water features is a common sight at most golf courses. Water gives turf managers an opportunity to incorporate native species, which can be beneficial to the course, but it also gives Mother Nature a chance to sprout invasive species that wreak havoc. This double-edged sword adds a whole other element to managing large swaths of H2O for superintendents.

One of the major native species that grows around the ponds at Legends is called green arrow arum. The plant is not only an aesthetically pleasing feature, but it is also a very useful tool for the course maintenance team, says Newton.

“It’s a good plant that shows if you have healthy water features,” says Newton.

“Before the construction of the golf course, Usher’s Creek had very little of the green arrow arum in it and now it’s loaded with it. It helps us gauge the health of the water on the course and the other plant life in and around the water.”

Newton attributes the amplified growth of native species to the increased sunlight that now touches the creek.

The native species also help the team at Legends ensure a proper buffer zone around the course’s water features, further minimizing the chance of unwanted runoff into the ponds. On the road to Audubon Certification, this was one of the biggest steps for the Niagara site, says Newton.

“(Establishing the vegetative buffer zone) was a joint effort before me and the golf pro to implement the measure without affecting the playability and aesthetics of the holes too much,” says Newton.

“The biggest factor was determining how to implement it without ruining the golfer experience, but also ensuring a proper buffer.”

While it seems the more vegetation, the better when it comes to water features, that’s not always the case. Invasive species can cause more than a few headaches for turf managers who venture near their sites’ ponds, streams or marshes.

At The Rock, invasive species that flourish near the property’s approximately 20 acres of water can have a devastating domino effect on the course’s overall health. Bulrushes are the major worry for Terenzio and his crew, says the superintendent. The bulrushes grow tall and block light from reaching other, more beneficial plants around the water’s edge, while debris, such as dead leaves, can impede the flow of water through the course and cause a drainage backup.

“It’s important to manage debris, like leaves and fallen trees, because they impede proper flow,” says Terenzio, “and because the wet meadows are shallow, this will cause certain parts of the course to flood, which will affect the drainage system as a whole.”

Clearing the bulrushes and other material is a time-consuming task as it needs to be done manually. Terenzio says his team tries to cut all the bulrushes down to size by July and then monitor them until winter.

As much as invasive species can be a curse, native species and the water itself can team up to be quite the blessing when it comes to attracting wildlife to golf courses. There aren’t many other features of a golf course that make animals feel at home as much as a well-maintained pond or creek.

The wildlife that appears on a regular basis at Southwood would not be nearly as diverse without its multitude of water features, says How.

“We went from having a farm field here five years ago to having basically a small wildlife sanctuary,” says How about the water’s effect on drawing animals to Southwood.

Wild turkeys, deer, coyotes and a variety of ducks are just a few of the animals that How has seen flock to the water features within the property.

“The wildlife we have seen on the property would not have been there five years ago when it was just an open field and it all stems from the bodies of water that we constructed.”

The influx of wildlife at Southwood extends to the water itself where flooding in the course’s first season after construction brought some unexpected house guests with it.

“The La Salle river flooded in 2009, which was the first year the ponds were in existence,” says How, “and with the water that backed up into these ponds came fish.”

The ponds are now full of species like jackfish and carp simply from the flood.

“It was really neat to create something and then see nature move in given the opportunity in such a short time.”

The march of wildlife to the water features at Legends is a similar marvel.

“The biggest thing we see from (the ponds) are the benefits they provide for the aquatic wildlife,” says Newton, “whether it’s a food source or a nesting area or a cover from predators.”

Newton says the list of wildlife that comes to the ponds is endless and includes deer, turtles and too many species of birds to count. Usher’s Creek is also home to a run of grass pickerel in the spring, which is a point of pride for Newton and his team as the fish is a species of special concern in Ontario.

Water features bring animal life, stunning views and benefits to the turfgrass, but they are also delicate parts of a golf course’s ecology. Lots can go right with ponds, creeks and marshes, but lots can also go wrong.

Newton’s biggest challenge at Legends is tweaking some of his cultural practices to match the oft-changing needs of one of his water features.

“We have one water feature that tests significantly higher for nutrient loads than the rest,” says Newton.

“It’s a challenge for us to determine why this is happening and where these inputs are coming from – whether it’s something in the soil to begin with or if it’s something we’re doing.”

Newton and his team have taken several steps to reduce the possibility of their contribution to this increased nutrient load. The first was to increase the buffer zones in the areas around the water feature. Newton’s crew has also raised the height of cut to three inches or more for the maintained turf around the feature. They also attempt to spoon-feed nutrients around that part of the course instead of going out with a tractor-mounted sprayer.

Maintaining the area around the ponds is also a tricky endeavor at Southwood where How and his crew must constantly track their activities around the water.

“The most challenging part about managing the ponds is making sure we’re maintaining our buffer zones. Those are the biggest things we keep an eye on,” says How.

Water features are as unique as the ways to manage them. Just as each water feature has its own special place on the course, its own wildlife, its own vegetation and depth, its own stories from unfortunate golfers and hardworking turf managers, each superintendent has their own advice on how to maintain these features best.

“Try to incorporate as many native grass and plant areas as possible to encourage wildlife,” says Terenzio on the words of wisdom he would give on managing water features.

For Newton, a keen eye and attention to detail are key to having a successful water management strategy at any golf course.

“The biggest thing is to establish baselines or understand what your features have to begin with,” says Newton.

“There are visual inspections, but there are other ways to get this information, whether it’s testing for macroinvertebrates or water quality testing. It sounds daunting, but a lot of the time it just means an investment in a meter and familiarizing yourself with how to use it.”

Newton also says that having a dedicated area to store and mix pesticides is critically important to ensuring the health of all water features, as well as the groundwater, at any course.

How has a unique perspective on the maintenance of water features, having been at the course when earth made way for water and the ponds were constructed out of a farm field. He says one of the most crucial aspects of managing any H2O happens before a drop of water even appears on the scene.

“It all starts with construction,” says How.

“It’s making sure that the ponds are built correctly and you have enough depth to get rid of issues like algae blooms before they happen. The shallower the water feature, the warmer it’s going to get and the more algae blooms are going to appear.”

Once the water features are up and running, or flowing, it’s important to have a controlled exit point, says How. This will help turf managers to ensure that if anything ever does go wrong, they can stop the water from exiting the property with potentially hazardous materials in it.

Despite the trials and tribulations of maintaining a pond, stream or marsh; the exact science, the murky depths and the careful observation; a golf course just isn’t a golf course without at least a little bit of water, says Newton.

“Missing that water feature is going to remove a lot of your wildlife and a lot of those natural elements in general,” he says.

“And I’ve always believed that golf is a game that’s played in nature.”

RICHMOND, B.C. – British Columbia Golf has announced the election of Patrick Kelly as the association’s new President. Kelly assumes the role from now immediate past president David Atkinson, who has held the position since 2013.

Patrick, who operates a consulting business, is a member of the Leq:amel First Nation (Sto:lo Nation.) and was elected their Treaty Representative for treaty negotiations, a role he held from 1998 to 2001. He has had a number of high level positions including a five-year term as Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of BC.

The Attorney General for British Columbia appointed Patrick as a Bencher for the Law Society of BC, to represent the public interest in the administration of justice and in December 2010, he was appointed as Governor of the Law Foundation of BC.

A member of the UVic Gustavson School of Business International Advisory Board and the UBC Sauder School of Business Ch’nook Indigenous Business Advisory Board, Patrick also serves on the Board of Directors of the Victoria Foundation.

In addition, he has been the Vice President, National Services, CESO; BC Director, Strategic Planning and Communications, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Manager, Cultural Relations and Corporate Training in BC Hydro’s Aboriginal Relations Department as well as having the role of Executive Director of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

Joining Patrick as Directors on the Board are Victoria’s Barry Petrachenko, Vancouver’s Michelle Collens, Summerland’s Edwin Helgason, Fort St. John’s Jim McKinnon, Sechelt’s Helen Steeves, who was elected as Secretary, Duncan’s Grace Hui, Helen Jung from Maple Ridge, Fairmont Hot Springs’ Wilda Schab, Surrey’s Jasvinder (Jolly) Dhaliwal, and Adam Fritz from Vancouver. Immediate Past President David Atkinson of Vancouver rounds out the 12-person Board.

British Columbia Golf – a member-based organization governed by the British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA) – represents more than 57,000 individual golfers, in over 300 clubs at 261 member courses. As the governing body for golf in the province, British Columbia Golf acts as the voice for provincial golf affairs and functions as a resource centre for the golf industry. Through its affiliation with Golf Canada, the association is also involved in national golf affairs. British Columbia Golf as it exists today was formally established on October 1, 2004, following the amalgamation of the British Columbia Ladies Golf Association Golf Association (BCLGA) and the British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA).

No more pencils, no more books…it’s time to give golf a look.

At least, that’s according to longtime educators Jim King, of Nova Scotia, and Patti Christensen, of Alberta. For them, golf is a lifelong passion, almost equal to that of their desire to educate young people. And with the Golf in Schools program, both have been able to bring that personal passion into the classroom — all while following a curriculum that delivers on a number of educational benchmarks.

“I found it connected very well with a lot of the curriculum outcomes, especially in terms of the healthy active living outcomes,” says King, who is now a staff officer with the Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union. He was the principal at Atlantic View Elementary School for the past five years.

“I didn’t feel like I was implementing anything extra for the students; I felt like it was contributing to the students’ overall academic and physical literacy success,” he continues.

The Golf in Schools program, created by Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada, has been evolving since its inception, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the focus on the student. More often than not, the young people who become involved with Golf in Schools are students who may not have had the opportunity to try golf before.

“I’m in a school where the kids may not have been exposed to golf, and I was lucky to have the parent council purchase two kits for me,” explains Christensen, the principal at Kensington Elementary School just outside Edmonton. Christensen has been a principal at Edmonton-area schools for the past 13 years and involved with Golf in Schools since 2009.

However, she has played the game nearly her whole life.

“I think the most important thing for me is that I wanted to give back to a game that has given me so much,” she explains. “My parents taught me how to golf, and I wanted to share the love of something I had with the students.”

To increase awareness for the program, Graham DeLaet was named an ambassador for Golf in Schools in mid-2015. In a press release at the time, DeLaet said that he felt it was “important to introduce golf in schools so that kids can start learning the sport early, seeing more kids with clubs in their hands, and ultimately growing the game of golf.”

King adds that he is seeing examples of that first-hand with students.

“For some, the image of golf was that it wasn’t very exciting, but this (the Golf in Schools program) completely changed their perspective,” he says.

Especially for the younger students — who get to use modified equipment — because the program is another way to introduce them, at an early age, to a sport that is gender inclusive, promotes a healthy active lifestyle, and is one they can play for life.

“The nice thing about the program is that it’s safe for the kids,” states Christensen. “The equipment is safe, the balls are big and easier to hit for the younger kids. It can be set up to be successful pretty quickly.”

For King, he was able to set up some Golf in Schools activities for all students during end-of-year field days, so even then the students outside the Golf in Schools group were able to have some fun with the equipment.

“We had stations where everybody could use the equipment and try it for themselves,” he says. “We wanted to raise awareness of golf as a lifelong sport and a great way to enjoy the fresh air.”

Away from the schoolyard or gymnasium, Golf in Schools has a component where organizers can partner with a local golf course and its head professional for continual learning.

Christensen says she is going to have some of her students volunteer at a charity golf tournament this year, and is hopeful she will secure students a couple of memberships at that club.

Meanwhile, King has brought groups of students to learn from the staff at the Links at Montague in Dartmouth, N.S., for the past two years.

“Some of the young people went on to do their summertime clinics, and others joined golf courses,” King proudly states. “The reactions and the enthusiasm from when the students were involved in the program was always very rewarding.”

Because the program aligns with governmentally assigned teaching objectives, it’s easy to pick a curriculum that fits with a teacher’s existing lesson plan. But for Christensen, she says the non-golf parts of Golf in Schools are just as important.

“Incorporating life skills into the program is very important for me. That’s going to be highlighted very strongly,” she states.

But of course, the program is about having fun as well.

As King says, “The program has grown to the point where now students will ask in September, when they come back from summer vacation, ‘When are we going to do Golf in Schools?’”

Golf in Schools

Divided into different programs by age groups, the Golf in Schools program has been implemented at close to 2,800 schools and involved more than 306,000 students. It is the single-most concentrated opportunity to get kids of all backgrounds and demographics introduced to the sport.

What’s it all about?

For teachers, the Golf in Schools program comes with instructional manuals not unlike other curriculum documents. Teachers can easily assess students’ physical proficiency with a variety of fundamental movement skills. Golf in Schools now integrates a ‘Life Skills’ component to each lesson plan, which are selected for their relevance to golf.

What life skills are learned?

The life skills component, developed through a partnership with the University of Ottawa, emphasizes core values — perseverance, focus, goal setting, emotional regulation, honesty, teamwork, respect and sportspersonship — which are transferable on and off the golf course.

Where do students go next?

If students are showing an interest in the sport, Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada and provincial golf associations are proud to run CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program. Parents can find junior-friendly clubs in their community that offer free clinics geared to young golfers.

More information can be found at golfinschools.golfcanada.ca

Best in class This article was originally published in the April 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

A joint initiative between Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the Provincial Golf Associations, National Junior Golf Development Centres (NJGDC) are recognized as facilities that deliver premium, engaging environments for junior golfers aged 6–18.

To receive the shield, along with the added benefits and promotional perks, facilities are required to meet a set list of minimum standards.

New in 2016, each facility must staff at least one PGA of Canada coach that is certified within the Coach of New Competitor or Developing Competitor context of the National Coaching Certification Plan (NCCP).  For Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, the decision comes at an important time for the initiative and for junior golf altogether.

“NJGDCs were created to showcase facilities that demonstrate the drive to deliver Long-Term Player Development compliant programming through expert PGA of Canada coaching,” he said. “We started with requiring a trained coach but as the initiative evolved, we enhanced the standards to include certified coaches leading the programming”.

Thompson went on to elaborate that the emphasis of the initiative lies primarily with programming and coaching over all else.

“This initiative is aimed at highlighting those committed to providing playground to podium programming that can accommodate juniors of all abilities and desires.  From those picking up a club for the first time through to those who are more serious about pursuing competitive golf—NJGDCs are structured to support a player’s full development.”

All NJGDCs are leaders in delivering Long-Term Player Development compliant programming, including CN Future Links, Learn to Compete and ongoing relationships with Golf in Schools sites.

Looking to find a NJGDC in your area? Visit the Golf Canada Juniors website.

The R&A is demonstrating its support for nine hole golf as an ideal way to play golf in less time whilst still doing so competitively and for handicap purposes by introducing a new championship at Royal Troon this summer.

The inaugural event for amateurs will be played Saturday, July 9th at Royal Troon, giving players the opportunity to play nine holes at the historic Ayrshire links on the eve of The 145TH Open.

In 2017, the event will be expanded to cover golf clubs in Great Britain and Ireland with players being given the opportunity to qualify at nine hole events held by The R&A’s affiliated national associations in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Padraig Harrington, two-time Champion Golfer of the Year and R&A Working for Golf Ambassador, welcomed the initiative.

“People who want to play golf are increasingly struggling to find the time to play and so positioning nine hole golf as a legitimate alternative makes a lot of sense,” he said. “I’m really pleased to see The R&A taking the lead in this area.

“For regular amateur golfers to be able to play The Open venue in championship condition immediately before the best players in the world is a fantastic initiative and I’m sure this new competitive format will encourage more people to get out on the golf course and play nine hole golf.”

The R&A’s extensive survey on pace of play and the subsequent Time for Golf conference in St Andrews last November highlighted the challenges many people face in finding time to play 18 holes, with 60% of the golfers surveyed expressing the view that they would enjoy golf more if it took less time.

The survey also revealed that among 25-44 year-olds who are unhappy with the pace of play, 21% would like to see the playing time reduced by as much as one-and-a-half hours, while 19% said they would welcome the opportunity to play nine holes more often as an alternative format.

“One of the messages that came through clearly from the survey and the Time for Golf conference is that people would play more golf if they could do so in significantly less time,” said Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A. “Nine hole golf is not new but we feel it is often overlooked as a perfectly valid way to play the sport either with your family and friends or competitively.

“We are delighted to introduce a nine hole championship and will be promoting this format as a way of playing golf in less time which can have wider appeal among people who lead increasingly busy lives today. We are very much looking forward to working with the national associations to promote nine hole golf and we hope to see more events being played throughout Great Britain and Ireland to cater for this important audience.”

This year’s event will see 30 golfers playing a nine hole championship at Royal Troon. Two players will qualify from events held at each of the 13 Regional Qualifying venues for The Open throughout Great Britain and Ireland with host venues Royal Troon Golf Club and The Ladies’ Golf Club, Troon each providing two players. The handicap event will be open to men, women, boys and girls who are members of the clubs taking part.