Even though Garrett Rank has a full-time job, don’t call him a part-time golfer.

“It’s still serious, just not 12 months of the year like it used to be,” the 27-year-old says.

Rank, who will represent Canada in golf alongside 18-year-old Austin Connelly at the Pan American Games, doesn’t play as much competitively as he used to as a standout at the University of Waterloo and as a member of Golf Canada’s national team.

But the reason is a worthy one.

For more than eight months of the year, Rank works as a referee under contract with the National Hockey League.

The native of Elmira, Ont., worked nine NHL games this season, but spent most of the season with the American Hockey League. None of the nine NHL games were more memorable than his first.

“I settled in pretty well, but we had a video review on the first goal about five minutes in, and they reversed our call on the ice,” Rank said in an interview. “That was pretty funny. Looking back though, it helped settled me down.”

The players on the ice could not have been nicer, according to Rank, who had 250 friends and family in the stands.

“All the guys were first-class,” he said. “I got some signed jerseys from both teams, and a couple taps on the shin-pads from the guys. It was cool.”

Rank was offered an NHL contract in 2014. He couldn’t turn it down, especially after he put his goals on hold in 2011 to fight testicular cancer.

“As silly as it sounds, I never truly believed I had cancer,” said Rank. “I know I did, the test results showed that. But I thought to myself, ‘you’re a young athlete in great shape. You’re a good kid. You never did anything to deserve this.’ I always thought of it as a lie, or that it wasn’t actually true. That helped push me along.”

Now with a clean bill of health, Rank says he has “the best of both worlds” as he pursues his two passions.

“I love my job, but I love being able to come out here (the golf course) for four or five months and work on my game,” he said.

In 2014, Rank captured the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship to secure a spot in this summer’s RBC Canadian Open, which is scheduled the week after the Pan Am Games tournament. It will be his PGA Tour debut.

“I feel like I probably should have played a couple (Canadian Opens) before, but it just hasn’t worked out,” he said. “But I’m excited to get this opportunity, and I want to go there and do well. I want to see what professional golf at the highest level is about.”

Rank’s whirlwind summer began July 6, where he won a qualifier for the U.S. Amateur by six shots. If he makes it to the finals, which start Aug. 17, he’ll qualify for the Masters.

From there, he received a special exemption into The Players Cup, an event on Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.

Next up is the Pan Am Games, which begins Thursday at Angus Glen, the same course where Rank won the 2010 Ontario University Association Championship.

“It’s kind of a home game, and seeing some familiar faces in the crowd will definitely be an advantage,” he said.

Canadian coach Derek Ingram says Rank has some “wicked natural ability.”

“Garrett is a lot of fun, and he’s an unbelievable team guy,” said Ingram. “Regardless of the results next week, we’re going to have a great time.”

Allison Chandler and Calvin Ross – who held shares atop their respective leaderboards – climbed into solo leads following the second round of the 2015 CN Future Links Atlantic Championship. The juniors encountered wet conditions with periods of rain splitting the sunny skies over Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

Chandler began the day holding a share of the three-way tie atop the Junior Girls division. The Chester, N.S., native separated herself from her competitors with a 5-over-par 77 performance to take the solo lead at 152. Chandler recorded birdies on holes 2 and 7, then kept a steady pace through the back nine as the rain began.

Claire Konning moved into second place, posting a score of 6-over 78 to sit 3 strokes behind the lead. The Indian Mountain, N.B., product recently finished runner-up at the New Brunswick Junior Girls Championship. Sharing third place at 156 are the 2015 New Brunswick Junior Girls Champion Laura Jones from Moncton, N.B., and Felixe Jacques from St-Gabriel de Valcartier, Que. The two signed for scores of 81 after holding shares of the first-day lead.

In the Junior Boys division, Calvin Ross emerged from the second round with the lead at even par after beginning the day in four-way tie for first. The Fredericton, N.B., native notched three birdies on the day and matched his opening round of 72. The 16-year-old recently finished second in this year’s New Brunswick Junior Boys Championship – a competition he won in 2014.

Three strokes back of the lead at 147 – and in a tie for second place – is five-time Newfoundland and Labrador Junior Boys Champion Blair Bursey. The Gander, Nfld., product recorded a second round of 2-over 74. He is joined by opening-round co-leader Julien Roy of Rimouski, Que., who shot 75 on the day.

Holding fourth place at 149 are Quebec natives William Gagné of Québec City, who posted a round of 76, and Vincent Poirier from Candiac, who shot 1-over 73.

The juniors at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club are also vying for the opportunity to compete in their respective national junior competitions next month. The top six finishers in both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls divisions at the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship will be awarded exemptions into their respective national championships.

The 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be hosted at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., from August 2-6 while the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be contested from August 3-7 at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. In addition, the CN Future Links Junior Girls Atlantic champion will receive an exemption into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of her choosing.

The final round of the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship will begin tomorrow with the first group on the tee at 7 a.m. ADT.

For complete scoring, final-round pairings and more information on the 2015 CN Future Links Atlantic Championship, please click here.

With Canada sporting 7% of the world’s golf facilities (as identified in the recent Golf Facilities in Canada report), you’d like to think there is a good number of up-and-coming golf stories to share from coast-to-coast. Newfoundland’s Blair Bursey is one of those stories.

Hailing from the northeastern town of Gander, the 18-year-old lefty just notched his fifth consecutive junior provincial title in his home province.

“I never really thought about setting records or milestones,” said Bursey of his win streak. “I’ve been taking it one day at a time, keeping my head down and focusing on improving my game.”

With the win, Bursey received an exemption to play in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 2–6 at the Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué.,  where he will look to improve on a T57 finish in last year’s event.

Bursey has another significant accolade that doesn’t quite fit on his trophy shelf, but perhaps carries more weight than all the rest. He is the first local of Newfoundland & Labrador to receive an NCAA Div I scholarship, playing for the Utah Valley Wolverines—something he doesn’t take lightly.

“It’s always an honour to be the first of anything,” said the two-time Golf Newfoundland Labrador Golfer of the Year. “It’s definitely special and it gave me a certain sense of pride that I can accomplish what I set out to do and I’m really proud of doing that.”

In his freshman season, Bursey posted a strong string of results, highlighted by a T14 at the Western Atlantic Conference Championships and a team-leading T10 finish at the PING Cougar Classic to close out the season.

“Once I got there it was golf straight away for four months, which I wasn’t really used to,” said Bursey of his first competitive season with the Wolverines. “I qualified for 10 out of 11 events which is really positive, and I was quite happy with my scoring average. It was a great year to start and something I can definitely build on—I grew a lot as a golfer and as a person as well.”

With his most competitive years ahead of him, Bursey’s roots are still at home, the only place where he truly “has a sense of feeling at ease,”—an important feeling in the world of competitive golf.

In any case, Bursey’s story goes to show that no matter where you come from, however small the town—or however high the odds seem stacked against you—dreams are always within reach.

With that said, Mr. Bursey still has a long road ahead of him, continuing this summer with competition back on home soil.

In addition to the Canadian Junior Boys, Bursey is teeing-it-up once again this week in the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship (T4 finish in 2014) at the Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club.

Down the road, Bursey was clear in where he hopes to take his game.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to play professional golf. I think it’s important to be realistic about what the goals are, and take this far as it can go. However, I won’t be jumping into it without good experience so I’m looking forward to making the most out of my future years of collegiate golf.”

The RBC Canadian Open won’t be the only national golf competition taking place this coming week at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

CN, Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada will play host to twenty-two competitors from across Canada at Glen Abbey on Saturday, July 18 for the seventh annual CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event.

The event will be delivered in the same format as the qualifying events. As determined by their standing on the National Leaderboard, the competitors will compete in a four-part skills challenge (putting, chipping, driving and iron play) with one overall winner per age-group (9-11; 12-14; and 15-18) and gender.

A total of 22 competitors who achieved the highest skills challenge scores from events across Canada during the 2015 golf season will travel to Glen Abbey with the hope of becoming a CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge national champion.

The day will begin with a practice and warm-up session from 10 to 11:45 a.m. before the competition’s opening address. The competitors will take centre stage for the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event from noon until 2 p.m. before the afternoon concludes with a complimentary BBQ and an awards presentation. The champions in the boys and girls 15-18 age groups will receive an exemption into their local CN Future Links Championship in 2016. All other attending participants of the CN Future Links Junior Skills National Event will receive prizing courtesy of Titleist Footjoy.

The competition format:

• Driving: Each competitor receives three drives. Points are awarded and dependent on distance and aim of the drive. The drive must land within the 30-yard width to qualify for points. The number of points is dependent on the distances completed.
• Chipping: Each competitor receives three shots from their distance. Points are awarded and dependent on the distance of the chip shot from the target.
• Putting: Each competitor receives two putts each from each distance of 3, 5 and 8 feet. Points are awarded for holing the putt.
• Iron Play: Each competitor receives three shots from their distance. Points are awarded and dependent on the distance of the iron shot from the target.

In celebration of the event being hosted for the first time in the lead-up to the RBC Canadian Open, junior participants will also have the opportunity to test the storied Glen Abbey layout in an exciting match play format on Sunday, July 19 prior to tournament week. Junior participants will be provided weekly grounds passes, as well as, opportunities to be involved in Monday’s Pro-Am and Wednesday’s CN Future Links Walk with a Pro event during the Wednesday Pro-Am.

The CN Future Links Atlantic Championship opened at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B., with 98 juniors in the field. At day’s end, the crowded leaderboards featured four players tied for the Junior Boys division lead at even par, while three junior girls posted 3-over for the low score in their division.

Four players opened with rounds of 72 to sit atop the Junior Boys division. Gabriel Gingras of Chelsea, Que., closed the day with two birdies to secure his share at the top. Playing in his home province, Calvin Ross of Fredericton, N.B., kept a steady pace, balancing three bogeys with three birdies. Rimouski, Que., product Julien Roy took full advantage Gowan Brae’s par 5s, notching eagles on holes 11 and 14. Michael Simms from St. John’s, Nfld., joined the trio at even par by shooting 1-under across the back nine.

One stroke back of the leaders at 1-over par are Blair Bursey from Gander, Nfld., William Gagné of Québec City, Que., and Charlottetown, P.E.I., native Ryan Legault. Tristan Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., and Nathan Douglas of Thornhill, Ont., follow closely behind with scores of 2-over 74.

In the Junior Girls division, three players share the lead at 3-over 75. Allison Chandler, a Chester, N.S., native, highlighted her round with an eagle on hole 14 before adding a birdie on 15. St-Gabriel de Valcartier, Que., product Felixe Jacques earned her share at the top of the leaderboard with an even-par back nine. Reigning New Brunswick Junior Girls champion, Laura Jones of Moncton, N.B., claimed her place among the leaders with a strong 1-under front nine start.

Holding a tie for fourth place and signing for rounds of 5-over 77 are Claire Konning of Indian Mountain, N.B., and Oceane Jacques of St-Gabriel de Valcartier, Que.

The top six finishers in both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls divisions at the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship will be awarded direct entry into their respective national championships. The 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be held August 2-6 at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., while the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be contested at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., from August 3-7. In addition, the CN Future Links Junior Girls Atlantic champion will also receive an exemption into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of her choice.

The second round begins tomorrow with the junior girls teeing off at 7 a.m. ADT before the junior boys take to the course at 8:10 a.m. ADT.

For complete first round scoring from the 2015 CN Future Links Atlantic Championship, please click here.

VICTORIA, B.C.  – Team Canada Development Squad member Michelle Kim may be running out of room in her trophy case.

The 17-year-old Surrey native won her second straight British Columbia Golf event with an overpowering final day at Cordova Bay Golf Course. Kim shot a (-4) round of 69 to finish at (-4) 288 to beat 12-year-old Akari Hayashi by nine strokes.

A visibly nervous Hayashi managed to hold it together to shoot a (+5) round of 78 to finish at (+5) 297 to claim solo second place and a spot on the BC team going to the Canadian Junior Girls in Saskatchewan next month.

Surrey’s Hannah Lee finished with a (+2) 75 final round to finish at (+7) 299 to claim the third and final provincial spot.

“I still can’t believe it,” said Kim, who received her trophy from Shirley Nasheim, the 1952 winner of the BC Junior Girls title and the first winner of the trophy. “It feels amazing, especially since I won last week and I’ve played this tournament so many times.”

Kim thanked her family, including her father, who coaches her and her mother, who walks almost every hole with her. But the biggest thanks go to older sister Taylor, who Michelle beat at last week’s BC Women’s Amateur.

“Taylor gave me a really big hug before I came here and told me ‘Go get that trophy. I know you can.’ It’s the only trophy we don’t have in the house.”

For the second week in a row, Kim received a water shower from her friends Gloria Choi, Alisha Lau and Hannah Lee, who rushed the final green to spray Kim.

Kim entered the final round tied with Hayashi for the lead and after both players made nervous bogeys on the first, they also matched birdies on the par-5 second hole. But Kim gained the upper hand she would never relinquish by making another birdie on 3 while Hayashi made bogey.

When Kim made birdies at 5 and 7, and Hayashi made bogeys at 6 and 7, the lead was up to six and it was just a matter of time before Kim was lifting the BC Junior Girls trophy to go along with the Flumerfelt Cup she won last week at Duncan Meadows as the British Columbia Women’s Amateur Champion.

Hayashi made seven bogeys on the day, but saved her best for last, making birdie on the final hole as a large crowd cheered her on. “I am really happy,” said Hayashi. “This is my first time getting into the top 5 or top 10. I’m really happy.”

Hayashi was happy she finished second and got a runner-up trophy with her name on it. “I was really nervous,” she said. “There are so many good girls. I had so much pressure. . . There were so many people on the back 9, I was surprised.”

Kim, Hayashi and Lee comprise the British Columbia team at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, SK from August 4-7.

For full results, please click here.

UNION, Ont. — In a week that had a little bit of everything from unpredictable weather, to penalty strokes to the round-three leaders, things finally came to a conclusion at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Women’s Amateur on July 10 at the St. Thomas Golf & Country Club, the 100^th anniversary of the event.

Heading into the final round, Orangeville’s Brittany Marchand held a two-shot lead. However, it would be a lights-out performance by Maddie Szeryk that would be the final-round story as she shot a four-under (68) to overcome the deficit and hoist the Marlene Stewart-Streit Trophy.

Szeryk, a Canadian-American dual citizen, makes her home in Texas, where she also attends Texas A&M, but has family connections to London, Ont., with her grandparents residing there. She is also a member of the Golf Canada National Team.

The 18-year-old Szeryk wasted little time in grabbing the lead. She birdied the first hole and then added three more on the fifth, sixth and eighth to lead at the turn. She was able to keep up her strong play on the back nine in order to take the win at seven-under for the tournament (73-70-70-68).

After the win, Szeryk spoke about what it meant to win the 100^th Ontario Women’s Amateur. “It is a pretty big honour to win the 100^th one, that is amazing!” Said Szeryk. “I came into the tournament hoping to play well and am really happy with the outcome. Coming into the tournament I knew it was a huge event and that it would mean a lot to win it. My family is from London, so to win here made it even better.”

When asked about what made the difference this week, Szeryk credited her play to having a solid all-round game. “It really was everything. I was focused on each shot, playing my plan and hitting the right shots. Today was really solid.”

Sharing the silver medal were Marchand and Victoria, British Columbia’s Naomi Ko. Marchand, the National Team and Brampton Golf Club member had her struggles during the final round and just couldn’t find her consistency. She finished the day one-over (73) and four-under for the Tournament (69-73-69-73).

As for Ko, she got off to a hot start with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes. She was able to get to three-under for the day before the turn but gave one stroke back with a bogey on the tenth. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to make a run at the top spot and had to settle for a share of second with a final round two-under (70) and four-under for the tournament. (71-68-75-70).

Based on their results, Marchand, Toronto’s Elizabeth Tong and Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain all move on to represent Ontario, in the inter-provincial competition, at the Canadian Women’s Amateur, July 28-31, at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

For full final results from the 2015 GAO Investors Group Women’s Amateur, please see the tournament site.

Ready, set…it’s the final countdown to the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games! The opening ceremonies will be held on Friday, July 10 to officially kick-off the Games.

Golf’s return to multi-sport games on the world stage is set to begin Tuesday, July 14 with a practice round at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.  Angus Glen is no stranger to hosting major golf tournaments.  In 2001, it played host to both the Telus Skins Game and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open before hosting the 2002 and 2007 RBC Canadian Opens.

After winning the bid to host this competition, Angus Glen’s South Course underwent major renovations in preparation for this monumental event.  What began as a bunker project quickly turned into a decision to make the course more sustainable in terms of water use and storage, as well as reconfiguring the property to reduce overall maintenance.

Fast facts about golf at the 2015 Pan Am Games:

• The Pan Am field currently includes 31 women and 32 men.
• There will be women’s individual, men’s individual and mixed team events played over a 72-hole stroke play format. Each round, teams will count their lowest scores from each gender and these scores will represent their team total.
• The Canadian men’s team will be comprised of 18-year-old Austin Connelly who resides in Irving Texas. The National Amateur Team member, who is currently ranked 10^th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, will be joined by reigning Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont.
• On the women’s side, four-time LPGA Tour winner Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, P.E.I. will represent the host nation.
• Golf Canada’s National Women’s Team Head Coach Tristan Mullally of Straffan, Ireland along with National Men’s Team Head Coach Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man., will serve as the coaches for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Team.

For additional information on the host venue and what you’ll need to know prior to attending the TO2015 Pan Am golf competition, click here. A complete overview of the Pan Am golf schedule, can be found here.

GIBBONS, Alta.  – The third and final round came down to a playoff for the Junior Boys at Goose Hummock Golf Course in Gibbons, Alta., with Jason Martens emerging as the 2015 CN Future Links Western champion. Kenna Hughes held firm on her one-stroke, second-round lead to be crowned the Junior Girls champion.

Martens of Edmonton was forced into a playoff after Brendan MacDougall of Calgary finished with back-to-back birdies. The competitors came away from the first extra hole with a birdie apiece; Martens claimed the championship by making par on the second playoff while MacDougall registered a bogey.

The 18-year-old Martens entered the final round one stroke off the lead. The 2015 Alberta Junior Championship runner-up completed the round with three birdies to shoot 1-over 72 and end the tournament at 5-over-par 218.

“I just stayed pretty patient all day and didn’t really go for too many pins. I just tried to put it in the middle of the green and two-putt,” said Martens. “My game plan was pretty much the same as it’s been for the past two days, just keep the ball in the fairway, put it on the green and keep it away from the water because it’s so easy to drop a shot at this course.”

Brendan MacDougall, 17, put on a valiant effort in the final round, tying the tournament low score of even par. He recorded rounds of 73-74-71 to total 218. Ryan Rody of Calgary opened the day tied for fourth; he pulled into solo-third after an even-par performance and finished two shots back of the winner. Finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place were 2015 CN Future Links Prairie champion Alexander Smith of Calgary, Kade Johnson of Yorkton, Sask., and Alex Park of Vancouver.

In the Junior Girls division, Kenna Hughes of Calgary rebounded from a 5-over front nine to finish bogey-free and capture the Junior Girls title. The 17-year-old, who entered the round ahead by one stroke, fired an impressive 3-over 74 – tied for the Junior Girls tournament low – en route to a three- day total of 231.

“It was close between Kehler (Koss) and I all day, but I hit it well on the back nine, made a couple birdies and got ahead. It was definitely close and very stressful. I was close last year, but I just couldn’t quite pull through, so it feels really nice that I could do it this year,” said Hughes, who finished last year’s tournament in third place.

Also shooting 74 on the day was Kehler Koss. The Calgary native finished even-par across the back-nine and finished the championship with a score of 19-over-par 232. Claiming third in the competition was Jayla Yoonji Kang of Surrey, B.C., who notched back-to-back birdies on the final two holes to finish with an 80 on the day and a 243 for the tournament.

Hughes and the remaining members of this competition’s top-six finishers have received exemptions into the Junior Girls national championship, to be played in Yorkton, Sask., from August 4-7 at Deer Park Golf Course. She has also earned entry into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of her choosing.

Jason Martens and the first to fifth runners-up in the Junior Boys division have been awarded direct entry into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship field. The tournament will be contested from August 3-6 at at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

The Western edition of the CN Future Links Championships is the fifth in a series of six competitions conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with CN. The season-opening Pacific edition saw Team Canada Development Squad members Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) find the podium at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.) and Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) captured the Ontario titles at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. At Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., Alexander Smith (Calgary, Alta.) and Development Squad member Alisha Lau (Richmond, B.C.) joined the winners circle at the Prairie Championship. Alyssa Getty claimed her second CN Future Links title of 2015 at the Quebec Championship held at Golf Château-Bromont, while Jason Chung (Thornhill, Ont.) claimed the Junior Boys title.

The 2015 season’s concluding event – the Atlantic championship – will tee off July 13-16 at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

For additional information from the 2015 CN Future Links Western Championship, please visit the tournament website here.

OAKVILLE, Ont. — Golf Canada, in partnership with the PGA of Canada, has released Golf Facilities in Canada 2015—the definitive report on golf facilities and development in Canada.

Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 is the result of a collaborative effort between Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the National Golf Foundation (NGF), a golf industry knowledge research firm which delivers independent and objective market intelligence, insights and trends.

The report identifies all existing public and private facilities in the country; and defines supply by province, type and number of holes. The report also includes information on facility openings and closings, as well as the number and type of facilities currently in development.

“Canadian golf facilities are the foundation for major sport participation, economic impact, tourism, charitable giving and environmental stewardship and the Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 report provides a comprehensive breakdown of the golf courses and projects that form that Canadian golf landscape,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “Canada represents 7 per cent of the total world’s supply of golf courses and this first ever Canadian report offers an in-depth summary of national and provincial data.”

“The PGA of Canada in partnership with Golf Canada is excited to present this captivating study of golf facilities in Canada compiled by one of the world’s leading research firms, the National Golf Foundation,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “As the second oldest and third largest professional golf association in the world, the PGA of Canada and its 3,700 members are proud to be a driving force at golf facilities from coast to coast.”

A snapshot of data captured in Golf Facilities in Canada 2015:

• Canada is home to 2,346 public and private golf facilities; ranking it third in the world in total supply.
• Seventy-seven per cent of the total golf supply is located in Canada’s four most populated provinces—Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia.
• While course construction has slowed during the past several years (a trend mirrored in many mature and developed golf nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom) golf remains extremely accessible in Canada. A little more than 90 per cent of the country’s supply is open to the public.
• Of the 2,126 public facilities in Canada, half are located in Ontario and Québec, which together account for 61 per cent of the country’s total population. Furthermore, the two provinces are also home to 73 per cent of Canada’s 220 private clubs.
• Nine-hole golf accounts for almost 37 per cent of Canada’s total supply, which outnumbers 18-hole supply in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In Saskatchewan, 18-hole courses are outnumbered 3 to 1 by 9-hole courses.
• Canada features nine 12-hole facilities (six of which are in Ontario) and three 6-hole facilities.
• Resort golf, though a small segment of Canada’s overall supply, is a significant contributor to tourism in several provinces. Countrywide, 167 facilities (or approximately 7 per cent) of total supply are connected to a resort or a resort/real estate operation.
• Course construction peaked in the 1960s with the opening of more than 420 facilities. A second significant growth spurt occurred in the period between 1990 and 1999, when more than 310 courses—13 per cent of total supply —opened. The growth was highlighted by the opening of 257 facilities in the four largest provinces: Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia.
• Since 2010, 29 facilities have opened in six different provinces. In recent years, Canada has seen only moderate growth, and currently has 31 18-hole equivalent facilities in various stages of development.
• Of those facilities in various stages of development, 17 have broken ground including seven in Alberta and four in Nova Scotia. Nearly 60 per cent of new projects are tied to a real estate development.
• In the past five to 10 years, 158 facilities have closed. One in five of those closures were located in Ontario, which is home to 35 per cent of the total supply of Canada’s facilities. Three of Canada’s 10 provinces have seen fewer than five facility closures during the past decade.

The complete Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 report including national and provincial data is available for download here.

The Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 report aligns with the Canadian data featured in the World Facilities Report released earlier this year by the R&A in partnership with the NGF. The world report revealed by the end of 2014, there were 34,011 golf facilities in 204 countries around the world. It shows that nearly 80 per cent of these facilities are located in 10 countries: the United States, Japan, Canada, England, Australia, Germany, France, Scotland, South Africa and Sweden. The world report also revealed by the end of 2014, Canada ranked third* in total number of golf facilities by country behind only the United States and Japan (*The UK combined has the third-most course in the world overall, however when viewed as separate countries, Canada is third and England is fourth). For more on the world report, visit www.randa.org.

The golf industry is worth more than $14.3-billion to the Canadian economy and represents more than 1 per cent of our nation’s total GDP. The $5-billion in direct revenues generated by Canada’s 2,346 facilities are more than the revenues generated by all other participation sports and recreational facilities combined ($4.8 billion). The numbers reinforce the massive financial, charitable, and environmental impact that golf has in communities across Canada including hundreds of thousands of jobs, billions in taxes, and a major tourism driver both domestic and international. Canadian golf facilities are a channel for major charitable giving with close to 37,000 events at Canadian courses raising more than $533-million annually for worthwhile causes. Canadians are passionate about the game of golf with a participation base of 5.7-million Canadians who enjoy more than 60-million rounds annually. For more information about the robust impact of golf in Canada visit www.canadagolfs.ca.