Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Granby, Que. native Diane Barabé has been named its 2015 Volunteer of the Year. She will receive the honour at the Saturday, Feburary 14 closing dinner of the 2015 Annual General Meeting.

The roles of rules official and golf committee member are not easy. It takes a dedicated and knowledgeable individual to serve the game and teach those willing to gain a better understanding of it. Diane Barabé is one such individual.

In 1992, Barabé’s love of the sport took her beyond the links. The long-time member of the Miner Golf Club joined its Board of Directors and became involved with the Eastern Townships District of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association (CLGA). The organization needed a rules official to guide and manage its tournaments; Diane Barabé became that person.

Following seven years of committed service, Barabé decided her insights into the game and her understanding of its inner-workings were required elsewhere. She recognized a need at the provincial level with positions open on the Executive Committee, the Standing Rules Committee and CLGA – Quebec Branch’s Board of Directors; Again, Diane Barabé rose to the occasion.

She helped ease the transition of the Quebec Golf Association and the CLGA – Quebec Branch amalgamating to become Golf Quebec in an effort to better serve its members, clubs and stakeholders. As a certified Level 4 rules official, she served as the Chairperson of Golf Quebec’s Rules Committee from 2008 to 2012. In 2014 when the provincial organization again needed her wealth of knowledge and experience, she returned to the committee as its co-Chairperson to serve once more as Head Rules Official for a number of provincial events and to appoint rules officials for championships across Quebec.

Diane Barabé has actively demonstrated her knowledge of the rules of golf on many occasions, even becoming the first woman from Quebec to referee the Canadian Men’s Open Championship at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. Just as important is the role she plays in sharing that knowledge with others. She has instructed in Golf Canada’s Level 3 and Level 4 Rules Seminars to train Canada’s next generation of rules officials.

Now in its ninth year, Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year award is annually presented to individuals in the community who best exemplify the national sport organization’s commitment to growing the game. Throughout her time with the sport, Barabé has consistently and selflessly shown a willingness to help where she can and the uncanny ability to be where she is needed. It is for this passion, dedication and service that Golf Canada thanks her and recognizes her as its Volunteer of the Year.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – CN and Golf Canada are pleased to recognize the Blomidon Golf and Country Club with the CN Future Links Facility of the Year award for the 2014 season.

Blomidon, nestled in the heart of Corner Brook, Nfld., earned the award for its marked performance and delivery of CN Future Links, Canada’s junior golf program. Under the direction of head PGA of Canada professional Wayne Allen, Blomidon instilled the fundamentals and values of golf through CN Future Links to over 280 juniors—all of whom graduated stages of the Learn to Play program.

“We are very proud to acknowledge Blomidon’s dedication to junior golf with this important award,” stated Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “We thank Wayne Allen and the golf club for their leadership, delivery and support of the program. There were many qualified facilities to choose from that have been delivering exceptional junior golf activities—Blomidon should feel very proud of this accomplishment.”

“CN is proud to honour Blomidon with this award for their dedication to the well-being of children in delivering the CN Future Links program,” said Claude Mongeau, CN President and Chief Executive Officer. “Golf and its inherent values are good for our children and we appreciate clubs like Blomidon for delivering Canada’s national junior golf program in communities across Canada.”

Learn to Play is a four-stage rewards program that tracks progress performance of participants through reports issued by the instructor. New in 2014, juniors received complimentary hats courtesy of program partner Cobra Puma Golf upon graduating a stage to represent their progress.

“CN Future Links helps me give kids the opportunity to reach any level that they want to achieve—which is very important for me,” said Allen, a PGA of Canada Class ‘A’ member. “I think any pro who is not using the tools available through this program is putting their club at a disadvantage.”

With large junior camps, Allen maximized admin time by entering progress reports on-the-go through the mobile app, available on the App Store. In total, Allen and his team were successful in completing 100% of the progress reports of their juniors. With the success of Allen’s CN Future Links programming, Blomidon has opened two new streams of membership—family and intermediate—to accommodate the growing demand.

Allen is very active in other areas of junior golf; most notably, he conducted four CN Future Links Field Trip events, which connect local students to nearby golf clubs for introductory lessons. In addition, Allen delivered eight different golf lessons to school sites registered in Golf in Schools—a program that CN has supported with over 100 adoptions.

Blomidon is the second Canadian golf club to receive the CN Future Links Facility of the Year Award, which was introduced in 2013. The club, which also serves as a National Junior Golf Development Centre, will host local media and representatives later in the spring to celebrate receiving the award.

“On behalf of the PGA of Canada and its 3,700 members, I’d like to congratulate Wayne Allen and his staff on the CN Future Links Facility of the Year Award,” said PGA of Canada President Constant Priondolo. “It’s important for PGA of Canada professionals like Wayne to be recognized for all their hard work in growing the game of golf in Canada through the CN Future Links program.”

Last year alone, CN Future Links junior golf activities were conducted at 455 golf facilities with more than 7,000 juniors registered in the Learn to Play program. In addition, 160 golf facilities took part in the Junior Skills Challenge while more than 56,000 youngsters participated in more than 1,200 mobile golf clinics across the country. Since 2006, more than 1 million children have been introduced to golf through the CN Future Links program.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Team Canada’s Adam Svensson continued his winning ways Tuesday, notching the second win of his junior season with a victory at the Matlock Collegiate Classic.

Svensson, 21, carded rounds of 67-67-70 for a 12-under 204, good for a two-stroke victory at the Lone Palm Golf Club. He recorded 14 birdies en route to his second individual win this season in as many events—he won the Guy Harvey Invitational in the fall.

The Surrey, B.C., native continues to roll for Barry University. He set a school record last year in his sophomore season with seven individual titles, winning the Jack Nicklaus award for the top golfer in Div II in the process.

Collectively, the Barry Buccaneers finished runner-up, 10 strokes behind champion Nova Southeastern. Svensson and the Bucs will tee-it-up again in the Warner Invitational in Sebring, Fla., Mar. 2–3.

Click here for full results.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The Royal and Ancient Golf Club announced its first female members on Thursday, among them was Diane Dunlop-Hébert, a past president of Golf Canada and Golf Québec.

The club voted in September to end 260 years of male-only exclusivity by voting in favour of inviting women to join. 

Dunlop-Hébert is one of seven “ordinary” members. She is the first and only Canadian on the list of ordinary members, which was leaked by golf journalists.

An accountant by trade, Dunlop-Hébert has spent the past 18 years as Director and Vice-President of Business Development for Groupe Park Avenue, a multi-franchise automobile mall in Montreal.

The club officially released the names of its seven “honorary” members, which included Swedish great Annika Sorenstam and Britain’s Princess Anne.

Sorenstam, a 10-time major champion, wrote on Twitter: “I am very honored to be one of the lucky ladies.”

Princess Anne, who competed in equestrian for Britain at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and is an IOC member, is the only female honorary member who hasn’t played golf competitively.

Anne is the fourth member of the royal family to become an honorary member of the R&A, joining her father Prince Phillip, brother Prince Andrew and the Duke of Kent.

Two other British honorary members are Laura Davies, who has won four majors, and Belle Robertson, an amateur great.

Two U.S. women were admitted: Renee Powell, only the second black player to compete on the LPGA Tour, and Louise Suggs, a co-founder and former LPGA president who won 11 majors.

Completing the list is Frenchwoman Lally Segard, who won 14 titles before becoming president of the World Amateur Golf Council, which is now known as the International Golf Federation.

The Royal and Ancient has stated it plans to accelerate the process of naming other golfers in the coming months.

St. Andrews will be the venue for the British Open this summer.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Golf Canada’s 2015 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place this week (February 12-14) at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel and Conference Centre in Mississauga.

The AGM will bring together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, Governors Council and staff as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations and Canadian golf industry stakeholders. The group will assemble for three days of meetings in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

The Annual General Meeting will culminate with the appointment of Paul McLean of King Township, Ont. as our 112th President. The induction ceremony will take place during an official ceremony on Saturday, February 14th from 7 to 10 pm at the Delta Meadowvale.

Golf Canada will also present both its Volunteer of the Year Award, as well as its Distinguished Service Award(s). The service awards will honour a trio of individuals for their outstanding contributions to the game of golf.

Golf Canada will also welcome our international governing body partners at the USGA and R&A, who will make presentations on topics of interest to the international golf community on Friday, February 13 from 1-2:30pm. Hunki Yun, USGA Director of Strategic Projects and USGA Technical Director Matthew Pringle will discuss pace of play. David Rickman, R&A Director of Rules and Equipment Standards will present “Golf Today – an R&A perspective” with a report on the association’s activities in Rules, handicapping, golf development and sustainability, as well as updates on The Open and golf’s reintroduction into the Olympics.

Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Development Officer, will be joined by PGA of Canada’s Technical Director Glenn Cundari and player development expert Dr. Istvan Balyi for a 90-minute session on Friday, February 13 from 2:45-4:15pm which will outline the launch of LTPD 2.0 – the second iteration of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) guide for Canadian golf.

Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer Gavin Roth will outline the development of a unified marketing campaign promoting Golf in Canada on Saturday, February 14 from 8:30-10:15am. Roth will share the process undertaken with the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) and provincial partners; the agency selected for creative development; and a taste of what to expect this year. He will also share the exciting new direction of golfcanada.ca, set to re-launch in April, and introduce the vendor that will help drive our digital engagement strategy. The session will also include an update on two high profile Golf Canada brand ambassadors and some new corporate partnership developments.

Canada continues to have the highest golf participation rate in the world, and it remains one of the most popular pass times among Canadians. However, the current Association membership has been shrinking steadily over the past 10 years. Why and how do we address this issue? Golf Canada’s Managing Director of Membership & Heritage, Karen Hewson, along with Regional Directors Blair Armitage, Chris Dengel and Remi Bouchard, will share the consultation and information that has led to the development of a new vision for membership within the provincial and national associations Saturday, February 14 from 10:30am-12pm.

These are only some of the highlights of Golf Canada’s 2015 AGM. Golf Canada Member Clubs interested in finding out more information about the 2015 Annual General Meeting can contact us at 1-800-263-0009 or members@golfcanada.ca.

SEA ISLAND, Ga. – Team Canada’s Austin Connelly went the distance Sunday, coming back from a seven-stroke deficit to win the Jones Cup in a playoff at the Ocean Forest Golf Club.

Connelly started the day in a tie for ninth, but fought back in Sunday’s third and final round with a six-birdie, 4-under 68. Despite bogeying the 18^th, Connelly headed into a playoff against Kyle Jones of Snowlake, Ariz.

In the first playoff hole, Connelly knocked down a 20-foot putt for par to keep the match alive. The Arkansas University commit rode that momentum into the next hole with a birdie to put away Jones and take home the title.

With the win, Connelly becomes the second straight Canuck to win the Jones Cup – he finished runner-up last year, also making it to a playoff before falling to Team Canada teammate Corey Conners. Together, the duo of Connelly and Conners won Canada the Tailhade Cup this past November.

Connelly, a dual-citizen of Canada and the U.S., records his first win as a member of Team Canada after being named to the 2015 National Amateur Squad. He currently sits as Canada’s lowest ranked amateur at No. 7 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

“I loved Austin’s game plan this week. Things didn’t go as planned yesterday on a very difficult day but he hung in there and gave himself a chance today,” said Derek Ingram, Men’s National Squad Head Coach. “His play in the playoffs was very impressive–he never changed his routine. It was quick, athletic and committed and he hit several excellent shots.”

With the victory, Connelly earns and exemption into the McGladrey Classic, which takes place November 16-22, 2015 at the Seaside & Plantation Courses at Sea Island Golf Club.

Team Canada’s Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) cracked the top-20 in Sea Island, finishing T8 and T14 respectively.

Austin James (Bath, Ont.), the reigning Canadian Junior Boys Champion, finished at T58 while Blair Hamilton (Burlington, Ont.), also new to Team Canada in 2015, finished T67.

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Niagara College’s Business Administration – Professional Golf Management (Co-op) program recently donated more than $1,400 to the National Golf in Schools program that will bring the program to the three elementary schools in St. Catharines this year: Memorial Public School, E.I. McCulley Public School and Burleigh Hill Public School.

Funds were raised at the fourth annual PGM Invitational Charity Golf Tournament held at the Beechwood Golf Club in October with students, faculty and alumni in attendance – more than 80 in total.

“On behalf of Golf Canada, I’m proud of the continued fundraising efforts of Niagara College students who understand the important link that Golf in Schools creates between the education and golf communities,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “The students and administrators with the Golf Management program understand the importance of investing in grassroots golf – introducing the game to young golf enthusiasts who we hope will develop an interest and passion for our sport.”

Over the past four years, students in Niagara College’s PGM program have raised more than $7,500 for the Golf in Schools program, which has resulted in Golf in Schools being introduced to nine schools in the Niagara region.

“I believe it is important for the golf community to support junior golf development and specifically the Golf in Schools program. Our golf management students are part of that community,” said Grant Fraser, program coordinator of the PGM program. “One of the key topics we discuss in our event management class is the importance of giving back and doing what we can to help grow the game of golf in the Niagara region. Supporting Golf Canada’s Golf in Schools program allows us to do this.”

“The opportunity to raise awareness and financial support for such a worthy cause as the Golf in Schools charity was humbling, and of great value not only to myself as our event chairperson, but for classmates and the Niagara PGM program as a whole,” said Kevin Kirkpatrick, third-year student of the College’s PGM program and chair of the Golf in Schools event. “We are honoured to follow in the footsteps of our predecessors, and continue this tradition and mutually beneficial relationship with Golf Canada and the local golf community as a whole, to support the continuity of the sport we all love at its very base – the junior level.”

The National Golf in Schools program, developed by Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) in partnership with Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada – introduces the game of golf to thousands of students in the country by integrating golf into school physical education programs. With 4.5 million students enrolled at 10,000 elementary and 4,500 high schools, the Canadian school physical education system is the single most concentrated opportunity to introduce children of all backgrounds to the sport of golf, according to Golf Canada.

NC’s Business Administration-Professional Golf Management (Co-op) is a three-year advanced diploma program that combines the excitement of golf with the challenge of business, preparing students for careers in all aspects of the industry.

Niagara College offers more than 100 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Niagara Falls; as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Continuing Education courses. Areas of specialization include food and wine sciences, advanced technology, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in food, wine, beer, horticulture and esthetics. For more information visit www.niagaracollege.ca

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Former Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) Executive Director Dave Mills along with SCOREGolf Editorial Director and television personality Bob Weeks, and the late (Arthur) Gordon Stollery of Markham, Ont. will be honoured for their contributions to the game of golf as the 2015 co-recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Awards will be presented on Saturday, February 14^th as part of the National Sport Organization’s Annual General Meeting to be held at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel and Conference Centre in Mississauga, Ont.

“Golf Canada is proud to acknowledge Dave Mills, Bob Weeks and Gordon Stollery and celebrate their outstanding contributions to the game of golf as our 2015 Distinguished Service Award recipients,” said Golf Canada Chief Executive Officer Scott Simmons. “They’ve all made a significant impact on the game within their communities and across Canada. Their commitment and passion for our sport makes each of them a truly deserving recipient.”

Created in 1993, Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been awarded annually to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada.

Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award are traditionally selected from within the province or region of the organization’s incoming President. On Saturday, February 14^th, Paul McLean of King, Ont. will be sworn in as Golf Canada’s 112^th President.

As President-elect, McLean will succeed 2014 President Doug Alexander of London, Ont.

Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting and presidential appointment will conclude four days of meetings, February 11-14 at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel and Conference Centre in Mississauga, Ont.

DAVE MILLS

In January 2014, after 27 years of involvement with the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO), Dave Mills retired as the association’s executive director, a post he had held since 1997. He began playing golf in Peterborough, Ont. at Pine Crest Golf and Country Club and then Kawartha Golf and Country Club. Mills first became part of the association in 1986 as club representative for the Bay of Quinte Golf and Country Club in Belleville. His initial involvement with the association focused on the growth of junior golf throughout the province, with Mills chairing the Junior Development Committee for a number of years prior to joining the Board of Directors. After concluding a 27-year career with Ontario Hydro in 1997, Mills became executive director, leading the formerly male-only Ontario Golf Association through amalgamation with the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association in 2001 to form the Golf Association of Ontario. Since retiring as executive director, Mills has continued to serve the GAO in various activities as a proud volunteer.

BOB WEEKS

Bob Weeks has been with SCOREGolf since 1987 and is currently the Editorial Director, overseeing all content at the media company. He was recently listed as the sixth most influential person and the No. 1 media person in the Canadian golf industry by the National Post.

Weeks is the host of SCOREGolf TV and the golf analyst for TSN, where he has covered more than 50 major championships as well as hundreds of top Canadian and international tournaments. For 20 years he has been the host of the SCOREGolf Show, a daily 90-second golf radio program heard in more than 70 markets across the country. An award-winning writer, Weeks also authors a highly popular blog on SCOREGolf.com, Canada’s leading golf web site, and has written for GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest, Golfweek, the Globe and Mail, Maclean’s as well as countless other publications throughout the world. Weeks, who began playing golf at the age of 11 in Prince Edward Island, has been a proud member of Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto for more than 40 years. He is a member of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and winner of the Dick Grimm Award presented by the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.

GORDON STOLLERY (1947-2011)

Until his untimely accidental death, Gordon Stollery was a passionate golfer and dedicated supporter of the game in Canada. As a member of Rosedale Golf Club in Toronto, he won their club championship four times and was runner-up at the 1965 Canadian Junior Golf Championship. An all-round athlete, Stollery attended Princeton University and then the University of Toronto before moving to Alberta in 1979 to become involved in the oil and gas business. In 1994, when his father Arthur passed away, he returned home and became involved in Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., which his father had built. The club, which opened in 1995, saw the hosting of multiple championship events including the 2002 and 2007 RBC Canadian Opens. In 1996, following the opening of the golf club, he took the vision of his father one step further by building a community surrounding the Angus Glen Golf Club. In 2007, Goodwood Golf Club was completed—a course he enjoyed as his private sanctuary.

HALTON HILLS, Ont. – Oakville’s Christian Osborne will serve as the 2015 President of the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO). Osborne, who is a member of Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, was named President at the GAO’s Annual General Meeting held Jan. 24, at Glencairn Golf Club in Halton Hills.

Osborne is the 13^th GAO President in the Association’s history, which was formed in 2001 with the amalgamation of the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association and the Ontario Golf Association (OGA).

“With regards to this honour of being ‘Head Volunteer,’ as Past President Jim King often referred to the position as, it is an honour that I don’t deserve but certainly am very proud of and will work at it as hard as I can,” said Osborne.

“They say that golf is in trouble, but when we look at the portfolio of success (of Ontario golfers) that we saw this morning, how can it be?” Asked Osborne to those in attendance at the meeting. “There are challenges of course, but the game of golf that we love has survived world wars, depression, famine and recession. The challenges we face now are difficult but nothing compared to what the game faced in the past.”

Osborne went on to underline some of the challenges that the Association will tackle in 2015 and moving forward. “We are financially strong as an Association, but we can always be stronger. We need to look for new streams of revenue whether it be through funding or sponsorship.”

The relationship that the GAO has with Golf Canada was another talking point for Osborne as he emphasized how critical it will be for the two bodies to continue to work together. “We have to work with Golf Canada, they are working on a synergy program to come up with new ways for us to generate funds, to modify our membership model and to ensure we all have a future and we will support them.”

Osborne began volunteering with the GAO in 2011 and cited his experience with the GAO and the OGA as the reason he got involved.

“I am a product of the OGA and GAO. My reason for volunteering is very self-serving because what I wanted to do was settle the score, with an Association that gave me so much. I wouldn’t have had the opportunities in my life if it weren’t for the OGA and GAO.”

During his time with the GAO, Osborne has served on multiple committees. He has chair both the Finance and Risk Management and the Governance and Nominating committees. He has also been part of the Human Resources and Compensation, Marketing and Sponsorship, Scholarship, Sport Development, and Fundraising committees.

A collegiate golfer at Toledo, Osborne has also been a member at The National Golf Club of Canada before Mississaugua. He has served on the Mississaugua Board and as Club Captain. He also captured the Club Championship in 2000. Osborne is currently the Owner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Kleen-Flo Tumbler Industries in Toronto.

Osborne summed up how special the game of golf is to him by sharing the friendship it helped to foster.

“The game of golf is like nothing I have ever seen,” explained Osborne. “It brings people together in a manner that I just haven’t seen anything else do. Jim King would be the first to admit that we come from different generations and different parts of the world, but it is amazing that this game of golf has brought us together and we found out very quickly we’re very similar and in a short amount of time, Jim King became one of my best friends in the world.”

The 2015 board also includes: John Turner (GAO Public Player), Alan Trivett (Glencarin GC), Ivy Steinberg (Granite GC), Peter Zakarow (Beacon Hall GC), Carol-Ann Goering (Toronto GC), Anthony Dunn (The Marshes), John Gallinger (Meadowbrook G&CC), Anna Wells (GAO Public Player), Mark Hayes (Rattlesnake Point), and Ottawa Valley Golf Association Representative Tom Hossfeld.

Honorary Life Director Award
Also at the AGM, the GAO presented Past GAO President Steve James with the Honorary Life Director Award. The award recognizes those who contribute their time and hard work over an extended period of time. The recipients of this award have given unselfishly to promote amateur golf, the GAO, and has done so in a variety of ways over a number of years.

James began as a Tournament Volunteer in 1994 as a starter, scorer and Rules Official. In 2002, he joined the Board of Directors and served as Tournament Chairman. He would go on to serve on both the Finance and Nominating committees. From 2005-07, he chaired the Finance Committee. In 2008, James acted as GAO President. Throughout his time on the broad, James has continued to volunteer as a Rules Official.

ROSEBERY, New South Wales, Australia—Corey Conners’ impressive run of golf Down Under finally came to an end Saturday.

The National Amateur Squad member fell to Australian Kevin Yuan in a back-and-forth affair, 2&1. Conners held a 1-up lead late in the match until a three-putt bogey on the 15^th left the match all-square. The Listowel, Ont., native couldn’t recover after that, losing two of the three remaining holes.

The 23-year-old will leave Australia with his head held high. In preparation for his ticket to this year’s Masters tournament (by way of U.S. Amateur finalist), Conners collected three impressive finishes Down Under. He started with a T12 finish at the Master of the Amateurs, won the Lake Macquarie Championship the following week and left the Australian Amateur in the quarter-final round—all high ranked events in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

The Kent State graduate will board a lengthy flight back to Georgia to defend his Jones Cup title at the Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island.

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