Course superintendents are golf’s equivalent of hockey goalies.

Almost inevitably, when they’re winning, they get little credit. When they’re losing, they get the bulk of the blame.

It’s a tough and often thankless job.

Now imagine if a goalie was prevented from using his stick, then his pads and, eventually, his mask. With no one willing to dole out the dollars to provide him with alternative protection or means of defence.

Unlike goalies, who protect an area six feet wide, four feet tall and 44 inches deep against six other players, superintendents protect hundreds of acres for the enjoyment of tens of thousands of golfers.

Like that hapless, hypothetical, increasingly defenceless goalie, superintendents are being stripped of traditional methods to maintain the near-pristine turfgrass conditions that modern golfers have come to demand. But they, with the support of turfgrass research foundations across the country, are actively pursuing alternatives.

Not surprisingly, those alternatives come at a cost. And that is where Canada’s golfers come in. (That would be you.)

“We are dedicated to sustainable golf,” says Sean Gunn, President of the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation. “Without healthy turf, there are no golf courses. We, more than anyone else, understand that we have to move away from synthetic, chemical solutions to turf diseases.

“We, as an industry, are making great progress, but we need a lot more money to continue that progress.”

Gunn is the superintendent at The Country Club, a 45-hole facility in Woodbridge, Ont. His vision is to elevate the importance of turfgrass research in the minds, and wallets, of golfers.

It’s a tough sell.

Unlike other very worthwhile but more heart-touching golf-related fundraising efforts which feature cute kids, current research efforts by the Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation and its regional counterparts include causes such as “the effect of snow cover and anti-transparents on the persistence of snow mould fungicides,” “rolling and resistance, a means to reduced fungicide usage on golf course greens, “selection and management of creeping bentgrass for improved resistance to Fusarium Patch under current and future conditions,” etc., etc.

Cute? No. Essential? Yes.

For example, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency recently asked for input on the use of chlorothanlonil, a chemical used to control various agricultural diseases, including the chronic and pernicious “dollar spot” fungus on turfgrass. Gunn thinks the outcome of their evaluation will be the banning of its use on courses.

“Dollar-spot control costs the average 18-hole course about $15,000 every year,” says Gunn. “Dollar spot on a golf course is like the common cold for a human. It’s inevitable. Obviously, if we could discover a natural antidote or preventative, we would prefer to use that from an environmental and budget perspective. But that takes research and research takes money.”

Currently, OTRF research priorities include pesticide alternatives, environmental considerations, nutrient management, drainage improvements, and athletic field management.

Healthy turf, whether on a golf course, soccer field, park or lawn, offers myriad benefits. It reduces runoff, prevents erosion, replenishes oxygen and carbon, and so on. And it makes for that perfect lie in the fairway, a true roll on a quick green … or deep, lush rough.

“Donating to turfgrass research is an investment in the game of golf,” says Gunn. “We have good support from the industry but we need financial donations from the golfing public to continue to grow the game, literally and figuratively.”

To find out more about turfgrass research in Canada, visit www.turfresearchcanada.ca. Or, check out your regional association below.

Ontario Turf Research Foundation
Debbie Conrad
328 Victoria Rd South
Guelph, Ontario N1H 0H2
dconrad@otrf.ca
Website – www.otrf.ca

Western Canada Turfgrass Association
Jerry Rousseau
P.O. Box 698
Hope, BC V0X 2L0
exec.director@wctaturf.com

Alberta Turfgrass Research Foundation
Cory Mossing
4500-50th Street
Olds, Alberta T4H 1R6
cmossing@oldscollege.ca

Quebec Turfgrass Research Foundation
Benoit Huot
294 Rang St-Paul Sud
Sherrington, Quebec J0L 2N0
bhout@ojcompagnie.com

Atlantic Turfgrass Research Foundation
Kevin Wentzell
P.O. Box 2063 Fall River
Nova Scotia, B2T 1K6
Kevin_wentzell@yahoo.ca

If someone mentions Hugo Bernard and you ask, “Who-go Who?, you haven’t been paying attention to the future of Canadian golf.

Full disclosure: That was me a couple of weeks ago.

Now I know better, and so should you.

Some close to him say he may turn out to be the best golfer ever to come out of Quebec. And that is saying a lot, considering the rich tradition of the game in that province.

Bernard, 21, has “flown under the radar for the most part,” says Derek Ingram, Golf Canada’s National Men’s Team Coach.

That’s a little surprising, seeing the 21-year-old lefty from Mont-St-Hilaire was the medallist at this year’s NCAA Division II Championship. That capped off an impressive freshman year at Florida’s Saint Leo University where he also won the NCAA’s Argonaut Invitational and posted a couple of other top four finishes in eight events. He won the Division II Golf Coaches Association of America Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year award and was a first-team all-American.

We should have seen this coming.

In 2015, he tied for second in both the Canadian Amateur and Quebec Amateur, a title he won in 2013 as a junior. Those were just highlights from a stellar junior career.

Unlike us, Bernard did see this coming.

“I have always thought I had a good enough game to play at the highest level. My goal in my first year at college was to win at least once, and I won twice, including the big one. As well, I kept putting myself in position and if I keep doing that, I will win more.”

At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Bernard has the size, strength and talent to contend in the modern pro game.

But, says Ingram, “the mini-tours are jammed with big guys with lots of talent. It’s not all about that to make it to the top. It’s about putting in the effort.”

The 15^th club in Bernard’s bag, says his coach, is that almost uncoachable attribute: Hard work.

“Hugo is long and accurate off the tee. He’s got a great iron game and he continually is working on his short game. But what makes him special is his dedication to working, improving.  He’s super eager to learn and he learns fast.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and I know what the best players look like, whether it’s the pros or the top amateurs. I’ve always told Hugo that he has the ability to be among the top amateurs in the world. Now he is starting to believe that.”

And so should we.

(Hugo Bernard and several other Canadians will be competing this week at the historic Monroe Invitational at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y. www.monroeinvitational.com )

It was a golf tournament much like any other.

At the same time, it was a golf tournament unlike just about any other.

There was the usual assortment of right-handed and left-handed golfers.

And there was a one-handed golfer.

Like most tournaments, there was applause from the other players, their caddies and the gallery when someone hit a good tee shot.

Not so typically, there was the same sincere, supportive applause when someone hit a not-so-good one.

Like I said, not your average golf tournament.

On Wednesday, I was privileged to act as the starter for two dozen Special Olympics athletes who competed at my home course, Midland Golf and Country Club in central Ontario.

No. “Competed” does neither the event nor the participants justice.

Watching them try their best, relishing the opportunity,  just immersing themselves in the experience, put a lot of things in perspective for those fortunate enough to interact with them that day.

“They experience the same frustrations as any golfer but it seems to me they recover from them more quickly and just enjoy the overall experience,” says Serge Boulianne, Sport Manager for Special Olympics Canada.

Lorinne Russell (2nd from the left) / (SpecialOCanada)

Boulianne, who organized Wednesday’s event, said the partnership between Special Olympics Canada and Golf Canada is “huge” from a number of perspectives. Half a dozen years ago, he says, there were between 300 and 400 Special Olympic athletes across Canada who golfed. Now there are almost 1,700. To support them, the PGA of Canada has developed a dedicated course for coaching Special Olympics athletes.

“Integration is a big part of Special Olympics and there is no better place than a golf course to accomplish that. Golf also has brought us many athletes who might not have been part of our movement before but have been golfing with their parents since they were young. “

Mike Trojan can relate to that. Along with his wife and another couple in St. Catharines, Ont., they conduct a Special Olympics golf program at Chippawa, the executive-length course at Legends on the Niagara. Thanks to their dedication and the support of the Niagara Parks Commission, 22 athletes get to enjoy this experience.

Trojan’s daughter, Tess, is a Special Olympics golf success story.  “We always golfed as a family and that’s how she got the bug.”

Strong play at the provincial and national levels earned Tess a spot on Team Canada which participated in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.

“Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada really stepped up,” says Trojan. An instructor was assigned to each of the five Team Canada members for the six months leading up to the event in Los Angeles, with impressive results. Among other Canadian medallists, Tess came home with a gold.

“Golf is wonderful,” says Trojan, “because it not only gives them confidence to participate in a sport but confidence in other things—jobs, being productive members of their community, and so on.”

Ian Kirkpatrick, General Manager of Midland G&CC, was beaming Wednesday as he watched the athletes and their coaches participate in skills clinics conducted by two PGA of Canada professionals: Midland head pro Brian Urbach and Jason Bennett, head pro at nearby Oak Bay G&CC.

Kyle Koopman (SpecialOCanada)

“Golf has to change in its approach to many things in the future,” Kirkpatrick said. “We, as a sport, have to be more inclusive, more community-oriented. We have to provide opportunities for anyone who wants to participate.”

The partnership between Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada is a giant step forward in accomplishing that challenging goal.

While Wednesday’s results show that Lorinne Russell of Milton, Ont., and Kyle Koopman of Hamilton had the lowest scores, it must be said that anyone who met these very special athletes also came out a winner.

“It just feels good to be around them,” says Bouilanne.

From my experience on Wednesday, I couldn’t agree more.

Just like the game itself, says Bernard Brault, taking golf photos may look easy but it takes dedication and talent to become exceptional at either.

“To get really great photos is really hard,” says the native of Montreal who has been playing the game and chronicling it through a lens for most of his 60 years.

Nancy Lopez in a bunker during Brault’s first professionnal golf assignment at Vallée du Richelieu during the Peter Jackson Classic. (Bernard Brault)

Jan Stephenson kisses the trophy after winning the Peter Jackson Classic at the Summerlea Golf Club. (Bernard Brault)

Joanne Carner flips her putter during the Peter Jackson Classic at the Summerlea Golf Club. (Bernard Brault)

Since his first photo was published almost 40 years ago in Le Courrier du Sud, a weekly newspaper in his hometown of Longueuil, Que., Brault has taken an unbelievable number of memorable photos, not just of golf but also of other sports, travel, and news events.

How incredible is that number?

“In 2015, I took 456,000 photos.” Extrapolate that over a 40-year career!

Working since 1984 for the Montreal daily La Presse, plus stints with United Press Canada and Reuters, Brault says golf is one of the most challenging assignments faced by a photographer.

Brad Faxon hits his tee shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Championnat de Quebec, part of the Champions Tour. (Bernard Brault)

“You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right light. You’re not in an arena, a closed space. You have to be all over the course. It takes a lot of skill and a lot of luck, sometimes.

Long before becoming Golf Canada’s official photographer 20 years ago, Brault had immortalized many Canadian golf events. His first golf photos were of the 1979 Peter Jackson Classic.

His first major assignment was the 1980 RBC Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club, where he got to shoot Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and other legends.

The legendary Jack Nicklaus hits a shot in the rough during the first round of the Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. (Bernard Brault)

Although he has covered dozens of tournaments since, his favourite remains the 1997 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal where Mike Weir gave Canadian fans a thrill by defeating Tiger Woods in their singles match.

Tiger Woods hits a fairway wood on the fairway of the 6th hole during the first round of the Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. (Bernard Brault)

No matter what the venue or the profile of the event, Brault says the challenges remain the same.

“I think a lot of golf fans think they would like to trade places with us photographers because we are inside the ropes, close to the action.

Camilo Villegas lines his putt. (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

“What they don’t know is how difficult the job is. With camera bodies and lenses and so on, we are carrying about 20 to 25 pounds of gear. If the weather is bad but the players are out there, so are we. And some players just don’t like having photographers there but we have to do our job.

“What everyone has to understand is that we are not paparazzi. We are professionals. And we are proud of what we do.”

Michele Wie on the tee off early in the morning. (Bernard Brault)

Brittany Lincicome holding a giant dragonfly on the green. (Bernard Brault)

Brault is the definition of a professional, as witnessed by his multiple honours, about 300 in total, including Canadian Photographer of the Year in 1996 and 2007 and National Newspaper Award finalist in 1996 and 2008.

Brault, who admits to playing upwards of 100 rounds a year in the late 1990s, has cut back his golf as he spends time with his partner Martine St-Pierre and their daughter Mathilde.

He has no inclination to do the same with his photography and that is good news for Canadian golf fans.

Jason Day reacts after sinking a putt on the 18th hole to win the 2015 edition of the RBC Canadian Open held at Glen Abbey Golf Club. (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

If you’re a parent looking to get your kid into golf, the first place you should look is…in the mirror. Gone are the days when parents would drop their children off at their golf club in the morning with enough money for a hotdog and a Coke and pick them up at suppertime. Also gone, for the most part, is the opportunity for less-affluent kids to learn about the game by caddying.

Those were not the proverbial “good ol’ days,” at least when it came to developing junior golf. The first example was glorified babysitting for those parents fortunate enough to be members at a private club and the latter was by no means typified by the entertaining sequences in the movie Caddyshack.

In these “good new days,” there are ever-increasing opportunities for parents, golfers or not, to get their kids involved in golf and to watch them progress as far as their skill level and love of the game will take them.

Sorry, folks, but that’s the only time you’re allowed to sit back and watch. In order to introduce your kids to golf and keep them in it, it is your turn to get busy and do some homework.

1. DISCOVER JUNIOR GOLF OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO YOUR CHILD

“First and foremost, the onus is on the parents to find good programs to introduce and then to keep their kids in the game, if the child wants to do that,” says Doug Lawrie, an internationally respected junior golf instructor who is the owner and director of instruction at Focus Golf Group Academy in Burlington, Ont.

“The right program will guarantee an amazing, enriching, fun time for your child. And the instructor will be compassionate, caring, and will never forget that they are dealing with children. Ask questions, lots of questions. Ask your golfing friends, visit the golf facilities in your area. It’s an important decision.”

Finding the programming that suits your child’s specific situation is critical. “I’ve got seven-year-olds who are competing in world championships and 14-year-olds who are just taking up the game,” says Lawrie. “You can’t have a cookie-cutter approach for instruction based simply on age. You have to view each child as unique.” Lawrie’s advice is vital, and there are numerous online resources available on the Golf Canada website and through your provincial golf association.

2. LOOK FOR RECOGNIZED JUNIOR PROGRAMS IN YOUR AREA

You may be fortunate enough to live near a National Junior Golf Development Centre. A relatively new initiative, these centres (approximately 30) are located across Canada at golf facilities that are “doing all the right things,” says Dave Stockton, Golf Canada’s manager of sport development.

Conducted by specially trained PGA of Canada professionals, they offer programming for children five to 18 years old, covering everything from introduction to the game to competitive opportunities. “These centres offer a best-in-class experience, regardless of age or skill level,” says Stockton. “The instructors are committed to juniors and the centre is linked to at least one local school delivering the Golf in Schools program.”

The word “linked” comes up frequently when discussing the state of junior golf development with those leading the charge in Canada. Not only is it formalized in CN Future Links’ “Get Linked” program, wherein schools establish a relationship with a local golf facility, but it is mentioned often in reference to creating a golfing continuum for enthusiastic youngsters and their families.

“We need to build more bridges, not just between all our programs, but between golf and the community, and golf and kids and their families,” says Mike Kelly, executive director of the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO). For years, Kelly has been an innovative force in advancing the sport. For example, he was one of the instigators of what is now known as Golf in Schools, a program that involved nearly 2,800 schools across Canada last year.

“We’re missing a continuous, engaging pathway when it comes to growing the game,” says Kelly. “Why can’t a golf facility be like the local arena? You’ve got all ages and skill levels, the kids are all playing a sport they enjoy, parents are connecting with parents. We’ve got to stop living in our old golf world and start living in the real one.”

3. CONSIDER GETTING MORE INVOLVED BY BECOMING A COMMUNITY GOLF COACH

The GAO is launching a program called Building a Golf Community. The season-long pilot project, with the theme ‘Try, Learn, Play,’ is based in Barrie, Ont., and surrounding communities. The objective is to “get individuals of all ages and backgrounds playing golf and create a bridge between courses, community partners and golfers. The goal is to bring more people to the game and keep them playing for life.”

As one aspect of the initiative, several students in Georgian College’s Professional Golf Management Program will be trained in 2017 as Community Golf Coaches, under a program unveiled a year ago.

As a parent, if you want to share in your child’s golf development, you might make an ideal Community Golf Coach. This joint initiative of Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada is open to individuals who are not members of the PGA of Canada. They must complete a two-day workshop with both classroom and outdoor components to enable them to deliver the CN Future Links Learn to Play program.

As a result, they will play a vital role in supporting other volunteers and PGA of Canada members at club-level junior programs by assisting with the administration and/or delivery of the program.

“There are ideal candidates for this program right across the country,” says Glenn Cundari, the PGA of Canada’s technical director. “They are parents or other passionate people who are likely already helping out with junior programs at courses that may or may not have a PGA of Canada professional. The fact of the matter is that there just aren’t enough PGA of Canada pros to successfully engage all the kids who want to play golf, so that’s where the Community Golf Coach comes in. Let’s give them proper training and let them facilitate that first step into a lifetime of golf.”

“While some facilities view junior golf programs, camps and clinics as a hassle, theirs is a very short-sighted perspective,” says Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. With the right programming, he says clubs can foster a family environment that can enhance customer acquisition and retention for years to come. “We’ve heard some great stories, clubs that went from practically zero junior members to 200 or 300.” Contingent to that success is quality instruction and appropriate pricing, of course. Engaging more golfers and new enthusiasts must take priority over a potential revenue stream.

4. SUPPORT YOUR CHILD AND THE INSTRUCTORS

Finally, parents, don’t succumb to the common pitfalls of raising children in athletics. Let the teachers teach and you specialize in being mom or dad. If you’re doing your homework and your local community’s golf facility isn’t involved in Golf in Schools or doesn’t know how to become a National Junior Golf Development Centre, ask them why not. If your local golf facility doesn’t have a junior program, find out why. Sign up to be a Community Golf Coach. Get some answers from Golf Canada, your provincial golf association or a PGA of Canada professional.

There will be a quiz later.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Aside from asking all the right questions, there are extensive online resources for parents who want to encourage their kids in golf. The most comprehensive is available at juniors.golfcanada.ca.

There you will be asked to enter your postal code in order to find local junior golf opportunities. There are descriptions of all Golf Canada/PGA of Canada junior programs under the categories Learn, Play and Compete.

“Learn” includes Camps and Clinics, Golf in Schools, Instruction, Girls Club, Community Golf Coach and Long-Term Player Development. “Play” covers Junior Leagues, Development Centres, CN Field Trip Program, Golf in Schools Pro Visit, Junior Memberships, Equipment and Junior Skills Challenge. “Compete” explains National Development Squad, National Junior Order of Merit, Provincial Order of Merit, Provincial Teams and Financial Assistance.

The information at learntocompete.golfcanada.ca is geared toward coaches and instructors but is of considerable value to parents who want to understand what the future may hold for their young golfer. Many communities have instructors who specialize in juniors. But before you sign your child up, do some research. Ask for references. More importantly, says Chad Rusnak, director of golf operations at the Golf Canada Calgary Centre, look for “passion, engagement and dedication. Not every instructor is suited to teach juniors. Make sure you get one who is.” His facility, one of several National Junior Golf Development Centres in Alberta, welcomes up to 500 juniors into its Learn to Play program every year.

Every province has junior tours that typically offer fun, competitive events for golfers of varying abilities and ages. A quick Google search will show you if there is one in your locale or reach out to your provincial golf association or Golf Canada for resources to enhance your junior’s golf experience.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

As Doug Lawrie, recently recognized for the third straight year as one of U.S. Kids Golf top 50 junior instructors in the world, points out, “You can’t have a cookie-cutter approach for instruction based simply on age.”

But while that applies to individuals, Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada developed the Long-Term Player Development guide in conjunction with leading experts from all sectors of sports as a road map to golfing satisfaction and success. The second iteration of this leading-edge guide was released in 2015 and describes seven age-based “developmental stages of the competitive pathway” under the heading “Golf For Life: Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Golf, Introduction to Competition, Learn to Compete, Train to Compete and Compete to Win.” You can board and disembark this train at any point. It is not just for elite players. It is a guide for education and engagement for golfers of all ages (literally from the cradle to the grave) and all abilities. It also outlines the important role that parents, instructors, coaches and golf facilities play in the development of a golfer.

Although intended more for coaches and instructors, parents with a promising young golfer will find it educational from many perspectives, not the least of which is the comments from leading authorities on how to handle a young athlete…and how to behave as the parent of one.

Time for parents to pitch in 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.

Is Golf Canada guilty of false advertising when they offer golfers across the country their new “free” Bronze-level membership?

We’re being facetious, of course, but there is a hidden cost as Peter Kirkpatrick, Golf Canada’s Managing Director of Brand and Marketing Services, points out.

While no money changes hands, joining the new membership initiative comes with a price. That “price,” he says, is the time it takes you to sign up and make use of the array of utilities and benefits. “Just because there may not be a payment involved in becoming a Bronze member, we realize that time and attention are valuable commodities for everyone these days. We have tried to ensure that there is enough value there for golfers to make that investment,” Kirkpatrick says. Much of that value stemmed from the input of focus groups and surveys across the country over the past three years.

“Our research gave us insight into what golfers want,” says Karen Hewson, Managing Director of Membership and Heritage Services.  “They want to track scores, they want meaningful experiences and more information about the game. They told us they would like to be part of the larger golf community so we created a no-cost membership to remove any barriers to that objective.”

At present, the free membership level offers golfers online game and score tracking (not to be confused with an official Golf Canada Handicap Factor® which is a benefit at the paid level), the opportunity to win rewards for playing and posting scores, online Rules of Golf education access, free subscriptions to online golf publications, and exclusive offers on event tickets and merchandise. Bronze members are also entered into some impressive contests when they sign up and each time they post a score. Currently, The Great Canadian East-West Contest offers a golf vacation for two to either Cabot Links/Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia or Banff Springs in Alberta.

The objective of Golf Canada’s Bronze membership category is to engage the millions of Canadian golfers who are not members today, to build that community for all golfers, and to encourage them to support the game. To welcome those golfers, the Bronze membership comes at no charge and offers a lot of value. Call it the “starter” membership for those who want to test the golf community experience.

For those who want all the trappings of a full-fledged Golf Canada membership, there is the Gold level. For $49.95, Gold-level members receive an official Golf Canada Handicap Factor, multiple rewards opportunities, the Golf Canada Equipment Replacement Guarantee, golf club identification labels and access to the Golf Canada Equipment Identification and Retrieval System, discounts on event tickets and merchandise, online Rules of Golf education access, as well as lifetime scoring history and even more digital utilities.

Member dues support myriad national and provincial programs such as Long-Term Player Development, multiple junior initiatives such as Golf in Schools, Team Canada, Rules of Golf, national amateur championships, handicapping and course rating, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, the Canadian Golf Foundation, and more.

No matter which level you choose, a Golf Canada membership definitely is one of golf’s best “value propositions” and will pay immediate dividends not just for you, but for the game itself.

And that’s truth in advertising.

(To become a member of Golf Canada and the Canadian golf community, visit www.golfcanada.ca and click on “Join Now.”)

Don’t let the label “Iron Lady Golf” mislead you.

Lindsay Knowlton is anything but an “Iron Lady”, despite the title of her initiative of the same name (www.ironladygolf.com), aimed at introducing women to golf.

In fact, Knowlton’s entrée to the game was a touch romantic. “As a teenager, I went to the course with my dad and saw a good-looking guy there and thought, ‘Hmm. Maybe if I hang out here enough, he might notice me.’”

While the outcome of that summer crush remains unreported, it led to a lifetime commitment to golf and the eventual upshot for women looking to get into the game is indisputable.

Knowlton, a former Golf Canada team member, attended Ohio State University on a golf scholarship where she captained the team and was named an all-American. Upon graduation, she moved into a sports-related career with TaylorMade adidas Golf, LANG Marketing and Puma.

As is often the case, it was a chance encounter that focused her ambitions.

“I was sitting in a coffee shop with a friend, talking about a concept I had about taking the intimidation factor for women out of golf, when I noticed a gentleman nearby listening intently.”

That gentleman was a senior executive at one of Canada’s largest insurance companies. He gave Knowlton his card and asked her to call him. Shortly thereafter, she was speaking to a group of women executives at his company about how to get into the game.

“I told them they should say ‘yes’ to golf for so many business and social reasons. My objective was to help them overcome the fear and intimidation that so many women have about getting into the game.”

That was five years ago. It was a message well-received. And it was the genesis of Iron Lady Golf.

Knowlton sensed that this was an untapped and, historically, a challenging demographic segment for golf.

“I got such a positive reaction every time I spoke to women at every level, from corporations to high schools to schools of business. My challenge was to overcome that intimidation factor, that fear of the unknown, that women have about golf.

“I guess you could call me a ‘golf therapist.’ My approach is far less about the swing itself than opening the door to an opportunity to build relationships, socially and in business.”

Knowlton’s business now includes clinics, group and private lessons, and retreats.

“I wish I could explain why women seem to have more psychological and sociological barriers than men when it comes to trying golf. I guess we’re just wired differently. It is something we must overcome and my concept is dedicated to that.

“What is most important to me is seeing someone, a total newbie, who is petrified when they walk in the door and then they leave with a smile on their face after one of my sessions and tell me, ‘I can’t wait to golf.’ That makes everything worthwhile.”

For the record, even though that summer crush is long gone, Knowlton still plays golf with her father.

“In what other sport could I do that? That is just one of the reasons you should love this game.”

Spring is a time of renewal, revival, rebirth. So, in the spirit of the season, here are some golfing suggestions along those lines.

As a theme, let’s call this “In Praise Of …”

Match Play: With the notable exception of North America, match play is the preferred format over stroke play. Rather than try to finish 18 holes with a lower cumulative score than your fellow competitor, you compete on a per-hole basis. If you have the lower score on a hole, you win that hole and move on to the next. If you are out of the hole, you concede it to your opponent and you move to the next tee.  Whoever wins the most holes, wins the match – which might not take a full 18 holes. The rest of the world thinks match play is more equitable, more enjoyable and faster. Why don’t we?

Nine-hole Rounds: It’s a fad these days to suggest six-hole and 12-hole courses. What happened to the traditional nine-hole round? Do you realize nine-holers comprise about 40 per cent of Canada’s courses? And many 18-hole layouts are two nine-hole loops that each return to the clubhouse. Hit a few balls on the range, take a couple of practice putts, play nine, and you’re heading home in less than three hours. Half the time, about half the price, and much more than half the fun of 18 holes!

Half Sets of Clubs: Just like the nine-hole round, a half set of golf clubs is a concept worth praising, not just for beginners, but for every recreational golfer. And not just for the obvious financial savings. Grab a 3- and 5-wood, a 4-hybrid, a 6- and 8-iron, a sand wedge and a putter, a light stand bag and you’re good to go. Using a half set makes you a more creative shotmaker because not every club is dialed in for a specific yardage, as they are in a full set.  Give it a try and see how much of a difference, if any, there is in your score than when you play with 14 clubs. You’ll be surprised.

Walking: Carrying a half set of clubs for nine holes is one of golf’s great pleasures. Go for 18 if you’re up to it and you will have walked the equivalent of eight kilometres and burned 2,000 calories. If carrying isn’t an option because of physical condition, age or other factors, consider a push cart or an electric caddie. Once again, North Americans lag far behind the rest of the golfing world in the use of these admirable contraptions. If we’re not walking, we tend to jump into a power cart, thus missing most of the health and aesthetic benefits of the game, not to mention the added expense. As a start this spring, how about walking the front nine and riding on the back nine?

Playing YOUR Course: The testosterone-based fixation on building courses in excess of 7,000 yards had much to do with elevating the cost of golf. Every golfer who played those courses had to pay for the design, construction and maintenance of the additional 500 to 1,000 yards that only a tiny fraction of golfers actually had the ability to play. Have a look at the Tee It Forward concept. Swallow your ego and admit how far you actually hit your driver and that will indicate what length of course you should be playing for optimum enjoyment. For example, if your driver distance is 175 yards, you will have the most fun and score your best on a 4,500-yard course. If your average drive is 225, step back to 5,900; 250 with the driver equates to a 6,300-yard course, and so on.

Family Golf: In an age when the family dynamic is stressed and stretched, what better way to strengthen it than to play golf? More and more courses are encouraging family involvement through junior and adult beginner programs, couples’ leagues, family events, and other initiatives. If your course doesn’t offer these programs, look for a more progressive one to call home.

This year, fellow golfers, let’s spring forward and not fall back. Get out of your rut.

Start this season by carrying a half set for nine holes, playing a match with at least one family member. You’ll be well on your way to making golf more enjoyable, quicker, and affordable.

See, we’ve just solved most of golf’s challenges.

Next: World peace.

It’s no surprise when chatting with Roland Deveau, Golf Canada’s newly installed president, that maritime references keep cropping up in conversation. Like “let’s all row in the same direction,” and “a rising tide raises all boats.”

Deveau was named Golf Canada’s 113^th president at the association’s recent annual general meeting in the harbour city of Halifax, not far from the home he shares with wife Jacqueline in suburban Bedford. He is a longtime member of Clare Golf and Country Club in Comeauville, about Bubba Watson driver distance from the Bay of Fundy.

Given that geography, it is inevitable that seafaring phrases come to mind when he lists his priorities for his year in office.

Continuing to improve collaboration and cooperation with the provincial associations, other national associations and related industry partners is key, he says. Although Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation for the game, everyone concerned—course owners, pros, club managers, superintendents and manufacturers included—has to work together and focus on the end goal.

“As the NSF, we have important responsibilities, to be a leader in the sport from increasing participation and enjoyment for all enthusiasts to improving success at the elite level. But, ultimately, everyone with a stake in the game, we’re all serving the same person, the golfer, creating quality golf experiences for everyone who plays. If we do that collectively, then everyone wins.”

A lawyer who is the vice-chair of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, Deveau first got involved in golf at the committee level at his club and rose to become the president of the Nova Scotia Golf Association. Although his first love is the Rules of Golf (he has been a Rules official at more than 75 national, regional and provincial championships at the junior, amateur and professional levels), he worked on various NSGA committees and was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Golf Marketing Council. He became a Golf Canada Governor in 2009 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2012.

With that resume comes perspective, he says. “I would like to think I understand a number of important viewpoints: the golfer, the club, the provincial association and the national association. I appreciate what their respective concerns and expectations might be and, yes, their frustrations and skepticism as well. It’s a challenge, to be sure, but we recognize that and we are determined to find a solution.”

Part of that solution may be tied to an innovative new membership initiative introduced with limited rollout as a pilot project in 2015. “We’re refining the concept,” says Deveau. “It’s definitely not just about increasing revenue. It is more about getting everyone involved in the game to be more engaged in the game. We are trying to be more welcoming, more inclusive.”

Deveau well knows the power of inclusiveness. At his modest rural golf club, there are no restrictions on who plays and when. He is justifiably proud of the fact that two national champions and “countless” provincial winners have come from his club.

“That makes me see the power of accessibility at the grassroots level and how that can, eventually, translate into success at a higher level. We need to provide that kind of accessibility and inclusiveness and diversity to everyone who wants to play, no matter where they live.”

One unique opportunity to promote the game will come in August when Canada “defends” its Olympic gold medal in Rio (George Lyon won the last championship in 1904).

“It goes much, much further than just sending our best golfers to the Olympics. It’s a splendid showcase for the game that, hopefully, we can utilize to engage all golfers across Canada.”

Engaging all golfers across Canada. Now that’s casting the net far and wide.

• Golf Canada’s AGM culminates with induction of Roland Deveau as 113th president
• A word from our 113th president, Roland Deveau
• Golf Canada’s 2016 Strategic Plan

At a time when golf in all its facets is facing challenges, there can be no doubt that Paul McLean was the man for the job as he took on the presidency of Golf Canada.

When McLean of King City, Ont., took office as the 112^th president of the national association in February 2015, he did so with impressive and appropriate credentials. Not only is he part-owner of two golf courses and a member of three national associations—Golf Canada, the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association—but he is the co-founder and president of Maxium, one of the country’s leading privately held leasing companies, with assets exceeding $1 billion. A significant portion of that billion dollars is focused on approximately 800 golf courses, which Maxium supports through leasing, loans and mortgages.

With the support of a Board which he calls “excellent, with a variety of expertise and perspective,” McLean focussed much of his attention on his area of proven expertise.

“There were more financial challenges than I anticipated,” he said, “and those challenges exist throughout golf. But several positives came out of that realization, especially the fact that we really tightened our focus on what we do and how we do it, from top to bottom. We spent a lot of time and went to great lengths to try to achieve a balanced operating budget that gives us a direct line of sight to achieving the goals of our strategic plan.”

That objective has several prongs, says McLean.

One of the most fundamental is a revolutionary new membership structure, introduced in 2015, designed to reflect changing golf demographics and engage all golfers, not just members of private clubs. The previous model, about a century old, was “decaying,” says McLean.

“The new model is designed to connect us and the provincial associations with all golfers in Canada. This is key not just from a fiscal perspective, but even more importantly, to grow the game.”

From the outset of McLean’s presidency, a major theme was to strengthen the bridges between all stakeholders in Canadian golf, from the provincial amateur associations to the other members of the National Allied Golf Associations body. “We need to align ourselves, work together and maximize our resources to grow the game.”

On the professional championships front, the public perception couldn’t have been better, says McLean. “We had a great RBC Canadian Open and a great CP Women’s Canadian Open. Wonderful events, wonderful attendance and wonderful champions. From that perspective, we checked off all the boxes.”

But one important box went unchecked. “The financial results were not as good as they need to be going forward. We have to develop a long-term, financially sustainable plan for our professional championships.”

On the professional front, McLean points out with pride the fact that there are almost 40 Canadians combined on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Web.com Tour, Symetra Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamerica and Mackenzie Tour/PGA Tour Canada.

“Twenty-five of those pros went through Golf Canada programs, so we are having a major impact at the highest levels, and building heroes creates awareness.”

In 2015, awareness of Golf Canada was also spread through the continual successful expansion of grassroots programs such as Golf in Schools (almost 2,800 schools) and CN Future Links (518 clubs).

But the life of a volunteer golf association president isn’t all interminable Board meetings, budget conferences and other related duties.

“I have some unforgettable memories,” says McLean.

“The first, and this may sound like a cliché, but I was humbled and honoured to see first-hand how hard our volunteers work. This year was really the first time I was inside the ropes at so many of our tournaments and it is unbelievable how dedicated these people are. I was in awe of our volunteers and our staff. “

He recalls the excitement of Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey. “What drama, what crowds! We were all cheering for David Hearn [of Brantford, Ont., who led after 54 holes and finished third] but Jason Day was such a great champion.”

And, although he had been to previous Open Championships, he was invited inside the ropes at last year’s tournament at the Old Course at St Andrews. “Just in awe of the aura, the history, the tradition. Unforgettable.”

That experience was made even more unforgettable because he was accompanied by his wife and two adult children. “We got to share the game of golf at the home of golf. And then we went to a nearby course so my son, who had a tournament coming up back home, could hit some balls.

“I was standing there, watching three young boys chipping and putting. As I watched them, it brought me back to my own childhood and how I would spend hours doing the same thing. Then a car pulled up and four seniors got out to hit balls. And then another car came with two teenaged girls.

“It brought home just how great and inclusive our game is and how important it is that we take care of it.”

To follow Golf Canada’s 2016 Annual Meeting on Twitter, use #GCAGM16.