Three golf clubs celebrating 125 years highlight a list of 55 Golf Canada member clubs that have reached significant milestones in 2020.

All clubs that are celebrating an anniversary will receive a plaque from Golf Canada. Clubs celebrating their 100th anniversary receive a commemorative scroll.

125 years

Norfolk Golf & Country Club (Simcoe, ON)

100 years

Knowlton Golf Club (Knowlton, QC)

 75 years

Wheat City Golf Course (Brandon, MB)

50 years

March Meadows Golf Club (Honeymoon Bay, BC)

25 years

Grande Meadows Golf Club (Freshman’s Cove, NL)

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the formation of the Golf Industry Advisory Council, a volunteer group comprised of experienced professionals who will bring a golf industry voice to support Golf Canada’s Board of Directors and management team.

Reporting to Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, the Golf Industry Advisory Council will be composed of eight to 13 members with backgrounds, skill sets and experiences from across the golf landscape. The Council will include course owners and operators; club general managers; golf course superintendents; PGA of Canada professionals; and executives from the golf equipment, apparel and footwear industry.

“Deepening our engagement, dialogue and collaboration with course operators and the Canadian golf industry at large is core to Golf Canada’s strategic plan and the catalyst to forming the Golf Industry Advisory Council,” said Golf Canada President Charlie Beaulieu. “The expertise of the Council will be extremely impactful in providing the Board and our management team greater understanding of the priorities and critical activities of our golf industry partners with whom we share a commitment to the overall health of the sport. ”

The Council Chair will be designated by Golf Canada’s Board of Directors and may serve a maximum of two one-year terms. Members of the Council will be nominated by the Officers of Golf Canada (President, 1^st Vice President, 2^nd Vice-President and Immediate Past President) along with CEO Laurence Applebaum in consult with the Chair and staff representative of the Council.

Golf Canada Adjusts Composition of its Board; Welcomes Two New Directors

In addition to the formation of the Golf Industry Advisory Council, Golf Canada’s Board of Directors has also adjusted the composition of the Board from a fixed number of 11 members to a more flexible model of eight to 13 members which will include the new Industry Advisory Council Chair as well as an additional Director at Large.

With this adjustment, Golf Canada is pleased to welcome two experienced golf industry leaders as new Directors on the Board—Clublink Chairman and CEO Rai Sahi as well as Shawn Evans, President and CEO of Golf North Properties. Between Clublink and Golf North, Sahi and Evans collectively represent 85 of Golf Canada’s member clubs.

Sahi and Evans join the Board of Golf Canada which includes Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que. (President); Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont. (1^st Vice-President); Dale Jackson of Victoria (2nd Vice-President; Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg; Susan MacKinnon of Calgary; David McCarthy of Toronto; Adam Daifallah of Montreal; Jean Stone-Seguin of Ottawa; Patrick Kelly of Vancouver; Paul Beaudry of Calgary; and Alison Chisholm of Rothesay, N.B.

Our partners at the Provincial Golf Associations have worked incredibly hard alongside industry stakeholders to implement protocols that foster a safe environment for golf during the COVID-19 crisis.

They will continue to seek clarity from municipal and provincial government and health authorities to help our member clubs and golfers navigate through this crisis.

Below are summaries and links for each respective provincial golf association:

Click here for relevant information on our COVID-19 resource page.

The Prince Edward Island Golf Association (PEIGA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Alison Griffin as their new Executive Director.

Alison’s experience in sport, recreation and communication will be an asset to PEIGA that will allow the association to continue serving members and facilities while growing the sport of golf.

“I am very excited to be joining PEIGA in the ED role, I thank the Board of Directors for this opportunity,” said Griffin. “My predecessor implemented a variety of programs and built positive relationships with members, operators and partners and I look forward to contributing to the exceptional reputation PEIGA has provincially and nationally.”

Alison is originally from O’Leary, PEI and has a diploma in Sport and Recreation Management from Holland College. She was the Executive Director for the Western Region Sport and Recreation Council from 2011-2017 and most recently, the Manager of Communications for the Department of Health with the Government of Nunavut in Iqaluit.  Alison also served on the Canada Games Mission Staff for Team PEI in 2015 and 2017 and managed the Team Nunavut Youth Ambassador Program for Arctic Winter Games in 2018 and Canada Games in 2019.

“Sean’s leadership and continued support has left PEIGA in a great place and although this golf season will be very different from any other, I’m looking forward to seeing what our association can accomplish with Alison as our Executive Director and our current board of directors,” stated PEIGA President, Melissa Castle

Golf Canada partners are committed to supporting the nation as Canada continues to feel the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis. 

Acushnet 

Titleist Canada, along with FootJoy Canada, have partnered with the Red Cross – Canadian Emergencies and COVID-19 Response Fund, and will be donating 15% of all purchases made on Titleist.ca and FootJoy.ca from April 20 – May 15.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

From April 20 – May 15, fifteen percent (15%) of every purchase on ?? Titleist.ca ?? will be donated to the @redcrosscanada Canadian Emergencies and COVID-19 Response Fund. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @footjoyca is doing the same. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is just one way we’re chipping in to help those most affected by the ongoing crisis. Tap the link in our bio to learn more.

A post shared by Titleist Canada (@titleistca) on Apr 21, 2020 at 1:19pm PDT

 

View this post on Instagram

 

From April 20 – May 15, fifteen percent (15%) of every purchase on ?? footjoy.ca ?? will be donated to the @redcrosscanada Canadian Emergencies and COVID-19 Response Fund.⁣ ⁣ @TitleistCA is doing the same.⁣ ⁣ This is just one way we’re chipping in to help those most affected by the ongoing crisis.⁣ ⁣ Hit the link in our bio to learn more.

A post shared by FootJoy Canada (@footjoyca) on Apr 21, 2020 at 11:32am PDT

adidas

Working with digital manufacturing company Carbon, adidas is supporting their effort to produce and donate face shields for healthcare workers and first responders in underserved communities that don’t have access to an adequate supply.

Long time collaborator of ours, @Carbon, has pivoted their focus to produce protective face shields for our healthcare workers. We are helping to aid production.​⁣
​⁣
Thank you to those who are working to make this happen. When we come together, we are at our best. #hometeam​⁣ pic.twitter.com/Y8QP29H482

— adidas (at ?) (@adidas) April 8, 2020

In addition, from April 18^th through May 16^th, adidas and Reebok will donate an additional $3 for every item purchased over $30 from their online sites or mobile app to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

CP

Canadian Pacific Railway is contributing to the global movement to pay tribute to emergency workers by directing all locomotives on its network to sound a long whistle blast at 7 p.m. local time. This salute is scheduled to continue daily until further notice.

In addition, on May 4^th Canadian Pacific announced a $1 million donation to four North American charities working on the front lines to help people impacted by COVID-19. Canadian beneficiaries of this donation include The Frontline Fund who will receive $350,000, and Food Banks Canada who will receive $250,000.

CP locomotives sound one long whistle at 7:00 p.m. daily to recognize the extraordinary front-line care and essential service providers during #COVID19. We salute our family of railroaders who power this #railroad safely and efficiently. #CPproud #Railways #Frontline pic.twitter.com/Zjxgp8H7bY

— Canadian Pacific (@CanadianPacific) April 8, 2020

Hilton 

In partnership with American Express, Hilton Hotels & Resorts will be donating up to 1 million room nights to frontline medical professionals leading the fight against COVID-19. Rooms will be made available without charge to doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics and other frontline medical staff who need a place to sleep, recharge or isolate from their families through the end of May.

We’ve partnered with @AmericanExpress to donate up to one million room nights so the healthcare heroes keeping us safe can have a comfortable place to stay between shifts and protect their families back home. #HotelsForHeroes https://t.co/RhV5buMiuc pic.twitter.com/jZZoQtMs1r

— Hilton (@Hilton) April 6, 2020

Levelwear 

Levelwear’s Toronto location began production for the re-engineering of cloth garments into 2-ply washable, non-surgical face protection that will be donated and distributed to local businesses within the Greater Toronto Area. In addition, Levelwear has offered 2 additional mask options, with a third in production, to their current partners  for resale, with a percentage of that sale going to a local charity

We are stronger in numbers when we all work together. At our Toronto facility we began production of re-engineered garments to re-usable non medical face masks. We will be working with local small businesses to distribute where needed. Stay safe. #stayhome pic.twitter.com/ivPSMoBtH9

— Levelwear (@Levelwear) April 10, 2020

RBC

RBC has committed $2 million dollars to support communities dealing with the repercussions of COVID-19. The money will be used to address food insecurity and mental well-being, as well as in donations to international organizations, including the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

RBC is committing $2 million to #COVID19 community response efforts for at-risk populations and communities, beginning with contributions to partners including @foodbankscanada, @FeedingAmerica and @WHO‘s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. https://t.co/hSHnEs0Dba pic.twitter.com/uq2TgDqNVo

— RBC (@RBC) March 18, 2020

Steam Whistle

Steam Whistle Craft Brewing Company, in partnership with the Spirit of York Distillery, teamed up to provide hand sanitizer to fight the spread of COVID-19. The Toronto-based brewery donated 350 litres of beer for Spirit of York to distill into hand sanitizer. The finished product is available for purchase at Spirit of York, with all proceeds being donated to local food banks.

We are so grateful to be able to partner with Toronto distiller, @spiritofyork to help create hand sanitizer for those in need. Thank you, for all the great things you are doing and allowing us to lend a hand by donating our beer and have it distilled to higher alcohol. pic.twitter.com/q5p6MjhZsu

— Steam Whistle (@SteamWhistle) March 26, 2020

Subaru

To help ease the financial strain caused by the pandemic, Subaru Canada is providing payment relief to existing Subaru customers who are leasing or financing through Subaru Financial services. New customers who purchase a new vehicle will have the ability to defer payments for 120 days.

During this uncertain time, Subaru Canada will be offering help to customers leasing or financing their vehicles through Subaru Financial Services. To learn how: https://t.co/e411J6ERkF #SubaruCanada pic.twitter.com/P1BPceaWYN

— Subaru Canada (@SubaruCanada) March 31, 2020

In addition, Subaru Canada Inc. has pulled their regular advertising campaigns and replaced them with messages of heartfelt thanks for our frontline workers including medical staff, emergency workers and essential service employees.

Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, We Are Golf (The National Allied Golf Associations/NAGA) has postponed National Golf Day in Canada, originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 2020.

The postponement of National Golf Day in Canada includes the We Are Golf government advocacy visit to Parliament Hill in Ottawa—an event aimed at raising awareness among government decision makers on the many positive impacts of the golf industry. An alternate date has not been selected at this time.

We appreciate that all government officials are directing their full attention and resources to support the health and safety of Canadians during this unprecedented health crisis. When the time is right, the Canadian golf industry will be ready to share the significant economic, health, employment, tourism and charitable impact of golf in communities from coast to coast.

We Are Golf is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our members, golfers, staff, volunteers and industry stakeholders as well as every Canadian in the communities where we live, work and play.

To All Golf Canada Members and Member Clubs,

Along with the rest of the globe, Canada is dealing with a debilitating health crisis with COVID-19.

Golf Canada is committed to fostering a safe sport environment. Together with our partners at the Provincial Golf Associations, that commitment includes the health and well-being of golfers as well as every Canadian in the communities where we live and play.

I think constantly about those personally affected by the virus including their families, our most vulnerable citizens and the incredible health care workers confronting the pandemic on the front lines. I worry about the impact to the golf community—owners, operators, PGA of Canada professionals, club managers, superintendents, industry stakeholders, fans and supporters of our championships and every Canadian golf enthusiast that just wants to get out and play. I also applaud the superintendents and their teams, who are taking the strictest precautions to maintain our essential golf properties during this crisis.  

Golf Canada fully supports the recommendations and guidelines of Health Canada, the World Health Organization and regional public health experts to prevent the community spread of COVID-19. Currently, most provinces have enacted complete suspensions on all recreational activities and gatherings, including golf facilities. Many clubs throughout Canada have, on their own initiative, instituted temporary suspensions of operations for the wellness of their staff, their golfers and their community at large. I know that those not yet mandated to close are taking every precaution and I respect the pressure felt by those with that immense responsibility.  

Golf Canada continues to evaluate all aspects of our business and take measures to protect  our athletes, staff, coaches, partners and volunteers. Severe cost controls and risk mitigation protocols have been enacted and we are in constant consultation with provincial, national and international experts along with our member clubs to gather the information we need to make informed and responsible decisions through the crisis.  

You will find a toolkit of information here in our COVID-19 Resource Page, which we hope will serve as a  reference for everything that can be done today and, in the future, when it is safe to return to golf. I am incredibly proud of the work done by our team, our partners and global stakeholders to put this compendium of information together for all golfers.

This is a turbulent moment and Golf Canada is committed to supporting the golf community through these challenges to the best of our ability. I am encouraged to see the resiliency of our industry—people and facilities engaging to share ideas and best practices, further professional development and provide levity and support for each other through this difficult period.

When the time is right for Canadians to return to recreational normalcy, golf will be well positioned to emerge and thrive, with possible attributes recommended by the appropriate authorities including physical distancing, exaggerated tee-times, personal protective equipment, and the many precautionary health measures that club operators will have in place. I also know that when that recovery comes, courses will be ready to safely welcome golfers back to the tee. Golf will bring us closer together.

For now, as we all make our way through a time of unprecedented uncertainty, let’s commit to what is in our control—to take every precaution to ensure our physical and mental health; to protect our families, staff, volunteers and golfers; and to rally as a community to keep each other safe.
—
Laurence Applebaum
Chief Executive Officer
Golf Canada

Team Canada psychologist, Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, shares the below guidance and resources to help with our work from home activities.

As you work from a different place in an ever-changing reality, below are a few reflections from high performance sport. Three aspects I will highlight: who do you want to be, how do humans work, and prioritize recovery.

Who do we want to be?

In working with golfers, we often start with helping them understand who they are and who they want to be in certain situations. This whole idea came from an experience I had when I first moved back to Canada. I had one athlete who was quite young and traveled a great deal internationally. At times, she was very good at what she did and at other times she really struggled. A more experienced competitor sat down with her to have a conversation. He asked her if she knew who she was. She said that she was not sure. And he said that she needed to figure it out, so that she knew if she was in that place each time she stepped to the line.

As you work from home in a new reality, spend some time reflecting on who you want to be in this new context. What do you need to be well in this space? What do you need to stay motivated?

Below are suggestions and tips that other experts have developed for working-from-home (jasonthompson.ca)

1. Video calls are a great way to feel connected
2. It’s easy to get lost in texts, emails and social media. Set aside two times per day when you go through these. Focus on your to-dos the rest of the time.
3. Buy a plant for your workspace. It just feels good.
4. Go for a walk. It reboots your mind. Some of my best ideas have come on walks.
5. Set a start and end time each day.
6. Take advantage of the flexibility and extra work time without a commute.
7. Dress for work. This may not be the same as your in-office outfit, but if you wear your weekend sweats it will have an effect on your mindset.
8. Chat about life. Start every call with a few minutes about non-work things and non-COVID things if you can. Remember, we work with people not organizations.
9. Shared documents are awesome – try and pick one platform and stick with it.
10. Connect with your team once a day.
11. If you work from home, despite how wonderfully tempting they can be, don’t get distracted by laundry and tidying up. Do that when your workday is over.
12. Embrace the situation. If life has taught us anything, it’s that nothing stays the same for long.

Working in high performance sport, we also spend a great deal of time helping a golfer unpack their why. Their reason for doing this and putting in all the hours. In your current context, I think we can extend your why to another level. As we work in these new conditions, what is your why for doing it? Who is your why? Grab a few pictures that remind you of this and keep it close to you.

Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, Derek Ingram

Finally, understanding when we are and are not in a good place from a mental wellness perspective can be beneficial. Below is a mental health continuum that I modified for Team Canada men’s golf team (based on a more elaborate version from the Canadian Mental Health Association). It helps all of us start to learn about when we are mentally well. We should all know the things that keep us well, the signs we are not well, triggers and what we can do to get back to being well.

How do humans work?

We help athletes understand how humans being work. Stress and anxiety are a part of being human. Humans have a brain that is meant to help us survive and as such, we respond to stress and anxiety in a certain manner. We thrive with control, and in times like this, it is very important that we spend time coming back to what we have control over.

Click here to watch a TedTalk by Lisa Feldman Barrett that helps us learn more about the brain and how it operates.

Click here to read an article that talks about anxiety as it related to the situation. There is also a colouring book you can use to speak with coronavirus for those of you who have young children.

Prioritize recovery

And finally, we try to prioritize recovery. Our sport science team speak about being physically and also mentally recovered with Team Canada golf. Meditation and mindfulness can be very helpful tools for keeping us in a positive mental space. Some things to consider as we work to prioritize emotional recovery:

Be self-compassionate. Even people who don’t usually struggle with anxiety are experiencing more worry and anxiety now. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re experiencing more anxiety than usual. Additional information regarding self-compassion can be found here as well as several free tools and activities to aid in practicing kindness to ourselves.

Limit the news and unplug from social media. Understandably coronavirus is the lead story for most news outlets. People on social media are likewise sharing information and stories, some of which are accurate, but others may have little to do with reality. The general public is interested and wants to know the latest details. Yet when our attention is drawn to something, we are more likely to focus on it and continue thinking about it. As we think about and focus more on coronavirus, the PERCEPTION of threat increases (not the actual risk but our perception of it).

If you do watch or read the news, try to limit how often you:

• Commit to only checking in a couple of times a day and limit the total time to 30 minutes a day.
• Set a regular time when you check the news every day (standardizing the times you check will help to both think less about it and to reduce fighting with yourself to check).
• Disable news alerts on your phone so that you get updates when you want them. It can also be helpful to rely on family and friends to provide major updates thereby making it unnecessary to check the media.
• Make sure that your information only comes from reputable sources, such as: Government of Canada and the World Health Organization.

Strengthen Self-Care. During these anxiety-provoking times, it’s important to remember the tried-and-true anxiety prevention and reduction strategies: (Get adequate sleep; Exercise regularly; Practice mindfulness; Eat well-balanced meals; Make time for activities you enjoy and take time to unwind; Spend time in nature; Employ relaxation techniques when stressed; Connect with people you trust; and talk about your concerns and how you are feeling).

Focus on What You Can Control. Sometimes we fixate on events out of our control. But rather than blaming others or trying to change them, resilient people set their sights on what they can control. Ask yourself, “What can I control in this situation?”

Be in the Present. What do you notice about your breath right now? Our breath is an excellent anchor in the present, but sometimes we get stuck in the past or worry about the future. Practice STOP (Stop. Take a few deep breaths. Observe. Proceed).

So as you work from home and continue to do your job, keep figuring out who you are and who you want to be, honour the fact that you are human and prioritize recovery – knowing that right now the conditions are such that it may be difficult to let go and allow your mind to be at rest.

Tom Renney remembers exactly where he was during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

It was the first time the New York Rangers had ever held their training camp in Manhattan. Renney, who was entering his second season as the team’s director of player personnel, was at Madison Square Garden as players checked in for their physicals when the first plane struck the World Trade Centre.

The spectre of 9/11 still haunted New York City four years later when Renney began his first training camp as the Rangers’ head coach. Sensing that the Rangers could be a rallying point for a hurting city, Renney told his team that they had to play the 2005-06 season for the fans.

“You know what? We owe this city and we owe the New York Rangers fans everything we have,” Renney recalls. “This is not about hockey, this is about allowing a city that supports us like nobody else the chance to feel good, and feel like there’s a rebound and feel like there’s something that they can feel good about.

“I said, that is our responsibility and our obligation to the Rangers fan. And quite honestly, you know, the National Hockey League.”

That season the Rangers became the first team to do a post-game stick salute to thank their fans, a practice that is now common around the NHL. Renney led the team to a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division and New York’s first playoff berth since 1997.

Renney is now the chief executive officer for Hockey Canada and although he doesn’t know when professional or amateur sports will return, he says that like his time with the Rangers, they will play a critical role in healing the country when the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

“I believe Canadians are very resilient people. I think the hockey community is a resilient group, not just those that play it, but those that love watching it,” said Renney. “When the time is right, I think our participants and volunteers across the country will relish the role in leading Canada back to normal.”

Hockey, like all elite sports, is on hold as officials do their bit to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The NHL has paused its season and the Memorial Cup, Canada’s national major junior championship, was cancelled along with the Canadian Hockey League’s playoffs.

There’s no telling when the NHL, NBA, Major League Baseball, CFL or any other professional sport will return. But like Renney, Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum says his sport will be ready to unite Canadians when restrictions on public gatherings are lifted.

Also like Renney, Applebaum has seen firsthand how sports can bring a community together after a tragedy.

Applebaum was the vice president of Salomon Canada, a sports equipment manufacturer, a decade ago and was in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He remembers a literal and figurative cloud hovering over Vancouver after Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed during a training run hours before the Games opening ceremony.

“The sport community came together to mourn him and the weather changed and it ended up evolving into an incredible celebration of sport and humankind coming together,” said Applebaum. “So my prevailing theory is the sun will rise again (when the pandemic is over).

“And golf, golf will rise again and return to being an incredible part of our lives. It’s just going to take some time.”

Bruce Kidd, a historian and professor at the University of Toronto, believes that sports are in a unique position to help rally cities or countries after disasters because people can identify with the athletes. That power will become even more apparent when normalcy returns after the novel coronavirus pandemic is over.

“I think to which athletes and coaches’ lives have been thrown into complete disarray is something that most people can identify with right now,” said Kidd, who competed for Canada at the 1964 Olympics and was twice named The Canadian Press athlete of the year.

Kidd, who likened the current public health emergency to the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-20, says that when sports return it will be cathartic for all of society because it will be a celebration of overcoming adversity.

“It will be a relief, it will signal a return to some kind of normalcy,” said Kidd. “It’ll be an opportunity for people to take control of their lives again, whether it’s participating in sports or watching them.

“Psychologically, it will be empowering and I think that’s really important.”