Leslie Dunning might be expected, as she leaves the presidency of Golf Canada after an eventful year, to focus just on the milestones.

And there were some notable moments, including trophy presentations to the likes of the world’s top-ranked male golfer, Dustin Johnson, at the RBC Canadian Open and, even more memorable, the presentation to Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who became just the second Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open.

How about the announcement of a new, more preferable date for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open? Seeing a historic modernization of the Rules of Golf come into effect? Or travelling to iconic tournaments such as The Masters and the U.S. Open?

While Dunning acknowledges those were wonderful experiences, she chooses to highlight themes, rather than events. And that should come as no surprise, if you recall her “mantra” when she was elected a year ago.

“I’m trying to make sure that I’m doing something every day to grow the game in Canada,” she told me at that time.

Leslie Dunning looks on during the inaugural CP Women’s Leadership Summit at Hotel Saskatchewan during the week of the 2018 CP Women’s Open

As a result, she harks back to attending historic events such as the inaugural CP Women’s Leadership Summit, the first Women’s Summit hosted by the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada, and others, such as when Golf Canada invited some long-overdue guests to the RBC Canadian Open.

In an effort to “walk the talk” expressed in Golf Canada’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy (the outcome of a task force Dunning spearheaded), representatives of about a dozen golf organizations were invited to Glen Abbey to share information about their organizations and learn about Golf Canada..

“These diverse groups are well-functioning organizations; some have been around for decades,” said Dunning. “They are just a small sample of the many groups of golfers across the country who love the game; but few of them have been engaged as part of Golf Canada.”

“We learned from those first meetings that, just like traditional golf associations and clubs, these groups want to grow their membership, grow the game, have fun and educate players about the Rules so they can maintain good pace of play and accurate handicaps for net competitions.”

Once learning about the benefits of Golf Canada membership, some groups, not already members, committed to join Golf Canada.  As well, a few new governance volunteers were recruited, including one for Golf Canada’s Investment Committee and another for its Human Resources Committee.  Some groups have expressed interest to “adopt” a hole for the RBC Canadian Open or CP Women’s Open.  “It has been an encouraging start and we will continue to work with these groups, and others, to involve them and their members as part of Golf Canada.”

While perhaps not as exciting as meeting DJ and Brooke or walking the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, Dunning’s dedication to staying true to her “mantra” is undoubtedly more impressive and impactful.

To say her calendar was full is an understatement and many of the occasions were focused on expanding diversity and inclusion in golf in Canada. It started with hosting last year’s Golf Canada annual general meeting on the Tsuutina Nation near her home in Calgary where Golf in Schools kits were gifted to the Nation’s elementary and high schools. And the pace seldom slowed.

“I tried my best to do something every day whether it was meeting with organizations, reading to expand my knowledge and understanding, attending events, speaking with people or exchanging information..”

She is optimistic about the commitment to diversity and inclusion by everyone involved in golf in Canada. “We are seeing diversity and inclusion on conference agendas, in magazine articles and in policy and program development.”  Not only did she write an article on equity, diversity and inclusion for the Canadian Society of Club Managers magazine, she also gave a number of interviews and presentations focusing on the topic.

Dunning was gratified, by an article on diversity in golf in a major magazine.  “The writer did a terrific job researching the true diversity that already exists in golf.  It is now up to Golf Canada, other organizations and clubs to ensure that we are as diverse as the golfing public.”

Sandwiched between all this were Golf Canada Board of Directors meetings and other governance responsibilities, something Dunning takes very seriously, especially as she was working with the association’s new CEO, Laurence Applebaum, though his first full year on the job.

“As president, my primary responsibility has been to provide leadership to the Board and to work in partnership with the CEO to prepare for and follow up after Board meetings.”

She says working with Applebaum has been “a real pleasure” and credits “a great and hard-working Board, committed volunteers and talented staff” for their invaluable contributions.

Dunning will hand over the reins to Charlie Beaulieu of Montreal at Golf Canada’s annual general meeting on March 2, 2019 in Montreal.

DORVAL, Que. – Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting is set for this week (February 28 to March 2) at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Que., just outside of Montreal.

The event brings together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, staff and volunteers as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations, national and international partners and other stakeholders. The group will assemble for select meetings, innovative presentations and discussion in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

CEO Laurence Applebaum will also present Golf Canada’s Strategic Plan (2019-2022) to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf.

Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting will culminate with the appointment of Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué., to serve as the National Sport Federation’s 115^th President, taking over from 2018 President Leslie Dunning of Calgary.

 

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The formal appointment of Beaulieu along with the release of the association’s 2018 Financial Statements will take place during Golf Canada’s official Annual General Meeting on Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m. ET.

Golf Canada will also celebrate outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada with the presentation of its 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award to Raymonde Michaud as well as Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award(s) to industry collaborator Raymond Gaudet, long-time volunteer Jean-Claude Gagné and golf journalist Daniel Caza.

Golf Quebec has also scheduled its Annual General Meeting to take place in conjunction with assembly in Dorval, Que.

A full schedule of activities and presentations taking place during Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting is available here.

Recorded sessions from the Annual Meeting can be viewed on YouTube here.

Dorval, Qué. (Golf Canada) – A trio of lifetime contributors the sport of golf – course owner and industry collaborator Raymond Gaudet, long-time volunteer and rules official Jean-Claude Gagné and acclaimed golf journalist Daniel Caza – will be acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to the sport as the 2019 recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

The presentation of the 2019 Distinguished Service Awards to Gaudet, Gagné and Caza will take place on Saturday, March 2 as part of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting (February 28 to March 2) at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Qué.

Gaudet is the founder of Club de Golf Montcalm, a 36-hole family owned and operated golf facility in Saint-Liguori, Qué. He is a founding member of Québec Golf Course Owners Association and was the driving force behind the formation of the Golf Association of Québec, an association comprised of club owners and managers, delegates of Golf Québec, club professionals, superintendents and other industry stakeholders.

Gagné has spent more than 30 years volunteering with Golf Canada and Golf Quebec. He is a long-time Rules official and French language translator who has supported the translation of materials for the Rules of Golf as well as Handicap and Course Rating.

Caza is a respected sports journalist who has chronicled the sport of golf in Quebec and nationally for more than 20 years. He is a lead golf contributor and the Editor and Chief with Ovation médias golf properties including Mongolf.ca, Revue Golf International, Golf Les Affaires and Guide Québec Golf as well as the golf television program “Au 19e” broadcast on RDS.

“Golf Canada is extremely proud to recognize Raymond Gaudet, Jean-Claude Gagné and Daniel Caza as the recipients of our 2019 Distinguished Service Award,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Each of their respective contributions across various touchpoints in the game has left a meaningful impression on the Canadian and Quebec golf landscape. It is with great respect and admiration that we honour these individuals for their passion and commitment to our sport.”

Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been presented annually since 1993 to recognize individuals who have had an outstanding impact on Canadian golf either nationally or within their community.

Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award are often selected from within the province or region of the organization’s incoming President. On Saturday, March 2, Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué. will be sworn in as Golf Canada’s 115^th president. As president-elect, Beaulieu will succeed Leslie Dunning of Calgary who served as President in 2018.

In addition to the presentation of the Distinguished Service Awards, Golf Canada will also recognize Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, QC as the 2018 Volunteer of the Year.

Michaud, Gaudet, Gagné and Caza will be honoured on Saturday, March 2 during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting.

Click here to see a full schedule of events for Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting.

Golf Canada 2019 Distinguished Service Award Honourees

Jean-Claude Gagné (Volunteer)

Jean-Claude Gagné of Sherbrooke, Qué. has been a strong contributor to the game of golf both in Québec and at the national level for more than 30 years.

A long-time golfer and member of the Milby Golf Club, he has served as a volunteer and Rules of Golf official with Golf Canada and Golf Québec. Gagné has officiated at numerous amateur and professional golf championships over the course of his career in addition to serving as Tournament Chair or Rules Chair for various regional, provincial and national competitions, including the 2013 Canada Games held at his home club in Sherbrooke.

Gagné served on numerous Golf Canada committees during his volunteer tenure including Rules of Golf and Handicap (which he chaired from 2002 to 2005) and on the (former) Executive Committee for six years (2003-2009). A highlight of his volunteer experience included accompanying Team Canada in 2006 and 2007 as a Head Rules Official for the Toyota Junior Boys World Cup in Japan.

A past President of the Eastern Township Golf Association, his contributions provincially with Golf Québec spanned more than a decade where he supported various committees, served as Tournament Chair in 1998 and 1999, and was President of the Association in 2000. Gagné has also lent his expertise to Golf Canada over the years as a technical expert and French language translator supporting the Rules of Golf as well as Handicapping and Course Rating. In 2018, he contributed to a working group alongside past Golf Canada President Jacques Nols and current Golf Canada Rules Chair Diane Barabé in the full translation of the new Modernized Rules of Golf including publications and supporting materials which came into effect January 1, 2019. This year, he will apply his technical translation expertise to the French-language adaptation of materials and the Handicap Manual to support the global roll-out of the World Handicap System which comes into effect January 1, 2020. Gagné has also supported Golf Canada and Golf Québec in conducting numerous education and certification sessions related to the Rules of Golf as well as Handicap and Course Rating.

Raymond Gaudet (Industry)

Raymond Gaudet’s contributions to the game of golf in Québec are rooted in two pillars—family and collaboration. Born in Saint-Liguori, Qué., Gaudet—a passionate golfer and former member at Club de Golf Joliette—was a practicing dentist for 42 years while making his mark in the golf industry. His entrepreneurial spirit in the 1970’s inspired him to build a golf course in his home village and in 1977, the opening nine of the now 36-hole Club de Golf Montcalm was designed by course architect John Watson.

The course became 18 holes in 1978, 27 holes in 1987 and then the final nine opened in 1991. Montcalm was, and remains to this day, a family business as his wife of 56 years, Evangeline, served as the General Manager of the club for 40 years. Today, his four children lead the business including son Claude who is President, General Manager and Superintendent; daughter Eve who is Food and Beverage Manager; son Sylvain who is Director of Golf; and son Robert-André who is Assistant Superintendent.

Gaudet, a trusted advisor in the Québec golf community, would go on to become one of the founding members of the APTGQ—the Québec Golf Course Owners Association. He would serve as the association’s second president, remained in office for seven years and would later participate in the founding of the Québec Golf Federation (QGF). Looking to give back to the sport he loved, Gaudet helped the QGF to launch the Maxi Golf Junior Circuit, a provincial tour aimed at developing young golfers in Québec.

A respected voice in the Québec golf industry and advocate for collaboration and industry cooperation, Gaudet was a driving force behind the formation of the Québec Golf Federation, an association comprised of club owners and managers, delegates of Golf Québec, club professionals, superintendents and other industry stakeholders. Although he retired in 2016 after more than 40 years leading Montcalm, Gaudet remains full of projects for the club.

Daniel Caza (Media)

Over the course of a distinguished media career, Daniel Caza has chronicled the sport of golf in Québec and nationally. He is a trusted voice in the Québec golf and sports media landscape. The Montreal native is an insightful commentator who is well respected by his peers and the golfing public, as well as club operators and golf industry stakeholders for his unique perspective on the Québec golf landscape.

Before becoming a golf writer, which he’s done for the past 20 years, Caza was contributing to prestigious media outlets such as La Presse Canadienne, Le Soleil daily newspaper and RDS covering the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Expos as well as other major international events such as Formula One Grand Prix, boxing and tennis.

He joined Radio-Canada during the same period where he had the opportunity to be part of the broadcasting team covering the coverage of the Olympic Games in Atlanta and Nagano. Since 1999, he has worked almost exclusively in the golf industry—first with Transcontinental, then with Gesca and, finally, with Ovation médias. He has been a lead contributor to the golf division of the publishers mentioned, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the MonGolf.ca platform.

His golf contributions with Ovation médias also extend to Revue Golf International, Golf Les Affaires and Guide Québec Golf. Caza also contributes to the golf television program “Au 19e” broadcast on RDS.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, Qué., has been named the recipient of Golf Canada’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award.

A golf official recognized for her work with youth and leadership with the Optimist movement, Michaud will be acknowledged during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 2 at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel.

“Volunteers are the driving force behind the success of golf in this country and we are proud to recognize Raymonde Michaud for her leadership and extensive contributions to support the game of golf in her home province of Québec,” said Golf Canada President Leslie Dunning. “Raymonde has given back to the game at the regional and provincial level and it is fitting that her leadership, commitment and contributions are being recognized.”

Each year in Canada, tens of thousands of committed volunteers help to support the game of golf in communities from coast to coast.

Now in its 13^th year, candidates for Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community. 

Raymonde Michaud, Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Raymonde Michaud’s volunteering career started at a very young age, in 1974, as a Scout Leader in Rivière-du-Loup. Through the years, she remained involved with the local scouting movement where she advanced to become an instructor in charge of the leaders’ training from 1979-1984, a director from 1986-1997, and eventually the President of the Maurice Proulx Scout Foundation from 1997-2016.

An avid golfer at the Club de golf de Rivière-du-Loup, Raymonde devoted close to 30 years of her time to the betterment of the sport. She started volunteering as the Junior Representative of her club in the summer of 1989. In 1990-91, she acted as Club Captain of the women’s division before joining the facility’s Board of Directors in 1997 and 1998. After a short hiatus, she came back to the Board from 2003 to 2009.

Looking to share her passion for the game at a large scale, she became a volunteer of the (former) Canadian Ladies Golf Association (CLGA) – Québec Branch. She joined the regional Rules Committee of the Québec City area and was actively involved from 1992 to 1997. A nationally certified rules official, she was appointed to the CLGA provincial Rules Committee from 1998 to 2004.

Through the amalgamation of the CLGA with the Québec Golf Association (QGA) in 2004 and later on with the restructuration that led to the creation of the Québec Golf Federation (Golf Québec) in 2011, she remained an active member of this provincial operational committee until 2016. Raymonde is one of the most experienced regional and provincial rules officials and is still actively involved as an official at Golf Québec championships.

Aside from her continuous involvement with the scouting movement and numerous golf associations, Raymonde became the first female members of the Rivière-du-Loup Optimist Club in 1991. She volunteered with many regional committees and acted as an officer and a Governor of her regional and district branches. Raymonde continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation.

Raymonde Michaud and Jack Nicklaus (1985)

In 2007, Raymonde was instrumental in  the creation of a new partnership between Golf Québec and the Western District of the Québec Optimist Clubs. The objective was to provide junior golfers of the Optimist Junior Golf Club – St. Laurent Region – with a qualifying opportunity for the prestigious Optimist International Junior Golf Championship held every year in Florida. The very first edition of the Golf Québec Optimist Classic was conducted in 2009 with approximately 40 young participants and the event is now one of the tournaments composing the Junior Provincial Tour. With over 240 junior golfers, boys and girls, from Québec, Eastern Ontario and the Maritimes, it is the most prestigious qualifier held in Canada and 2nd largest in the world for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship. In 2018, in collaboration with the Optimist Junior Golf Club – St. Laurent Region, Golf Québec proudly qualified twenty (20) young players aged 9 to 18 for the International event held at the PGA National Resort & SPA, in Palm Beach Gardens, from July 17 to August 1, 2018.

Raymonde also contributed to the Golf Québec Optimist Classic as a Rules official in every edition of the provincial qualifier. As well, a few years ago, she was invited to act as a Rules official during the two-week international competition held in Florida.

Congratulations to Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, Qué, on being named Golf Canada’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year!

The R&A’s drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf and to encourage more opportunities for women to work within the sport has been reflected in early success for the new Women in Golf Charter.

Launched last May in London, the Charter set out to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture within golf globally. It is designed to encourage actions that enable more women and girls to flourish and maximise their potential within the golf industry at all levels.

To date, 107 organisations have given their commitment to the Charter, pledging to build on current initiatives and develop new projects to increase the number of women, girls and families playing golf and becoming members of clubs, as well as giving women wider opportunities to enjoy careers and volunteering in the sport.

These include national federations such as Golf Canada – which held its inaugural Women’s Leadership Summit last year linked to the staging of the CP Women’s Open and enters its sixth year of hosting the World Junior Girls Championship, which welcomes athletes from 19 countries around the world.

Other organisations who have adopted the Charter include the PGA TOUR; the European Tour; the Ladies’ European Tour; the Professional Golfers’ Association; the Golf Foundation; the PGAs of Europe; the European Disabled Golf Association; the ANNIKA Foundation; IMG; VisitScotland and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Golf.

Mastercard, the official card of The Open, is also the first R&A Patron to sign up. Various other organisations offering their support include the Association of Golf Writers and GOLFNOW.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We are encouraged by the number of organisations who have recognised the importance of the Charter for the sport and pledged their support.

“It is a positive start but we need an industry-wide commitment to the Charter and support for measures that will foster a more inclusive culture within the sport and enable women and girls to reach their full potential.”

While achieving the commitment of national federations and organisations was one of the first aims of the Charter, the process for clubs and regional bodies to sign up is also now gathering pace.

Conwy, which will stage the 2020 Curtis Cup in Wales, is the first golf club to sign up to the Charter.

Boldon, based in Tyne & Wear, is the first English club to sign, followed by commitments from Open venues Royal Portrush, St Andrews Links Trust and Carnoustie Golf Links.

Fulford, venue for the Girls Under 16 Amateur Championship, has also committed, along with The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Blairgowrie, North Berwick and Royal Dornoch.

“Gaining the support of national associations and organisations was the first phase of our plan,” added Slumbers. “We have also worked closely with them to collectively agree a process to support individual clubs in adopting the Charter and gain real momentum.

“The national body is the point of contact and will directly liaise with clubs in determining commitments to the Charter should a club wish to become a signatory.

“We would like national associations, with the involvement of clubs, to set targets for participation and membership as we look to increase the number of women, girls and families playing the sport.”

2018 World Junior Girls Championship (Camelot Golf and Country Club, Cumberland ON)

On Oct. 23 and 24 in Moose Jaw, Sask Sport Inc. hosted a two-day inclusion and diversity seminar featuring guest speakers and stakeholders across amateur sporting agencies and other vested groups. The solely focused seminar was reportedly the first of its kind for a sports governing agency in Canada.

Sporting organizations under the Sask Sport umbrella, including Golf Saskatchewan have been working to increase participation in various sporting activities. According to Sask Sport several amateur sport groups were undertaking their own initiatives to increase numbers and diversity but last week’s event was the first collective session to discuss inclusion and diversity. Amy Shipley, the community development consultant for Sask Sport said Saskatchewan residents are searching for different activities.

“The population demographics in Saskatchewan are changing and the province is becomingly increasingly diverse. The conversations at the retreat started an important dialogue on how the system can leverage the strength of diversity in the province,” she said.

The objective of the conference was to inject enthusiasm into the diversity and inclusion dialogue. Ideas were generated on how to increase participation through individuals that brought different ideas to the table. Shipley said hearing from provincial sporting agencies was important to Sask Sport going forward.

“Roundtable discussions allowed members to share their thoughts and ideas on enhancing the system through diversity. Too often we look to outside sources and subject matter experts and forget that there is strength in our system to challenge difficult issues and find solutions that will create a stronger sport system,” Shipley said.

Golf Canada incorporated their own Equity Diversity Inclusion Policy in December of 2017. President Leslie Dunning Pictured above) provided a keynote address during the conference highlighting Golf Canada’s plan and ideas. Dunning said she was very impressed with Sask Sports’ enthusiasm towards diversity and inclusion.

“The fact Sask Sport is taking leadership and spending two days on this topic with their sports organizations is really impressive to me,” she told Golf Saskatchewan. “I am not aware of any other sports group across the country that have used an entire seminar over two days focused entirely on the issue.”

Dunning was pleased to see provincial tribal councils and Indigenous groups involved in the meetings as well.

Sask Sport will share the information generated during the conference to their members and ask the groups to answer a questionnaire and provide feedback. Potential “lunch and learn” meetings are being discussed to keep the momentum going. Dunning said Golf Canada had numerous discussions ahead of their organization settling on a policy for diversity and inclusion in their sport. She hopes Sask Sport can follow the same route.

“Accountability is part of it and annual reporting on what are the initiatives. Not just to make sure we are doing it but to share successes on what is possible. I think that’s important, build a policy into your plan, you have reports of what is happening, that keeps the topic in the forefront. My hope is it turns into action,” Dunning said.

Adam Helmer – Golf Canada’s director of Rules, competitions and amateur status – has been at the heart of Canadian golf championships for over 10 years.

The Ottawa native oversees the administration of over 30 championships conducted annually by Golf Canada. Among his responsibilities are refereeing the premier Canadian professional events: the RBC Canadian Open (PGA TOUR) and CP Women’s Open (LPGA Tour). In addition to the competitions, Helmer plays an integral role in the Rules of golf modernization project that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

As the lead on Rules and competitions, high on Helmer’s list of challenges is addressing pace of play.

The International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) has more on Helmer here.

It is with sadness and respect that Golf Canada, the Golf Canada Foundation and Alberta Golf extend sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Clay Riddell who passed away suddenly on September 16, 2018.

“On behalf of Golf Canada, the Golf Canada Foundation, Alberta Golf and the Canadian golf community, we extend our most sincere condolences to Clay Riddell’s family, his many friends and colleagues, and the team at the Shaw Charity Classic,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Clay used the sport of golf to leave an incredible legacy in Calgary and across Alberta and was a driving force behind the amazing success of the Shaw Charity Classic.”

“Clay’s generosity touched the game of golf through his meaningful support of the Golf Canada Foundation; he was a Foundation Trustee and Leadership in Golf Philanthropy recipient, funding programs that will reach tens of thousands of children across the province,” added Golf Canada Foundation CEO Martin Barnard.

Our sincere respect, admiration and deepest thoughts are with Mr. Riddell’s family and friends at this difficult time.

Having served on the executive team of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) – and as it’s president in 1989 – Keith Rever has played an important leadership role in the growth of golf across the country.

With the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open being held in his hometown of Regina for the first time at the Wascana Country Club – also referred to in short as WCC – Rever sees it as an important step in promoting the game in his home province.

“I think it’s great that the tournament will be coming here for the first time and we get to see the best female golfers compete first hand,” said Rever, who served as a director of the WCC for 15 years and served as the club’s president in 1980.

“I’m sure seeing the best players compete will inspire more young girls and boys to pick up the sport,” added the Regina native.

According to his daughter, Susan Rever, the significance of the CP Women’s Open coming to Regina is recognized by the entire family.

“Our whole family is excited, as it is the first time Saskatchewan has hosted an LPGA TOUR event. We look forward to being a part of this,” she said.

Recently, Rever – a retired engineer – took a moment to reflect back on his journey as an architect for the growth of the sport in Canada.

Rever says he first developed a passion for golf when he took up the sport as a youngster.

“My mom and dad rented a house about five blocks from a golf course and I would walk down there in the mornings to play a couple rounds and hit balls during the summer; and if you hit enough balls, you start improving,” said Rever, who has been extra busy this summer helping his daughter with a home improvement project.

“I became a junior member at the Wascana Country Club in 1956 and a general share holder in 1960,” he recalled.

“I won the club championship about five times. Its been a lot of fun out there. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people playing at the club.”

Rever’s natural talents on the golf course enabled him to compete at the highest level as an amateur.

He won the City of Regina Championship nine times and was the Saskatchewan Amateur Champion on two separate occasions.

In 1964, Rever was a member of the only team from Saskatchewan to win the Willingdon Cup – an annual team competition dating back to 1927 which features the top amateurs from each province.

“The winds were about 50 miles per hour and of course that gave us Saskatchewan boys a bit of an advantage because we were used to it,” he said with a smile about the Willingdon Cup win.

In 1971, that championship team – consisting of Rever, along with Alec Bland,  who was the non-playing captain, Ernie Greenley, Ed Ross, and Jim Scissons – had their accomplishment honoured in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.

Willingdon Cup Champions

Rever also has his name enshrined in the Wascana Hall of Fame, as well as, the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame.

“His inductions are a reminder of his incredible achievements,” noted his daughter, Susan.

“My dad’s passion for the sport, and his lifelong commitment to improve his performance and the sport he loves so much is impressive.”

While he opted to pursue a career in electrical engineering instead of one as a professional golfer, Rever was committed to remaining involved with the sport in other ways.

“I was the president of the Saskatchewan Golf Association in 72 and 73 and back in those days each provincial association nominated a representative to serve on the Royal Canadian Golf Association,” Rever pointed out.

“They asked me if I would consider it; and so in 1976, I joined the board of the RCGA – which of course, changed it’s name to Golf Canada in 2010.”

At the national level, he was a governor of the RCGA from 1976 to 1985, and on the executive team from 1986 to 1990, with a one-year term as president in 1989.

Rever says finding a balance between his full-time career as an engineer and as a member of the RCGA executive team was a bit of a challenge.

“It was really difficult to balance the roles; and I think in retrospect it probably wasn’t fair to my family,” he said with a chuckle.

“But I’m thankful that they put up with me and supported me in every way and I really appreciated that,” noted Rever, who adds that his wife, Marianne, and his son, Scott, are also avid golfers.

Rever says one of the initiatives that he was proud to have supported during his tenure on the executive team was the integration of the RCGA and the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association (CLGA).

“I think I may have been one of the first RCGA presidents to speak at the CLGA annual meeting.  Our team supported the idea of amalgamation and I was happy to see it eventually happen,” he said.

Rever also recalls one of his biggest thrills was inducting Jack Nicklaus into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1995.

“After I was president of the RCGA, I became chair of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame committee and I had the honour of being part of the team that inducted Jack Nicklaus,” he said.

“Jack was always very supportive of the Royal Canadian Golf Association and attended all the (RBC) Canadian Opens and spoke very highly of it; and regarded it as the fifth major in the world back in those days,” Rever noted about Nicklaus who was inducted in the builder category given his role in designing Glen Abbey.

“I remember the induction ceremony was held at the Glen Abbey Golf Club and there was over 200 people there; and it was just a great evening.”

While Rever speaks highly of Nicklaus’ contributions to the growth of the sport in Canada, he also speaks with high regard about Brooke Henderson and the significance of her success.

“I’m very impressed with Brooke. She seems like a very nice young lady who obviously has got a lot of natural skill and also very good work ethic; and her success is definitely inspiring a lot of young golfers in the country,” he said.

“So hopefully she’s going to do well when she comes to Saskatchewan. I spoke to her briefly but I didn’t get a chance to tell her to practice her shots into the wind – she’s probably going to need them,” he added with a smile.

“I’ve also met Lorie Kane; and I can tell that she’s a really classy lady. Both Lorie and Brooke are great ambassadors for the game in Canada and have done so much to grow the game,” he added about the two CP Ambassadors who have a combined 10 LPGA TOUR titles between them.

And while golfers, such as Kane and Henderson, have done so much to grow the game through their accomplishments on the golf course, Rever takes pride in knowing his efforts over the years off the golf course – particularly in the boardroom – has built the foundation for the success of the sport across the country.

“It was great to have worked with all the people who were so passionate about the game and wanted to see it grow. It’s also great to know that our efforts over the years have had a positive impact on the sport,” said Rever.

“I’ve also had a chance to meet the new leadership team at Golf Canada and I can say the sport is in good hands.”

With the CP Women’s Open set to tee off on August 23rd in his hometown, the self-described golfing enthusiast says he’s noticing a lot of buzz and excitement surrounding the tournament.

“We had the Brier and also the Memorial Cup here in Regina earlier this year, so its taken a bit of time for the CP Women’s Open to gain traction but now we are hearing about it on the radio and seeing a lot about it in the news,” said Rever.

“So I think by the time this tournament comes around, everyone will be feeling a lot of excitement – I know my family and I will for sure.”

As Laurence Applebaum marked his first year as Golf Canada’s CEO on July 10, it would have been easy to point to a couple of recent announcements as early anniversary presents.

On July 3, it was revealed that the RBC Canadian Open would vacate its logistically problematic date the week immediately after The Open Championship in July and shift to the week prior to the U.S. Open, taking place the first week of June starting next year.

On July 9, Canadian Pacific and Golf Canada announced that CP had extended its title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, the only LPGA Tour event in Canada, for five years through 2023. The announcement was made at Magna Golf Club, the opulent and outstanding facility in Aurora, Ont., which will host the 2019 CP Women’s Open.

Just as significant was the news that the event’s charity, CP Has Heart, has raised almost $6.5 million for heart health initiatives in just four years. CP’s sponsorship also supports Golf Canada’s National Team Program (Team Canada) and the Young Pro Program which aids emerging Canadian professionals as they transition to the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour. CP is also the title sponsor of the CP Women’s Leadership Summit which will make its debut on Aug. 21 during the CP Women’s Open at Wascana Country Club in Regina.

But in an interview after the CP Women’s media conference at Magna, Applebaum was quick to deflect the credit for these notable accomplishments.

“We are extremely fortunate to have great partners like CP and RBC and so many others who support the game of golf in Canada. Without them and a supportive Board of Directors and our talented and hard-working team of staff and volunteers, I doubt very much would get accomplished at all, much less in a year.”

So giving credit where credit is due, it must be noted that the past 12 months have been, if not tumultuous, at least a “whirlwind,” according to Applebaum.

“One of the biggest highlights and I have to admit, one of the biggest surprises, was the reception I enjoyed from the golf community both within our borders and outside. I was overwhelmed by how much Canadians love their golf and also by how welcoming the global golf community, like the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the USGA and the R&A, has been to a newcomer.”

Building relationships was a keystone of Applebaum’s priority list when he came on board to lead Golf Canada. He traversed the country, listening to golfers to determine how Golf Canada could become “more relevant,” in his words.

One of the positives he noted was the reaction to Golf Canada’s new membership model. The hope is to transition all member clubs to the Gold Level by the end of next year. The Gold Level comes with a laundry list of benefits from an official handicap factor to incident protection (up to $2,500 reimbursement for damaged, lost or stolen equipment, plus other unfortunate golf-related events), discounts on merchandise and event, tickets, and more).

“I had many golfers come up to me and say ‘I’ve been a Golf Canada member for a long time but I’ve never really seen the value. But now I do.’”

Another thing Applebaum noted during his travels was that the “Canadian golf community” is anything but. It’s fragmented, to say the least.

But the good news is that when he joined Golf Canada, work was well underway on the organization’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy (by a task force headed by current Golf Canada President Leslie Dunning. Published last winter, it is a leading-edge document that, says Applebaum, “shows that we welcome all of Canada’s almost six million golfers with open arms. It’s a great outreach initiative that we are determined to live up to.”

About the same time as the Diversity and Inclusivity Policy was released, Applebaum appeared at a media conference with PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle to announce that the two national organizations have teamed up to combat and prevent abuse, bullying and harassment in golf by adopting Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace as part of a deepened commitment to the Responsible Coaching Movement.

Laurence Applebaum and PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle signing the Responsible Coaching Movement for golf in Canada

After such a hectic yet rewarding first year, Applebaum might be excused if some of the memories are a touch hazy. But that’s not the case in at least one instance.

“It had to be at last year’s CP Women’s Open at Royal Ottawa,” he recalls as his face lights up with a smile. “To see Brooke Henderson make the cut on the number and then go out on Saturday and shoot a course-record 63, well, what a great moment for Canadian golfers! It’s something I’ll never forget.”

And with that, he stands up, shakes hands, and heads into Year Two.