Easter has passed and sadly, the golf season still hasn’t started in some parts of the country.
It is now Masters Week – one of the most exciting golf weeks of the year. For many across the prairies, through Ontario and into Quebec, this week will coincide with courses opening and enthusiastic golfers returning to the links. Players in the west have enjoyed a mild winter, providing ample opportunity for an early start to the spring season. For most in Atlantic Canada however, the Masters will be the only green grass and flowers these players see this week, what with so much snow to melt and cold temperatures still lingering.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the Winnipeg Golf Expo. It was refreshing to spend a couple of days talking about golf with so many friendly golfers anxious to play this year. There were foursomes, families, and lots of juniors taking in the show together. Several little juniors enjoyed hitting their first few shots of the season in the CN Future Links booth while adults tested new equipment in the manufacturers demo area.
Being from Southern Ontario, it was interesting to hear about the beautiful courses in the area. Some of the golfers had club memberships, but the majority in attendance talked about their enjoyment of playing at a variety of golf courses – they did not seem too interested in playing at the same one all the time. If this becomes a trend, how can golf facilities adapt their sales packages and perhaps work with other nearby courses to meet the needs of golfers looking for variety?
It’s definitely something to ponder…
In the meantime, some facilities have taken to snow blowing and ploughing their facilities to expedite the opening process – I love this creative assertion towards Mother Nature. I want to wish all of our golfers and facilities a long and successful season. I hope golf in Canada gets underway everywhere across the country soon.
Post some scores and track your progress this year and let’s have fun! Stay fit and healthy by playing plenty of rounds and you’ll see some better stats by the end of the season. I will check in with you all later on this.
Enjoy The Masters! It truly is a special week in golf.
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Christine Dengel is a PGA of Canada golf professional with more than 30 years of experience in multiple facets of the golf industry, and a lifelong passion for and commitment to the game of golf.
Prior to joining Golf Canada, she was a Territory Sales Manager for Callaway Golf Canada for 18 years. During her time with Callaway, Dengel managed the GTA and Southwestern Ontario territory from 1992-2005 and has managed the Southern Ontario territory since 2006. |