Residents and golf courses across Southeast Saskatchewan are cleaning up Friday following an intense storm system that dropped tennis ball size hail on much of the corner of the province including Estevan.

Between 30 and 40 trees were knocked down at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club during Thursday afternoon’s storm. General manager Amanda Minchin said some greens suffered hail damage and several windows were broken in some of their outlying buildings. In 2014, the Woodlawn suffered massive flooding on the course following a storm. Kinchin said the staff is familiar with severe weather.

“Four years ago we didn’t have the hail; we’re getting really good at moving water,” she said. “We’re getting really good at dealing with severe weather, it’s the same but different at the same time, there’s a lot more tree work this time.”

Thankfully no injuries were reported across the region due to the storms. No tornadoes have been reported by Environment Canada in Saskatchewan, one did touch down in Southwest Manitoba. Minchin said their most important extreme weather protocol is making sure golfers and the staff is safe.

“There is nothing you can do to stop Mother Nature. We have emergency protocols in place for people in the building and on the golf course, that is what we are focused on. The staff did the right thing and got everyone down to the basement and away from the windows, in terms of doing something on the course to prepare for this, there’s nothing you can do,” Minchin said.

The staff is working on the cleanup effort Friday; Minchin said they hope to have the course back open on Saturday.

With golf season in full swing, Wendy Besplug is back on the highway as a volunteer Golf Saskatchewan course rater. The Kindersley, Sask. raised Besplug is also the 2017 volunteer of the year. She has been rating courses for almost 15 years covering every corner of the province. Besplug has been involved in the game her entire life playing with her grandparents and parents in Kindersley and Waskesiu. She said taking up course rating gave her a new perspective on the game.

“You get to know more about the game which helps your own game. Course rating changed my game and the way I played. It taught me to look for other sources of trouble rather than just bashing the ball down the middle of the course,” she said.

In her early years of rating Besplug rated many courses in the North, a highlight for her was seeing family-owned Northern Meadows Golf Club in Goodsoil expand to 18 holes. She has rated the course on three separate occasions. Besplug has toured more southern “prairie style” golf courses in recent years. She said she appreciates everyone of them.

“There is no bad golf course in this province,” she said. “They are all unique to themselves.”

Besplug estimates she’s rated over 60 courses. She averages about five per year, she did have to take a couple years off. She fell ill with West Nile in 2014 and later battled cancer. She has already rated Maple Creek’s course this year with her husband. After all the years driving around the province she said the Southwest town was a new stretch of road.

Looking back on her honour last year of the volunteer of the year, Besplug said the people she has met and the friends she’s made is the payoff. She said the support poured in from the golf community during her illnesses. She said the award was special to her.

“I can remember saying it’s amazing what can happen when you have fun. I watched people like Con Hammer and Moe Martin win the award. To me their hours and hours of dedication was undeniable, I didn’t put myself in that category. I was just having fun,” she said.

Besplug also volunteers at tournaments across the province, she will be assisting at the upcoming senior’s championships. She has served on the executive board and spent some time working in a rules capacity but appreciated the rating aspect. She said she enjoys the junior events and watching the young golfers develop their games as well. Overall, she said volunteering for the organization is a fantastic experience.

“We all have a common interest and that’s the love of golf. The more you can learn about the game, it’s the fact we all have that in common. That is what binds us together, it’s a no-brainer,” she said.

Changes are coming to the Willows Golf Club in South Saskatoon.

Dream Unlimited, the owner of the golf focused community is proposing a third residential development that would see the course transitioned from 27 holes to 18 plus with updates to the clubhouse and other infrastructure. General Manager Wayne Fairbairn says after 25 years the current clubhouse is showing its age and needs to be refreshed.

The timeline of the changes is still to be determined, but Fairbairn couldn’t be more excited for the clubs future. “To have Dream willing to invest into the golf course and clubhouse is pretty exciting.” he said. Dream will begin development on the Islands nine first and while that is happening the course will continue to operate as 27 holes. Once development moves into the other nines is when we will go down to 18 holes.

The Xena portion of the course won’t change Fairbairn explained. The Bridges, Islands and Lakes section of the course is where the development will take place. World renowned designer Doug Carrick plans to use some original fairways and tee boxes but golfers will be treated to essentially nine great new holes.

The Willows hosts a few large-scale tournaments every year including the Synergy 8 and Sask. Party golf tournament. The 36 and 27-hole facility was ideal for those types of events, but Fairbairn said there’s options to keep those tournaments manageable, with a little creativity.

Fairbairn predicted the clubhouse will remain unchanged for the next year at least. While he is unable to provide an actual date, when the alterations do begin, the Willows will enhance the experience of the players and community. The Willows will ensure their members, homeowners and event coordinators are in the know, once they have firmer timelines.

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — The Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship is set to take place from June 15-17 at Portage Golf Club.

With support from Golf Manitoba, the Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship is the fifth of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on June 14 before the tournament gets underway with round one on June 15.

Before the golf course first opened on May 31, 1922, the land was littered with scrap iron until the club founders planted hundreds of trees on the course to divide the fairways. Now, Portage Golf Club is a true island gem and a beautifully manicured 18 hole golf course that is situated along the shores of Crescent Lake.

“Golf Canada and Golf Manitoba are delighted to present the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship,” said Lisa Andersen, this week’s Tournament Director and Director of Competitions at Golf Manitoba. “We are certain that Portage Golf Club will challenge Canada’s premier junior golfers as they showcase their skills.”

The field will consist of 33 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 30-Aug. 2 at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls Division will consist of 10 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 31- Aug. 3 at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

The Atlantic Edition of the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship will conclude the regional championship series this summer from July 16-19 in Port Blandford, Nfld., at Twin Rivers Golf Course

Results from the previous 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura championships can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western, Quebec.

Notables
Josh Nagy of Saskatoon, Sask.
The sixteen-year-old finished T5 at the event last year. Nagy recently won the MJT – Golf SK OOM Lloydminster Series at Lloydminster G&CC and is currently ranked no.1 on Golf Saskatchewan’s U19 Junior Men’s Order of Merit.

Andrew C. Campbell of Saskatoon, Sask.
The eighteen-year-old finished the event last year in a tie for fifth. He would go on to place T3 at the Saskatchewan Junior Boys’ Championship at Chinook Players Club.

Sydney Scraba of Calgary, Alta.
The Calgary, Alta. product most recently came in second at the MJT – Alberta Spring Classic 2018, which took place from May 5-6 at Paradise Canyon Golf & Country Club. Seventeen-year-old Scraba placed 3rd at the Western edition of this championship in 2017.

Bobbi Uhl of Erickson, Man.
The eighteen-year-old’s 2017 season included a win at the MJT – PGA of Manitoba Junior Championship and a second place finish at the Manitoba Junior Girls’ Championship.

FAST FACTS
In 2018, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top six finishers in the Boys Division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top six finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Ryan McMillan climbed up the leaderboard to earn his victory last year in the junior boys division.

Chaewon Baek went wire-to-wire to win the junior girls division at this event in 2017.

More information on the event can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE
First official opening day was May 31, 1922.

Joined the Manitoba Golf Association in 1924.

The finishing three holes run along picturesque Crescent Lake.

DECISION 18-2/33 – Rotating Ball on Putting Green Without Marking Position

QUESTION:
Dave has the habit of rotating his ball on the putting green to line up the trademark and identification line with the hole. Dave did not lift the ball, mark its position or change its position. Does Dave receive a penalty?

ANSWER:
Yes, Dave is penalized one stroke for touching the ball other than as provided for in the Rules (Rule 18-2). Under Rules 16-1b and 20-1, a ball on the putting green may be lifted (or touched and rotated) ”after” its position has been marked. If Dave had simply marked the position of the ball before rotating it, there would have been no penalty.

Reminder to mark your ball, in any of the prescribed manners, and then rotate the ball.

It took a playoff hole, but Saskatoon’s Liam Courtney is the 2018 Lobstick Open champion.

Courtney climbed back from two strokes behind first round leader Roman Timmerman with a four under 66 during the second day of the event at the Waskesiu Golf Course. Each golfer was tied at 137; Courtney defeated Timmerman on the extra hole.

Ryan Wells of Prince Albert; Yorkton’s Kade Johnson; Ashley Ziegman; also of Prince Albert, and Kevin Elder each finished tied for third at one over par.

The rest of the Open results can be seen here.

The match play portion of the Lobstick begins Wednesday. The tournament will crown their champion Saturday.

Carla Odnokon is the 2018 Saskatoon Ladies’ Open champion holding off the field for a two-stroke win.

She edged Crystal Piero and Ann Kirkland who finished five strokes back in third place. Odnokon picked up 500 points in the Order of Merit (OOM) standings with the victory, Kirkland still leads the women’s race with 700 points.

Tanner White and Dave Stewart are tied on top of the men’s OOM standings, that will likely change at the end of this week’s Lobstick in Waskesiu.

Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy leads the under-19 boy’s OOM race, the junior’s next event is a Future Links Tour stop in Portage la Prairie from June 15 to 17.

The senior men’s leader is Saskatoon’s Chuck Hainsworth after one event. Their next OOM competition is slated for June 19 to 21. That’s the Auto Clearing Men’s Senior Championship at Moon Lake in Saskatoon.

The complete OOM standings for all the divisions is listed under the “COMPETE” banner on this website.

Saskatoon’s Holliston School is the latest facility to benefit from the Golf in Schools initiative.

The Golf Saskatchewan and Golf Canada program provides interested schools with indoor golf equipment giving students a chance to play the game, many for the first time. Holliston Grade 5 teacher Derrick Lee has been part of three donations of equipment over the years at Saskatoon schools he’s taught at. He said witnessing the student’s first foray into the sport is fun to watch.

“Many students have experience playing mini-golf but never the rush of swinging and striking a ball with greater speed and greater distance. The students who participate in Golf in Schools succeed because they must set and accomplish personal goals,” Lee said.

Lee grew up being involved with the game in his hometown of Foam Lake. He said many kids aren’t as fortunate to be able to be on the course, so the Golf in Schools program exposes more to the sport.

“The program allows students to experience the beginning step to become the next generation of golfers. The students who participate in the program quickly connect with golf because it is not in a team setting. Instructors tailor the program to each student and each student feels and sees success,” he said.

Lee hopes to see some expansion of the program down the road such as indoor golf tournaments among separate schools. He believes such an event could become a huge success.

If you are interested in bringing the Golf in Schools program to your facility contact Steve Ryde at 306.975.0834.

Saskatoon’s Roman Timmerman sprinkled a trio of birdies and a pair of bogey’s over 18 holes in the Lobstick qualifying round Monday at the Waskesiu Golf Course.

He opened the event with a par before falling a stroke over on hole two. Timmerman rebounded on the front nine with birdies on six and eight posting a 35 through nine holes. A bogey on hole 12 dropped Timmerman back to even par but he managed to score three on the 18^th hole securing a one-under 69.

Kevin Elder finshed a stroke back at 70; five golfers tied for third at one over including Richard Heicht, Liam Courtney, Kade Johnson, Warren Gnam, and Cory Sawchuk.

You can see results of all 179 participants here.

68 golfers will continue Tuesday and play the open portion of the tournament. Match play for the Lobstick title will be played Wednesday and Thursday.

Deer Valley’s Carey McLean led the way for four Saskatchewan golfers at this past weekend’s Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) stop in Red Deer, Alta.

McLean, 16, placed fourth overall in the 15-18 girl’s age group at the River Bend Golf Course. After firing a 104 in round one, she rebounded with a solid 97 on the second day to finish just off the podium.

In the peewee boy’s category, Cashton Yaremko of Orkney placed third overall. The 11-year-old shot a two-round total of 212.

A pair of Saskatchewan golfers competed in the juvenile boy’s division; Eastend’s Rylan Egland, 15, finished in 22^nd with a score of 179. Egland shot 86 on day one and 93 during day two. 15-year-old Pense golfer Charlie Belton placed 28^th with a two-day score of 207.

The MJT also held a one-day mini-tour event at River Bend on June 9. Warman’s Dane Giesbrecht was the lone Sask. participant in the field. The 10-year-old placed second in the boy’s 9-10 year-old group with a 73, just four strokes back of Buck Lake, Alta. Golfer Tyler Kidd.

The MJT will make a tour stop in North Battleford on June 16 and 17 as part of the Order of Merit series.