The nation took the day on May 29 to celebrate the sport of golf.

Courses and clubs across Canada celebrated National Golf Day with events and promotions to advertise the game and its popularity. Members of Parliament in Ottawa heard from representatives of the PGA of Canada and Golf Canada plus provincial golf bodies. Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan MP Tom Lukiwski said golf provides many benefits to Canadians.

“It does great things economically, environmentally, and from a health aspect,” he said. “I will continue to do anything I can do to grow the game.”

Over 5.7 million people golf in Canada, that equals over 60 million rounds per year. 300,000 jobs are linked to the golf industry across the nation and the sport generates $14.3 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product annually. Health wise walking 18 holes equals a 5.6 kilometre run or an eight-kilometre walk. Up to 2,000 calories can be burned during a round of golf as well.

Lukiwski has competed in the national men’s amateur championship on three occasions in the 1980’s and continues to be involved in numerous roles from volunteering to administration. He said golf is a game that can be enjoyable for your entire life.

“It’s a sport you can play literally until you drop. There are very few sports, if any where a 90-year-old can still play, enjoy yourself and be competitive. With the handicapping system it doesn’t matter if you are a scratch or plus-2, you can play against a 20-handicap and still have a good game,” Lukiwski said.

The Moose Jaw resident said he appreciates the etiquette and honesty of the sport as well.

“Golf truly is pure, competitors are without a doubt the most honest of any athletes, we penalize and police ourselves when need be,” he said.

Lukiwski said he is looking forward to the CP Women’s Open in Regina on Aug. 20 to 26. He was a spectator at the event in Ottawa last year and the event was fascinating.

National Golf Day coincides with Adopt a School week, an initiative that gives kids a chance to pick up a golf club for many, the very first time.

OTTAWA, Ont. – On a day that was perfect to play golf, Canada’s golf industry was on Parliament Hill touting the benefits of the sport to nearly 70 members of parliament and a handful of Canada’s senators as well.

It was the first year the National Allied Golf Associations (composed of Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada, the National Golf Course Owners Association, the Canadian Society of Club Managers, and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association) decided to change their outward marketing approach to align with the American golf industry associations.

NAGA, as its known, will remain the administrative name for the body of industry associations, but moving forward the brand will be called ‘We Are Golf.’

We Are Golf set up a junior golf clinic on Parliament Hill in concert with Golf in Schools, and welcomed nearly 100 students from Carson Grove Elementary School on Tuesday, many of whom had never played golf before.

“What’s been amazing is that we’ve been able to get the word out about We Are Golf,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, who has just recently celebrated one year at the helm of Golf Canada.

From left to right: Charlie Beaulieu (Vice President, Golf Canada), Leslie Dunning (President, Golf Canada), Laurence Applebaum (CEO, Golf Canada), Patrick Kelly (President, B.C. Golf)

The objective of the day was to continue to grow awareness of golf in the country’s decision makers, as leaders from each of the respective organizations had a day chalk-full of meetings on Parliament Hill with MPs from across the country.

Jeff Calderwood, the CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association and chair of NAGA, said one of the main objectives of the day was based on how many people the organization got to meet with, and he said they ended up exceeded that number.

“It’s up to us to tell the story about golf and let the nearly 70 MPs and the few senators know all about what the golf industry is really about. Without that, you’re susceptible to politicians just seeing this as a game,” said Calderwood. “It could be a great game, and a game more people could play than any other sport, but if you need to go beyond that and give them the rest of the story. That’s when they start to treat you the way you need to be treated to have a fair outcome on anything environmental, tax-related, or funding-related.”

Calderwood said a key message would be around how golf is a vital industry in almost every community in Canada. Well north of 75 percent of all communities (or ‘ridings,’ in political vernacular) have a golf course – save for downtown ridings like Toronto Centre or Ottawa Centre, for example – and even the ones that don’t are only 10 minutes away from the nearest course, said Calderwood.

This past election was a first for Calderwood, he said, as more than 200 MPs that came into the legislature were first-timers. He admitted Tuesday that with the next election only 18 months away, there would be a lot of education for the new MPs on the golf industry – its economic benefits, its environmental benefits, and more.

“It never ends,” he said. “This time they had 200 new members of parliament, which is an unusually big turnover. You start back at ground zero with their awareness of the golf industry, but the education needs to be a perpetual thing. This gives us a chance to highlight (golf) early in the year and sync up with National Golf Day in the U.S.”

Unlike Calderwood, this was Applebaum’s first time on Parliament Hill lobbying on behalf of the golf industry.

He said the day was a positive one, and he was impressed to see how many rookie MPs play golf, along with their families. Specifically he was happy to hear from MP Roger Cuzner from Cape Breton-Canso, who has seen millions of tourism dollars flood the island thanks to the worldwide success of Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs, and Highlands Links.

Scenes from National Golf Day on Parliament Hill ??⛳️#CanadaGolfDay#WeAreCanadianGolf pic.twitter.com/KS4VoolZwB

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) May 29, 2018

Getting the message out about golf’s positives was key, said Applebaum, speaking specifically to its impact on Canada’s GDP ($15 billion) and employment (more than 300,000 across the country).

While in past years NAGA was on Parliament Hill lobbying for tax fairness for the golf industry – to allow people to claim a round of golf on their taxes in terms of entertainment as a bonafide business expense – that wasn’t on the agenda Tuesday.

Applebaum said that is still an “important issue” as an industry, but instead the day in Ottawa was more for “advocacy, information, and sharing.”

“We’re not here for an ask. We’re just here to let the MPs know how active their constituents are with golf, and down the road we’ll address the tax issue,” he explained.

Moving forward, Applebaum is hopeful that National Golf Day results in more awareness, and maybe even days off for people to go play golf. But he would say the first iteration was a success.

“We’ve gotten together as an industry, which we don’t always do so well, and we’ve been able to get our voice heard,” he said. “That makes for a really nice day for us.”

As the calendar flips to the month of June, the golf season schedule in Saskatchewan is starting to become busier.

Men chasing the Order of Merit (OOM) standings lead and seasonal championship will have a chance to overtake Regina City Amateur champion Tanner White this upcoming weekend in Nipawin. The Evergreen Golf Course will host the 18^th annual Scotia Wealth Open on June 2 and 3.

On the ladies’ side, their OOM sanctioned event schedule kicks off as well this upcoming weekend. Prince Albert’s Cooke Municipal Golf Course will play host to the Prince Albert Women’s Northern, also on June 2 and 3.

The Senior Men’s Lobstick at Waskesiu Golf Course will be held on June 5 and 6 to start the senior OOM events.

The Junior OOM schedule takes golfers to the Lloydminster Golf and Country Club this weekend.

You can view all the standings and schedules here.

Tanner White is the 2018 Regina City Amateur golf champion.

Despite not having time to play consistently so far this season the Regina product fired 141 over 36 holes on the weekend to claim the championship. Just days from celebrating the one-year anniversary of his business in the Queen City, White said his work schedule has kept him to just one full round of golf so far this season. That didn’t affect the 30-year-old’s performance at the Royal Regina Golf Club (RRGC) and Wascana Country Club (WCC) on route to a one-shot victory over Saskatoon’s Landon Emberley. White said even he was a little shocked by the result following a slow start to the season.

“Kind of but at the same time I have been putting a lot work into my game since I opened this business. We have a Trackman in there, so I’ve been doing a lot of work getting my swing in tune,” he said. “I’ve been playing golf my entire life so if you understand to manage the misses, be confident, and have fun things can work out every now and again.”

White produced just seven bogeys over 36 holes, comparatively he knocked down nine birdies. Regina’s Ryan McNall had a one-stroke lead after day one at the RRGC. The second round was hosted at White’s home course, he was optimistic heading into the final 18 holes.

“I was comfortable and confident, I know it was early in the year and the wind would be blowing. I just stayed to my game, I figured if I could post under par I could win. It was really good,” he said.

White owns 1621, a health club style facility in Regina with a focus on golf. The one-year anniversary of the business in June 1. White said the success and hours taken up by the business will keep him from entering some tournaments. He is the defending Publinx champion and wants to defend that title, he said he likely won’t get a chance to compete in the Men’s Amateur at Dakota Dunes later this year. He did say the talent level of the golfers in the province and Regina is elevating and that’s positive.

“I shot under par the second day, Ryan (McNall) shot under par the first day, there was bunch of scores around par. It just goes to show the quality of golf around Saskatchewan. We have a lot of good players and that is great to see,” he said.

White earns 500 Order of Merit points giving him an early lead in the season standings.

Special thanks to Randy Gilewich and the Regina Dental Group for sponsoring the event.

Harbor Golf Club and Resort head professional Mark Patterson is taking his golf expertise to the top of the national stage.

Patterson, who calls Elbow, Sask. home, was recently named the president of PGA of Canada after two years of being the vice-president of the organization. He said the appointment is very enticing.

“I’m very excited to be the 47^th president of the PGA of Canada,” Patterson said while attending meetings this week in Ottawa. “We have a great staff, extremely smart, energetic, enthusiastic, people that think outside the box. To be a part of that is top drawer for me.”

Patterson began his golf career in 1985, he received his class A certificate in 1989. His career started in Estevan, he has worked at courses in Shaunavon, Emerald Park, Wakaw Lake and his current position in Elbow at the Harbor. He started helping on boards with a position on the PGA of Saskatchewan group before joining the national executives in 2010. Patterson says revamping the education portion of the PGA of Canada’s mandate is something he’s looking forward to.

“Other PGA’s look at us as leaders in the education department, they were so thrilled with the process and education we have. Now they are saying you are changing it? Well we’re making it better,” he said.

Patterson’s term is two-years meaning his tenure will expire in 2020. He said he hopes to leave a legacy on the PGA of Canada.

“The people we have staff wise, on the board, our leader, Chief Executive Officer Kevin Thistle, just fantastic people all working for the same passion. In 2020 when I’m done I am hoping I leave the Association with a perfect vision,” he said.

Patterson takes over for Steve Wood of Winnipeg.

The week of May 28 to June 1 is being celebrated by Golf Canada as the national organization partners with industry groups to drive interest and fundraising efforts in support of the Future Links Golf in Schools program.

The Adopt a School program teed off in 2009, adoptions are being attributed to close to 50 percent of the schools delivering the initiative. In 2017, 266 schools were adopted introducing the sport to an average of 120 students in each school. Overall more than 420,000 students coast-to-coast are being reached and introduced to the sport.

Golf in Schools provides programming for students from grades 1 to 12. More details on the program can be found here. Golf Saskatchewan is purchasing an elementary school kit as well as an intermediate kit.

A few years ago, the staff and volunteers involved with the Lampman Golf Course knew something had to be done to save their facility.

Two seasons ago the club removed their sand and oil greens and replaced them with professionally designed and installed artificial turf putting surfaces. The club installed one artificial green on a pilot project basis which was a hit among the local members. President Blaise Fornwald said the surfaces won’t be mistaken for grass but are a solid, feasible replacement for small clubs.

“Everyone we talked to said they were alright, the greens aren’t like grass. They are harder to land on and stick. Members and the people that use the artificial greens like them though, they putt nice,” Fornwald said.

The course in Lampman was financially able to install grass greens but Fornwald said the long-term maintenance is tough for a small group of volunteers. The artificial turf needs to be brushed regularly, the club has a machine to keep up with the cleaning. He said the installation of the greens has made their club viable again.

“For sure, on the weekends now we have lots of people coming out, and lots of different people,” he said. “The greens have definitely turned the club around.”

Alberta based Mirage Putting Greens is the company that installed the surfaces for the Lampman course. President Randy Steinley said the Lampman project was the largest concept they’ve undertaken in the province. He said with over 60 sand and oil greens in Saskatchewan the market is ideal for the upgrades.

“It’s a good concept, there are a lot of sand greens still around,” Steinley said. “The feasibility, maintenance, and water supplies make it tough to keep grass greens with the budget they have.”

Mirage’s product comes with a 10-year guarantee and require only a cover when it comes to protecting the surface through Saskatchewan’s treacherous winter season.

Steinley said his company works with many private course and home owners in Alberta installing backyard putting surfaces or par-3 courses. He said the success and feedback provided by the Lampman users is opening doors to other courses in Saskatchewan.

“We’ve had interest from Grenfell, Beaver Flats, some other courses have also expressed interest,” Steinley said.

The company first started developing the surfaces in 1998.

Canadian PGA golfer David Hearn along with Kia Canada Inc. are teaming up to battle Alzheimer’s disease once again this year.

In 2015, Hearn, 38, launched his Foundation focusing on supporting the Alzheimer Society of Canada. The Foundation aims to increase awareness, improve care for those in need, and reducing the impact of the disease by raising funds and providing services to individuals and families.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 grant program with assistance from Kia Canada. The program is open to all junior golfers in Canada. The two winners will receive $4,500 each to contribute to an Alzheimer Society of their choice. The two recipients will also be invited to play in the 2018 David Hearn Foundation Charity Classic in Brantford, Ont. and $500 to spend at Golftown. Besides being a Canadian resident, applicants must be under 18-years-old on July 30, enrolled in school, and involved in the sport of golf including a junior program, member of a course, taking lessons or attending a camp. There is an essay portion of the application as well asking entrants to explain why they should be chosen to support a certain Alzheimer’s Society chapter.

The deadline to apply is June 19, the winners will be chosen on July 4 and announced on July 6. Applications can be downloaded here.

Tucked into the trees north of Nipawin is the Rolling Pines Golf Course, a nine-hole grass green facility privately owned by the Arnst family.

Larry and Debbie Arnst are into their 11^th season owning the course carved into a pine ridge in Saskatchewan’s forest. The couple has had a successful decade long tenure owning the course but this year they wanted to add a feature not seen around many clubs. Years prior to the Arnst’s opening the course, they saw a tower built onto a clubhouse at a course in Mexico. Larry shelved the idea until this year, with some help from an employee at the course and other volunteers they constructed a 50’ high lookout tower. He said they wanted something that would stand out.

“It’s something unique that will hopefully pull the people in. Where we are we are kind of at the end of the line for most traffic in Saskatchewan, so we thought if we want to make this a success we need to be unique,” Arnst said.

The tower consists of three floors, the top one is approximately 35’ above the ground. The tower is constructed from local spruce trees, some 20” to 30” in diameter. The structure isn’t quite complete, the stairs are built but need to be attached, the railings are yet to be finished and the floors will be liquid-proofed. Arnst said the idea is for people to enjoy the view of the course and surrounding scenery while enjoying a drink or meal. A meeting space is also something they are contemplating. Arnst said the tower is a great compliment to their rustic layout.

“A lot of land movement, there’s a lot of up-and-down, it’s deceiving because all the farm land around it is flat. For every up there is a down, some of our downs really go down. It’s not your basic flatter style course, there’s also lots of trees that some people curse and others like,” he said.

The Arnst family runs a smaller operation but Larry does have dreams of expanding to 18 holes. He has done some preliminary work on more fairways but for the time being he said it’s not financially feasible.

“We have one of the prettiest nine-hole courses in the province and if we went to 18 it would be the same just because of the lay of the land,” he said.

Rolling Pines was recently named the bronze winner in Golf West Magazine Reader’s Choice award for favourite Saskatchewan golf course.

Rule 23-1 – Why Sand and Loose Soil are Not Loose Impediments off the Putting Green

QUESTION:
What is the reason why sand and loose soil are not loose impediments off the putting green? Why can’t I remove them from the area of my intended swing?

ANSWER:
Sand and loose soil are part of the earth. Permitting the player to remove sand and soil other than on the putting green would inevitably lead to situations in which the player would be at liberty to remove a great deal of earth from the area of his intended swing and stance, improving the lie beyond the extent that should be permitted. Additionally, the putting green is an area specifically designed for putting and sand and loose soil are not commonplace on such a surface.

Reminder 1, in Saskatchewan, a putting surface may consist of oiled prepared sand. The Rule above does not make the sand movable as it is the putting surface. The sand may be smoothed prior to putting and then roughened in preparation for the next group at the completion of the hole.

Reminder 2, in the situation above, if another player plays prior to you and splashes sand over your intended area of swing, stance or direction of play, under the rules, the player is entitled to the lie she/he had prior to the play of the other person. In this instance, a player could remove the sand from the rough and fringe (off the green).