The city of Yorkton has been a hotbed for Saskatchewan golfers for decades and with Kade Johnson chasing the PGA Tour dream, Ella Kozak getting set for college, Arden Knoll looking back, and Kathy Ziglo still chasing wins, a local golf fan wanted to hear more.

Dick DeRryk is a life-long Yorkton resident and staple member of Deer Park Municipal Golf Course, where the aforementioned players all got their start.

DeRyk, a former Yorkton city councilor among other positions in Yorkton, hosts a podcast termed ‘Yorkton Stories.’

The east-central Saskatchewan hub has many stories, but earlier this year DeRyk focused on golf with those four stars of the sport in the province.

To listen, click below.

https://yorktonstories.ca/4-for-fore

The PGA of Canada Awards were officially announced on Dec. 22 of last year, but the award winners including Saskatoon’s Mitch Bach were able to collect their prize on Jan. 24 at the PGA Show in Orlando, Flo.

The Willows Club based professional and leader behind Clubhouse Golf Academy took home the Moe Norman Apprentice Professional of the Year Award alongside his Apprentice of the Year honour at the PGA of Saskatchewan Awards in October.

Bach spoke with Golf Saskatchewan after returning from the show and what winning the award means, plus how he plans to make 2024 an even more exciting year in the Bridge City, and beyond.

Winston Grayson has announced he will play collegiate golf for the Minot State University (MSU) Beavers in the fall.

The Kipling, Sask. product has taken a couple years since high school to decide on his educational future, but he told Golf Saskatchewan the sport is something he wanted to continue to play.

With the commitment to MSU, Grayson will study Business as the North Dakota based college that is currently home to Holly Knudsen of Chaplin, Sask. and Chase Gedak of Estevan.

Grayson spoke with Golf Saskatchewan about his start in golf and his road to the Beavers golf team.

Locked in a cold spell to start 2024, Saskatchewan golfers can now start planning their competitive schedule for the summer when the season opens April 15.

The Order of Merit (OMT) schedule is still missing a few dates with events across Saskatchewan, but most of the schedule is complete and can be found here.

The winner of each OMT category will receive an exemption into a provincial championship of their choice the following year. Golf Saskatchewan implemented the incentive following this past season.

To win an OMT championship you must play in a provincial event, the OMT point structure states players can use their top four events, plus the Saskatchewan championships in the OMT race.

Registration will open for provincials on April 15, the schedule can be found below.

You must be a member of Golf Canada/Saskatchewan to compete for an OMT title or compete in a provincial championship.

Regina’s Taylor Carter has been named a finalist for the Saskatchewan Sport Excellence Male Athlete of the Year.

Carter won the Special O World Games golf competition in Germany in June of 2023.

He is the lone golfer on the list of 30 finalists for the amateur sport organizations awards that will be handed out on Feb. 1 in Regina.

For full details of the awards, and tickets click here.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) has set their 2024 schedule and will make eight stops in Saskatchewan this year.

The events, that will be played alongside one-day Mini-Tour tournaments, will begin in May and run throughout the summer leading up to the National Championships taking place in Arizona over Remembrance Day weekend of 2024.

The first competition will be hosted by TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club in Estevan on May 11 and 12.

The next tournament is the MJT Spring Classic at Elmwood Golf lub in Swift Current from May 18 to 20.

Wildwood Golf Course in Saskatoon welcomes junior golfers to thir Saskatoon course on June 1 and 2. On June 15 and 16 Yorkton’s Deer Park Municipal Golf Course will host an event from June 15 and 16.

The Yorkton MJT tournament will provide a solid teaser for the Saskatchewan Junior Championships being held at Deer Park from July 3 to 5.

On July 15 and 16 Deer Valley Golf Club will host a 36-hole event, Moon Lake Golf and Country Club does the same on July 29 and 30.

The MJT _ PLYR Series at Elk Ridge Golf Resort is scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11, and the Legends Golf Club in Warman will host the final event of the year on Aug. 24 and 25.

All the MJT events will be part of the 2024 Saskatchewan Junior Order of Merit Tours (OMT). The 2024 OMT schedules will be updated later this month.

Registration is now open for all MJT events, for more details click here.

It’s with sadness the Saskatchewan golf community has lost another Hall of Fame person, and player.

Doug Mader passed away on Dec. 30, 2023.

Since his passing, at the age of 83 due to complications from a fall playing pickleball, words from around the golf community have been expressed to honour the 2011 Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame inductee.

Former Golf Saskatchewan President, and fellow Royal Regina Golf Club (RRGC) member with Mader, Larry Wagman said Doug will be dearly missed at the “Home of Golf.”

“Golf in Saskatchewan and members at the Royal Regina Golf Club lost an icon with the recent passing of Doug Mader,” Wagman stated. “He will be remembered and missed as a competitor and friendly face throughout his host of friends and acquaintances.”

The RRGC sent a message to their members early in 2024, that read;

It is with great sadness that we announce the recent passing of Royal Regina Life Member, Doug Mader.

“Doug was a RRGC member for 60 years having originally joined the Club in 1964. We send our deepest condolences to his wife Barb, and all their family and friends.” 

In June, of 2020 Golf Saskatchewan was able to sit down with Mader at his and Barb’s beautiful Lumsden home to learn more about his career and life. To view the interview click here.

Long-time Regina Leader-Post Reporter Darrel Davis also wrote about Mader’s passing.

Golf Saskatchewan also sends condolences to Barbara and all of Doug’s family and loved ones.

Makstr McIntyre is the latest Saskatchewan junior golfer to announce he’s going to play collegiate golf.

The 17-year-old Swift Current, Sask. product will attend Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont. next year. The Battlin’ Bears compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) college athletic circuit.

The Elmwood Golf Club member still has two years left of junior golf and wants to improve on his T-29th place at juniors over the next couple years. His junior career highlight so far is a final eight appearance in the championship flight of the 2023 Lobstick at Waskesiu.

McIntyre plans to study business while at Rocky Mountain College and hopes to stick in the game once he earns his degree.

Hear from McIntyre below as he speaks about his commitment to Golf Saskatchewan.

The game of golf had another unbelievable season in 2023 according to rounds reported from member cubs across Saskatchewan.

One golf club seeing incredible growth is Hidden Hills in Shellbrook, Sask. The nine-hole gem 42 kilometres east of Prince Albert, Sask. reported 26,845 rounds played during the season. The number is up from 20,400 in 2022. Dating back to just 2017, the club counted under 10,000 rounds, a half dozen years later the number has almost tripled.

Four other nine-hole facilities reported over 20,000 rounds played this season including Wakaw Lake Regional Park Golf Course (24,423), Valleyview Delisle Golf Course (22,510), Regina Beach Golf Club (21,795), and Green Acres Golf Course (20,229).

Seeing the most golfers was Holiday Park Golf Course in Saskatoon. The municipal course has 27 holes allowing more golfers off the tee. In total Holiday Park recorded a whopping 63,446 rounds this season, up from 56,783. The course did reach the 60,000 plateau during the 2021 season with 60,151.

Saskatchewan’s three other 27-hole facilities that reported their round totals to Golf Saskatchewan for 2023 were as follows; Tor Hill Golf Course sent 48,500 golfers out in 2023, the Willows Club in Saskatoon generated 47,833 rounds, and Elk Ridge Golf Resort, with their more remote location and shorter season still saw 22,437 players take in the majestic resort this year.

The busiest 18-hole golf club this year via rounds played was Wildwood Golf Course in Saskatoon. Managed by the City of Saskatoon, alongside Holiday Park and Silverwood Golf Course, golfers in the Bridge City flocked to the courses. Wildwood recorded 39,375 rounds this year, an increase of just under 5,000. Silverwood was the fourth busiest 18-hole course, with shorter pace of place due to length, they saw 35,559 golfers tee off. The Wascana Country Club in Regina’s south end was the second busiest 18-hole course reporting 37,557 in 2023, just edging out the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club’s 36,364 rounds.

Overall, courses that reported back to Golf Saskatchewan account for 1,372,000 rounds in the province in 2023.

Earlier this month Golf Canada promoted that over 10 million members posted scores this year as well, breaking the record of 9.2 million in 2022.

Saskatchewan players posted 272,106 rounds into the Golf Canada Score Centre, up 26,172 rounds over the total from 2022.

The top posting 18-hole course was Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon. Members recorded 20,616 rounds, players at the the Royal Regina Golf Club entered 20,552 scores in 2023, while the Wascana Country Club had 19,294 rounds posted by members.

The top posting nine-hole course was the Maple Creek Golf Club. 3,365 scored were posted from the small southwest Saskatchewan town’s players. Katepwa Beach Golf Club was second at 2,230, Echo Ridge Golf Course at Fort Qu’Appelle posted the third most rounds 2,161.

These numbers are all based on the 2023 season that runs from Nov. 1 to Oct. 31, which is Golf Canada’s fiscal year.

Scores for the 2024 season can now be posted by players hitting the course in warmer climates.

Another Saskatoon junior has committed to a university in California.

Carter Degelman has registered at Dominican University of California and will join fellow Riverside Country Club member Carter Bell at the NCAA Div. 2 school.

Degelman, 17, had an excellent 2023 season that included a pair of Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) wins, a final appearance at the Junior Lobstick and a tie for 12th at the Saskatchewan Junior Men’s Championship.

He spoke with Golf Saskatchewan regarding his summer, a potential chance to play the Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship at his home course, and where he hopes his “dream” goes.