Six years ago, Shannon Scott was invited to a ladies ‘mystery golf day’ by Esterhazy resident Shari Forsythe-Holm, had a great time and decided to bring the idea to Regina.

Scott and the group that included 47 other women from around the Queen City recently wrapped up their fourth day at Willowbunch Golf Course. The group registers ahead of time and a bus picks the golfers up in the parking lot of the Royal Regina Golf Club with breakfast for the road. Before the players leave small wagers are made on where the group will end up. In years previous the day was hosted by Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Harbor Golf Resort in Elbow, and at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club in Estevan. Once at the destination the group plays and makes a day on the course.

“I don’t have any competition or proximities, it’s just you and your girlfriends out having fun, enjoying the day, having some laughs,” Scott said.

Over the years Scott said the host facilities have been very welcoming and this year Willowbunch was no different. She said the attendees, which was up 14 from the last get together before the COVID-19 pandemic enjoyed the nine hole “gem.”

“We all know Willowbunch is a hidden gem. The ladies really enjoyed it. They shut down the golf course for us, so we had a shotgun start. We had 10 members that let us use their carts, we had an awesome lunch, supper was great and strawberry cheesecake that was to die for,” Scott laughed.

The getaway is a highlight among the main group of Royal Regina golfers, that is Scott’s home course. She said with such a great response this year, and requests from the men at the Royal to organize a trip for them, Scott is pleased with the continued interest.

“You don’t think of that, you just want to spend time with your girlfriends. I am glad it is going off really well and everyone enjoyed it and we can keep doing it. It’s not just girls from the Royal, there are ladies from the Wascana Country Club and a few other courses, plus their friends,” she said.

On the road home Scott said they play games to pass the time as the group returns to Regina.

The destination wager (which nobody won) created a pot of $170 that was donated to the Royal’s Golf Fore a Cure event to boost the total for the annual cancer fundraiser.

Scott wouldn’t budge on where the day will be next year, but as an ambassador of the game in the province she is glad golf can provide a special day for everyone that attends.

“There are not many things that women can just go away and not have to worry about much. It’s a day for them,” she concluded.

With this year’s Synergy 8 Community Builders ‘Drive for Kids Campaign’ major fundraiser in the rearview mirror the group is looking back on one of the best events to date.

Over $3.3 million was raised through the golf tournament and gala in Saskatoon on Aug. 30.

Synergy 8 spokesman Troy Davies spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork about the return of a full days agenda, this years special guests and where the funds raised will go.

When Vito Iula hits the seventh tee box at Riverside Country Club during everyone of his roughly three rounds a week it’s safe to say he’s confident a good shot is coming.

Dating back to his first hole-in-one on the hole in 2012, the development project manager now has four aces on the hole.

According to the National Hole-in-One Registry, only three other people in the world have four on the same hole, none from Canada.

Iula joined Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork on the seventh green at Riverside to discuss the amazing feat.

Much like the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in Winnipeg, all reports back from Red Deer is the men’s event was also fantastic.

The team of Rick Hallberg, Brent Wotypka, and Rick Hillestad finished in fourth place in the inter-provincial competition, just two shots off the bronze medal.

Hallberg led the locals with a tie for 17th, Wotypka and Colin Coben tied for 43rd overall, and sixth in the super senior category. Hillestad was 60th in the senior division and placed a respectable 13th in the super senior.

Marty Ring and Brad Phelps also competed in the event.

The complete results can be seen here.

Hallberg and Wotypka joined Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork to discuss the week at the Red Deer Golf and Country Club.

Regina’s Alex Schmidt has started her final golf season at Lewis-Clarke State College with a bang.

Schmidt, 22, led the lady Warriors to a team win at the opening event of the 2022 Fall season in Gleneden Beach, Oregon on Sept. 4 -6. Schmidt carded rounds of 77, 82, and 84 for a 54-hole total of 243, plus-33, good enough for second place behind Payton Canon of Oregon Tech.

The Warriors won the team championship by 21 strokes.

Schmidt followed her silver medal performance with a tie for 12^th at this week’s College of Idaho Invitational in Caldwell, Idaho on Monday, and Tuesday. She carded rounds of 81 and 76, the team placed third overall.

Next up for Lewis-Clarke is the Multnomah Invitational in Portland, Oregon on Sept. 26 and 27.

Chaplin’s Holly Knudsen has been on the course in the United States competing since August with the Minot State Beavers women’s golf team. Knudsen started the season great with a top-five showing at the MSUM Maverick Invitational in Faribault Golf Club in Minnesota. She posted rounds of 84 and 79 to lead the team. The Beavers placed sixth in the team standings.

Minot State just returned from Bemidji, Minnesota after competing in the Tracy Lane Memorial on Sept 12 and 13. Knudsen tied for 18^th at the event shooting 82 and 89. The team was seventh.

Next on the Beavers schedule is the Hardrocker Fall Invitational in Rapid City, South Dakota on Sept. 19 and 20.

Saskatoon product Will Danielson kicked off his sophomore season at Milsaps College with his best collegiate finish. Danielson tied for third at the SAA Preview in Dickson, Tennessee at the Greystone Golf Club thanks to rounds of 75 and 69. Danielson helped the Majors place third as a squad. They will now travel to Delhi, Louisiana for the Tri-Match at Black Bear Golf Club on Oct. 1.

Jace Carlisle and his Post University teammates kicked off their 2022 Fall season with a bronze medal performance at the Granite State Opener in Concord, New Hampshire on Sept. 12 – 13. The Estevan product finished in a tie for 32^nd at the event at the Beaver Meadow Golf Course. Carlisle opened with an 81 in round one but bounced back nicely with a 72 in round two.

The Eagles next action is the FPU Fall Invitational at Northern Spy Golf Club in Townsend, Massachusetts.

Robert Morris University competed in the Alex Lagowitz Memorial in Hamilton, New York in early September. Josh Nagy of Saskatoon kicked off his senior year with the Colonials finishing tied for 18^th at 2-over par. Nagy fired rounds of 76, 68, and 74 at the Seven Oaks Golf Club on Sept. 4 and 5.

The team was 10^th, they travel to Chesterton, Indiana on Sept. 19 for the Valparaiso Invitational.

Both Chase Gedak and TJ Baker were in action this week playing in the GAC Preview at the Lake Hefner Golf Club in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Gedak helped Arkansas – Monticello to a tie for fifth in the team event thanks to a tie for 24^th finish. The Estevan native shot 71 before firing back-to-back 73’s to close the 54-hole championship.

Baker was competing as an individual in the event. The Prince Albert product tied for 31^st at at 225 (75, 72, 78).

The Weevils next event is the annual Battle for the Belt in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Oct. 3 and 4.

Caden Loeppky has two events under his belt already this year for Waldorf University.

On Sept. 8 the team played in the one day, 18-hole Trojan Invitational and placed fifth out of 11 teams. Loeppky shot 78 and placed in a tie for 21^st.

The Warriors then travelled to Marion, Iowa for a 36-hole tournament at Hunters Ridge Golf Club on Sept. 10 and 11. The Saskatoon product tied for 34^th after rounds of 82 and 81. Waldorf tied for fourth as a team.

The Buena Vista Invitational is next up for Waldorf on Sept. 18 and 19 at Storm Lake, Iowa.

Alex Swinnerton of Saskatoon made his collegiate debut this week for Indiana University of Pennsylvania and showed he’s ready for the next level. Swinnerton tied for sixth overall at 142 thanks to rounds of 70 and 72 at the Edgewood Country Club in Charleston, West Virginia during the Golden Eagle Invitational.

Guillermo Salazar, also a Waskesiu Golf Course member with Swinnerton made his debut as well finishing in a tie for 32^nd at 148 (71, 77).

The team tied for first in the tournament with Glenville State College. The Hawks next scheduled tournament is the Mercyhurst Fall Invitational in North East, Pennsylvania on Sept. 16 – 17.

Also making his collegiate debut this week was Radville’s Davin Bourassa.

The Assiniboia Golf Course member tied for 13^th in his first college event at Eagle Bend Golf Club in Lawrence, Kansas. Bourassa shot 74 and 80 at the Ottawa University Fall Invite to help MidAmerica Nazarene University place in a tie for second overall.

Next up is the Northwest Iowa National Invitational at the Willow Creek Golf at Le Mars, Iowa on Sept. 18 – 20.

To see more details on all the Saskatchewan golfers playing college click here.

On Aug. 27 the community of Birch Hills was treated to the Richardson Pioneer Rider Nation Community Celebration with over 500 people taking in the days festivities.

Along with the day of events came a cheque worth $25,000 that will go towards a new clubhouse at the Birch Hills Golf Course.

Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork spoke with assistant clubhouse manager and longtime Birch Hills resident Iris Fjeld about the course, the clubhouse, the celebration day and the clubhouse fundraising progress.

After a three year absence the PGA of Saskatchewan Buying Show is back this October.

The event will be held on Oct. 25 and 26 at the new Dakota Dunes Resort Hotel. Executive Director Scott Allan spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork about his first summer at the helm of the provincial PGA association, the show itself, potential changes for the future and the overall state of the game in Saskatchewan.

According to Saskatchewan’s Kim Walker, Kathy Hopfner, and Maureen Bowerman the 2022 Canadian Senior Women’s Championship was an experience they won’t soon forget.

In total, nine players from the province competed in the 54-hole event at Breezy Bend in Headingly, Manitoba from Aug. 30 – Sept. 1.

Walker led the way with a fantastic finish in a tie for seventh place. As a team Saskatchewan was sixth.

Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork spoke with Walker, Hopfner, and Bowerman after the ladies returned from Winnipeg.

The 14 players that competed in the 2022 Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship from Saskatchewan are back in the province and recollecting the week in Thornhill, Ontario.

Prince Albert’s Danny Klughart was the top local finishing the championship in a tie for 26th at 13-over par.

Shaun Dunphy of Saskatoon finished his 11th national event in a tie for 58th, the second highest placing Saskatchewan product and Regina’s Drew Kocur made the cut in his national debut and finished 71st.

All three players spoke to Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork following the event.

KLUGHART

DUNPHY

KOCUR

Saskatchewan’s four competitors from the golf event are back in Saskatchewan and basking in the week that was at Niagara Falls for the 2022 Canada Summer Games.

Yorkton’s Ella Kozak was the top local tying for fifth in the 72-hole championship that ran from Aug. 17 to 20. She will also be eligible for the next Games in 2025.

Next up for the 16-year-old is the Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp in Toronto from Sept. 8 to 11. Saskatoon’s Chase Pochylko will join her in an effort to make the national team.

Kozak spoke with Golf Saskatchewan following the Games.

Hallie Crozier of Regina placed 17th in the event. She wrapped up the season in Saskatchewan this past weekend at the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) Order of Merit Series Championship in Warman with a two-day score of 160. The 17-year-old will compete in the MJT National Championship in Florida later this year and continue to work with coach Henry Brunton with a goal of getting a scholarship.

On the boys side Hunter Kutcher and Darien Herlick tied for 14th at the Canada Games.

Kutcher is now heading to Kelowna to begin his collegiate career for the UBC Okanagan Heat.

Like Kozak, Herlick is eligible to compete in the Games again. He will stay in Saskatchewan for the time being and work with his coach before heading to Florida to work with Brunton.