Golfers in Saskatchewan have a couple new options if anyone is looking for lessons or golf programs.

PGA of Canada members Patty and Phillip Jonas have relocated from Vancouver and settled in Saskatoon where they will both teach out of the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club (SGCC). The couple opened an academy in British Columbia 17 years ago but family connections to Saskatchewan has drawn them to the province. Originally from Prince George, Patty’s brother called Saskatchewan home while a member of the RCMP. Her parents made their way here and since July she also found a new home in the Bridge City. Combining the family closeness she said the need for golf teachers made the move a win-win.

“I see a gap in the golf business here in that there isn’t anyone just teaching really,” she told Golf Saskatchewan at the SGCC. “There is a couple people but there isn’t really anyone doing a lot of stuff. We want to junior stuff with outside people, we want to do junior stuff here, we want to do adults, we want to do seniors. There’s stuff we really can’t do in Vancouver and this facility is magic.”

Patty is a two-time amateur B.C. women’s champion, a three-time PGA of B.C. women’s champion, a former number one ranked Canadian women and was inducted into the B.C. Golf Hall of Fame alongside Phillip last year. Following her successful playing career that included a stint on the European LPGA and the now Symetra Tour she knew immediately teaching was her passion in the game.

“The first lesson I gave, this is way better,” she explained. “For me I knew immediately that I enjoyed teaching a lot more. I enjoyed the opportunity to help people get better. I would rather watch other people practice than practice myself. I enjoy watching people swing, I enjoy watching people practice. I knew right away teaching was for me.”

Phillip’s road to teaching is different from his wife of over 30 years. Born in South Africa, Phillip’s father was a course manager, so golf has been his passion his entire life. He won the IMG Academy Junior World Championships twice in the five years he travelled to San Diego for the tournament. He is a three-time South Africa junior champion. Following his junior career in his homeland Phillip attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. It was there he met Patty. Phillip went on to a 17-year professional career across several tours and won five times. He admitted he had a harder time giving up playing the game to teach but it’s grown on him.

“I really enjoy teaching seniors, my dad played until he was 93 but he was having lessons when he was 89. It kept him young. Whether he was going to get better or not, I don’t know, but he went to bed thinking man, tomorrow I’m going to hit it further. If I can do the same and help people play better golf, great, but also have a better life,” Phillip said.

Phillip spent a couple seasons on the European Senior Tour and has played in fields with 30 different major champions. His golf credentials continued to expand in British Columbia. He was named PGA of B.C. player of the year four times, the teacher of the year in 2012 and has won over 100 local professional tournaments.

While Patty was in Saskatchewan in July of this year Phillip stayed in B.C. to finish the summer with their clients there. He did visit the SGCC during the season and was very impressed with what he saw.

“I haven’t seen a better practice facility anywhere in the world,” he claimed. “I like the golf course but it’s more the atmosphere of the place. In those two weeks I knew that. The guys in the proshop have great attitudes and energy. The range always has kids on it. I liked that.”

The couple joked that Patty has wanted to relocate to Saskatchewan for about 25 years. Being from northern B.C. long winters weren’t a downside. Phillip on the other hand was harder to convince. Patty has been seeking potential opportunities for the pair for some time. The couple is friends with The Legends Golf Course professional Davidson Matyczuk as well as fellow South African Wayne Fairbairn formally of the Willows. In speaking with SGCC general manager McLaren Taylor after the hiring of professional Brennan Gee he said there is still an opportunity at the club.

“We had wanted to move here but we weren’t going to move unless there was an opportunity. The jobs that come about here are very few. I’ve kept an eye over the years and there’s just not a lot of opportunities. We went a different route and I said, here’s what we would like to do. McLaren thought about it said yeah, we think this could work,” Patty said.

Patty did do some lessons and programming over the summer but spent most of the uncertain season getting to know the membership and community within the club. Now that the Jonas’ are settled in a new home they feel 2021 will be officially year one.

“We certainly hope to have people look at this place for lessons and the majority of the membership want to take lessons from people that are here. Not just us but Brennen and Sloane (Harder). I have done a lot of ‘learn to golf’ classes in Vancouver and so wanting to get people outside the membership learning to play and then they get a membership,” she added.

The couple is setting up potential lessons in the GolfDome for the winter and hopefully one day visitors will be allowed into senior care homes again, Patty said she’d love to take golf to seniors to assist in their activities.

For more information on the Jonas’ you can visit their website here.

Danny Turner has been involved in the sport of golf for his entire life. He is now working in several areas of the game under the banner of Danny’s Golf Sales and Service in Delisle.

Turner essentially grew up on a golf course, his father Bill Turner was the superintendent and golf professional at the Saskatoon Golf & Country Club for four decades. Dan recounts the time of being around his father while building the third green at the city club.

“I was six-years-old, that was my first one,” he chuckled at his Delisle shop this week.

Dan has a wealth of experience in fixing carts, building clubs and maintenance of courses. He is combining all those factors into his business that opened in June.

“In this town there is probably 20 percent that are golfers,” he explained to Golf Saskatchewan. “I didn’t want to go jump in a truck or run equipment because my shoulders aren’t good anymore after a couple surgeries. I just wanted to get back into something, so I got back into everything. I used to deal in Club Car in the 1980’s so I am working on carts. I want to custom build and repair clubs, I had a driving range when I was in the city and I did some instruction.”

Turner has a hitting net set up in one of the bays of the shop located just off Highway 7 in the community 20 minutes from Saskatoon. Turner said the town’s course is busy and a gem in the area but his net works to keep your swing in form over the long winter.

“I know it’s not like going to the GolfDome or a simulator but if you just want to keep your swing it’s perfect. One thing about the net, you work on hitting it solid and you don’t have to watch where the ball is going,” he said.

Turner’s father was also the icemaker at the Rutherford Arena in Saskatoon. The two careers overlapped so the eldest Turner got away from golf for a few years but eventually found his way back to the Wildwood Golf Course. Turner’s mother was the proshop manager while Bill was the greenskeeper and professional. Danny learned more about equipment during his mother’s tenure in the proshop.

“Fitting clubs is a niche market,” he said. “It’s easy to walk in to a store and get a set of clubs, but fitting is a different animal. You need to know the game of golf, a person’s swing. Lots of times a person doesn’t even need new clubs, just some adjustments on the range.”

Turner admits he’s not going to make a fortune in the golf shop or the industry. He loves the game and wants to assist any way he can and give back to the area and community he’s called home for 18 years.

“I get a lot of my work from out of this town and in the town as well. You always want more right? I am just out here to help people in the game of golf, and I want to make it more enjoyable,” he added.

If you need a cart serviced or are interested in details on fittings or any other golf related questions Turner can be reached at 1-639-433-0333.

Shell Lake’s Brooklin Fry is looking back on a fantastic experience after the 15-year-old took part in Golf Canada’s junior team camp.

The reigning Saskatchewan junior girls and women’s amateur champion spent five days at Bear Mountain in Victoria, British Columbia last week at an invite only camp for the nation’s best junior golfers. Fry said the first two days included three hours of drills covering all shots before playing a round at the national training centre course. The camp concluded with a three-day mini tournament. Fry said the week was a great venture.

“It was a really great experience,” she told Golf Saskatchewan. “It was obviously a little tougher for me to get my game back because I haven’t touched my clubs since the Lobstick, but it was a really good experience and I had lots of fun.”

Fry shot rounds of 82, 85, and a stellar 76 on day three. She said Bear Mountain can seem like a daunting golf course.

“Yeah, visually it was intimidating,” she said. “You had to play your shots perfectly.”

During the exit meetings the coaches praised Fry’s game and said she did well. She was also the second youngest player vying for a spot on the national junior girls’ team. Fry admitted she likely won’t be the first Saskatchewan player on the team since Jesse Gibson in 2010 but has a few years left of eligibility. Overall she said taking part in the camp was an amazing experience.

“There probably isn’t a word I could use to describe it. It was really cool to actually get invited,” she said.

Fry said the coaches will be reaching out soon to discuss the team in further details.

For now Fry will put down her clubs for a hockey stick preparing for her first season with the U18 AAA Prince Albert Bears that begin games in the first week of November.

PGA of Canada member Jennifer Greggain has been named coach of the National Junior Squads by Golf Canada.

Working alongside head coach Robert Ratcliffe, Greggain will help guide mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics and nutrition for the Canada’s top athletes. Coaching will be based at the national training centre at Bear Mountain in Victoria, B.C., featuring a centralized component from March through June which provides accommodation and education for athletes during their high school second semester.

Greggain, a resident of Chilliwack, B.C., transitions into the role after joining the national team program as assistant coach of the Women’s Amateur and Young Pro Squads in January of 2020.

Prior to joining Golf Canada, Greggain was the director of instruction at Chilliwack Golf Club, the assistant coach for the University of the Fraser Valley, and led the B.C. Summer Games Squad on numerous occasions. Before her coaching career, she was an accomplished player for more than 10 years on the LPGA and Symetra Tours.

“Jennifer brings a strong background in competitive golf to compliment a wealth of coaching knowledge that will continue to fill the pipeline with high performance athletes,” said head coach Robert Ratcliffe.

She’s both TPI and K-Vest certified and last June she enrolled in the University of British Columbia’s Master of High Performance and Technical Leadership program. Greggain is the recipient of the 2018 PGA of Canada Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year.

The PGA of Canada Class ‘A’ member was also instrumental in guiding Golf Canada’s Women in Coaching program.

Greggain is a mother of two and lives in B.C. with her husband.

The Canadian golf community is saddened to learn of the passing of former Golf Canada President and Honorary Life Governor Findlay Young of Prince George, B.C., who passed away suddenly on Friday, October 9, 2020 at the age of 92.

Young was born in 1928 in Glasgow, Scotland, where he met his wife Nancy. They married in 1955 and emigrated to Canada in 1957.

He served as a director at B.C. Golf from 1961-1999 and was an honourary life director. He also served as president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) in 1993 where he was also named an honourary life governor.

In total, Young won 53 golf competitions, including 11 Prince George Golf and Curling Club championships between 1959 and 1970. He recorded eight holes-in-one.

Among his many accomplishments off the golf course, Young was a director for the Prince George Mohawks senior hockey team for 10 years and was inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

For many in the golf community, Findlay was a great friend and mentor whose passion for golf and contributions to the game left a lasting impact. His mark on our organization and our sport will not soon be forgotten.

Below is a message that was shared by the Prince George Golf & Curling Club and here is a link to the bio that was included with his induction into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame.

Always prioritizing junior golf, he successfully mentored many skilled amateurs locally, provincially, and nationally, including captaining the Pacific Northwest and Canadian Junior Teams. Findlay’s rules proficiency and diplomatic skills eventually led to the presidency of Golf Canada as the first ever elected from Northern BC.

As president he attended the World rules conference and served as Canada’s golf ambassador to the 1994 Masters and Canadian, U.S., and British Opens. A lethal wedge player and scratch golfer for many years, Findlay dominated golf in the Northern interior, holding 11 club championships at the Prince George Golf & Country Club, a record that will never be equaled.

“Fin” significantly influenced all aspects of our club’s development, and on behalf of the board, our condolences and best wishes go out to the Young family.

“scíth a ligean”

Respectfully,
Don McDermid
General Manager On Behalf of the Prince George Golf and Country Club Board of Directors

Regina’s Hunter Kutcher has a bronze medal from the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) Nationals last weekend.

Kutcher, 16, started playing golf at Madge Lake Golf Course after a family friend “built” him a golf club, problem was it was right-handed. Kutcher is a lefty. The Regina product eventually got a set of clubs. He became a member of the Royal Regina Golf Club at 12 years old and hasn’t looked back. He played his first MJT event the next year, he performed well and lit a fire for competitive golf.

“Yeah, it did,” Kutcher told Golf Saskatchewan. “I was really happy after that first tournament and how well I did. Man, if I work at this I could get pretty decent. I placed fifth in that tournament.”

Kutcher has since been a mainstay on the Saskatchewan MJT loop and the provincial championship. After respectable finishes in 2019 Kutcher was able to collect a couple top-5 finishes this past season. He said putting in work in the offseason was the key to his improved results.

“I was playing once a week at First Tee, sometimes twice a week. I did workouts at 1621 with Tanner White and I saw huge improvements with my strength and swing speed. That was a big part, with playing at First Tee, working on my swing and setting goals was a big thing as well. I set a lot of goals and I think I achieved all of them,” Kutcher said.

Kutcher’s season was noticed by the MJT organizers, so he received an invitation to attend their final event in Surrey, B.C. over the Thanksgiving weekend. Kutcher shot 79 and 78 in not so great conditions over the first two days. He posted a 71 on day three to jump up the leaderboard and earn a bronze medal. He said there wasn’t any expectations going into the event.

“I didn’t have any expectations, that was the biggest tournament I have ever played in. I put absolutely no pressure on myself. I went into it with the mindset, let’s play some golf, play your own game and have some fun,” he said.

After day two he was in eighth place and knew he had a low round in him on a “scoreable” course. He knew where he stood at the turn on day three and felt a podium finish was possible.

“On the range I was hitting it really good. I stepped up to the first tee and I was confident. I had that feeling that I was going to go low. I told my parents when I left clubhouse I have a low round in me. I went out there, I striped it up the fairway, I hit it onto the green, two putt par. I got rid of the nerves off the first hole and it was smooth sailing or the rest of the round,” he explained.

Kutcher ended up seven strokes behind the winner of the juvenile boy’s division. He said bringing home the bronze medal is still sinking in.

“I was in shock, going into the week I didn’t even expect to be top five. When I found out I was top three I was so happy. I don’t even know how to explain it. I was with my friend and he was so proud of me, that made me happy. I was just in shock,” he said.

Kutcher is a grade 11 student at Riffel High School in Regina. He will continue to work at the game and hopes college golf is in his future after he graduates in 2022.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) has announced their players of the year across the nation including here in Saskatchewan.

Buena Vista’s Elias Haukeness is the peewee boy’s player of the year. Haukeness, 12, never finished lower than third in any Saskatchewan MJT event this season. He won the last three events he competed in as well. He said the season exceeded his expectations.

“I just wanted to beat my personal score in MJT, but I came out provincial player of the year which was a total shock to me,” Haukeness said. “Thank you to all the MJT people for keeping this competitive golf season going through the pandemic. It feels fantastic that I was named MJT provincial player of the year. I’m am very proud that all my hard work and dedication has gotten me where I am today.”

Haukeness placed second in his age group (under-13) at the Saskatchewan Junior Boy’s Championship and won the provincial Order of Merit (OMT) trophy for the same age group.

Weyburn’s Darien Herlick (above) had a great season earning the 14-year-old the bantam boy’s player of the year. Herlick won the first MJT event of the season in Swift Current. That was followed by a third-place result in Regina. A pair of second place finishes preceded a win in Warman in late August.

Herlick placed second in the provincial OMT race in the under-15 division.

16-year-old Chase Pochylko (above) won his age group (juvenile, 15-16) twice this season on route to the division’s player of the year. The Saskatoon golfer picked up victories at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club and TS&M Woodlawn this past summer.

He finished in a tie for 6^th at the provincial junior championships helping him place 6^th in the OMT standings in the under-19 age group.

Theoren West (above) of Wawota enjoyed a breakout summer on the course. The 17-year-old Golf Kenosee player picked up two MJT wins and the MJT junior boy’s player of the year. West said winning a couple of events and climbing near the top of the junior field in the province were his goals going into the summer.

“I met my goals,” he said. “I wanted to be the best player in Saskatchewan and to win two tournaments which I did. That was my biggest goal for this year. It feels great, I worked really hard and that was one of my goals for the year was to be the best player in Saskatchewan by the end of the year so it was awesome.”

West placed 4^th at the junior provincials and 3^rd in the OMT standings.

Yorkton’s Ella Kozak (above) entered four events this year in the under-15 girl’s category and won all of them.

The victories made the 14-year-old Deer Park Golf Course member a shoe in for player of the year. She was victorious in MJT events in Swift Current, Regina, and Warman. She was also the under-15 provincial girls champion and the U-15 OMT winner.

Sarah Grieve had a busy season and a successful one. The 17-year-old Saskatoon golfer won the MJT 15 – 19 girls age group three different times, picked up a second along the way and is the 2020 player of the year. The Willows Golf Club member said her hard work paid off this summer.

“My goal this season was to lower my scoring average into the 70’s, so earning the 75.88 scoring average definitely exceeded my expectations. I worked hard to play my best golf as soon as the golf courses opened, so receiving this award was a big achievement. It feels great to win this award in my age group this year,” Grieve said.

She placed third at the junior provincials and won the under-19 girls OMT championship.

For more details on the awards visit the MJT website.

Earlier this summer, Calgary based Golf Writer and Professional Andrew Penner visited southwest Saskatchewan for a feature on sand green courses.

Penner, originally from Manitoba has been to Saskatchewan countless times over the years, but was finally able to pen an article on the unique facilities sprinkled across the farm-laden land.

He joined Golf Saskatchewan Director of Communications, Clark Stork via Zoom to discuss the article and the stories behind the story.

TORONTO, ON – St. George’s Golf and Country Club welcomes Ian Leggatt as General Manager effective November 2, 2020. Leggatt comes to St. George’s from nearby Summit Golf Club, where he held the General Manager position.

Ian brings a unique background to the position as a former PGA Touring Professional, and winner of the 2002 Tucson Open. He has spent the last eight years leading a successful operation at Summit Golf Club. He is a proven leader with an established reputation and track record of translating his vision and passion for golf into meaningful cultural changes.

“We are very excited to welcome Ian to St. George’s,” said John Ciardullo, Chair of the Board. “The Board of Directors and Search Committee was unanimous in selecting Ian among highly qualified candidates from Canada, the United States, and Europe. Ian’s golf-centric background and his real vision for delivering an exceptional Member experience are precisely the skills and talents that will position St. George’s for long-term success in Canada and will elevate the Club’s international reputation.”

“It is an honour to be the General Manager of St. George’s Golf and Country Club. The Club’s iconic standing in Canadian golf, along with its global presence, truly excites me,“ says Leggatt. “It is the cultural presence of the game that differentiates great clubs from good ones. I look forward to enhancing the culture of golf at St. George’s and delivering a world-class golf experience.”

Leggatt’s November start date proves timely with St. George’s poised to host the 111^th RBC Canadian Open in 2021 after the event was postponed in 2020 due to the ongoing global pandemic.

St. George’s Golf and Country Club was designed by Stanley Thompson in 1929 and is currently ranked #23 in the world by Golf Digest and is the highest Canadian rated 5-Star Platinum Club. The classically designed course has played host to the Senior PGA Tour, LPGA Peter Jackson/Du Maurier Classic on five occasions, and the Canadian Open in 1933, 1949, 1960, 1968, and 2010.

Four Saskatchewan students are recipients of the Pat Fletcher Foundation annual scholarships announced today by the organization.

The Pat Fletcher Foundation, whose purpose is to provide financial assistance to deserving young Canadian students on their journey to obtaining a university degree, announced the awarding of 25 new scholarships from across Canada.

“We are so proud of this year’s recipients. They demonstrated leadership and character
in their submissions, and we wish them the best of luck as they head back to university
and college this fall,” said Ted Fletcher, Founder and Chairman of Mint Green. “These
are outstanding young people – hard-working, well-rounded leaders in their
communities. They share our desire of “making a difference” and we are proud to have
played a small role in helping to shape their future.”

Carrot River’s Tenesha Pompu received the scholarship funds for the second straight year to assist her in her education endeavors at the University of Saskatchewan. U of S students Kylie Severson (Melville) and Landon Sosnowski (Prince Albert) were also named recipients. University of Alberta student from Wynyard Carson Fisher is the fourth benefactor in the province.

Since establishing the Foundation in 1985, The Pat Fletcher Foundation has awarded
543 scholarships, for a total of approximately $750,000 to young Canadian golfers –
giving them the opportunity to develop and reach their highest potential. The scholarship recipients include students from every province in Canada who go on to pursue their education at top schools both in Canada and the U.S.

“While my father was always very passionate about the sport of golf, he was equally
passionate about the importance of education. He took a genuine interest in working
with junior golfers to help them reach their full potential, both on and off the golf course,”
said Ted Fletcher, who continues to administer the Foundation, along with a board of
trustees.

The Foundation’s website, www.patfletcher.com includes the current list of recipients.