Chemical Engineering major and Canadian LPGA Tour golfer Brittany Marchand offers up a home schooling lesson where we investigate how the size and weight of a golf ball will affect the distance and speed that the ball travels.

View more from this series here.

Built in the mid-1950’s in the rolling hills of southern Saskatchewan lies the Coronach Golf Club. The course started with three holes and sand greens before expanding to the course’s current nine surrounding the town’s water tower.

In the 1980’s the club upgraded their watering system on the fairways and in 2001 their biggest achievement was brought to fruition with the conversion of the greens to grass. Club president and long-time volunteer and community member Dennis Hicks said their golf club is woven into the fabric of the community.

“Originally we’re the ‘best town by a dam site,’ there is the Westmoreland Coal Poplar River Mine here so there’s a dam outside town, that’s our little lingo,” Hicks explained. “Coronach is a little town, a great place for families. The course is really friendly to all types of golfers, it’s not overly tough, but if you look for trouble you will find it easy enough too.”

According to the club’s profile on Tourism Saskatchewan’s website, the course is links style, features magnificent fairways, native grass roughs, and elevation changes from hole to hole. The greens conform to USGA standards. The course plays from between almost 2,500 and 3,000 yards between the blocks with the course rating varying between 32 and 37. The slope is a minimum of 102 to the maximum of 125.

Hicks said their par-three, hole four is the most picturesque on the course as it looks downhill about 150 yards.

“Number four is on top of a hill looking down, that’s kind of our signature hole,” he said.

The course will play their men’s league this year under the current COVID-19 guidelines. Hicks said they average about 30 players a week. The club had 22 players on Wednesday for their first league day of the year. The course has had couples’ nights in the past. Despite a downturn now with junior players the community has had some solid success in the past.

“We’ve had a strong junior program throughout the years. Our junior ladies won the provincial high school team championship about four or five years in a row (2010 – 13). We’ve had a lot of strong junior golfers, but we’re kind of in a lull and we’re hoping to gain a few more because there isn’t much else to do. It goes in cycles and it seems like if the parents golf the kids do too,” Hicks added.

The big draw to the course over the years has been the “Big Hole” event. The event doesn’t occur anymore, but the club launched the Alice Grace Fundraising Tournament with great success last year. The proceeds of the event went to the club and organizations that support people living with Down Syndrome. Alice is the daughter of one of the Coronach course members.

“It’s was in late August and a big success,” Hicks said. “Hopefully we can hit that again but who knows wit the current restrictions.”

Overall Hicks said the town and area is proud of the local volunteerism and pride in the course and welcomes anyone to come play and experience the facility.

“It’s well maintained, family-friendly, it’s not a pro course but it’s fun and enjoyable. Greens are in good shape, nice watered fairways, it’s an enjoyable round,” he concluded.

TaylorMade’s “shape in motion” products are headlining the golf equipment company’s stock for 2020.

Saskatchewan Sales Manager for TaylorMade, Mike Langin said the new shape in motion (SIM) products are not just drivers but throughout your bag.

“There is always different conflicting things with our engineering and design team of okay, what’s going to be more forgiving? What’s going to be more aerodynamic? There’s always conflicting sides there so for us this year we’re seeing players pick up club head speed and that’s going to translate to more ball speed and more distance as well,” Langin explained.

The SIM models stretch across TaylorMade’s drivers, rescue clubs, fairway woods and irons. The company’s “echo dampening system” is new for TaylorMade’s irons. Langin said professionals are leaning towards the product.

“Shots mishit on the heel or toe you are still going to have that improved feel and sound. When we had our photo shoot with our tour players when we first introduced them to our players, they had to guess what irons they were hitting, they couldn’t tell which the they were hitting, they couldn’t tell the difference on sound whether it was the forged product or a SIM. That’s a pretty powerful story to share with tour players being very precise and finicky with that stuff.”

The company is also making headway in the sale of golf balls. PGA Tour superstar Rickie Fowler got behind TaylorMade in the design of their new balls. Fowler was on hand from day one of the TP5 and TP5x pix balls bringing a swagger to the TaylorMade model.

“To have a player on our staff that isn’t playing our clubs but is coming to us for a golf ball, that shows that we’re not just a metalwoods company which we’ve been known for many years, we’re a full meal deal,” Langin said.

Showcasing the TaylorMade product line is different this year amid COVID-19. Langin said the corporation’s new protocols can be a benefit for them and golfers.

“Demo and fitting days are going to look different this year,” Langin said. “We’re leaning more towards more one-on-one fitting experiences which for myself, I was a master fitter for four years, was do things by appointment only. I think it is beneficial because now we can give the individual the one-on-one time.”

To contact Langin for any golf needs send him an email at Mike.Langin@TaylorMadeGolf.com or visit the TaylorMade website.

Tom Brady delivered the shot of the match that made it easy to forget the rest of his swings. Tiger Woods didn’t miss a fairway and earned a small measure of revenge against Phil Mickelson.

The PGA Tour is set to return in just over two weeks, and it has a tough act to follow.

In the second and final charity match that brought live golf to TV, this exhibition was as entertaining as the real thing.

Woods lagged a long birdie putt close enough that his partner, Peyton Manning, didn’t have to putt. That secured a 1-up victory over Mickelson and Brady in “The Match: Champions for Charity.”

The goal was to raise $10 million or more for COVID-19 relief funds, and online donations sent money climbing toward about twice that much.

This made-for-TV exhibition would have been worth pay-per-view, the model Woods and Mickelson used for a $9 million winner-take-all match in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend in 2018 that Mickelson won in a playoff under lights. It felt forced, lacked banter and turned out to free because of technical issues.

Throw in two NFL greats in Brady and Manning, and this allowed viewers to ride along for 18 holes at Medalist Golf Club among four of the biggest stars in sports.

Justin Thomas pitched in as an on-course reporter, bringing a mixture of humour and insight with the right amount of words.

Woods and Manning took the lead on the third hole and never trailed, building a 3-up lead in fourballs on the front nine, with Manning making two birdies (one was a net par).

Brady, whose six Super Bowl titles are more than any NFL quarterback in history, took a beating on social media and in the broadcast booth from Charles Barkley, who twice offered $50,000 of his own money toward charity if Brady just hit the green on a par 3. He missed so far right it would be comparable to a pass that landed three rows into the stands.

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton weighed in on Twitter, noting Brady signing as a free agent with Tampa Bay by saying he liked the “Florida” Brady much better.

Brooks Koepka offered $100,000 if Brady could just make a par.

I’ll donate 100k through the @bkcharityfund if @TomBrady makes a par on the front 9 #TheMatch #TNT

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) May 24, 2020

One shot shut everyone up.

Never mind that Brady had to take a penalty drop before getting back to the fairway on the par-5 seventh. With his fourth shot, with Barkley needling him relentlessly, Brady’s shot landed beyond the pin and spun back into the cup.

“Shut your mouth, Chuck,” said Brady, whose microphone piece dangled off the back of his pants.

Woods still thought he won the hole with a 25-foot eagle putt that instead spun hard off the back of the lip. All that, and they ended up halving the hole.

Never doubt @TomBrady.

Charles Barkley learned the hard way … pic.twitter.com/muZ0xkt5xJ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 24, 2020

Donations for COVID-19 relief funds kept piling up, and the entertainment didn’t stop even as the rain returned. It caused a 45-minute delay at the start, and as Woods said on the practice range, “I don’t normally play in conditions like this.”

Mickelson brought out his “Tiger Slayer” putter that he used to shoot 64 at Pebble Beach in 2012, the last time they were in the final group on the PGA Tour. Woods shot 75 that day. It didn’t help Lefty with a few critical birdie putts to square the match, though he rolled in a 15-foot par putt to stay 1 down with two to play.

The back nine was modified alternate shot – all players hit tee shots, and it was alternate shot from there. It was key for the quarterbacks to find the fairway for the pros to hit shots into the green, and Brady came through until the 18th.

Woods was playing for the first time since Feb. 16 when he finished last at Riviera in Los Angeles. He chose not to play the next four weeks with his back not feeling just right, and then the pandemic shut down golf and sports worldwide.

Woods looked sharp for the most part, with his game and his words. Mickelson on the fifth hole asked Woods to mark his ball from some 80 yards away.

“You want me to mark with a U.S. Open medal?” said Woods, a three-time champion of the only major Mickelson hasn’t won.

“Do you have one? I have some silver ones,” Mickelson said, referring to his record six runner-up finishes.

Mickelson boasted about taking Woods down on his home course at Medalist, and now their TV matches are tied at 1, even with each getting a little help. Mickelson says he was a little nervous on the front nine until he found his groove, driving the green on the par-4 11th with Brady making a 20-footer for eagle that began their rally.

“Phil said he was nervous. I know Tom and I were comparing notes,” Manning said. “To be behind the ropes in these guys’ worlds, to be in the arena with them, it was really a special experience. I was not comfortable the entire time. Knowing $20 million was raised and helping people going through tough times, it was an honour to be invited.

“It’s something I’ll always remember.”

The World Handicap System stipulates every player is responsible for returning all acceptable scores into one’s scoring record from rounds played on courses observing their active season, which is part of the golf season when courses have acceptable playing conditions.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf association to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.

Each year, provincial associations analyze numerous factors to determine their active seasons. This ensures consistency of when scores would be posted by the majority of golfers to help keep Handicap Indexes accurate.

Scores made at any golf course observing an inactive season are not acceptable for handicap purposes. The rationale behind this is that posting scores during inactive seasons (periods of poor course conditions) could artificially increase a player’s Handicap Index.

Scores made at a golf course in an area observing an active season must be posted for handicap purposes, even if the golf club from which the player receives a Handicap Index is observing an inactive season. The club’s Handicap Committee must make it possible for a player to post these away scores at the beginning of the active season.

For example, if a player belonging to a golf club in Ontario plays golf in Florida during January, any scores made in Florida are acceptable and must be returned to the player’s Ontario golf club. If the player is also a member of a golf club in Florida, scores must be posted to the player’s Florida club.

In Canada, the active season in each province is as follows:

BC =     Mar.1 – Nov.15
AB =     Mar.1 – Oct.31
SK =     Apr.15 – Oct.31
MB =    Apr.15 – Oct.31
ON =    Apr.15 – Oct.31
QC =    Apr.15 – Oct.31
NS =     Apr.15 – Oct.31
NB =     May.1 – Oct.31
PE =     Apr.16 – Nov.14
NL =     Apr.1 – Nov. 30

It’s also important to note that if you are travelling to other countries, you should determine their active seasons to prevent posting unacceptable scores. Your home club needs all acceptable scores from the “off-season” as well to ensure your Handicap Index is accurate once recalculated at the beginning of the season.

For a detailed list of active and inactive schedule in the United States, click here.

For more information on handicapping, click here.

To enter your scores for an official handicap, become a Golf Canada member here.

Our partners at the Provincial Golf Associations have worked incredibly hard alongside industry stakeholders to implement protocols that foster a safe environment for golf during the COVID-19 crisis.

They will continue to seek clarity from municipal and provincial government and health authorities to help our member clubs and golfers navigate through this crisis.

Below are summaries and links for each respective provincial golf association:

Click here for relevant information on our COVID-19 resource page.

ACTON, ON (May 20, 2020) — The 2020 PGA Championship of Canada has been postponed after careful consideration from the PGA of Canada and lead sponsors TaylorMade Golf Canada and adidas Golf.

In addition, the PGA of Canada has decided to pause its player rankings for 2020 given the uncertain impact of COVID-19 on events across the country.

“There is no denying this is an unpredictable year for professional tournaments,” said Adam LeBrun, managing director of championships and foundation at the PGA of Canada. “Given the uncertain nature of inter-provincial travel and other restrictions due to COVID-19, we felt it was prudent to postpone the championship and pause the association’s player rankings this year.”

The PGA Championship of Canada was scheduled for July 6-10 at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Royal Mayfair is unable to host the tournament later in the season but has stated they are eager to work with the PGA of Canada to see the event return in the near future.

“We are disappointed we will not have the opportunity to host the association’s top professionals this year, but we fully support the PGA of Canada’s decision to postpone the event,” said Royal Mayfair’s director of golf Matthew Johnson. “It is our hope to return as a host venue for this prestigious championship in the near future.”

The PGA of Canada and its partners continue to monitor COVID-19 developments across the country and will evaluate all opportunities to see the championship contested later in the season.

“We are thankful for Royal Mayfair’s enthusiasm to host and to our partners at TaylorMade Golf Canada and adidas Golf for their flexibility and understanding as we navigate these unusual times together,” added LeBrun.

The association and its nine zones have decided to hold off awarding player ranking points in 2020 given the ever-evolving event season ahead.

PGA of Canada professionals accumulate points on a three-year rotation based on tournament performance at the zone and national level. As a result of this year’s pause, the current PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC will carry over to next year.

The ’19 PGA Championship of Canada was won by Dustin Risdon of Calgary, Alta., who bested Oliver Tubb 3 & 1 in the final match. Risdon became a two-time national champion and now sits at No. 12 on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC.

Past PGA Championship of Canada winner Pierre-Alexandre Bedard of Chibougamau, Que., will hold on to his No. 1 ranking heading into 2021.

Updates regarding upcoming national championships will be provided 8-weeks prior to the scheduled start of each tournament.

To view the current PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC, click here.

Ryan Wells has spent the last eight years as the assistant professional at Prince Albert’s Cooke Municipal Golf Course, however he’s found the right fit to make the jump into a head pro position.

Wells, originally from Prince Edward Island, will take over the top job at the Dunes Golf and Winter Club.

“It came out of nowhere,” Wells told Golf Saskatchewan. “I had a couple opportunities that I turned down just because it wasn’t the right fit or time for my family. The Dunes gave me a call last week just to see if I would hear them out about the position. They flew me and my wife out for a few days last week and got to see the facility and the course and the city itself and we thought this would be the right time to move on.”

Wells is no stranger to moving, growing up in P.E.I. he played his junior, amateur and college golf on the Island. He graduated from the Holland College Golf Management program and took his first job in Invermere, B.C. He became a professional in 2006. He spent six years at the Eagle Ranch Resort. He moved to Prince Albert in 2012 and expanded his skills working at the Prince Albert Curling Club in the winter alongside head pro Darcy Meyers.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Wells continued. “I’m nervous, I’m excited, mixed emotions obviously. I am definitely going to miss everyone here. In eight years you build a lot of memories and friendships. It was an emotional goodbye with Darcy, but there’s one thing you can take with you and that’s friendship.”

Cooke has seen some changes through the eight years Wells has called the city home. He said being a part of those was exciting to him and other facilities in the area.

“Just in the last couple years with the new irrigation system and the town itself. Having Waskesiu and Emma Lake and those amenities 45 minutes to an hour up the road is nice. It’s just a totally different atmosphere than coming from P.E.I. and the mountains,” he said.

Wells compares Grande Prairie to P.A. He said when he landed in the northern Alberta city last week he joked he was still in Saskatchewan. The land was flat with wheat fields and trees with the mountains about an hour and a half south. Agriculture, forestry, and oil and gas make the community tick.

With the current COVID-19 pandemic still in effect for potentially the 2020 season, Wells said the time is right to move and plant roots with a new club.

“I’m going to get my feet wet and build relationships just see how the operation runs now without making too many changes and just get through the difficult season,” he said about his first year. “Grande Prairie is a lot of corporate events and with those off the table at the moment there will be a lot of building towards 2021 and getting all my ducks in a row for the upcoming season.”

Wells said Prince Albert will always be close to his heart, his wife Megan is a Prince Albert product. The couple has a 15-month-old daughter, her name is Palmer.

The Cooke is opening on Friday, Wells will be there for the opening of the season, but to say his goodbyes to the members. His family will begin their move this weekend.

You can hear more from Wells below in his interview with Golf Saskatchewan Communications Director Clark Stork.

Residence:
Saskatoon

Home Club:
Moon Lake Golf & Country Club

Handicap Factor/Index:
20.0

Rounds per year:
50-plus

Left/Right:
“Left-handed – but golf right”

Years with Golf Saskatchewan:
20 years – (1991 – 1999; 2008 – 2020)

Areas of Service:
Board Member/Junior Golf Program/Rules Official from 1991 – 1999; Rules Official from 2008 – 2020

Favourite Player:
My wife Marilyn

Favourite Quote:
“Anyone see where that ball went?”

How did you get involved with Golf Saskatchewan?
“I was recommended/sponsored by a former board member from Prince Albert who was stepping down in 1991.”

What do you like about volunteering? 
“The opportunity and experience of working with others in a teamwork environment who have similar interests to attain a common goal.”

What would you say about volunteering, not only for Golf Saskatchewan but any organization to someone on the fence? 
“Volunteers are the ‘core’ of any organization to strive and grow. Someone donated their time and energy before you and volunteered so that you could participate and enjoy the sport or activity that you enjoy.   Pay it forward – If not you – then who?”

Golf Canada has made the decision to cancel the 2020 NextGen Prairie Championship scheduled to be held June 12-14 at Quarry Oaks Golf Club.

With ongoing uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, Golf Canada continues to evaluate all aspects of our business to make informed and responsible decisions within the best interests of athletes, staff, volunteers, host clubs, partners, and other stakeholders health and well-being.

The decision to cancel this competition was not taken lightly, but Golf Canada believes it is the best course of action. The safety and well-being of competitors, tournament staff and volunteers along with our host site members and staff are paramount to the national amateur golf association.

Golf Canada has also made the decision to cancel all 2020 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge Provincial Qualifier events and this includes the Saskatchewan event that was scheduled in July at the Elmwood Golf & Country Club. Golf is only beginning to get underway in most regions of the country and it was the lack of time for facilities to run local qualifying events, combined with the current provincial restrictions on group gatherings that led to this decision.

At this time, the Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event remains on the event schedule, set for Aug. 30 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Golf Canada will continue to monitor the guidelines of government and health experts to assess any impact to the event. Should the national event be hosted as scheduled, Golf Canada will operate under the previous qualifying structure whereby the top-ranked players from across the country on the online national leaderboard, in each of the four age categories, will be invited to compete at the event.