Now that the golf season has officially ended in Saskatchewan (Oct. 31 was last day to record rounds for handicapping purposes) the question becomes, what do I do for the winter to keep my game up to my standards?

Winnipeg based Derek Ingram, the coach for Canada’s National Amateur Team and the Canadian Young Pro Squad said taking advantage of indoor facilities over the winter months will definitely keep your game at your level.

“A lot of facilities in Manitoba, and I’m sure in Saskatchewan as well provide an opportunity to play virtual golf, golf domes, or indoor golf schools, I think those are good options to keep swinging,” Ingram told Golf Saskatchewan. “Not only are they social they allow you to work with your local pro or practice on your own. It’s a long cold winter so it can help make it more fun and interesting. It can also help you make progress with your game.”

Ingram has been in the golf simulator business in the past going back to the mid-to-late 1990’s. He is a firm believer playing virtual golf can fill the void for players that feel the urge to play during a six-month offseason. It cures the bug to swing and you can also improve your game according to Ingram.

“The technology on those simulators now is really good, they are very impressive,” he said. “It’s fun to play a round of virtual golf, it’s so similar to a round of real golf. Obviously you are not outside, and you don’t hear the real birds chirping or walk quite as much. It’s still some exercise and there is some benefits to the game in terms of how far you are carrying the ball and depending on the simulator and the information they have you can get a tonne of valuable information on your swing that you can work on and improve.”

Another way Ingram encouraged players to get better is a product called SuperSpeed Golf. The company, that Ingram has no connection to, provides a time manageable training program to help golfers improve club speed. Ingram said he’s used the SuperSpeed model with many professionals and top-notch amateurs in his coaching lessons.

“One of the great things in the winter is to try and get longer and get a bit more speed,” he explained. “SuperSpeed is a fairly inexpensive product that really works well in terms of learning to hit the golf ball further. There’s additional benefits as well in terms of subtly and athletically improving people’s technique without even realizing it by doing the SuperSpeed exercise protocol.”

If you live in a market where visiting an indoor facility isn’t an option, Ingram said working on your game in the comfort of your own home can be an alternative. He added that practicing your short game and putting is beneficial and fun during the cold days.

“For juniors and amateurs there has to be a room in the house where you can get your sand wedge out and pitch a few balls into a laundry basket. If you have a carpet or a putting mat which I think as well if you are watching golf or bored, it’s a lot of fun. That can help as well, you learn to pitch a little higher and softer, putting is always good, plus it is a lot of fun,” Ingram said.

The weather in Canada essentially closes courses from Halloween to early May except for some British Columbia facilities and others across the nation. For the prairies, working on your game indoors is the only option. Ingram encourages the tips and tricks he explained but also said taking some time off can be a benefit as well.

“I do encourage players to take a break. I have no issue with players taking November and December off, but then I think it’s time to start training. If you are a competitive golfer or just somebody that loves the game and wants to get better it’s time to start getting to your dome or getting to hit balls, seeing your pro, or hitting your simulators, or just getting some clubs out in the basement. I love the SuperSpeed Golf because you can workout to get longer and stronger and it feels good,” Ingram said.

“There’s certainly lots to do,” he concluded.

A record field of 112 players will compete at the Maple Leaf Junior (MJT) Boston Pizza National Championship in Florida this weekend including 14 from Saskatchewan.

Trent Matson, the Director of National Operations said the number of players qualifying for the event shows the strength of junior golf in Canada.

“The field attending shows that junior golf is thriving in Canada. We are very proud to continue as the number-one played junior tour in the country and look forward to hosting everyone,” Matson said in a news release.

The players will compete in seven different age groups for 54 holes at Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. The competitors received members-only invitations based on performance during the season, and the high caliber field includes 2019 MJT Players of the Year, regional Order of Merit winners, MJT Team Canada members and individual tournament champions.

Saskatchewan athletes competing are:

• Dade Bernatchez, 12, La Ronge
• Tommy Danielson, 14, Saskatoon
• Dane Giesbrecht, 12, Warman
• Elias Haukeness, 11, Buena Vista
• Darien Herlick, 14, Weyburn
• Adam Husli, 17, Regina
• Cole Jenkins, 18, Prince Albert
• Ella Kozak, 13, Yorkton
• Keighton McNab, 20, Saskatoon
• Autumn Neiszner, 15, Regina
• Noah Parent, 18, Prince Albert
• Chase Pochylko, 15, Saskatoon
• Max Regier, 14, Saskatoon
• Alex Swinnerton, 15, Saskatoon

(Autumn Neiszner plays a practice round on Wednesday at Reunion Resort.)

The official practice round goes Thursday, the competition starts on Friday with a 7 a.m. (Sask. time) shotgun start.

The MJT is excited to confirm that Sean Foley, one of the biggest names in golf instruction who coaches the likes of Justin Rose, Danny Willett, Cameron Champ and was formerly the coach of Tiger Woods, will be in attendance during the opening reception on Thursday to the participants.

This is the 21^st edition of the tournament. More details including the results can be found here.

The excitement level in Wynyard these days is at an elevated rate.

The town recently cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of their new multi-purpose sports facility plus a fundraiser for the golf course is becoming the talk of the east-central Saskatchewan community.

The $11.4 million facility is home to the town’s new arena as well as the clubhouse for the Wynyard Golf Club. Director of Leisure Services Sigourney Hoytfox said the buzz around the community is evident.

“Everyone is really excited,” she said. “We just started our arena season, so we haven’t actually had a chance to use the facility for anything golf related but I think everyone is excited and looking forward to it.”

The former clubhouse, that officially closed a couple weeks ago was previously an old school house. Hoytfox said it was outdated and needed to be replaced. The new Co-operative place features a full-service kitchen, lounge, and change rooms. She said putting the clubhouse into the building will put the Wynayrd Golf Club near the top of courses in Saskatchewan.

“We are so lucky to have the course we do. The caretakers and greenskeepers that look after the course are very talented and passionate about what they do. That’s the heart of what makes our course so great,” Hoytfox said.

The golf club is currently holding a chase the ace fundraising campaign that’s bringing in thousands of dollars for the club and soon someone will win a handsome pot. The weekly drawing of cards takes place on Tuesday, this week the nightly pot was over $1,300, the person who draws the ace will take home, as of print time an estimated $25,000. The group is down to about 10 cards. Hoytfox said the funds raised will go into planned projects for the course.

“We’re possibly moving the practice green, right now it’s by the old clubhouse and the new facility isn’t in the same spot,” she explained. “It’s nice to have it by the facility, so there’s that cost we’re looking at. There’s a couple greens we’d like to replace as well as a second-floor deck on the facility overlooking the course.”

The former clubhouse was playing host to the weekly chase the ace draw, but it’s been held at the new facility for the last couple weeks. That has allowed the public to visit the facility, enjoy the menu and socialize. Hoytfox said someone is going to be happy with a big win but overall the golf club is the big winner.

“It’s so much support for our golf course,” she said. “Obviously people are buying because they want to win but, think about all that money going back into the course.”

Tickets are available at the facility as well as Golden Scissors and at Wynyard Pharmacy. You can also purchase them online here.

Wynyard Minor Baseball will also use the facility in the summer months. Hoytfox said the town has worked extremely hard to have the initiative come to fruition and everyone is going to benefit.

“There’s not a separate space in the building for golf or for our arena, it’s all mingled together. If you are upstairs you will see golf, hockey, or ball photos. Same as downstairs, we will have a golf, hockey, and ball feel down there too,” she concluded.

Saskatoon’s Marc Sweeney and Regina’s Alex Schmidt are the last two Saskatchewan golfers playing college golf to have their fall season end.

Sweeney and the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) Sand Sharks were in Doral, Florida on Oct. 28 and 29 competing in the Dave Adamonis Senior Invitational. Sweeney posted a 54-hole score of plus-12, 228 (79, 74, 75) at Trump National. He tied for 35th overall.

The USBC team placed fifth out of eight.

Schmidt’s season concluded with a friendly match-play event in Lewiston, Idaho. The current Lewis-Clark State golf team took on alumni of the school on Nov. 2 and 3.

The 45-hole match-play event was won by the alumni men by a score of 10 and 6. The women’s teams squared at eight.

The students will enjoy a break before the spring season gets underway early in the new year.

We’re going to use an unfortunate incident on the LPGA Q-Series for this edition of the Rule of the Week.

Christina Kim was playing with two players vying for their Tour cards, on the 17th hole at Pinehurst No. 9’s par-3. While Dewi Weber was teeing off, Kendall Dye asked Webar’s caddie what club she was using. Without much thought Jacqueline Schram confirmed that Weber was using her eight iron, breaking Rule 10 – 2.

According to the Rule; “During a round, a player must not give advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course, ask anyone for advice, other than the player’s caddie, or touch another player’s equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player (such as touching the other player’s clubs or bag to see what club is being used).”

As a player you can veer into a competitor’s bag to see what club is missing but you can’t seek advice or ask for confirmation. The penalty is two strokes.

Kim went on to secure her LPGA playing card, neither Webar or Dye qualified.

A reminder to all players, you are not a “tattle tale” if you call out an infraction on the rules. You have an obligation to protect the field and integrity of the event.

Remember, the Rules matter!

On Oct. 29 at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon, the PGA of Saskatchewan handed out their annual awards.

14 different honours were handed out at an evening gala that accompanied the organization’s annual merchandise show and general meeting.

Below is a list of the winners in no particular order:

Graham Coulter Trophy – Professional of the Year
Gus Vogelsang – Murray Golf Course

Executive Professional of the Year
McLaren Taylor – Saskatoon Golf & Country Club

Assistant of the Year – Class A;  Peter Cushner Trophy – Order of Merit
Ryan Wells – Cooke Municipal Golf Course

Assistant of the Year – Apprentice
Mark Sheardown – Willows Golf & Country Club

Junior Leader of the Year
Paul Schatz – Tor Hill Golf Course

Coach of the Year
Jeff Chambers – Elmwood Golf Club

Merchandiser of the Year
Craig Prentice – Willows Golf and Country Club

Professional Development Award
Jeff Chambers – Elmwood Golf Club

Bill Taylor Trophy- Sportsmanship
Paul Schatz – Tor Hill Golf Course

Scott Knapp Trophy-Player of the Year
Brennan Rumancik – Elmwood Golf Club

Sales Rep of the Year
Ken Rodgers – Acushnet

Not available for photos –

Frank Fowler Trophy – Stroke Average
Pat Marcia – Royal Regina Golf Club

John Gaudet Trophy -Teacher of the Year
Clinton Schmaltz – Willows Golf & Country Club

Photos courtesy Scott Allan/www.saskgolfer.com

This past season, the Elmwood Golf and Country Club in Swift Current celebrated a monumental milestone. The club turned 100 years old.

Reaching the century mark is reason enough to celebrate but the club was able to soak up some marvelous course renovations in time for the occasion. The Elmwood has 18 new greens and five new holes in its arsenal. Long-time Swift Current resident Bob Pollock was the Elmwood professional for 27 years, starting in 1976. He admitted there was a connection to the course as he knew it but eventually he came around.

“I missed the old golf course, it had been there forever,” Pollock said. “As they started the renovations and as they went through them I could see the new golf course was a going to be a little more challenging but much better for the Elmwood Golf Club. It’s going to set a standard, put us ahead of a few people, and give us an opportunity to host some big tournaments.”

During the upgrades the course didn’t close any holes, they continued with some shorter par threes through the process, but the membership felt small pain for long-term gains. Pollock said the wait was worth it.

“We had a very short golf course,” he said. “The equalizer was always our par-threes, they were very challenging. Now we’ve added length to each hole, we’ve added a bigger challenge to each and every hole. It’s really been a big improvement.”

The course increased to over 6,600 yards and went to a par 72 from 70.

Pollock considers himself one of the “oldtimers” at the club at the age of 75. He wasn’t alone when it comes to gripping the changes at the club but, the feedback has been great overall.

“It’s kind of a golf course you can play a thousand times and never get bored of it. When Les Furber came in and made the changes that is still there today. You can still play it 1,000 times and never get bored. For some of our older members they just don’t want to accept the new golf course. They still want to live in the past and play the old course. For the majority of our members the change is positive, and I think it’s helped our whole operation,” Pollock explained.

The work of general manager Sheldon Reinhart and professional Jeff Chambers hasn’t gone unnoticed by Pollock and the community. He credited their efforts for the revitalization of the club and the special weekend the city celebrated on July 6 and 7.

“We had a local guy with his popular band here and he played out on the tee box at the driving range and they were dancing in the dirt. We had a tournament and many things going on, it was quite a weekend,” he beamed.

An 82-lot housing subdivision was also approved by the city of Swift Current. According to Reinhart in an earlier interview with Golf Saskatchewan, sales were going well.

Pollock also credited the club’s success back to 1991 when they purchased a building from the provincial government and moved it to the course for their new clubhouse.

Golf Saskatchewan is bringing the provincial junior boys and girls championships to the Elmwood in 2020.

Rod Sawatzky was one of the first people lucky enough to golf at The Legends when the Warman course opened in 2011. Now the Haque resident will be able to play the course for free as long as he chooses.

His name was drawn last week in the course’s lifetime membership fundraising lottery.

Sawatzsky works at the Warman Home Centre, he was active in the building of the club from day one and was given the opportunity to play on opening day. He is a member at the Valley Regional Park Golf Course near Rosthern but supports other clubs in the region.

“It’s part of giving back to the community,” Sawatzky said. “I’ve been on the golf course board at Valley Regional Park and know golf courses don’t make a tonne of money. When there is fundraisers I usually support.”

The 57-year-old said winning the lottery was a pleasant surprise.

“I was shocked first of all, I had just bought the ticket in the afternoon when Roy Bedient approached me. I was going to buy one and had forgotten about it. Roy came and asked me, so I bought it, I said make sure you pull the right name. He said, okay we will pull Roy Bedient. I laughed and said, okay,” he chuckled.

Sawatzky gets in about 50 rounds a year between Valley Regional, Emma Lake, and The Legends. He said he played Waskesiu and Elk Ridge a handful of times this past summer too. Now that he has a free lifetime membership he will frequent The Legends more in the upcoming years.

“I will definitely play it more,” he said. “This year I only played it four times; I have played it more in the past. I was busy this summer and life got in the way, but I will definitely play it more.”

This is the third year The Legends has held the fundraiser worth an approximate $50,000. This is the second time Sawatzky has purchased a ticket ands said despite winning this year he will likely purchase again to continue to give back.

The PGA of Saskatchewan is once again getting set to host their annual buying show and awards gala this week.

The two-day event will take place at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. Golf professionals, proshop managers, and equipment representatives and retailers will all convene on Oct. 29 and 30 under one roof. The event has been a fixture on the Saskatchewan golf calendar for over three decades according to PGA of Saskatchewan Executive Director Ken Morrow. Last year prior to the event he said the merchandise show was developed as a way to get everyone together in one place rather than have different companies travelling across the province.

TaylorMade Golf rep for Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Lakehead region, Mike Langin will be attending his third event in Saskatchewan. He said having a booth at the show is important to his company and golf in the province as a whole.

“The show is important to attend to show support for the zone that supports us as well. It’s a key relationship to provide our professionals and accounts with many vendors to prepare both parties for the following season,” Langin said.

Paige Lawrence, the adidas Golf Territory Marketing Manager for Saskatchewan and Manitoba will also be among the 25 exhibitors at the show. She said attending is a must for her brand.

“The show is vital in bringing our zone together. It’s great to be able to connect with customers and have industry leaders all in one place celebrating the accomplishments of our peers” Lawrence added.

The PGA of Saskatchewan will have their annual general meeting at the event as well. Tuesday night they will hand out their awards for the 2019 season. To see the award nominees click here.

Over 120 people have registered for the event from 50 different facilities across Saskatchewan.

Regina’s Jacob Kydd has had an eye on his future career for quite some time and he’s using golf to pursue his goal.

Growing up in Regina, Kydd got an early start with the game, but at first he didn’t know if the sport was for him. Spending time at Ketepwa where his family has a cabin, he was given his first clubs for his birthday from his grandparents. As they say, the rest is history. Kydd is now a member of the Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) Wildcats, but prior to moving south the Royal Regina Golf Club (RRGC) was where his game really developed.

“I got my first junior membership at the Royal when I was 13,” Kydd told Golf Saskatchewan this week after his second fall season concluded. “That really fuelled my love for the game. Watching guys like Drew Kocur, Noah Kozak, and Cole Zawislak, just watching them play. That’s what I wanted to do.”

Kydd was active on the junior Saskatchewan circuit growing up and attended Campbell Collegiate in the Queen City. It was grade 10 when he started to narrow in on a college that would allow him to work on his future off the course.

“I knew I wanted to be an optometrist,” he explained. “I love golf and wanted to do that, so I was like I can get a scholarship in the States and study pro-optometry while I’m there. I started looking at schools that had my major, I got in contact with the IWU coach. We started talking, going through the recruiting process, I went for a couple visits and fell in love with the school.”

The Wildcats recently wrapped up their fall season, Kydd’s second year. He admitted there is a heavy adjustment period playing golf in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from Regina. The Royal plays between 5,600 and 6,400 yards. Kydd said their events average 6,900 to 7,000 yards. He admitted there has been some ups and downs, but he’s pleased with how the first couple years went and has high expectations.

“I had two top five finishes and a top 10 outside that, I’ve yet to win one, I’m going to try to do that in the spring. It’s been an adjustment just to see what it takes to play at this level. I love it, I love the challenge, I love seeing what I must do to improve my game and win one of these tournaments. That’s my goal,” Kydd said.

The Wildcats are now in their offseason until after Christmas. The team still gets together and plays and hits balls. Kydd said the courses in Indiana will be open until about mid-November. They schedule workouts and do yoga twice a week and have an indoor facility at their home base in Marion. The school is currently constructing a new facility that Kydd says will be “state of the art.” Overall he said he couldn’t be happier with his school choice and using golf to chase down his goals.

“It is good to find a balance between golf, life, and school. I like it, it teaches good time management, that’s for sure,” he concluded.