Golf Canada names 2020 Team Canada Young Pro Squad
OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the nine athletes who have been selected to the 2020 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.
Comprising the 2020 Men’s Young Pro Squad are returnees Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.), Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver, B.C.) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) along with new additions Chris Crisologo (Richmond, B.C.) and Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.). Crisologo, 23, and Savoie, 25, will make their Young Pro Squad debuts after graduating from the Men’s Amateur Squad.
The Women’s Young Pro Squad will be represented by a trio of returning athletes in Jaclyn Lee (Calgary, Alta.), Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), and Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.).
Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.
Now in its seventh year, the Team Canada Young Pro Squad helps to bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into the professional ranks. Since the inception of the Young Pro Squad in 2014, current and former team members have accounted for 43 wins across various professional golf tours including PGA TOUR wins by Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners as well as a record nine LPGA Tour wins by Brooke Henderson.
New for 2020 is the amount of coaching the Young Pro Squad will receive. After talking with past players, one of the areas Golf Canada was committed to improving on was the amount of contact time with coaches. That time will double in 2020.
Men’s and Women’s National Squad coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro athletes. Both Ingram and Mullally are PGA of Canada members and Ben Kern Coach of the Year past recipients.
Golf Canada is also pleased to announce the addition of Team Canada assistant coaches Jennifer Greggain (Chilliwack, B.C.) on the women’s side and Andrew Parr (London, Ont.) on the men’s side who will provide coaching support to athletes on the Amateur Squads. Greggain, the 2018 PGA of Canada Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year, brings an accomplished competitive resume including two years as a member of the LPGA Tour while Parr, a PGA of Canada apprentice professional and Team Canada graduate played professionally on both the Mackenzie Tour and European Tour.
The athletes will also have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff, which includes physiotherapist Greg Redman and Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood supporting the men’s team. The women’s team will be supported by physiotherapist Andrea Kosa and mental performance consultant Christie Gialloreto.
Funding for this program, in large part, comes from the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners RBC and Canadian Pacific, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and Bear Mountain Resort – the Official Training Centre of Golf Canada’s National Team program.
Focusing on Volunteerism- Ross Harwood
Residence
Saskatoon
Club
Riverside Country Club
Handicap
26
Rounds per Year
30
Left/Right
Right
Years with Golf Saskatchewan
10
Service
Rules Official, Course Rating
How did you get involved with Golf Saskatchewan?
“One of the fellows at Riverside was talking about the Rules and Course Rating process so he suggested I should try that and see how it worked. I went to the course and just kept going at it.”
What do you like about volunteering?
“I find it very interesting, it’s a great exercise of judgement, your observation skills, once you see certain things. You work as a team so there is a teamwork aspect to it and then you need to negotiate your thoughts. You may have seen something or not seen something that someone else does so you work your way through those kinds of things to get as close as you can to the right answer. We get to see parts of our beautiful province that you otherwise wouldn’t get close to. I’ve discovered some real jewels and little places that make it all worthwhile. It’s just a great experience.”
What do you get out of volunteering?
“In some ways it is a challenge, I’m an auditor and auditing is terribly boring but what it requires the exercise of professional judgement. If I knew then what I know now when I used to teach my students at the firm I’d have gotten them involved in something like this. It does require judgement; you must weigh the situation and find an appropriate outcome for the situation and level of difficulty. It’s a lot more than meets the eye.”
What would you say to others about volunteering, not only for Golf Saskatchewan but any organization?
“I have promoted it, one of my partners was retiring a couple years ago, I suggested to him he might want to get on this rating team. He was moving to B.C., so he was going to do it there. It is a great way to see the courses of the province. It’s not Mickey Mouse work, it’s meaningful and needs to be done right.”
DeLaet drives the green on Moose Jaw based podcast
Three Moose Jaw based golf fans who started a podcast termed Drive the Green recently celebrated their 100th episode. The trio hit an ace landing Saskatchewan golf hero Graham DeLaet for the episode.
The Hillcrest members were able to chat with the Weyburn product for almost 30 minutes where DeLaet spoke about growing up in southern Saskatchewan, his college days at Boise State and his pro career that has allowed the two-time Saskatchewan amateur champion to collect over $11 million in career earnings.
Although the 38-year-old didn’t start practicing and taking the sport very seriously until college, he grew up loving the game and usually played a couple rounds a day growing up at the Weyburn Golf Club. DeLaet was a typical Saskatchewan kid, he grew up wanting to be a hockey player, golf was great to fall back on.
“I think I was always super excited to get back on the golf course every spring,” he told Drive the Green. “I had a couple good buddies in Weyburn, and we’d play golf everyday, 36 holes, sometimes 54. We weren’t really practisers; we would just go out and play.”
DeLaet continued to play golf and hockey until he was 18 and graduated from high school. A back injury put his hockey dreams aside and he began searching for a golf scholarship. Boise State, in Idaho came calling and the “rest is history” he explained on the podcast.
“I fell in love with the city, I met my wife (Ruby) here, I still live here. It worked out well. I see so many kids chasing the big schools, the big-time programs or they want to play in the warm weather which I totally get, but this worked out so well for me here. I was able to step in as a true freshman right out of the gate and never missed a tournament in my whole career. You really get to learn how to play golf playing in tournaments,” he said.
Building confidence through out his time at Boise, DeLaet realized the chance at a pro career was there. He then increased his practice time but enjoyed the team aspect making the long days more enjoyable. College golf took DeLaet to the PGA Tour but his time in Weyburn is still a huge part of him, and his game.
“No one likes to play in the wind,” he responded when asked about Saskatchewan weather. “We would all rather play in Palm Springs where it’s perfect everyday however on days when it’s pumping I always knew I had an advantage. You are a product of your environment for sure, not only the wind in southern Saskatchewan but at Weyburn Golf Club, our greens on the old nine were tiny, turtleback greens so it just took precision golf shots.”
DeLaet beamed about the state of Canadian golf including the wire-to-wire win for Nick Taylor at Pebble Beach last week. He praised Taylor, Corey Conners, and Adam Hadwin’s current play. When it comes to DeLaet’s own career, representing Canada at the Olympics was his career highlight. He admitted he didn’t play the best in Rio in 2016 but his greatest memory came away from the course during the opening ceremony.
“Just being there was a special thing. The thing I will always remember about that experience is how much it meant to all the other athletes. Not that it didn’t mean anything to me because it did, I was super proud to be there. If I didn’t play well that week I was going to Greensborough for a $7.5 million purse the next week, it wasn’t the end of the world. When you walk through the opening ceremonies and the tears that are pouring out people’s eyes and the emotions that are coming out because they worked so hard for four years to get to the pinnacle, that was by far the best part of the Olympics,’ he said.
He pointed to his President’s Cup appearance as a near second in career highlights.
DeLaet has been close to a PGA win in his career, but a victory still eludes him. He said he’s content and satisfied with his success to date, but collecting that trophy is his driving force.
“I know that I was always a good enough player and I am good enough now to get it and it just never happened for whatever reason. That’s one thing still driving me, going through injuries, rehab, training to get back out there, it’s that win man. That’s just what I need to feel real content about my career,” he explained.
The second reason he’s continuing to work hard at 38 is for his twin kids, Roscoe and Lyla. They are four years old now, DeLaet wants to provide memories for their children whether it’s in the clubhouse or on a PGA course.
DeLaet is currently ranked 220 in the FedEx Cup standings. He’s played five events this year making two cuts along the way.
You can hear the entire Drive the Green podcast here. (Warning-Contains strong language)
5 guidelines to build your romance through golf
On the occasion of Valentine’s Day, let’s get all the bad, frequently offensive, jokes out of the way first.
To speed up the process, I will provide just the punch lines to a couple of the hoariest groaners.
“No way! The last time I tried that shot, I made double bogey!”
“But you don’t understand. It’s my wife’s funeral.”
On a related note this February 14, let’s officially bury the term “golf widow.”
With that out of the way, let’s move on.
Golf, and I speak from personal experience, can strengthen romantic relationships.
Even the dating web site eHarmony recognizes that, listing “15 reasons to date a golfer.” Among them, “golfers strive for emotional balance,” “they know how to make conversation,” “golfers understand they must forget mistakes and move on,” and “committed golfers are in it for the long haul.” Finally, these relationship experts point out, “you’ll be spending countless hours together in pristine park-like settings. Not a bad way to nurture romance.”
They might have mentioned etiquette, balance, equity and all those other fundamental values in the game. As well, the rules would be worth mentioning.
Not the new Modernized Rules of Golf, although those certainly have their place in the actual playing of the game.
If you want golf to help forge and strengthen a romantic bond, you would be well advised to follow these guidelines which I have learned (often the hard way, particularly No. 1) over three decades of golfing with my beloved.
- If you’re not asked, then shut the hell up. If your partner is having an off day, fight the misguided impulse to offer your well-intentioned but worthless opinion. First, you most likely don’t have the foggiest idea of how to rectify the situation. Second, even though they love you, they now are so frustrated that you are only exacerbating the eventual meltdown. And they have easy access to a selection of deadly metal implements. If you are going to follow only one rule, make it this one.
- Take a golf vacation together. Sitting on the beach is all fine and good, but getting out on the course and sharing some conversation and laughs is far better.
- Nine and dine. Whether it’s an organized weekly couples’ league or just an impromptu outing for just the two of you, nine holes followed by a leisurely dinner and drinks is a wonderful way to unwind and catch up.
- Don’t take it too seriously. Sure, you want to play your best but the object of the exercise is to enjoy each other’s company.
- Include family. If you’re lucky enough to have kids or grandkids, invite them to play a few holes with you. Or maybe it’s your brother and sister-in-law or other relatives you love but don’t get to see often enough. Golf is a great excuse to reinforce those family ties.
I speak from experience, as I mentioned earlier. My wife took up golf after I did and fell for it as hard, or maybe harder, than she fell for me. We’ve done all things listed above, from golf vacations to couples’ nights to including family.
And while the pure meaning of Valentine’s Day is focussed on your one and only, and my wife and I have spent many delightful hours golfing together, I can tell you that one of my everlasting memories is the sight of our son and his grandfather golfing together.
That’s something else I truly love.
Golf Canada releases 2020 championship schedule
OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2020 championship schedule which includes 29 amateur and professional competitions hosted at member clubs across Canada.
The 2020 schedule is headlined by Golf Canada’s premier professional championships – the RBC Canadian Open from June 8-14 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont. (in partnership with Islington Golf Club), and the CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C., from Aug. 31 – Sept 6.
The competition calendar includes eight National Amateur Championships, eight NextGen junior competitions and the World Junior Girls Championship.
Golf Canada conducts the country’s premier amateur and professional golf championships as part of its mandate to promote the sport and support the development of the nation’s top talent through world-class competition. In 2020, Golf Canada will celebrate its 125th anniversary with activities and celebrations planned throughout the championship season.
“Competing in a national championship is an incredible accomplishment for each of the more than 3,000 talented Canadian and international golfers who take part in our competitions,” said Golf Canada’s CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “The depth of talent, engagement among thousands of volunteers, the quality of our host venues and the committed support of corporate partners who have aligned their respected brands with our properties have been core to 125 years of excellence in conducting golf competitions. We are excited to welcome the next wave of Canadian golf champions.”
Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off May 12 with the U.S. Open Local Qualifier at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. and concludes in October with the 7th edition of the World Junior Girls Championship at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.
To view Golf Canada’s 2020 championship schedule including all host venues, registration requirements and volunteer opportunities please click here.
The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be celebrating its 125th anniversary at The Glencoe Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Alta., from Aug. 3-6. A field of 264 players will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after 36 holes. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2021 RBC Canadian Open, as well as an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive an exemption into local qualifying for the 2021 U.S. Open, and if applicable, the U.S. Junior, U.S. Mid-Amateur or U.S. Senior Amateur Championships. The 2020 event marks the first time the championship will host the 264-player field on the same property (Forest & Meadows courses) since the field expanded in 2010. The inaugural Canadian Men’s Amateur was held in 1895 – the year of Golf Canada’s founding – and has been conducted every year since (excluding times of war between 1915-1918 and 1940-1945).
The 107th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship takes place July 21-24 at one of Golf Canada’s founding clubs, The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île Brizard, Qué. The champion will earn an exemption into the 2020 CP Women’s Open, as well as an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive exemptions into the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, if applicable.
Rivershore Estates & Golf Links will host the 82nd Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 10-13 in Kamloops, B.C. The winner will earn an exemption into the 2021 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
The 66th Canadian Junior Girls Championship will take place July 28-31 at Club de golf de Lorette in Loretteville, Qué. with the winner earning an exemption into the 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
The 18th Canadian University/College Championship will be held May 25-28 at Club de Golf Les Quatre Domaines in Mirabel, Qué. The national championship features both a team and individual component featuring Canada’s top university and college talent.
The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur will be held Aug. 18-21 at Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B., with the champion earning entry into the 2021 RBC Canadian Open.
The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship will be held Aug. 25-27 at the Golf Château-Bromont in Bromont, Que. The winner will earn an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and 2021 U.S Senior Women’s Open.
Pheasant Glen Golf Resort located in Qualicum Beach, B.C., will host the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship from Sept. 15-18, with the winner earning an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur.
The NextGen Championships round out Golf Canada’s schedule with eight regional junior competitions. The series will run from May through September in conjunction with the respective Provincial Golf Associations.
The Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event will be held on Aug. 29 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. Twenty-four of the nation’s top-scoring juniors compete for the title of their respective age group (8 and under, 9-11, 12-14, 15-18).
An accomplished field of international competitors will take to Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., from Sept 28 – Oct. 3, for the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship. The event will welcome 26 countries playing as three-member squads competing for both a team and individual title. New for 2020, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2021 CP Women’s Open.
The Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event will be held at Islington Golf Club in Toronto on Sept. 21. The one-day event is a celebration of the success of all Golf Fore the Cure events held nationwide during the 2020 season. To date, the fundraising efforts of thousands of golfers have totaled more than $6.8 million for breast cancer research since the program’s inception in 2003.
Saskatchewan golfers start strong down south
A handful of Saskatchewan college students opened their spring seasons this week with good results.
The Southern Arkansas University (SAU) duo of Kade Johnson and Roman Timmerman started where they left off in the fall season. The Yorkton and Saskatoon products tied for fourth place at the Houston Open on Monday and Tuesday. The pairs’ three round score of 219 helped the Muleriders finish second in the team competition at the Golf Club of Houston.
SAU is back in action on March 9 and 10 when they host the Arkansas Classic.
In Brunswick, Georgia Saskatoon’s Marc Sweeney should have crossed paths with Kindersley golfer Brody Istace. Sweeney show a two-round score of 149 (76, 73) at the 10th annual Winter Invite over the last couple days. Sweeney placed tied for 19th. Sweeney and his University of South Carolina Beaufort teammates placed third out of 16 teams.
Istace is in his second year at Columbia International University (CIU), the Rams also competed in the Invite. Istace shot rounds of 83 and 87 leaving him in 74th position. The Rams placed ninth as a team.
The Sand Sharks will meet SCAD Savannah in a match-play event on Feb. 14. CIU will host their first-ever regular season tournament on Feb. 24 and 25.
Connor Scissons and the Arizona Christian University Firestorm were competing in Phoenix, Arizona this week. The Saskatoon born player placed in a tie for 22nd at the ACU Spring Invitational. Scissons carded rounds of 71 and 76 at the Moon Valley Country Club.
The Firestorm played great over 36 holes and picked up a second-place finish in the team competition. The men’s golf team will be back on the course March 4 against Otterbein.
For more information on Saskatchewan players at college click here.
Canada’s Nick Taylor goes wire to wire to win Pebble Beach Pro Am
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Canada’s Nick Taylor faced increasingly windy conditions, a hard-charging Phil Mickelson, and his own struggles in the back nine to come out on top at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Taylor led by as many as five strokes heading into the back nine before bogeys on holes 11 and 12 followed by a double bogey on No. 14 seemed to give Mickleson a window on Sunday. But Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., remained unperturbed for birdies on Nos. 15 and 17 for a 2-under 70 round and a four-stroke win over Kevin Streelman, with Mickleson fading to five shots back with three bogeys on his back nine.
Was Taylor really as steely as he seemed, though?
“On the inside? Probably not,” said Taylor with a laugh. “I did feel calm all week and today, but I definitely started feeling some nerves middle of the back nine with really difficult holes and making some bogeys.
“Phil was making bogeys alongside me so it’s not like I was making bad bogeys, it didn’t feel like. It was just playing so difficult.”
That winning putt to become the first Canadian champion at the @attproam ???? pic.twitter.com/TRX0ZlCtFe
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 10, 2020
Playing as the final pairing of the day, Taylor had Mickleson and his legion of fans in lockstep with him through the storied course. A partisan crowd was clearly hoping that Mickleson would win a record sixth tournament at Pebble Beach, his home course.
Both players had a disastrous No. 14 – Taylor double bogeyed and Mickleson bogeyed – but Taylor recovered with his two late birdies and Mickleson didn’t shoot below par again.
“It’s disappointing certainly to have not won, but I got outplayed,” Mickelson said. “I mean, Nick played better than I did. He holed a couple of great shots. That eagle on 6, the putts he made on 4, 5 and 7 … he just really played some great golf.”
Never count out Nick ???? pic.twitter.com/pDd7wBHSgA
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 9, 2020
Instead, Taylor won a PGA Tour event for the second time of his career and set himself up for an exciting 2020 season.
He’ll now join Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Mike Weir at the Masters, the most Canadians to ever play at Augusta. He also joins Hadwin and Conners as a potential member of Canada’s Olympic team at this summer’s Tokyo Games. Canada’s two highest-ranked male players in the world golf rankings will compete in the Olympics.
Winning at Pebble Beach guarantees Taylor a full exemption for the 2021 PGA Tour season.
Taylor also made a little bit of history.
Having won the Sanderson Farms Championship in November 2014, Taylor joined Mike Weir and Stephen Ames as the only Canadians in the modern era to win twice on the top men’s tour.
He’s also the first player to lead all four rounds at Pebble Beach since Mickleson accomplished the feat in 2005.
“It’s a unique week with having three different golf courses to play on,” said Taylor. “Each day is a new challenge, totally different. I think that helped a little bit. I won the Canadian junior championship before I went to college, pretty sure I went wire-to-wire there but it doesn’t happen very often to have a great start and back it up with another good round.
“It’s very rare and makes for a tiring week. Now I know 0.1 per cent of what Tiger Woods does every single day, having to talk to media and stuff like that.”
Taylor and Mickleson – who finished the day 2-over 74 – weren’t the only players to struggle with the wind.
Dustin Johnson shot a 78. Matt Every, in the third-to-last group, shot 80. Jason Day closed with a 75.
The best round and best finish belonged to Jordan Spieth, who chipped in to save par on his final hole for a 67. It was the low round of the day and enabled Spieth to finish in a tie for ninth. That narrowly moves him back into the top 50 and makes him eligible for a World Golf Championship in Mexico City in two weeks.
Streelman also left with a trophy. He teamed with Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald to easily win the pro-am for the second time in three years.
Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., shot a 3-over 75 to finish tied for 55th at even par.
Lofgren loving iron prize
Last week the Maple Leaf Junior Tour handed out a couple prizes for young golfers who signed up for membership prior to their early bird deadline.
One of those prizes was a set of Tiger Woods Taylormade P-7TW irons valued at $2,600. The lucky winner was Saskatoon’s Taylor Lofgren. Lofgren, 17, said he was scrolling through phone last week when he received an Instagram notification regarding the MJT draw.
“I hear P-7TW irons for the grand prize and I went into a shock type feeling, is this really about to be my name called? You have to be kidding me right now?” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “Just an insane experience, I loved it.”
Ever since Lofgren found out he was the grand prize winner of entrants across Canada he has been on pins and needles waiting for his prize to arrive.
“I have been on every site you can think of looking into these things. It’s kind of been my obsession the last few days. It’s hard to get my mind off them,” he chuckled.
Lofgren was introduced to golf by his dad around nine years old when he got his first set of clubs. He said the game became more serious to him when he was about 13. He said playing Maple Leaf events has several benefitting factors.
“I found there’s more to it than the competitive aspect although that’s very much there,” he said. “The community that surrounds the events is neat. A few things that stick out to me over the years is spending time with friends, sharing stories of rounds and bringing smiles to people’s faces despite how the round went. Plus I get to play courses I generally wouldn’t find myself at if it wasn’t for the MJT events is a bonus.”
Lofgren finished in 21st place at the provincial championship at the Evergreen Golf Course last year. His top finish was a 14th place spot at the OMT Championship at The Legends Golf Course. He hopes his final year of junior golf, that is already been kickstarted by the irons win is a memorable one.
“I’m looking to build on the closing MJT event and looking to get to that level shortly after the season starts. I’m looking to make my last year memorable both with the people I spend it with and how I perform. I’m pretty excited to get the season going,” Lofgren beamed.
Golf Needs to be Squashed
One of the best ways to solve a problem is to look at success models in other disciplines. Right now, golf has an equipment problem. The ball goes too far. And the powers that be are so afraid of blowback from commercial interests they think the problem can’t be solved. However, a solution compatible to all parties is right in front of us if we just open our eyes.
Squash is a tennis-like game played inside an open-wall court. The court is always the same but the player-ball relationship presents a problem. If a ball isn’t hit hard enough it will die when coming off the front wall and players will not be able to enjoy a rally. If the ball is struck too hard it has too much bounce becoming too easy to retrieve and high level players don’t get to display their full range of skills.
Squash’s solution is to designate one ball for elite players (pros) who are able to hit the ball harder and another for high level amateurs and yet another for beginners. There’s even a ball for five to seven year-olds for a total of six different balls. In order to keep track each grade of ball is defined by one or two Yellow, Red or Blue dots on the surface. We don’t need six different golf balls. We just need two. Pro Shops and manufacturers would be happy with that. They’d have more to sell.
It would seem that creating balls with fixed bounce properties would diminish the competitive edge one manufacturer might have over another. However, manufacturing competition does exist within the sport of squash. Manufacturers are able to differentiate based on longevity, consistency, feel and price.
Golf itself already has two different performance balls. The one used in long drive contests is designed just for those contests. It has maximum roll out properties so two types of game balls is not a stretch.
The PGA Tour needs to designate a ‘Pro’ style ball for its tournaments which would have more spin. Such a ball would spin further off line than a normal ball and thereby visit regions of the golf course normally reserved for hackers. Also, it would only travel maximum distance if it was stuck with maximum purity. This would make for exciting entertainment. A tour player needing to carry the water at Torrey Pines 18th to win a tournament might have his heart in his throat a bit more if he knew a hard but imperfect hit might flare up into the sky and not carry the water. That doesn’t happen to today’s new breed of bang and bash players. I just might buy a ticket to see that kind of drama.
I believe that if golf had not given up the Balata ball in the early 1990’s Tiger Woods would have won 10% more tournaments. He was the best striker of the golf ball. He was more precise than average. In fact today he often still is.
Accentuating talent and separating the field would be good for the game. Fans want dominant players like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. They don’t want the world number one to turn over every month. Long term heroes generate long term fans.
And if people love ‘Bubba Golf’ now because of the way Bubba Watson is able to curve the ball surely they’d be more attracted by a ‘Pro’ ball. There would be more Bubbas to watch.
As for enjoyment for the average golfer that’s never going to suffer. Amateurs can still pretend they’re playing on a level playing field by playing the current roster of over-performing balls just like amateur squash players do. They can also move up one or two tee decks which they often do today anyway. Those amateurs who truly want to measure themselves against the pros will always have the option of buying golf’s version of a Double Yellow Dot ball and hit away.
So squash has a successful model golf can imitate. The ball wouldn’t have to be rolled back. The manufacturers could create more types of balls and have more to sell. Teaching pros and pro shops would still be in the loop. Everyone wins. Of course that still leaves the driver as a factor in hitting a ball too far. However, the same principle applies. Look at success models in other disciplines and a solution will be found.
I believe that ultimately progress will be made when regulating bodies apply specific standards that are healthy for the professional game. Over time each amateur and each level of amateur competition will decide if they want to use the ‘Pro’ ball or one that provides a stepping stone toward professional level performance.
Everyone will be able to enjoy the game at his or her level and display skills we all want to see.
Bob Skura is the author of How Great Golfers Think.
One of his claims to fame is that in 2019 he shot his age – 68.
He readily admits he may not have done it without modern technology but would still like to be playing a softer ball.
12 tips to finally take your offseason golf practice to the next level
Unless you’re fortunate enough to live in southern British Columbia, most Canadian golfers are looking at a golf season of about six months. That leaves us the other half of the year to … do what?
Watch golf, think about golf, dream about golf, do just about everything except play golf.
But if you’re serious about hitting the first tee next spring in mid-season form, there are many ways to do that: Eating healthier, getting or staying in shape, improving your swing, practicing your putting and short game and more.
No matter where you live across the country, there are experts in all of these areas. Golf Canada reached out to a few to get you started on the right track. Have a look at these along with the many other opportunities offered online and do more than just dream about next season.
Whether you have an indoor facility with nets or a dome or are limited to your basement or garage, you can use the off-season to ensure your game stays sharp or maybe even improve!
1. The Joy of Flex-ibility
Strength training is usually the first thing people think of for exercises to improve their swing. However, improved flexibility allows you the range of motion needed to fully implement any power gains you get from that added strength. Here are some exercises I recommend to improve your flexibility.
Straight Leg Hang with Flat Back
Stand with your feet no more than shoulder-width apart. Keep your back perfectly flat and bend forward as far as possible. The benefit is an increased range of motion through the hamstrings, allowing your hips to tilt forward more easily to help achieve a proper golf stance. I would suggest two repetitions, holding each for 30 to 60 seconds.
Torso Twist Against Wall
Stand up straight facing away from a wall. Turn to the left, placing your right hand on the wall and pushing your torso around. After holding the stretch, repeat, turning to the right. The benefit is an increased range of motion around the torso, allowing more rotation in the wind-up and follow-through of the golf swing. I would suggest holding for 30 to 60 seconds in each direction, twice.
Shoulder Stretch Against Wall
Place your hands on a wall at eye level. Bend over at the hips, pushing your chest and head down toward base of wall. This stretch increases the range of motion in the shoulder joint, resulting in less restriction throughout the swing. I would suggest two repetitions, switching which foot is leading each time, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds.
Standing Chest Stretch Against Wall
Stand perpendicular to a wall. Press your hand closest to wall at shoulder height with your fingers facing back. Use small steps to turn your chest away from the wall until a stretch is felt through the chest and arm. This increases the shoulder joint’s range of motion, improving range of motion through the golf swing. I would suggest repeating twice on each side of the body, maintaining the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.
Calf Stretch Against Wall
Place the toes of one foot up against the wall. Push the heel of that foot into the floor with the other foot slightly behind. Push yourself forward into the wall until you feel your calf muscle stretch. This exercise gives you more range of motion through the ankle which improves your balance and stance. I would suggest two repetitions on each leg, with at least a 30-second hold.
Kneeling Hip Stretch
Kneel on a mat. Push your hips forward. Drop down towards the mat until you feel a stretch through the front of your legs with your knees on mat. The benefit is increased flexibility in the front of your hips, allowing a more complete follow-through with the golf swing. I would suggest repeating twice on each leg, holding for 30 to 60 seconds.
Bio: Phil Kavanagh ventured into the golf industry in 1983 as a back-shop attendant at Indian Wells Golf Club in Ontario. He moved up to first assistant at Trafalgar Golf and Country Club, followed by four years as first assistant at Burlington Golf and Country Club. Phil’s first Head Professional position was at Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club from 1997 to 2001. In 2002, he became the seventh Head Professional in the 84-year history of Islington Golf Club. In 2020 and 2024, Islington Golf Club will play co-host to the RBC Canadian Open.
2. Start in the right direction
We all want to shoot lower scores but we sometimes direct our limited practice time towards areas of our game that provide little return. You must have a plan for your practice session so you can make better use of your time and see improvement along the way. A good practice session can be divided into technical work, skill development, a challenge, and then reflection.
Putting is a multiple-piece puzzle so let’s take a look at just two important pieces—alignment and start direction— you can practise at home or at the course.
Start Direction: It is important to get the ball started on or as close to your start line as you can. Combine that with good distance control and more putts will end up in the bottom of the cup. The putter face has the most influence on the golf ball’s initial direction.
Let’s do a personal assessment of the direction you start the ball. Take two coffee cups or water glasses, a length of string and some tape. Tape each end of the string to the top of each cup and spread the cups 10 feet away from each other on a flat smooth carpet. Place one ball between the cups, under the string and about two feet from one cup. (Stick a small piece of masking tape to the floor behind the ball so you know where to place the ball each time.) Then take another ball and place it under the string two feet in front of the first ball. Now take two batteries and stand them up on either side of the second ball with just a little space between each side of the ball and take the ball away. Now you can begin the test!
Move the one cup that is closest to the balls off to the side and hit 10 putts from the masking tape mark on the floor, between the two batteries and toward the far cup. Go through your normal routine for each putt and once you complete the 10 putts, ask yourself how many putts went between the batteries without touching them, how many putts hit the left battery and how many hit the right battery?
Let’s take a closer look at how you align the putter and get set up. A great tool is a metal yardstick. Place the cup with the string back into place and place the yardstick under the string. Using the string be sure that the yardstick is pointing in the direction of the far cup. Remove the string again and place a golf ball in the small hole in the end of the yardstick. Place your putter behind the ball and line up the putter face with the straight edge of the yardstick. Take your grip and stance. Look down at the putter face, then down the yardstick and towards the hole. How does this alignment feel? Repeat this setup process a few times to see if you can get comfortable with how this has you aligned. Now practise hitting putts down the yardstick.
If you can roll the ball down the length of the stick and towards the hole without it falling off the sides you are properly delivering the face of the putter at impact. Repeat this process, aligning the putter face, grip and stance for every attempt. This practice is to help you properly align the face at setup, learning visually how this alignment feels and then rolling a putt in the desired direction.
Challenge: Now that you have had some practice on your alignment and starting the ball on line, take away the yardstick and the string and hit 10 putts going through your full routine and see how many putts you hit between the batteries and that hit the cup. Your goal is to try to beat or tie your record every time you do the challenge before you finish your practice session.
Reflection: Write down some notes, answering the following questions: What did I do well? What could have been better? What will I work on next time?
Bio: Adam Werbicki grew up in Stony Plain, Alta., and has worked at the Derrick Golf & Winter Club in Edmonton since 2007. He has been named to the US Kids Top 50 Instructors and was the 2011 PGA of Canada Junior Leader of the Year and the 2015 PGA of Canada Teacher of the Year.
3. Improve your impact through the ball
Equipment needed: Elastic resistance tubing with handles, alignment stick, something stable to hook the elastic about waist height
Purpose: To understand and feel the transition sequence to and through impact as well as the routing of the club head before impact.
The lower body pulls the upper body. Your weight goes onto your forward foot first, followed by an unwinding body motion from the ground up. Your arms get back in front of your body with a flat front wrist at impact.
Below plane: The alignment stick in yellow represents the golf club and follows under and behind the elastic (picture 1) all the way to impact position (ball position inside front foot).
The upper part of the stick touches the front side (left for right-handed golfer) of the body with the back arm bent, front arm extended and wrist flat (picture 2). If the stick does not touch your side, you will miss the release of the club head through the ball and leave the club face open.
Over Plane: This is a major fault!
The hands and arms start first from the top of backswing. The club head travels over the plane (the elastic) which causes a pull and/or cut shot where the weight of the body falls back.
The is a great exercise to make you feel the proper trajectory of the golf club before the striking zone and through the impact area.
Bio: Denise Lavigne has been teaching and coaching golf for more than 25 years. A member of the Coaching Association of Canada, she is director of instruction at Golf Le Mirage and Pinegrove Country Club in Quebec as well as at Quail Ridge Country Club in Boynton Beach, Fla., in the winter.
4. Want to hit the ball farther?
I have seen very good results with players wanting to increase their distance through more club head speed. Although I’m not generally one to endorse products, I believe using SuperSpeed Golf’s product over the winter is both the easiest and quickest method. www.superspeedgolf.com.
Simply follow the simple workout protocol of three times per week and see the yardage gains. Added bonus: the protocol (workouts) can help improve swing technique without you even being aware!
5. Pitch into a laundry basket
I love this winter drill for players to improve contact, land angle of the ball and visualization. Simply use your sand wedge and from a tight lie (e.g., short carpet), chip balls into a laundry basket from three, five and seven yards away in the air. No windows behind the baskets may be another great tip!
Bio: Derek Ingram is Team Canada’s national coach, He is the head coach for the national amateur and Young Pro teams and is a two-time recipient of the PGA of Canada’s Teacher of the Year award.
6. Throwing Darts ?
When I want to emphasize to golfers the need to elevate their ability to focus, I often reference Phil Taylor, world-champion dart player. I’ll have them watch YouTube videos of some of his perfect games and take note of his incredible ability to focus. His laser-like stare at his target is the same every time.
While focus is not really measurable with TrackMan technology or even slow-motion video, it is possible to look at the pupils of an athlete and make a determination as to whether their visual focus is “narrow,”’ which is ideal in a target-oriented game like golf—and darts.
The benefits of learning and improving your play in darts are many and several are certainly transferable to golf.
Self Control/Self Awareness/Proprioception
Proprioception is defined as the perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body. Gaining a sense of body control while focusing on the dartboard will heighten your awareness of your body’s position and its movements. While the movement of throwing a dart has much less velocity than swinging a club, there is still a requirement of balance and coordination which is improved upon through a discipline of controlled body movements.
Focus/Decision Making/Confidence
Just like there is an immediate respect factor among golfers if someone mentions they are a single-digit handicap, there is the same level of admiration towards an elite dart player. Getting better at darts requires discipline in developing a physical routine in getting yourself ready physically before each throw. This is complemented by a mental routine which involves making tactical decisions as to what is the next target on the board, focusing on that target and then reacting to that target.
Getting better at darts is not an easy task and it requires the same traits and dedication if you want to get better at golf. With practice, you can gain competence and understand what you are trying to do. With experience, you can grow your confidence and self esteem, knowing that it wasn’t easy and you earned it.
Chances are if you can learn how to “double in and double out” with regularity playing darts, you’ll have improved upon some of the skills and traits necessary in avoiding those “doubles” on the course next spring.
Bio: As the director of golf at Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick, Ont., along with assisting golfers of all abilities to improve their game, Matt Robinson says he is most proud of being presented with the Order of the Good Bear by the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation for which he has raised more than $500,000 through his fundraising efforts.
7. It’s as easy as 1-2-3
Another off-season is upon us, and you’re probably deciding what you should do differently this winter to produce different results for the summer.
The first two tactics that come to mind are improving your overall strength and conditioning as well as your technique. Get in the gym and grab your PGA pro to get some swing technique work under your belt. If there are technical flaws occurring, this would be the best time to address them and to make the necessary changes.
As we enter into the New Year and create off-season goals targeted towards our golf game, it also creates a great opportunity for us to reflect and reframe our habits that directly impact your game. The reality is that we all have bad habits but here I will highlight three goods habits you can integrate into your off-season program.
Commit now to a higher level of discipline with your mental game for 2020.
Objective post-shot routine
We are quick to criticize what we did on a particular golf shot instead of identifying all the things that went well. Make your first two thoughts after a shot solely on objective data; Where did it hit the clubface and where did it land relative to where you planned? This objective analysis habit delays the emotional reaction and gives your mind time to organize everything that’s just happened.
For an athletic motion as complex as a golf swing, we need to incorporate breathing. Start with a simple breath before you swing and a breath in the finish as a basic template. Build on this and gain control over your breathing in your golf game.
Commitment Phrase
You’ll never know if you’ve made the right choice or made a great swing until it happens, so practise your commitment phrase. It should be confident but also accepting. “I’ve got this!” or “Let’s goooo!” (thanks, Bianca!), are great examples. Match this phrase to your personality. Make it your own!
Bio: With almost three decades of experience successfully playing and teaching the game, Todd Halpen is the director of instruction at the Golf Canada Calgary Centre.
8. Do the hard work now
The No. 1 request from my students is: “Can you teach me to hit the ball farther?” The answer to that question requires further knowledge of the student: Is the student maintaining or improving core and overall strength? Is the student maintaining or improving mobility?
These discussions with my students during the golf season resulted in the development of an off-season golf-specific program that focuses on strength and mobility training and then skill work. My indoor golf space has four hitting areas with a computer simulator and an area for strength and conditioning work.
As a PGA of Canada golf instructor and a CrossFit and functional movement trainer, I developed multiple strength and conditioning programs suited for each student. Accessing golf skills and instituting drills to improve those skills is the basis of the off-season training offered at my indoor space.
Improvements in a student’s ability to hit the ball farther and make more consistent contact come as a result of adherence to a program that includes work on strength, conditioning, mobility and skill. My motto is to do the hard work at a time of year when there is no access to the golf course so that the student can focus on playing golf, scoring and having fun when the golf season arrives.
I am proud that our indoor facility offers 10-week clinics for junior girls and boys in the winter. Our focus is on skill work, simulated games, mobility and coordination drills. After the winter session, juniors can transition to outdoor lessons, leagues and on-course games.
Bio: Mary-Pat Quilty is the director of golf at Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club in Craighurst, Ont., and a past winner of the PGA of Ontario Championship. After competing on the Symetra, Canadian, Asian and Australian tours, she became a PGA of Canada member and has twice been named the PGA of Ontario’s Teacher of the Year.
9. Keep on pitching
Assuming you’re able to access a sports dome during the off-season, take advantage of the opportunity to hone your short game and improve your scoring when spring arrives.
Setup: Using your sand wedge, place the ball in the middle of your stance with your feet slightly closer together than shoulder width. Then feel your weight shift a little towards the target, making the weight 60-40 on your front side.
Motion: Feeling tension-free in your arms and hands, take the club back with your arms and shoulders until the club is parallel to the ground. The big key for the takeaway is to maintain your 60-40 balance. Don’t allow your weight to shift to your back foot and maintain the width with your arms, not with your wrists. From this position, simply focus on rotating your chest so you finish with your chest on top of your front foot.
Finish Position: You should be completely facing your target (chest and belt), feel that you have moved 90 per cent of your weight to your front foot and your arms and hands are pointing the club at your target. A good key to focus on with the finish is to make sure the club head finished below your hands and the toe of the club is straight up to the sky.
Key thought: You should feel that you are hitting this shot with the movement of your larger muscles (shoulders/chest/hips) and not with your hands. Experiment with distance control by making longer and shorter swings with the same motion, never adding speed with your hands. A longer swing equals longer shot.
Bio: Jamie Moran is the director of golf and head professional of Belvedere Golf Club in Charlottetown. He was the 2019 Atlantic PGA of Canada Teacher of the Year and has received multiple nominations for junior leader of the year, coach of the year and teacher of the year.
10. Taking care of your golf body
The off-season is the time to make changes to your swing, take care of any aches, pains or limitations in your body and work on fitness and strength so that you can crush the upcoming season. Here are a few tips that I have found beneficial over the years for the different age groups of golfers. When in doubt, find a local sport health-care provider and fitness trainer to assess where you can focus your off-season training.
Junior Golfer: Be active in all sorts of sports and activities. Build your athletic abilities that include hand-eye coordination, balance, changing of direction, and rotation. This will help you improve your body awareness and challenge muscle groups and activation patterns that are different from the repetitiveness of golf. Remember to have fun!
Amateur Golfer: Focus on recovery and building your base: your core and mobility. Many of Team Canada athletes play a heavy schedule over the summer months and then head to university to play more events along with regular team workouts. Having the base to control lifting techniques and prevent injury is very important. Recovery includes various types of exercise, mindfulness, consistent sleep and good nutrition and hydration.
Mid-Amateur Golfer: Life gets busy as you get older but make your fitness, flexibility and stability a priority. Taking breaks from poor posture while we sit at work is an easy habit to get into. Another thing to focus on is any injuries or aches that interfered with your previous season that limited quality of play, practice, or adapting to new swing skill.
Senior Golfer: Focus on flexibility and strength. Regular exercise that is variable just like the junior golfer is very important. Balance, hand-eye coordination, stop-starts and changing direction can improve your body’s ability to create the swing you want and maintain the power to crush it.
Bio: Andrea Kosa has been the physiotherapist for Golf Canada’s women’s teams since 2013. She is a competitive golfer who competed in the Canadian Mid-Amateur and was a quarter-finalist in the 2019 USGA Mid-Amateur. She is accredited by the Titleist Performance Institute at the Medical Professional Level 3.
11. Get hip!
The two main physical areas to focus on over the winter are thoracic mobility and hip stability.
Thoracic Mobility
We need the thoracic/trunk area of your body to be able to rotate ideally at least 60 to 70 degrees in comparison to your pelvis and be symmetrical, i.e., be able to rotate the same both right (backswing for right-handed players) and left (downswing). If there is stiffness here, a common swing fault is to be steep in your backswing or, even worse, to have a very inconsistent swing plane.
A great way to improve this mobility is to get a foam roller. Place it on the ground and lay on it perpendicular to your spine with your knees bent and your hands supporting your head and neck. In this position, first roll gently back and forth from your shoulder blades to the middle of your trunk for a minute. Follow this by keeping the roller still between your shoulder blades and pivot over the roller five times.
Hip Stability
The most important area of the body to be stable during the golf swing is the hips and pelvis. If we are physically weak here it often leads to swing faults such as swaying and sliding.
To strengthen this area, grab an exercise band and sit on a table. Loop the band around your feet and place your hands either side of the leg you want to strengthen. Keeping the other leg still, rotate the leg you are strengthening as far away from the stationary leg until you can’t go any further, hopefully at least 45 degrees. Hold this position before slowly returning the rotating leg to the start position. Complete three sets of as many repetitions as you can with 30 seconds rest between each set.
Bio: Greg Redman is Team Canada’s head physiotherapist and strength coach who has had success with several Olympic champions and medalists. He competed nationally in canoe/kayak and has completed eight marathons and Ironman Canada.
12. Take it to the mat
Unfortunately, if you’re stuck in Canada for the winter, most of your practice is going to be hitting shots from a mat with less than a full flight. Under these circumstances, there are two things I think are super important to keep in mind.
Careful when using mats
Mats are super forgiving on “heavy” shots or shots where you connect with the ground first. When you hit this shot from grass, you get immediate feedback and can react appropriately on the next shot. However, off a mat, the club will bounce off the mat and the ball will react pretty much like it would for a shot that is cleanly contacted. I like products like the one in the accompanying photo from Eyeline Golf that you can place behind the golf ball to provide feedback on the low point of your swing.
The low point of your swing should be at or ahead of the golf ball for all of your iron shots and this product gives you immediate feedback. Hitting shots heavy all winter off mats is a recipe for disaster. You can also place a piece of masking tape behind the golf ball to give you feedback on the low point of your swing as an alternative. Your shorter irons are going to have steeper angles of attack on the golf course. So when you are hitting off mats, you are causing more wear and tear on your wrists and elbows. So try to limit the amount of full shots you hit off a mat to your 8-iron and higher. (Pitches are great, though, as it helps promote a shallower swing path)
Practice your max
When hitting shots indoors, we tend to be focusing on our mechanics and our contact. That’s great but most of the time, you are not swinging at “game speed.” So try to end your session with at least 10 shots that are at or very near your maximum output.