Golf is a huge part of Charene and Doug Kozak’s lives allowing the Regina couple to travel, meet new people, and see some success in mixed events along the way.

Most notably is the pair’s annual trip to Bermuda to play in the Pompano Beach Club’s Annual Couples Spring Tournament.  The four-day event features two rounds at Port Royal Golf Course, one at Tucker’s Point and one at Belmonte Hills. Coming in as defending champions, the couple posted a net, four-round score of 265, winning the event again by 13 strokes over the next nearest team earlier this month. Charene said winning is fun and the couple enjoy that experience, but the sport provides so much more.

“I love the competition, I love being outside, I love the game, I love what it offers,” she told Golf Saskatchewan over the Easter long weekend at their Regina club, Tor Hill. “I love that we get to play together, it’s four hours we get to spend together. We support each other in the game.”

The Kozaks began taking spring vacations in Bermuda five years ago when they decided to have their vacation include playing golf rather than “just spending a week sitting under a beach plalapa with a drink.” They decided to find a golf tournament to play in leading them to the Pompano Beach Club tournament.  They first competed in 2015; they missed 2016 due to an injury Charene suffered but have since competed every spring. On route to their most recent championship, Doug was able to sink an ace during the final round capping another memorable tournament.

“One of the fun facts this year was that I got a hole in one in the last round,” he said. “I’m telling people it’s my first international hole in one. I have four.”

Aside from their success in the mixed format tournaments the couple praises the people they’ve met and the now lifetime friends they have gained. One of those is a couple who lives in Pinehurst, North Carolina. That couple shared the news of a mixed event in nearby Southern Pines at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. They entered the tournament and managed to win that event in November 2018 as well. Doug said sometimes the pieces fall in place with your partner.

“The beauty of these mixed events is there is formats where you only record one score. The bad ones you put in your pocket and lean on your partner. We’ve been lucky enough to ham and egg it a little bit,” he laughed.

The couple are also past champions of the Golf Saskatchewan Mixed Championship, they won that event in 2007 at Elk Ridge.

The couple has a cottage at Waskesiu and plays in the Lobstick events every year. Unfortunately, the 2019 Ladies Lobstick conflicts with the provincial mixed championship this year so they will miss seeing  their friends and regular Mixed Championship competitors at Golf Kenosee in August.

Doug said he is retiring from his shopping centre management job in May and the couple will spend more time in Prince Albert National Park playing the sport that keeps them close, social, and active.

“We always say the best thing about golf is you pick the people you get to play with when you play socially. You get to go for a four hour walk with your friends and if you can’t have a good time doing that you should pick something else,” he said.

City of Regina residents in the Regent Park area having their say regarding the redevelopment of the neighbourhood that includes the long-standing par-3 golf course.

Due to declining use over the years the city has made the 580-yard, par-27, nine-hole facility free to use for the public. However, since 2017 plans to rejuvenate the area have been undergoing. Several public workshops and online consultations have outlined four different plans for the site. None include keeping the golf course. Janine Daradich, the manager of planning and partnerships for the city said the keeping the course open isn’t viable.

“The par-3 has been underperforming for a number of years and we’ve also had plans like the recreation master plan and official community plan approved by council. Those plans have recommendations for the redevelopment of the site and for maximizing city land for housing opportunities,” she said.

Throughout the consultation process there was some interest among area residents and users to keep the course operational but Daradich said replacing the facility with other recreational options is better suited in the long-term.

“There was some expression from some residents to keep the golf course, but I think what was most important to them is we keep recreation amenities for the community,” Daradich said. “We’ve incorporated all those top options that the community brought forward through the workshops we’ve had.”

A soccer pitch, walking paths, spray pad, playground, picnic areas, and housing are all incorporated in the four plans. Daradich said the feedback will be delivered to city council and a decision could potentially be made through Regina’s budget process.

The golf course will remain open for the 2019 season.

This upcoming weekend (April 27 and 28) at The Willows in Saskatoon, the PGA of Saskatchewan will host a community coaching clinic.

The initiative is backed by extensive research into Canada’s volunteer training curriculums for sport across the country. Industry experts implemented the program to address the gap between PGA of Canada professionals and available volunteer support from family and friends according to the national PGA agency.

TS&M Woodlawn professional, Amanda Minchin is coordinating the Saskatchewan based seminar. She said the course is “perfect for anyone who wants to get involved in their local junior program or is looking at starting one.”

Current junior golf leaders and new PGA of Canada members are also encouraged to take part. The session covers safety concerns, legality of working with youth in sport, setting up golf lessons, and networking with other golf coaches.

Saskatoon’s Paige Lawrence took part in the clinic last year. She said it was beneficial to assist in developing a junior program.

“The tools and training I gained over a weekend were invaluable in helping initiate a junior program last summer in Wynyard. The mix of hands on practice and classroom theory makes for an engaging environment. It was also a great way to connect with other members of the golf community who are working towards the same goal of growing the game, we were able to share challenges and wins we each had encountered in our communities,” Lawrence said.

Online registration for the clinic is closed but anyone interested can call the PGA of Canada office at 1.800.782.5764 to get more information.

From April 22-26, Golf Canada will be celebrating all donations made towards the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program in support of the third annual Adopt a School Week.

The week represents a coast-to-coast celebration to mark the efforts of all Golf in Schools adoptions. Since the program’s inception in 2009, adoptions have accounted for close to 50% of the over 3,800 registered schools delivering the curriculum. Together, Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), and all provincial partners have aligned to celebrate the generosity of golf enthusiasts across the country.

“Golf Canada recognizes the many investments made by Canadians across the country in support of the Golf in Schools program,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “It is in the industry’s best interest to support the continued growth of the sport at the grassroots level, which in turn benefits the future membership of facilities.”

For the first 30 adoptions, any golf facility, PGA of Canada professional or individual who adopts a school into the Golf in Schools program from April 22-26 will see their adoption matched with a school of their choice. This matching grant is possible due to Golf Canada’s partnership with the Canadian Seniors Golf Association (CSGA).

In 2018, 263 new schools were adopted, introducing an average of 120 students per school to golf.

A Golf in Schools donation includes the full program kit, which features safe, age-appropriate golf clubs along with a teacher-friendly learning resource. Developed in conjunction with the PGA of Canada and Physical Health Education (PHE) Canada, the learning resource incorporates Life Skills into the curriculum—placing added focus on transferrable skills both on and off the golf course.

The Intrapersonal Life Skills—perseverance, goal-setting and emotional regulation—are meant to instill focus while the Interpersonal Life Skills—honesty, teamwork and respect—embody a sense of sportspersonship.

Following Adopt a School Week, Golf Canada will be announcing all elementary, intermediate and high school adoptions conducted in 2019.

To adopt a school in your community, visit golfcanada.ca/adoptaschool

Canada’s top-ranked golfer and Canada’s iconic railway are partnering for five more years, both on and off the course. Canadian Pacific (CP) has renewed seven-time LPGA tour-winner and the No. 12 ranked female golfer in the world, Brooke Henderson to serve as its golf ambassador.

Since signing on with CP in 2017 as a golf ambassador, Henderson has won four more LPGA Tour titles, including her historic win on home soil at the 2018 CP Women’s Open where she became the first Canadian to win the National Open Championship in 45 years.

Joining the CP family is sister and caddy Brittany Henderson, who will also wear the CP logo as she supports Brooke as a team and family member.

“It is an honor to extend Brooke’s sponsorship until Dec. 31, 2023, and welcome Brittany to the CP family,” said Keith Creel, CP President and Chief Executive Officer. “Brooke remains the perfect ambassador for CP as we continue to grow the game of golf, advocate for healthy living through CP Has Heart, and build on the iconic Canadian brand that is CP. Adding Brittany to the CP family was a natural decision, as railroaders know that precision and excellence requires a strong team.”

CP continues to sponsor Team Canada, a relationship that marked the beginning of Brooke’s relationship with the railway. Both the Hendersons are graduates of the amateur program that supports young golfers as they pursue their professional dreams.

Brooke has also been named a repeat winner of the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as the Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year. In addition, PostMedia recognized her as their 2018 Summer Female Athlete of the Year and Canadian Sport Awards named her their 2018 Athlete of the Year.

“I am so proud to continue my relationship as an ambassador for CP. As many of my own family members have worked for CP in my hometown of Smiths Falls, it is truly special for me to wear the logo and continue that long history as a member of the CP family. Furthermore, the sincere gesture to add my sister Brittany to the CP family is incredible, as she’s been with me every step of my career. We both look forward to celebrating many more victories with the CP family.”

Already in the CP family is four-time LPGA Tour winner Lorie Kane, who signed on as an ambassador in 2014 when CP took over title sponsorship of the National Open. Kane, who was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2017 and named a recipient of the Order of Canada in 2006, has an established reputation as one of the most personable and consistent players in the game, and has dedicated many efforts off the course to champion support for CP Has Heart.

CP recently named SickKids Foundation as its official charity beneficiary of the 2019 CP Women’s Open that will be hosted at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ontario. Through its CP Has Heart program, CP will once again make a substantial donation to support local paediatric care. Follow along this season as golf ambassadors Brooke and Lorie encourage fundraising efforts to help reach this year’s $1.75M donation target.

In the five years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, $8.5 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada. This will mark the third time in six years southern Ontario has hosted the CP Women’s Open resulting in more than $3.3 million dollars invested in London (2014 – $1.3 million) and Ottawa (2016 – $2 million).

Whose turn is it this week to treat golf as their whipping boy?

Mainstream media feed on the sport as a source of unsubstantiated headlines, many based on the fallacious stereotype of golfers as overweight entitled middle-aged men riding in golf carts while smoking a cigar and chugging a beer. (I do wish they would stop using my foursome as an example.)

For their edification, and yours, here are some verifiable facts about just one positive aspect of golf.

Last fall, Dr. Andrew Murray and his colleagues at Edinburgh University’s Physical Activity for Health Research Centre reported on the results of a review conducted by researchers into 5,000 existing studies about golf.

5,000 studies!

What they found was stunning.

Golf not only has physical and mental health benefits for everyone who plays, but those benefits increase with age. Older folks improve their balance and endurance as well as respiratory and cardiac health.

“We know that the moderate physical activity that golf provides increased life expectancy, has mental health benefits and can help prevent and treat more than 40 major chronic diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer,” Murray told the BBC.

“Evidence suggests golfers live longer than non-golfers, enjoying improvements in cholesterol levels, body composition, wellness, self-esteem and self-worth.”

The Edinburgh University study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and is part of the Golf and Health Project, which is led by the World Golf Foundation.

A visit to the Golf and Health web site www.golfandhealth.org is a revelation. (Highly recommended for those mainstream media types mentioned above.)

Other studies show that walking 18 holes is equivalent to an eight-kilometre hike. That hike can drop blood glucose levels by up to 30 per cent in older golfers and helps everyone with weight maintenance and physical fitness. Walking and carrying your clubs can burn up to 2,000 calories per round. Even if you can’t carry, get off the power cart and use a manual or electric push cart (what the Brits call “trolleys”).

Heck, even being a spectator at a golf tournament is good for you.

“Spectators at golf events have been reported to walk significantly further than the 7,500 to 10,000 steps recommended daily for health,” according to Golf and Health. So you don’t have to actually play the game to reap the health benefits associated with it.

Even if the preceding hasn’t persuaded you to get out and golf, how about this for a kicker?

The death rate for golfers is 40 per cent lower than for non-golfers of the same age, sex and socio-economic status, according to a study of 300,000 golfers by Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet. That equates to a five-year increase in life expectancy for regular golfers.

When the Edinburgh University study was released, the London Daily Mail ran this above the story:

“Play golf and you’ll live longer.”

Now, that’s a headline you can believe.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Brooke Henderson didn’t join the LPGA Tour thinking she would end up amongst the best Canadian golfers of all-time. At least not so soon, anyway.

Henderson tied the Canadian record for most career victories on the LPGA or PGA Tour on Saturday when the 21-year-old captured her eighth career title by shooting a 2-under 70 to win the Lotte Championship for the second year in a row.

Sandra Post had eight career victories on the LPGA Tour between 1968 and 1981, while Mike Weir and George Knudson equalled that on the PGA Tour.

“When I was younger it was just a goal to be on the LPGA Tour, to win my first event,” Henderson said.

“And when that happened and I won my first major the year after, things kind of just started to fall into place. I knew the record was eight. Just kept creeping toward it the last three years, which was really exciting.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., won last year’s event in Hawaii for her sixth Tour victory and followed that up in August 2018 as the first Canadian in 45 years to win the CP Women’s Open.

“I think starting last year I sort of saw that it was within my reach if I had two good seasons. Last year put me into great position, and coming back this year it’s been on the back of my mind every week that I tee it up. I’m just really happy that I have finally done it.

“Looking forward to overtaking it now.”

She finished 16 under on Saturday at Ko Olina Golf Club to beat South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji by four strokes.

All the highlights from Brooke’s repeat performance in Hawaii ???? pic.twitter.com/XDRFo8KBht

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 21, 2019

Nelly Korda, tied with Henderson for the third-round lead, finished with a quadruple-bogey 8 for a 77 that left her seven strokes back at 9 under. She hit into the water twice on 18, then threw her ball in after finishing. The 20-year-old American also had a double bogey on the par-4 seventh.

“Pretty bad,” Korda said. “I mean, it was a tough day, but I ended really poorly and I’m pretty disappointed in that. … It was an unfortunate final round, but there is nothing I can do about it anymore.”

Ariya Jutanugarn (73) and 2016 winner Minjee Lee (74) tied for third at 11 under.

Henderson bogeyed her first hole, but that was the only blemish in the final round as she followed that up with three birdies and 14 pars.

She looked to be in some trouble on the par-4 16th, but saved par when she hit a put from off the green.

“It’s really amazing to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Mike Weir, George, and Sandra,” Henderson said. “This week was really special. I always love coming to Hawaii. Last year was such an incredible week for me, to be able to hoist that trophy for the first time. Coming back I knew I knew the golf course really well.”

Fellow Canadian and Olympic teammate Alena Sharp watched Henderson play out the round and joined her in celebration.

“Congrats my friend ?BrookeHenderson! Unbelievable title defense and tying Sandra Post’s record for most wins by a Canadian on the ?LPGA tour. So freaking proud of you!,” tweeted Sharp (72), who finished 2 under for 40th place.

Henderson takes home US$300,000 for the win. Through seven events in 2019, she has made six cuts, has one victory, three top-10 finishes and one top-15 finish for $498,151 total earnings.

Henderson, ranked No. 12 in the world, has one major among her tournament victories, winning the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship after beating Lydia Ko in a playoff when she was only 18.

Saskatoon’s Roy Pavely found the right combination of ten golfers and won the 2019 Rotary Club’s Masters pool.

Pavely selected Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Marc Leishman, Hideki Matsuyama, Fransesco Molinari, and Tiger Woods. In total, the group collected $5,624,355 which landed the $5,000 first place prize. The retired Bridge City resident said there wasn’t a real formula behind his selections.

“There’s not much of a story behind how I picked,” Pavely laughed. “Just a case of how they have been playing and where they rank.”

Pavely has been entering the Rotary Club of Saskatoon’s annual fundraiser for almost a decade and has finished as high as eighth and 14^th in years past. He said he’s also finished near the bottom too. Going into Sunday’s final round Pavely figured he had a decent shot but there was no way to really know where you stand.

“That Tony Finau had me worried there. I think him and Schauffele tied so it worked out good for me,” he said.

Pavely used to play the game often but he admits it’s harder to get out to the course. He said he likes to participate in the pool for a couple reasons.

“I used to be an avid golfer, I don’t have quite as much energy as I used to, but it makes watching the tournament that much more interesting and I think the money goes to a great cause,” he said.

Ray Salmon finished in second place and wins $1,000. His team was almost $154,000 back of Pavely’s. In third place, Avis Hardy will receive $500. Paul Watson, Bryan Renwick, Roger Huston, Woody Milne, and the Klassen family round out the prize winners taking home $100 for finishing in the top eight.

All the winners and standings can be found on the Rotary Club’s website.

Synergy 8 Community Builders has announced their 2019 keynote speakers for their annual “Drive for Kids Campaign” later this summer in Saskatoon.

Former professional golfer and current analyst, Darren Clarke and professional and Golf Channel host Blair O’Neal will be in the Bridge City on Aug. 27 for the 11^th year of the event. Campaign chair Troy Davies said Clarke comes highly regarded by previous golf attendees at the fundraiser.

“Darren comes highly recommended from Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie, two former guests we’ve had over the last two years. They just pointed out to us, with our event and the uniqueness of it having the dinner the same night Darren would be a huge hit to the audience. They’ve got a feel for the Saskatchewan folk, so we took their word. We reached out to Darren and he was more than willing to come,” Davies said.

Having O’Neal make an appearance is important to the committee as well Davies explained.

“She is highly regarded on the Golf Channel and their Morning Drive and she’s also a professional golfer which a lot of people don’t know,” he said. “To bring in a female professional is important to us because we think golf is making an impact. Even after the huge win by Tiger Woods I’d say more people are going to pick up clubs. It won’t be just men; it will be females as well and we want to promote both sides of the golf.”

National Hockey League players Cam Talbot and Eric Gryba will also be back this year to help raise money for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. Synergy took advantage of the growing golf market in Saskatoon back in 2011 when they brought John Daly to the city for the event. Since then they have reached out to other PGA Tour players and it’s helped them raise over $4 million Davies said.

“It’s really turned out to be a homerun for us with some of the names we’ve brought into the city. The feedback we’ve received from our corporate sponsors is that it’s been a success thanks to them. It takes corporate support to make this event happen. We’ve raised over $4 million and made a huge impact to the community,” he said.

The province’s children’s hospital is slated to open later this year. Then premier, Brad Wall announced the construction of the much-needed facility at Synergy’s event in 2010. This year the organization is hoping current Premier Scott Moe will attend and potentially make an opening date announcement. The group is still in discussion with his office. Whether that comes to fruition is still in the works, overall Davies said they have been blessed to work in conjunction with the foundation over the years.

“It’s a great fit for us, we have the same beliefs. Our goal this year is to purchase all the pediatric equipment in the trauma room, that’s what we will be focusing on,” Davies said.

The golf tournament is held at The Willows, the banquet takes place at Prairieland Park. Anyone who purchases a golf foursome receives a table of eight for the gala. Ticket and sponsorship details can be found on the Synergy 8 website.

The Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current is preparing for a once in a lifetime celebration in 2019. The 18-hole newly renovated course is celebrating their 100^th anniversary this year.

Already open for the season, the club is set for a memorable year. Another aspect of the highly anticipated summer is the course is revamped under the guidance of Les Furber. General manager Sheldon Reinhart said the course had a long-term plan to redevelop the layout and the upgrades went quicker than expected.

“We were expected to kind of alternate years with the work we were doing but our members were happy with just keeping 18 holes in play. We had some shorter par threes over the last few years but overall the renovations went great. We rebuilt all 18 greens and essentially took pasture land and built five new holes,” Reinhart said.

Part of the redevelopment is an 82-lot residential subdivision called Cypress Point. Reinhart said sales have gone well with that too.

On the weekend of July 6 and 7, coinciding with the annual W.W. Smith Mixed Tournament, the course will hold a centennial banquet, tournament, and cabaret. Details are still being finalized but Reinhart expects the celebration to be special.

“We’ve got lots planned and the weekend is going to be great for not only our members but the entire city and region,” he said.

The club is also offering a new member special for the centennial season. A new member can join the club for $695 and if they are referred by a current member, that person will receive a $400 credit. Reinhart said the hope is to get people on the “new” course and hopefully they come back.

“That’s the goal, hopefully new members, and current members love what we’ve done here, and they continue to come play Elmwood for years to come,” Reinhart said.

Also, on the Elmwood schedule this season is a Maple Leaf Junior Tour event on May 19 and 20. The senior men’s Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit tour will stop at the Elmwood too for the Mercator Financial Southwest Senior Men’s Championship from July 8 to 10.