Golf Saskatchewan volunteer Richard Smith has been honoured by Sask Sport INC for his exemplary service to the game in the province.

Thursday in Saskatoon, the Katepwa Beach Golf Club member was recognized as one of two Volunteer of the Year award winners by the provincial amateur sports governing body. Smith took the time to thank all his colleagues upon receiving the honour at a gala at a packed TCU Place.

“I’d like to thank all of the volunteers I’ve worked with in Golf Saskatchewan, Golf Canada, the staff at Golf Saskatchewan, all of whom have combined to make my volunteer career very rewarding,” Smith said.

He served as the president of Golf Saskatchewan from 2014-15 and was the recipient of the organization’s Long Term and Exemplary Volunteer Service Award. Smith has been with Golf Saskatchewan for 16 years serving in member services roles, course rating, handicapping and executive committees. He has also been a member of the Golf Canada course rating and handicap committee for eight years and the chair of that group for the last four. He said his experiences have been gratifying over the years.

“Some days haven’t been very rewarding while course rating in the wind and rain,” he laughed. “For the most part it’s been pretty good.”

Golf Saskatchewan executive director Brian Lee nominated Smith for the award and was pleased Sask Sport chose him as a recipient.

“He’s shown dedication across many levels of the sport. He is a fine educator and a great volunteer. Richard is a volunteer we wish we could clone and make a few copies. In our opinion he was a worthy candidate and we’re glad Sask Sport honoured him, we’re very proud of him,” Lee said.

The Saskatchewan chapter of the Children’s Wish Foundation is hosting two fundraising golf tournaments in Saskatchewan this summer to help give ill kids a once in a lifetime experience.

The Willows will play host to the 15^th annual tournament in Saskatoon on Friday, June 14. Regina’s second annual fundraiser will take place on Monday, June 24 at the Wascana Golf & Country Club. Saskatoon tournament coordinator Catherine Lunn said last year TSN hosts Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole were huge hits with the almost 100 participants and they hope to potentially bring them back.

“They are ‘wish granters’ for us, they granted a wish out in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia so they were our guests last year. They were a hit. We’re still up in the air this year for a celebrity, Jan and Dan will come, we just need someone to sponsor and help us pay for them,” Lunn expressed.

The golf tournaments are not focused on scores or high skill levels. Lunch is provided, hole sponsors provide plenty of prizes, a prime rib supper at The Willows is also included. Raffle draws and other fun games take place through out the “Banquet of Wishes” as well. Lunn said the overall event is a fun filled day.

“It’s not a tournament to be intimidated, I’ve seen people that really don’t know what they are doing take part,” she laughed. “It’s definitely open to amateurs. Some people are like, ‘I’m not very good.’ I’m like. We are here to make money, how you perform and have fun is up to your teammates.”

Several sponsorship packages for groups and corporations are still open. Individual golfers looking to participate can register for $250 that includes participation in all the activities. For more information contact Lunn at 306.477.8588 or you can visit the Children’s Wish website.

“We grant wishes to kids between three and 17 with life threatening illness or high-risk therapy. Since 1984 we’re over 26,000 wishes granted, in relation to this tournament we have funded 121 wishes and those are currently being planned,” Lunn said.

They hope to sell out both tournaments, capacity is 144 golfers. Lunn said their goal is $80,000 per event.

Saskatchewan is now the third province that will incorporate EASY GOLF TOUR software for golf courses to manage every aspect of tournaments and weekly league play.

Golf Saskatchewan has partnered with the Sydney, Nova Scotia based company and will now provide all member clubs with the program to run their own events. Todd Chant has been developing golf software for almost two decades and is the mind behind the online tool. Chant worked closely with golf professionals and general managers to create a product that he said would save hours for golf course staff when it comes to organizing tournaments.

“No matter what software they are using it’s still a lot of work for the golf course,” Chant explained. “You still need a lot of people running the tournaments. It still takes time to run the events regardless of how easy the software is. Our focus was to develop software to take the work off the course and put it on the golfer.”

The program takes the third-party out of registration for tournaments. The software integrates into the golf club’s website and provides registration, live scoring, payment, rules, pin sheet options, and many more features for tournaments. Chant said once the players are registered the setup and management for events is trimmed to around five minutes.

“All the golfers are automatically put into the software with all the correct information the golfers entered in during registration. We grab the handicaps from Golf Canada, so they have updated handicaps. When they are going into a tournament there are a few minor adjustments that have to made but 99.9 percent of the information is ready to go,” he said.

Players will receive text messages to learn of tee times and notifications for events which means the tournament participants don’t need to bog down clubhouse phone lines or email questions.

The program works the same way for the club’s weekly league’s as well now. Chant said that is a new feature this year.

“We’ve been running our tournament software for two years in Atlantic Canada just to make sure everything is working. This year we’re releasing our league software. It’s all-inclusive, there are no additional charges, everything is included,” he said.

For Golf Saskatchewan, the partnership is another value-added initiative for member clubs. Member services manager for Golf Saskatchewan, Candace Dunham said the organization is excited to work with the program.

“We are always striving to add more value to the membership each year. The tournament management software provided by Easy Golf Tour will be a great resource for member clubs as it is easy to use, offers a wide variety of scoring options, and best of all it is included with each club’s membership,” she said.

Anyone interested in learning more about EASY GOLF TOUR can vie their website.

Moon Lake Golf and Country Club hosted the provincial junior golf championships last year and will now focus on 2019 and the 101^st Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur Championship.

The province’s best non-professional women golfers will converge on the Saskatoon area course July 3-5 vying for a provincial championship and a trip to nationals. Head pro Bobbi Brandon says she is excited for a better year at the club.

“Last year we got hit with a tough winter,” she said. “We’re hoping 2019 gets us back on track and the course heals up.”

Brandon does expect the 27-hole course to bounce back from a weather-ridden 2018 season. She said this year’s winter elements should be beneficial.

“We were happy with snow coverage this winter, we were lacking it last winter. It was cold but hopefully we have enough snow cover and we are looking forward to a strong spring and a good year,” Brandon said.

Moon Lake features three nine-hole course tracks, “The Heather” is a par-36, route ranging from 2,597 yards to 3,470. “The Highlands” is another par-36 that plays from 2,560 to 3,415. “The Moors” play from between 2,300 and 3,300 yards. The course is very manageable but the women competing will have to utilize every club in their bag.

Brandon said the course is pleased to be involved with another championship and she hopes the field grows from recent years.

“We’re happy to promote golf with Golf Saskatchewan, the Maple Leaf Junior Tour, we think it’s a positive way to promote golf in our province. We’re very happy to host your provincial women’s championship.”

Carla Odnokon will come in as the defending champion. Registration will open in mid-April, for this event and all the provincial tournaments.

The Sask Blind Sports Association (SBSA) is hosting a celebration golf weekend at the Golf Dome in Saskatoon over the next couple days.

The organization is inviting visually impaired people to the Dome in Saskatoon on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to give the sport a try free of charge. Everyone is welcome.

CTV Saskatoon joined the SBSA, participants, and Golf Saskatchewan Manager of Sport Development Steve Ryde at the Golf Dome on Thursday for a preview.

Special thanks to CTV for their coverage, to see the video click here.

OAKVILLE, ON (Golf Canada) – Today, RBC and Golf Canada announced that world ranked No. 4 – Rory McIlroy – will compete in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Fresh off an impressive victory at the 2019 PLAYERS Championship, McIlroy joins an already strong field of players, including world No. 1 and Team RBC Ambassador Dustin Johnson, alongside team members Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker.

“I‘m really excited to play in my first  RBC Canadian Open,” said McIlroy. “There continues to be a lot of momentum around this historic tournament, with a new date, new location and now a new concert series. I’ve had the opportunity to see the passion that Canada has for our sport and I look forward to seeing the energy of Canadian golf fans first hand. I’m also looking forward to squaring off with DJ, Adam and the rest of Team RBC for Canada’s National Open Championship.”

The 29-year old international superstar from Northern Ireland currently holds the No. 1 spot on the 2019 FedEx Cup Ranking. His results also include:

• Four-time Major Champion (US Open 2011, PGA Championship 2012, 2014, and The Open Championship 2014)
• Two-time WGC Champion (2014, 2015) and 2019 The PLAYERS Champion
• 15-time PGA TOUR Winner including 2016 FedEx Cup Champion, 24 worldwide wins overall
• Five appearances (four Team Europe wins) in the biennial Ryder Cup
• Two-time PGA TOUR Player of the Year (2012 and 2014)
• Three-time Race to Dubai Champion (2012, 2014 and 2015)
• Held world #1 in Official World Golf Ranking for 95 weeks over his career

“Rory is one of the game’s most accomplished and iconic young stars – his win at THE PLAYERS Championship this past weekend was incredible,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “We are so pleased that he has added the 2019 RBC Canadian Open to his schedule and are looking forward to giving him a warm welcome to Canada for his first-ever start at the tournament. I’m sure that Canadian golf fans, young and old, will show him our enthusiasm for this great sport.”

McIlroy’s commitment to play in his first RBC Canadian Open builds on an earlier announcement this week introducing a two-night RBCxMusic Concert Series at the tournament. The concerts will feature Grammy nominated and internationally acclaimed duo Florida Georgia Line on Friday, June 7, and JUNO award-winning homegrown rock band The Glorious Sons on Saturday, June 8.

“We have seen incredible momentum for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open with the move to our new June date,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “The exciting news that Rory McIlroy will be joining the field at Canada’s National Open Championship will be really special for golf fans at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club. Together with RBC, our goal has always been to continually elevate this tournament, for players and golf fans alike. Having Rory join other big names like Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson and Jim Furyk will no doubt make this a ground-breaking year at our Open.”

In the coming weeks, additional players, including Canadians and tournament exemptions, will be announced. PGA TOUR players have until Friday, May 31 to commit to the field of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

More information about the 2019 RBC Canadian Open including tickets, corporate hospitality and volunteer information is available at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

Marc Sweeney’s golf game started to take off at university last season and the Saskatoon product has continued to excel in his junior year.

Sweeney, 20, took up the game of golf with the help of his grandfather at Saskatoon’s Greenbryre Golf and Country Club when he was young. His father also liked to play the game and visit courses with Sweeney as he juggled the game along with hockey. A self described “late bloomer” Sweeney didn’t start playing competitive tournaments until he was about 13 years old. He played in three Saskatchewan Junior Men’s Championships through out his high school days. Once graduation neared Sweeney started reaching out to college coaches but an email from the coach at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) changed his collegiate golf plans.

“It’s warm, the golf courses around here are like nothing I’ve ever seen before, it’s beautiful,” he told Golf Saskatchewan of the Bluffton, South Carolina based school. “My mom and I visited here one January and got to play our home course, Oldfield, and it was beautiful. Ever since then I thought it’s going to be tough to pass up an area like this. The calibre of golf team we have, we’re pretty solid this year and we have been for the three years I’ve been here. It’s been a no brainer to come here.”

Sweeney came close to winning a tournament last year, he lost in a sudden death playoff. This season he always seems to be hovering near the top of the leaderboard including a recent second place finish at the Skyhawk Invitational in Pine Mountain, Georgia. He also has a fifth, seventh, and 10^th place showing this season. Sweeney said his development is based on his experience and playing better fields.

“I think the experience has a lot to do with it. In the first couple years I was just looking to make the team, we have nine guys and five travel,” he explained.

“In the first couple years I was just looking to crack the line up and travel, fortunately enough I’ve been able to crack it most of the time. I’ve been playing against guys that are really good and you have to make sure your game is good as well. Experience is one thing for sure and getting more confidence. I feel my game has improved a lot since I’ve been down here.”

For his second-place effort at the Skyhawk, Sweeney was awarded the Sun Country Conference men’s golfer of the week. He shot a three-round total of 217 thanks to the help of an eagle and 12 birdies. Sweeney’s total helped his USCB team finish second overall as well. He said the acknowledgment was nice to receive.

“I’ve had a couple tournaments I’ve finished pretty well but it was Wednesday morning I got the notification. I have never had that honour yet but hopefully there is more to come in the future for sure. It was nice,” he said.

The Sandsharks are currently ranked in the top-10 in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The school competes in three NCAA Div. 1 tournaments a year and has a team win earlier this season. The group will have a break for about three weeks before they head to Dalton, Georgia for a tournament. The conference championship is slated for Miami near the end of April and the national championships, which Sweeney expects the Sandsharks to be invited to will be in Mesa, Arizona in May. He said the travel is extensive but seeing different parts of America has been a highlight for him.

“We get to play some sweet tracks and we definitely log some hours in the van. It’s good though, I like it. I’ve seen so many places I’d never thought I’d travel to and play some of the courses we play, it’s pretty special,” he said.

Sweeney has one more year of collegiate golf after this season. Once he’s finished school next year he will have a degree in accounting. This summer he has a summer position lined up with FCC back in Saskatchewan. He expects to play Order of Merit events including the Men’s Amateur Championship in July at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club. He said the degree is a healthy back up plan but continuing to play golf could take precedent immediately following graduation.

“I’ve done so much work already I think it would be a waste if I didn’t at least try to play pro. Maybe I will give it a try for a few years. I have some good connections I’ve made here in South Carolina that would allow me to pursue that dream I think,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork Thursday about the award and his overall experiences with the sport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information on handicapping, click here.

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

Youth on Course – the non-profit organization providing young people with subsidized golf, college scholarships, caddie programs and paid internships, in partnership with Golf Canada and Alberta Golf – breaks international ground and brings affordable junior golf to Canada.

Initially, Youth on Course will be launching as a two-year pilot in the province of Alberta and will be recognized under the umbrella of Canada’s National Junior Golf Program – Future Links. With 17,000 junior member golfers and nearly 1,400 Golf Canada member clubs from coast to coast, Golf Canada will evaluate the results of the pilot prior to expanding the program nationwide.

In Alberta, the list of courses offering junior golf rounds for $5 or less are:

• Goose Hummock Golf Resort
• Westlock Golf Course
• RedTail Landing Golf Club
• Whitetail Crossing Golf Club
• Eagle Rock Golf Course
• Olds Golf Club
• River Spirit Golf Club
• Heatherglen Golf Course
• Serenity Golf Club
• McCall Lake Golf Course (18 & par 3)
• Shaganappi Golf Course (18 & 9)
• Banff Springs Golf Club (Tunnel 9)

“Golf Canada and Alberta Golf continually inspire and nurture a new generation of golfers by providing access to affordable rounds,” says Adam Heieck, CEO of Youth on Course.  “With the highest per-capita golf participation in the world, Youth on Course’s expansion will benefit the sport’s sustainability.”

Youth on Course will be a significant addition to the existing Future Links suite of programs and offers an on-course application for facilities to offer to youth, eliminating golf’s barrier of affordability and providing more opportunities for kids to play golf. Golfers, ages 6-18 will be able to join the Youth on Course international network, getting access to 1,000 golf courses in 27 different states.

“When first introduced to Youth on Course, we felt it was a very strong initiative to advance junior golf and we are pleased to be involved in this pilot stage for the program in Canada,” says Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer of Golf Canada. “Together with Alberta Golf and our participating partner courses, we are eager to give community access to golf at an unprecedented level of affordability.”

Golf Canada runs a variety of grassroot level programs under the Future Links brand, aimed at introducing and developing the game of golf amongst Canadian youth. A national junior program conducted in partnership with the PGA of Canada and Canada’s 10 provincial golf associations, Future Links is focused on three primary pillars of engagement – an in-school program, facility programs and outreach programming, all of which have contributed to the success of Future links, which has eclipsed the mark of 1.7 million youth engaged in golf.

Operating in every U.S. region, Youth on Course has more than 50,000 active members. Since 2006, juniors have played more than 10 million holes and 765,000 rounds while the organization has helped generate more than $5.2 million in tee-time revenue reimbursed back to individual golf courses. In addition to subsidized rounds, Youth on Course also facilitates paid internships, a caddie program and nationwide scholarships. They have awarded 223 students with college scholarships totaling more than $1.4 million in financial support. The current Youth on Course scholarship retention rate is ninety-four percent, with 80 students already graduated.

Anyone familiar with the city of Saskatoon has likely heard of the Dube family.

The well-known business owners have made their mark on the Bridge City with their company, Concorde Group Corp. but they have reached many more Saskatchewanians through their tireless philanthropy work, especially within health care and support. The family has contributed millions of dollars towards the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital which is nearing completion as well as many efforts towards mental health awareness. David Dube, the company’s president and CEO is also an avid golfer, in fact he adores the game.

An active athlete as a child, Dube played some junior golf but took up football in high school and essentially got away from golf. He did however rehash his passion for the sport after college when he was working in California. Dube spent four to five days on a course with colleagues, one who was a former college and mini-tour professional. He admitted playing with someone much more superior took its toll, but he looked back on some advice his father, Leslie gave him as a youngster.

“When you get to play with someone dramatically better than you it makes me realize what my father told me when I was young. We played billiards together and I was a banger, I hit everything hard,” Dube laughed. “One night he said to me, it’s a lot more fun when you are good at it. Try to get good at it and you will have more fun. I’ve taken that lesson in pretty much everything in life but, particularly in golf.”

Dube, 55, competes in the provincial championships and has dropped his game to about an eight handicap, a far cry from the 20 when he returned to the game after college. He is proud of his improvement over the years but says golf is special because it is a game for life.

“I got the hook when I realized this is something you can do for life,” he said. “I tell people all the time, it’s the only game in the world you can play competitively with your son or daughter. Every other game you can’t, you can coach them, you can do this and that but in golf you can go play the amateur and you can be in the same foursome. I don’t have any kids, but I just think it’s such a great game because you can be competitive at any age.”

Not only is Dube a huge fan of the game, he tends to dress the part. He admitted he has more golf shoes in his closet than other kinds of foot wear he’s owned in his life, combined. He joked that he spends more time working on outfits for the course than how he’s going to play that day.

“When I first figured out you could get your shoes customized by Footjoy, that was like an epiphany for me. Usually they are stress buys, if I’m stressed about work or something I will go online, and I find more golf clothes or I will find different coloured shoes that I want to go with an outfit or three. It’s become kind of legend, I think I have 50 plus pairs of golf shoes. You better be able to play a little bit if you are going to wear some fancy shoes out there,” Dube said.

He does retire them to Golf Saskatchewan hoping they land on the feet of a player that maybe can’t afford to supply their own.

In 2008 Masters champion Mike Weir was in Saskatoon for an event to raise money for the children’s hospital. The Concorde Group was the title sponsor and Dube was able to spend part of the round playing with the Canadian icon. Through the event he then purchased an auction item to have a chance to caddy for Weir during a PGA Tour event in Phoenix. From there he was hooked on professional golf and started getting into some Pro-Am events on the tour including the Phoenix Open two years in a row.

“The first one I played was with Rocco Mediate and Rocco is such a great character on the course. The next year I played with Hunter Mahan. You got to meet the guys and spend some time with them. When you get 18 holes with a guy you know more about him in 18 holes than if you were his neighbour for 10 years,” Dube said.

Dube’s team finished in third place back-to-back years. He is a regular at the Canadian Open Pro-Am but now he’s gotten a chance to play at the AT&T Pro-Am, he considers that the ultimate experience for an amateur player. Upwards of 60,000 people attend the event. When asked about the nerves prior to a shot he said the spectators aren’t there to watch him play.

“It’s quiet, everyone is quiet. It can either unnerve you or how is it any different from playing your Saturday round with your buddies. It’s pretty much the same thing,” he quipped.

Dube has travelled across North America and played top golf courses and has shared the links with pros and celebrities alike. He said actor Andy Garcia is his favourite person to play with. The Ocean’s 11 star once gave his jacket to Dube’s wife during a chilly round during one event. He said it’s a blessing to have some outstanding opportunities over the years.

“I had never dreamt of this, and I was playing with an 18, 19, or 20 handicap no one would want me out there. It never crossed my mind until I started taking the game seriously and got a chance to play with Mike,” he said.

Dube added that the benefits of his family’s philanthropy work was not expected or warranted. He said they simply want to make a better life in the community that has given them so much.

“We’re fortunate enough to have had some degree in success in business and in life so when we have the opportunity to help out we try to make it part of our mission as a company and people. We’re trying in our own way to make things a little bit better,” he said.

You can hear much more from Dube who spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork earlier this week.