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.

A safe space for Canadian athletes and kids who participate in sport has been a long time coming.

That was part of Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan’s message in announcing both an investigation unit and a toll-free confidential helpline on Wednesday, major measures in an effort to combat harassment and abuse in sport.

“This was Week 1 my priority, as an athlete, coach, and judge all my life,” Duncan told The Canadian Press. “When you train athletes your No. 1 job is to protect their health and safety. It’s your No. 1 job.

“So when I came into the role, I wanted to put our athletes at the centre of everything we do. And I knew we needed to help our athletes from the beginning – that there be a confidential safe place where they could go.”

The investigation unit is an arm’s-length, third-party program set up through the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, an independent organization that already functions in helping resolve disputes in the national sport community. Canadian sport organizations can access the unit for independent investigations on reports of harassment, abuse or discrimination in sport.

The helpline – 1-888-83SPORT (77678) – is for victims and witnesses of harassment, abuse or discrimination. The line, which is already up and running, will be staffed by counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists, seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

“I have been clear there can be bystander effect. If you see a child being hurt or harmed, it’s all of our jobs to speak up,” Duncan said. “So having this confidential phone line where you can report cases, they are professionally trained people . . . who will listen. It’s safe, confidential, in both official languages, and they will say where you can go next, whether it’s to the police, whether it’s to child protection services, it’s to provincial or territorial resources, but you will actually have someone say ‘This is where you go next.”’

Wednesday’s announcement is the latest move by Duncan, who appointed a working group on gender equity to study issues such as sexual abuse and harassment after she was appointed sport minister in January of 2018. The government also recently partnered with Canadian athletes rights group AthletesCan for a study on abuse and discrimination and sport.

Duncan also unveiled a gender equity secretariat and a code of conduct – “which has never existed” – is being written that can be used in sports of all levels.

“This is so important to me that we get this right,” Duncan said. “We’ve got to do this for our athletes and our children.”

Canadian sports groups applauded Duncan’s efforts on Wednesday.

“Minister Duncan is dedicated to improving safe sport and is making serious, deliberate investments, not just words but actions,” Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi said in a statement. “These are impressive initiatives and the whole sport system will be safer as a result of her efforts.”

Canadian Paralympic Committee president Marc-Andre Fabien said: “These new processes are critical towards combating harassment, abuse, and discrimination in sport.”

There have been several high-profile sexual assault and harassment stories recently in Canadian sport. In June, Allison Forsyth was among several former members of Canada’s ski team who spoke publicly about the abuse suffered at the hands of former coach Bertrand Charest in the 1990s. Charest was convicted last year of 37 offences of sexual assault and exploitation.

“As a victim of sexual abuse, I am extremely encouraged by these two new programs,” Forsyth said in a statement Wednesday. “It is critical that our sport system has a safe place for athletes to report instances of abuse and an ethical and legal investigation process. These is a strong sense of urgency to take action. We are not seeking perfection; we are seeking progress to ensure a safe, healthy sport environment for all athletes in Canada.”

Safe sport had been governed through the Sport Canada Accountability Framework since it was implemented in 1996 in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal involving former junior hockey coach Graham James. National sport organizations were required to have a safe sport policy – and a designated individual to handle complaints – in place to receive government funding.

But there had been major inconsistencies in how it was applied, and in recently months, and in light of a handful of high-profile cases in Canada, athletes and administrators – including Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe and Sheldon Kennedy, a retired NHL player and sex abuse victim – publicly called for an independent party to handle cases.

Story courtesy Canadian Press

Students and physical education teachers in several Saskatoon schools are getting into golf thanks to the ‘Golf in School (GIS)’ program offered by Golf Saskatchewan.

Indoor golf kits are available for gym class teachers across Saskatchewan, the kits come with a cost but grants and sponsorships are available for interested educators. Saskatoon’s Sutherland School phys. ed. teacher Jennifer Buettner has had a GIS at every school she’s worked at over a ten year career. She said the kit is fantastic for her courses.

“Physical education teachers need to offer a variety of activities, not just the typical sport model. We need to teach our students to be life-long, active movers therefore we need to offer a variety of activities. When the GIS was in my equipment room I was quick to use it. I am a golfer so it helps with my confidence to pick up a kit and know what to do with it,” she said.

The kits include indoor based clubs and balls. Golf Saskatchewan professional Steve Ryde is delivering kits to several schools. Buettner said Ryde’s interaction is fantastic.

“Anytime somebody new comes in the students are that much more eager to learn from them and seeing what they are engaged with in their love. I’m passionate about physical education but when some can come in and is passionate about their area or passion it shines through and Steve did that,” she said.

Buettner couldn’t explain how the GIS kit was incorporated into her current school inventory but she has always had it at her disposal over a ten-year teaching career. She said teachers need to dig into the GIS program.

“Go to your principal or find a grant to try and get kids into their programs. The more that students are outside and engaged in outdoor activities in golf it’s worth it. Find the means to get these kits in schools and get kids active in outdoor activities,” she said.

Call Ryde at 306.975.0834 for more information on the GIS program.

Yorkton’s Kade Johnson has his first college golf victory.

The reigning Saskatchewan men’s amateur champion overtook fellow Saskatchewanian and Southern Arkansas University teammate Roman Timmerman on Tuesday to win the 36-hole event by four shots over Zach James of SE Oklahoma State. Johnson said the win has been a long time coming.

“It feels amazing, it’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time,” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “I’ve been close a few times and learning over the past couple years what it takes to win at this next level. To finally get it done against a really good field feels awesome.”

Timmerman was leading after round one with a one-under, 71, but Johnson battled back from third place with a final round minus-two, 70, for the win. Johnson said his familiarity with the course helped him get over the hump and collect his first win.

“I’ve played there a bunch, I’ve played home tournaments at Deer Park (in Yorkton) and I’ve learned a lot from playing home courses. Just go out there and play like it’s any other day and if I play well, I play well. I felt comfortable, it’s a tough course but I knew if I made a couple bad numbers I could turn it around but I got off to a great start. I made a few birdies early on, kept the momentum going and made a birdie on my third last hole and calmly closed it out. It was very exciting,” Johnson said.

The tournament was also the second straight team victory for Southern Arkansas. The Muleriders on the strength of Johnson’s and Timmerman’s top-three finishes held off Henderson State by three strokes. Johnson said as a team they are improving and climbing the national rankings.

“We went to Georgia two weeks ago and won, we were like, let’s go. Our home tournament, we had extra pressure to win and to go out and get it done, it was awesome. Moving from 110^th in the country, last rankings we were 29^th. Rankings come out Tuesday night so a chance to break into the top 20 is incredible,” he said.

The team will head to Oklahoma for an event Sunday. They return to Arkansas for another home state event following that. The conference championship is scheduled within the next month.

As the weather finally turns to spring-like conditions in Saskatchewan golf moves closer to the forefront of people’s minds. Part of that is looking forward to the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

The Rotary Club of Saskatoon has added some fun to the annual major with a fundraising pool that’s been in operation for over a decade in partnership with Golf Saskatchewan. Although not the organization’s largest fundraiser the pool does bring in about $5,000 of profit per year. Past president of the Saskatoon Rotary Club, Dave Sundby said the group has used the funds to give back to several initiatives.

“We give $1,500 to SaskPolytech every year and they use it for bursaries for students,” Sundby told Golf Saskatchewan. “The other one we spend a lot of money on is a big project we call the ‘Restorative Action Program’ or ‘RAP’ which is in nine high schools in Saskatoon. We’ve put a restorative action worker in each one of those schools. The police service likes it because we keep people out of the system. We teach them how to resolve conflicts without getting into trouble with the law.”

Sundby said they have assistance from the school boards, provincial and municipal governments and other partners to fund the RAP program. The Rotary Club likes to be involved in other school actions as well he said.

“We bought a stove for Westmount Community School a couple years ago so they can feed children that come to school hungry. They were using a household type stove that was falling apart. We bought them a nice commercial stove and the lady who does that there says it’s so much easier. We do other things like that at schools around the city,” Sundby said.

The Saskatchewan Golf Association, at the time of the pool’s inception was called upon to help orchestrate the format and decide how the prize winners would be decided. For the Association’s efforts 20 per cent of the proceeds were distributed back into their organization. The money was allocated for junior golf programs and is this the mandate today. Executive Director Brian Lee said the partnership is fantastic and Golf Saskatchewan appreciates golf being used in fundraising efforts.

“Our association has been involved for about a decade and we are happy to partner with groups in any way to promote golf and raise money for beneficial programs. The Rotary Club of Saskatoon does great work in the city of Saskatoon and across the globe and we’re pleased to have a small involvement of their charitable work,” Lee said.

Entry forms are available at www.saskatoonrotary.org or download it from our website. Participants choose a team of 10 golfers from the list to win the most money during the April tournament. Entry forms can be downloaded then mailed with a cheque, faxed with credit card information through the Saskatchewan Lotteries secure fax machine, or via our form and submit electronically. Each entry is $25. The deadline to register your team is April 10. The grand prize is $5,000. Second place will receive $1,000, third place is worth $500, and the next five leaders will win $100.

Patrick Reed is the defending Masters champion.

For the past decade Blair Armitage has been Golf Canada’s voice of reason for member clubs and players across Western Canada.

With plenty of course management experience in both Ontario and British Columbia the national governing body of golf called upon Armitage to help rebrand their image and be the face for Golf Canada from B.C. to Manitoba. Known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) just over ten years ago, everyday Canadians didn’t understand what the organization did, or that it even existed. That’s when Armitage came on as one of Golf Canada’s regional directors. In fact, Golf Canada was more recognizable to people than the RCGA and the organization hadn’t been incorporated yet, so Armitage said a rebranding was necessary and his employment with Golf Canada began.

“We decided then and there that we would get heavily involved in starting a communication effort with our various facilities,” he said.

Armitage travels to golf clubs across the four western provinces speaking with managers providing updates on what Golf Canada memberships do for both facilities and golfers. He will be in Saskatchewan in the first week of April and will see about six member clubs and six clubs that have since left the Golf Canada membership family for various reasons. Armitage said clubs can reach out to him for more details on Golf Canada benefits.

“It usually happens when there has been an issue. Generally, the issues we experience come about because there’s been some miscommunication or the facility is having technical difficulties with our score posting or access to the score centre. If they have difficulties they go online, have a look at who’s who, up pops my name and I will get a call,” he explained.

Armitage said about 10 to 12 years ago lots of clubs left the organization, mostly due to financial reasons. He’s working hard to redevelop those relationships. He said Golf Canada has increased their value with hopes of providing more value for member clubs.

“We’ve improved the value of being involved with Golf Canada over the past decade. There are more things for both the facility and the average golfer in terms of what we call the benefit package,” he said.

When Armitage speaks to golf course management, he has a trio of items he brings to their attention. He seeks clubs that haven’t had a visit from either a Golf Canada or Golf Saskatchewan representative in some time. Armitage likes to speak with the course manager and golfers at the facility, he said he focuses on facilities left the membership and he works to get regular golfers to be members of Golf Canada. One way to do so is advertising their “incident protection plan.”

“We provide a reimbursement program for people if they lose their clubs, have them damaged or stolen or whatever anywhere in the world, not at their golf club but anywhere in the world. It could be in Africa, the airplane lost them, they can file for a reimbursement up to $2,500,” Armitage said.

The benefit package includes what Golf Canada calls “bad shot insurance” too. Up to $2,500 in damage is covered for broken windows on homes or vehicles at the course. Golf cart damage is also covered through the program. For more details see our membership page.

You can hear more from Armitage below who joined Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork ahead of his first Saskatchewan visit of 2019.