Routinely golf courses in Saskatchewan see traffic until the middle or end of October, this year Mother Nature has had other plans dumping snow on parts of the province forcing clubs to shut down prior to the Thanksgiving long weekend. The turn in weather has also forced indoor golf centres into earlier opening dates.

The Ramada Golf Dome in Saskatoon will open after the long weekend. The facility was hoping to be ready to take customers but renovations at “bubble” won’t allow that to occur. The building features 35 hitting stalls with state-of-art tee mats. There is 80 yards from tee to the back wall. Operations manager Graham Reddekopp said their facility allows players a real feel over Saskatchewan’s long winters.

“The players work on a lot of their irons, they come back and say I had the best summer I’ve ever had because I got to swing here,” he said. “You get to take full swings with your irons especially, still touching the clubs and not losing that rhythm is so important.”

Aside from the realistic approach the Golf Dome offers, they are linked with the Ramada Hotel allowing visitors to the City of Bridges to work on their game. Reddekopp said return clients do spent time in their facility when they come back.

“A lot of people that come in don’t know we have the Dome and they say, oh I should have brought my clubs. We have rentals but there are a lot of people that will throw and iron or two in their bag when they come in for business and they come see us,” he explained.

Saskatoon is home to several simulators as well. 1^st Tee in Regina is Western Canada’s largest indoor golf facility with 10 full swing simulators. Owner Garrett McMillan said facilities such as 1^st Tee are important for the sport not only in Saskatchewan, but nationwide due to the long winters.

“It’s kind of the biggest knock on golf in Canada for anybody that wants to elevate their game,” he said. “You make strides with whatever you work on through out the summer and suddenly September comes you play a few more rounds of golf and then you have to sit and think about it. The hands don’t quite remember after six months what was worked on, so you take a step forward but almost take a step back.”

1^st Tee has men’s and women’s leagues that are very popular. McMillan, who is a golf coach at the Royal Regina Golf Club is launching a junior league this year. The league will run for 10 weeks beginning on Oct. 14. McMillan said starting the league will help develop young golfers on the course but in life going forward.

“They will interact with friends that are maybe, summer friends. We all have those friend groups that based on whatever you do. This will help kids keep in touch and maybe grow a little more competition with them as well,” he said.

Simulators and winter facilities are speckled across the province and not just located in the large centres. The town of Moosomin in the Southeast corner of the province spent top dollar on several multi-sport simulators including four with swing track technology. Director of Parks and Recreation, Mike Schwean said the town wanted to expand on their leisure activities when deciding to purchase the simulators and expand on their bowling alley.

“Golf is big out this way, we thought we’d get some business from that. There are four simulators with swing track on them. Simulators vary in quality, we went out and bought the best ones money can buy and they’ve attracted people as we’d hoped,” Schwean said.

Moosomin has leagues for both men and women as well, Schwean said they fill very quickly, many nights they have two tee times to accommodate the demand. He said the holiday party season is very popular as well and their weekends are already booked for the next couple months. Schwean said the simulators are fun but helpful in developing your game too.

“I’m not going to lie, I’m an average golfer, you can fix things in a hurry because you can see what’s going on with the face of your club. Everything is crystal clear, it shows what kind of spin you are putting on the ball. It’s pretty obvious what is going on with your swing. It’s pretty cool.”

Most indoor golf facilities have websites and social media accounts and can be found through your search engine if you are seeking venues to help enhance your game or fulfill your golf fix over the winter season.

Ron Stewart didn’t aspire to develop a Hall of Fame amateur golf career, but the Prince Albert product carved his path straight down the fairway into one.

Stewart, 66, played a wide variety of sports growing up including curling, track and field, baseball, and golf. When an injury forced Stewart to cut ties with ball at the age of 16 golf became the focus. Stewart turned down a partial scholarship to the University of Washington after graduating high school. After attending the University of Saskatchewan, he took up amateur golf in the province and won three Saskatchewan men’s championships. Despite half a century of success Stewart said his game struggled at times.

“There was some real ups and downs believe me,” he said. “It wasn’t all fun, there was times when you’d lose a tournament or a lead. You’d feel like things were really unravelling but you pick up the pieces and carry on. 50 years later you have a golf career.”

Stewart began golf lessons when he was 11 years old and caddied for several tournaments as a teenager. He said the sport has many qualities that endeared him to the game.

“The personal challenge of getting better, practicing and getting results out of practicing and overcoming obstacles. All of the friendships along the way that a person meets and just the fact it was something I could do all summer,” the former teacher explained.

Stewart won the Saskatchewan amateur title in 1977, 1987, and 2007. He said the long-time joke is he only won in years ending in seven and added perhaps a super senior championship is coming in 2027. Stewart was inducted into the player category of the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He has stepped back from competitive golf in recent years attributing that to a new career after he concluded 30 years of teaching. He admits his game isn’t at the level it once was, but Stewart said he hopes that changes.

“When you aren’t scoring as well you tend not to travel as much. I wanted to make sure I had a second occupation that would occupy much my time and I have that but now I think it’s time to go back and work on my golf game,” he said.

On Sept. 22 the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club celebrated their 50^th anniversary with a weekend long event. Stewart was honoured for his commitment to the sport and facility. Sherry Anderson was recognized on the curling side for her illustrious career as well. Stewart said the weekend event was more curling oriented, but he said having the golf side honoured was great to see. He added that the facility has a special place in his heart and in the city.

“When a person involves a lot into the golf and curling scene it can occupy your competitive side and your social time. There are a number of great facilities in Prince Albert, but I don’t think the other centres necessarily drive an income to the city like golf can drive,” he said.

Stewart won his last amateur title at his home course, the Cooke Municipal. The following season, his son David won the event at the Royal Regina Golf Club. He was also the champion in 2013. David won the men’s Order of Merit championship this season for the third time. Father Ron said he’s proud of his son’s accomplishments.

“His ability to shoot low numbers and play other golf courses so well and winning at a level that I think is much superior to where I was at at his age,” he said. “As long as he keeps playing and improving and giving it his attention like I’m sure he will, when he’s my age at 66, his career will be better than mine.”

“He’s a way better player than me.”

Stewart spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork on October 4.

Three golfing buddies in Moose Jaw are hoping to help promote golf and courses across Saskatchewan.

Drive the Green launched earlier this year as a media engine including a podcast and website. Matt Hetherington is one of the partners. He said the three Hillcrest Golf Club members decided to start the podcast because the group spends hours talking about the sport.

“There’s a lot of places in the province that people don’t know about,” Hetherington told Golf Saskatchewan. “If we can put some marketing materials together for them and push it out to the province I think it only helps. There’s 150 to 200 courses in this province, you can get the full golf experience without travelling too far.”

One of the groups’ first endeavours was breaking down a small list of the best courses across Saskatchewan according to their experiences playing the tracks. Difficulty, length, scenery, and overall condition were criteria Drive the Green used to create a top-five list. Hetherington said the three did have two honourable mentions, Katepwa Beach Golf Club and the Legends in Warman. Hetherington said both courses could move up their list in the future.

“It’s a beautiful course with everything you want in a course but unfortunately it’s nine holes,” he said of Katepwa. “If they could ever find a way to fit another nine in there they would be in our top-five for sure.”

Hetherington said the Legends simply needs more time to develop and fill in.

Deer Valley outside Regina was listed at number five. Hetherington said the course has had ground shifting issues over recent years but is bouncing back.

“Deer Valley has trees, it’s got trouble, it makes you work for your shots. They are starting to rebuild tee boxes and things like that. Deer Valley is a course with living in Moose Jaw is a treat to drive to, it’s always a fun time there.”

Saskatchewan golf hotspots Waskesiu and Elk Ridge came in fourth and second on the list, respectively. Hetherington said the Prince Albert area courses are obviously must play.

“With the Lobstick tree at Waskesiu it’s probably one of Saskatchewan’s most known courses, it’s a fun course to play. Elk Ridge is right beside it which is essentially Waskesiu on steroids. Elk Ridge has the whole package, it made two on our list just because of that. The resort and stay and play packages, they have 27 holes, if you play the right two it’s a long course. You are using every club in your bag,” Hetherington said.

Dakota Dunes Golf Links came in at number three on the group’s list. The host of the 2018 Golf Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championships is one of Hetherington’s favourites.

“The course itself is the classic links style that I like to play a lot. They are getting tour stops and events coming through there, the Dunes is getting known, we had to include it,” he said.

The number one course on the list was the lone Saskatchewan course to make ScoreGolf’s top 100 list earlier this year is the Riverside in Saskatoon. Hetherington said the acknowledgement on a national level wasn’t his group’s lone attraction.

“It’s a beautiful course, it’s a private course so the Riverside is always in unbelievable condition, that helps with knowing what you are going to get when you go there. Obviously, you need a way to play it but if you get the opportunity you can’t pass it up,” he said.

The trio expected some backlash from their list with it being so small. The group is the first to admit upwards of 20 courses missed out. They are hoping to branch out next season and cover different categories such as diamond in the rough, outside major centres, or a break down based on population. For now, the tandem is hoping to get people talking about the sport and it’s Saskatchewan gems.

The group has recorded over 30 podcasts covering different topics and featured TSN golf analyst Bob Weeks during an episode. They also hope to expand their services into fundraising tournament management. This past season they relaunched a Labour Day event at the Hillcrest with positive results.

Every year the Elk Ridge Resort hosts a Golf Fore the Cure (GFTC) event at their golf course raising funds for breast cancer awareness and research. This year the one-day tournament and gala raised over $21,000, the highest in Canada. Co-chair of the local event, Donna Dutchak said they have had great support over the years the club has taken part in the national program.

“The $21,000 this year was the lowest that we have raised in about three years,” Dutchak said. “Verna (Schneider, co-chair) and I work really hard on it, the committee that we have works hard on it. We have a great group of girls out, everyone has fun and we raise money for a great cause.”

For the second year in a row a group from Elk Ridge was invited to the national GFTC event. Dutchak, along with Brenda Dutchak, LeeAnn Osler, and Coralee Dutchak attended the tournament in Thornhill, Ont. Last year when the group attended the national event they shared a table with a group from Manitoba and shared ideas for their local event. This year the group mingled with the top earning group from Sussex, N.B. Dutchak said their group were able to showcase the generosity of Saskatchewan at the event.

“We were the only Western Canadian team there, there was no one else from Western Canada whatsoever,” she beamed.

Dutchak said travelling to the event with her two daughters and daughter in-law makes the trip extra special. She said the team was also recognized for their participation in Ontario as well.

“It was really nice,” she said. “Everyone decorates their carts, it was a fun tournament. We brought all our decorations for our carts from Saskatchewan and we won the best decorated cart as well so that was nice.”

Plans are already underway for Elk Ridge’s 2019 GFTC event, Dutchak joked her and Schneider will co-chair for “one more year.”

Over the years of the event at Elk Ridge, the attendees and committee have raised over $80,000. All the funds raised stay in Saskatchewan and aid local patients. Nationally over $300,000 was raised this year through 175 local GFTC events.

There was no silver medal for Creighton’s Lauren Fox at this year’s provincial high school girls golf championship, the grade 11 student is good as gold.

Fox, 16, followed her second-place finish at last year’s provincial championship with a seven-stroke win over Carey McLean at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club on Sept. 21 and 22. Not only did the players battle each other over 36 holes, they were forced to fend off Mother Nature and a snow storm that blew through the Western side of Saskatchewan leading up to the event. Fox said her, and the competitors adjusted during round one.

“All the girls in my group had to switch to coloured balls,” she explained to Golf Saskatchewan. “I played yellow, someone played pink and another used purple. When the ball was lying on the ground you had be right next to it to see it, you couldn’t see it from afar because the snow had wrapped around the ball.”

The golfers played lift, clean, and place rules during the event. Fox shot an 85 on day one and 86 during the second round. She said her focus wasn’t on the rest of the field going into the championship round.

“I went in knowing I had a chance to do well. I didn’t pay any attention to being in first, I knew if I did I’d lose it and I’d lose my spot. I went out on the second day and I just tried to play the best golf I could. I didn’t think about the standings or my score, I just got into a zone and played my golf. I excited when I got first,” Fox said.

She also competed in the Saskatchewan Junior Girl’s Golf Championship at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club in July placing seventh overall. Fox played in the Nipawin Evergreen’s Ladies’ Championship, a two-person scramble event earlier this month. Her and partner Veronika Duchsherer tied for first and lost in a chip-off. Overall Fox said her summer on the course was positive.

“I was happy with my performance this summer. I noticed lots of improvements from the previous summer in my score, in my decision making and as a player in general. It was a good summer,” she said.

The high school provincials will be held at the TS&M Woodlawn next year where Fox finished second in 2017. She hopes to defend her title there as a grade 12 athlete.

During the winter Fox is a hockey official, she sings in her school choir, plays the piano and practices golf at a simulator at the Creighton rink.

Will Blake has capped his under-15 boys’ provincial championship with an Order of Merit (OMT) title.

The Royal Regina Golf Club member edged Kindersley’s Cort Tunall by two strokes to win the age group at the Golf Saskatchewan junior championship at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club in July. Blake said he’s ecstatic with his season.

“Oh definitely, I was really happy with how it went. It was my goal to play a lot of events and do well and I’m happy with how it ended,” he said.

Blake earned 600 OMT points for the win at the junior championship. Overall the 14-year-old played eight OMT sanctioned events between Golf Saskatchewan and the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT). Taking the allowed top five performances Blake accumulated 1,360 OMT points. He said his performance at Moon Lake was a highlight of the summer.

“I’d say winning provincials was a huge highlight. It’s a big tournament and I was happy with that,” Blake said.

Blake, who has competed in tournaments since he was 12 years old won the Regina City Junior and two MJT events in his age group. He will advance into the under-19 age group next year. Blake said he’s looking forward to the challenge of competing against the likes of OMT under-19 champion Josh Nagy and runner-up Brad Moser.

“I need to play more consistently, I had a lot of good first rounds this year and not a lot of my best efforts in the second round. I think if I can gather or two rounds I can compete with them,” he said.

Blake will turn his focus to the volleyball court as part of the Martin Collegiate team, he also plays for the AA midget Regina Rangers. While keeping busy with other sports Blake expects to reach golf simulators a couple times a month over the winter. He said with three years of junior eligibility left he’s focused on a national appearance.

“That’s my ultimate goal, that’s the one tournament I want to play in as a junior,” he said.

You can see more details regarding the u-15 OMT standings here.

Estevan’s Jace Carlisle is the back-to-back provincial high school boys golf champion.

The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) grade 12 student shot rounds of 79 and 75 on Sept. 21 and 22 to claim his second straight title by just one stroke over ECS classmate Chase Gedak. Carlisle, 17, said winning the high school championship again was an important goal of his.

“Obviously I wanted win again, I would have liked to get the two gold medals out of it with the team division, but we had a little bit of a different squad this year. I’m just glad I defended my title. I’m pretty sure I’m the only ECS kid to win back-to-back provincial titles so it feels great,” Carlisle told Golf Saskatchewan.

In the team competition at the event hosted by the North Battleford Golf Club Prince Albert Carlton won the tournament with a total of 463, just two strokes ahead of ECS.

The 36-hole championship was challenged by a September snow storm in the region during round one. Carlisle said he used the snowy conditions to his advantage.

“I had lots of fun playing in that weather, it was the first time I have ever played conditions like that. I was soaking it all in and enjoying every minute of it. Obviously, it helped me play well and get to the top by the end of it,” he said.

Carlisle said the snow fell ahead of day one of the event. While on the 16^th tee during the opening round he explained the sky was clear for their tee shots but by the time his group reached the green their balls were almost unfindable. On hole 17 he searched for his ball for several minutes before finding it near the green, where he thought he shot it. He said by the 18^th tee box something had to be done.

“I know lots of kids had to go back to the 17^th tee box because they had no idea where their ball was off the tee. I finally realized I should get some colour on my ball so on the 18^th tee box I took out my blue Sharpie and put some colour on my ball, so I could find it in the snow,” Carlisle laughed.

Carlisle, who recalls taking up the game at the age of three has worked at the TS&M Woodlawn in Estevan for six years was busy on the Order of Merit (OMT) Tour as well as the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) this summer. He played four OMT sanctioned events earning 500 points. Carlisle said he was satisfied with his summer but wanted to place higher than 23^rd in the OMT rankings.

“It wasn’t what I wanted out of the year, I struggled with some confidence early in the year,” he said. “I played alright at the provincials until the last round. I couldn’t put three rounds together this year to put me in a good spot. I played okay this year but not up to my expectations.”

Carlisle will graduate in June from ECS and hopes to pursue a golf scholarship in the United States.

You can see the complete results from the high school results here.

Golf’s new Rules have been published by the The R&A and USGA in partnership with Golf Canada ahead of their effective date on Jan. 1, 2019.

For the first time, a new Player’s Edition of the Rules of Golf is being introduced to provide a shorter, more user-friendly version of the Rules for golfers at all levels of the game. This version, which will serve as the primary publication for all golfers, features:

• A more intuitive organization with 10 simplified topical groupings
• A “Purpose of the Rule” description at the top of each Rule, to better define why the Rule exists
• Easy-to-follow, full-colour diagrams and charts to aid in understanding
• A simpler, more direct writing style

The Player’s Edition is being launched alongside the modernized full Rules of Golf book, which includes some of the most significant changes made to the Rules in more than 60 years.

Adam Helmer, director of Rules, competitions and amateur status at Golf Canada said, “We are embarking on one of the most significant changes to the Rules of golf in the history of our sport. Today marks the start of the education process to communicate the modernized Rules with additional resources and publications available to all golfers, member facilities and referees in Canada and worldwide.”

Thomas Pagel, senior managing director, Governance for the USGA, said, “From the project’s inception, our one goal was to make the Rules easier to understand and apply for all golfers. It sets a new standard in the way we write and interpret the Rules and is central to our efforts to ensure a healthy future for golf. We look forward to continuing that process in the years to come.”

David Rickman, executive director – Governance at The R&A, said, “We are delighted to be rolling out the modernized Rules of Golf today. This is the biggest set of changes to the Rules in a generation and a major step forward in our efforts to make the Rules, and the sport itself, more accessible and more in tune with the way the modern sport is played.”

A new Official Guide to the Rules of Golf is also available in digital format and official apps today, with a printed version to be released in November. Designed for golf administrators and club officials, the Guide features Interpretations on specific Rules (which replace the current Decisions) and includes the first jointly-produced Committee Procedures document, providing practical guidance to Committees for running competitions and overseeing general play.

Another key feature is the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities. This document is released alongside the Rules of Golf and enables players with disabilities to play fairly with other players with the same or different types of disability and, importantly, with those without disabilities. The Modified Rules were developed in close consultation with the community of players with disabilities and disability organizations.

All of the new books are available in digital formats online and a range of explanatory videos and resources is available on and websites to enable all golfers to learn about the 2019 Rules.

Extensive educational programs are being conducted around the world, with the assistance of national and regional associations, to ensure that golfers and administrators throughout amateur and professional golf are ready for the new Rules when they take effect on Jan. 1.

The process to modernize the Rules began in 2012 with the aim of making the Rules easier to understand and apply for all golfers and to help make golf more appealing and accessible for newcomers.

Some of the key changes in the new Rules include new procedures for dropping the ball when taking relief, the elimination or reduction of several penalties, relaxed putting green and bunker rules, and rules that encourage improved pace of play.

Golfers are reminded that the current Rules of Golf remain in effect for the remainder of 2018. The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of the review process.

As an extension of its support of the Rules of Golf worldwide, Rolex has made a commitment to support The R&A and the USGA’s efforts to modernize golf’s Rules. The Swiss watchmaker’s contribution to excellence in golf is based on a rich heritage stretching back more than 50 years, forged through pivotal partnerships at every level of the sport, from the leading professional and amateur competitions and organizations to players at the pinnacle of their sport worldwide.

Click here to learn more about the Rules of golf.

Adam Helmer – Golf Canada’s director of Rules, competitions and amateur status – has been at the heart of Canadian golf championships for over 10 years.

The Ottawa native oversees the administration of over 30 championships conducted annually by Golf Canada. Among his responsibilities are refereeing the premier Canadian professional events: the RBC Canadian Open (PGA TOUR) and CP Women’s Open (LPGA Tour). In addition to the competitions, Helmer plays an integral role in the Rules of golf modernization project that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

As the lead on Rules and competitions, high on Helmer’s list of challenges is addressing pace of play.

The International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) has more on Helmer here.

It took a few years, but Moose Jaw’s Leighton Bearchell has his first collegiate golf tournament victory.

The 23-year-old Minot State University (MSU) student captured the JR Watkins Invitational on Sept. 25 at the Jewel Golf Club in Lake City, Minnesota by three strokes. Bearchell grew up in Moose Jaw where his dad was the assistant professional at the Hillcrest Golf Club. Bearchell said golf has always been a part of his life leading to the victory.

“I started competing when I was 13 or 14 years old through the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) and Golf Saskatchewan events,” he said. “I did pretty well in those and I ended up getting coaches interested in me to pursue college golf. It was a long road, but it’s been fun so far.”

Competing in the two-round event for the third time, Bearchell said the familiarity with the course helped him shoot 69 during round one and 73 during the second round on route to the victory. He said chasing an elusive win was well worth the result.

“It is something I’ve wanted to do since I started playing collegiate golf, it’s awesome to get this one. It was my week I guess. I was hitting the ball well, I was staying aggressive to my targets, the putts fell, it all worked out,” Bearchell said.

His college career began in 2013-14 at Wayland Baptist University in Texas. Bearchell then transferred to MSU and will graduate later this year. Despite making a move during his collegiate playing days, he said the experience has been incredible.

“It was an adjustment going from high school and living at home to living on your own in a different place. I’m pretty comfy here and I’m enjoying myself,” Bearchell said.

Next up for Bearchell and his Beaver teammates is the Cog Hill Invitational at the Cog Hill Golf Course in Lemont, Illinois. Bearchell was recognized for his performance this week by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, he was named Athlete of the Week on Wednesday. With a few tournaments left he said he hopes to finish his career on the right track.

As for his future in golf he hopes to compete in amateur events and find a career once his schooling is complete.

“if everything goes planned I will have a degree in marketing and management and get into the real world.”