In alignment with Golf Ontario’s vision of Golf for All, we are committed to implementing structures, policies and procedures having the highest governance standards to yield organizational growth, safety of the sport and leading the adoption and implementation of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in Ontario Golf.

The month of April is “Celebrate Diversity Month”, a month that was initiated nearly twenty years ago to recognize and honour the diversity around us every day. We welcome our community to join us and spend time this month reflecting on and celebrating differences and similarities surrounding us all.

Across our organization, our staff have been on a learning journey that has included the opportunity to acknowledge the different dimensions of diversity within our team and across our community.

The following image, available online through Korn Ferry is a tool that can be used to reflect on what may contribute to our diverse work force and extended community.

Our own Chief Executive Officer, Kyle McFarlane has chosen to share his personal dimensions of diversity, based on this tool, with the community in recognition of the month ahead.

Kyle McFarlane (he/him/his)

I am a 43 year, cisgender, Caucasian, heterosexual male.

I’m a member of Generation X, married and a father of 3. I enjoy sports and outdoor activities including golf, baseball and running.

I’m an extrovert, and visual learner. I aim to communicate directly and honestly while respecting others, and cooperating well with people.

I’m of Irish & Scottish descent, English-speaking, reside in Whitby and work in Uxbridge. I hold a Bachelor’s degree from Brock University and a Master’s degree from the University of Memphis.

I’ve worked in professional and amateur sports for 25 years, and am in my 19th year with Golf Ontario, I enjoy coaching, leadership opportunities and collaborating with others.

While we recognize the importance of our diverse community, Golf Ontario is celebrating Diversity Month, this month, and will remain focused on serving the diverse members of our community by delivering safe and welcoming positive golf experiences for all. We will soon be launching our ED&I and Safe Sport webpages as a continued and intentional step in this evolving process.

If any members of our community wish to share their own dimensions of diversity during the month ahead, or to share personal experiences in and around the game of golf where diversity has played a positive role in that experience, feel free to tag us on social media @thegolfontario and use the hash tag #GolfForAll in the post.

Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the 2023 inductees to the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ontario on May 2^nd. There will be two inductees in the Builder category, one in the Player category, and one recipient of the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has been associated with a recognized Ontario media organization for major contributions to golf in Ontario.

Newly appointed CEO Kyle McFarlane, no stranger to this important celebration shared his thoughts on the 2023 inductees saying, “The OGHF induction ceremony is such a special event to kick off the golf season in Ontario each year, and we are pleased to return to Wooden Sticks in early May to celebrate the occasion with members of our community. The contributions and accomplishments of Audrey, Bob, Garry and Rick to the sport of golf here in Ontario are each extraordinary in their own way. I look forward celebrating Hall of Fame members, past and present, and the history and tradition of our great sport.”

2023 INDUCTEES

Builder Category

Bob Beauchemin

Bob grew up in Victoria B.C. and enjoyed playing many sports including Baseball, Soccer, Hockey etc., but became “hooked on golf “at age 12. Within a few years he became a champion at the Junior, Amateur (at the Gorge Vale G.C.) and Collegiate (at the University of Oregon) levels, winning numerous events before turning Professional in 1975 to “follow the dream”.

Bob played numerous Tours around the world for the next 11 years, including the Canadian; Australian; NZ; Asian; South American Tours, as well as events in the US, winning The Windsor Charity Classic (Canadian Tour 1981) and The Vermont State Open (1984) as well as numerous other professional events. The culmination of his playing career came when he successfully qualified (earned his card) to become a member of the PGA TOUR in 1981.

In 1985 the members of The Canadian Tour’s Player Association elected Bob as President. After a year in this volunteer position, the Board of Directors asked him to become the first Executive Director and as the Tour developed he became the first commissioner after he incorporated The Canadian Tour in 1989. After 8 years of building the Canadian Tour to an internationally respected level, he then asked Dick Grimm to become his replacement in 1993.

Bob then pursued the educational side of golf by conducting clinics; exhibitions; golf schools; golf exercise programs; sport psychology programs, individual and group lessons. He wrote the “Educational Program” for the Canadian Tour and during his 25 years as a Professor and Director of Player Development for Humber College, he wrote the Professional Golf Management, Manual/Textbook for his classes.

Bob is enjoying his 24th year as The Director of Golf Instruction at the Oakdale G&CC. Apart from developing and executing the numerous teaching programs for the Juniors, Men and Women members, Bob, with the enthusiastic support of the Oakdale membership, also conducts a number of First Tee programs, designed as community outreach programs to help children learn life skills by learning to play golf.

Some major accomplishments are:

-Voted “Top 50 Canadian Golf Instructors” by The National post 2005

-Honoured as a “Life Member” by The Canadian Tour 2007

-Received the “Lori Kane, Community Leader Award” from Golf Canada 2022.

Builder Category

Garry McKay

Garry has been covering golf for The Hamilton Spectator since the mid 1970s and covered his first Canadian Open for Radio station CKOC in 1968.

He has also written articles for ScoreGolf, Golf Canada, Pro Shop, Ontario Golf, Hamilton Golf and for magazines in the United States and Germany.

He has served on the selection committee of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, PGA of Canada Hall of Fame, and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

He was a founding director of the Hamilton Halton Junior Golf Tour which began in 1984. He is currently on the board and works events doing, registration, scoring, spotting and even rules.

He was a founding director and currently sits on the board and is treasurer of the Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year award which choses the Athlete of the Year for the Hamilton-Halton area.

He was a founding director and is currently the chair of the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame.

He was a past director of the Stanley Thompson Society and previously sat on Golf Canada’s Heritage Committee.

Garry was a founding director, a past president and past secretary/treasurer of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada and is currently on the board as an advisor.

In 2015 Garry was honoured with the Lorne Rubenstein Award by the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

He won the American Hockey League’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for media coverage of the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2001-2002.

He won a Score award for golf coverage in 1981.

Garry is also a three-time winner of Gymnastics Ontario’s media award for coverage of gymnastics.

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada gave him their 2021 Dick Grimm Award for ‘significant lifetime achievements to Canadian Golf.’

Garry was also a recipient of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award in 2022.

And his golf game has never improved.

Player Category

Audrey Bendick-Akins

The late Audrey Bendick-Akins (1967- 2022) of Windsor enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the Player Category. She captured many titles provincially, nationally and internationally throughout her career and is truly the definition of not only a champion, but a hall of famer.

Audrey Bendick-Akins began her competitive career at the age of 8 under the mentorship of her father, John Bendick, and coach Nick Panasiuk of the formerly known Hydeaway Golf Course. She won her first tournament, the Little People’s Golf Championships, at age 8 and many others followed. A few years later she was awarded the Marlene Stewart Streit Golf Award (age 12), and the Burnett award (age 13). In 1980 she won the Canadian Junior Golf Championship as the youngest player to ever do so at age 13, followed by another victory in 1985 at age 18.

Bendick-Akins represented Ontario at the Canadian Junior Championships where she claimed victories from 1980-1982, received the Ontario Achievement Award for Sports three times, and was awarded Windsor’s Kinsman trophy which is presented to the Athlete of the Year (1983). Throughout her time as a junior she steadily ranked in the top ten within the country. Internationally, she won the Michigan Junior Girls Championship (1981 & 1982) and competed in the World Junior Golf Championships in San Diego, CA finishing second in the international division and 10th overall.

In 1986 and 1988 she claimed the Ontario Amateur title where her talent led her to representing Canada on the global scale. In 1986 she was a member of team Canada at the British Amateur Championships, in 1987 she went on to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand as a member of team Canada, and in 1988 she played in the World Amateur Golf Team Championship in Stockholm, Sweden where she was Canada’s lowest scorer.

From 1984-1989 Audrey accepted a full ride scholarship to the University of Oklahoma where she majored in education. She served as captain of the golf team and had a standout career at OU where she remains the 4th ranked overall golfer in school history. She had multiple top ten finishes in the Big 8 conference, played herself into the top 40 of the NCAA individual rankings and was a medalist at many tournaments throughout her time as a Sooner. She excelled in school as she did in golf, being named a two time Academic All-American while at OU. After obtaining her Bachelor of Education degree she returned home to further her credentials with a Master’s in Education at the University of Windsor. Following her studies she became a golf professional teaching out of Tecumseh Golf Centre. She went on to compete in a few Futures Tour tournaments between 1990-1992. She retired a couple years later as she became a beloved mother and secondary school teacher. During her time in education she acted as the golf coach for both the girls and boys teams for over 13 years and volunteered at numerous local and provincial tournaments.

As a Windsor-Essex pioneer of golf, Audrey Bendick-Akins was inducted into the Windsor-Essex County Hall of Fame in 2001. Years later she made her return into the golf world, placing third in the Ontario Ladies Amateur while shooting the lowest gross score, and finishing fifth in the Canadian mid-am in 2015. She won multiple Michigan Mid-Amateur Championships (2016 and 2019), and she was nominated for the prestigious Windsor- Essex WESPY award in 2016 and 2017.

In February of 2020 Audrey was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer by the name of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML). She battled into remission on multiple occasions, however she continually relapsed; another form of the cancer, Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia (AML) ultimately claimed her life on November 24th, 2022.  During her battle she used the mental fortitude, resiliency and patience that she learned through the game of golf. In her sickness she wrote and published two books, Drive: How to Become an Elite Junior Golfer and Thrive – A Guide for Parents: How to Raise Elite Athletes, to encourage more youth to join and excel in the sport. She was incredibly honoured and appreciative of her induction into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

Lorne Rubenstein Award

Rick Young

A founding member of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) Rick Young is one of the country’s trusted voices on the game and matters relating to the golf industry’s equipment and business sectors.     

Young’s 40 year career as a golf writer began in his hometown of Woodstock, Ontario on May 5, 1983 with his first column for the Daily Sentinel-Review. One of the newspaper’s longest tenured contributors his weekly column ran for 26 years.

An affiliation with Golf Ontario began in 1987 when Ken Mackenzie acquired Ontario Golf News and retained Young as a freelance writer to provide profiles and features. Since then his work has appeared in numerous publications across Canada and the United States including SCOREGolf Magazine, MyGolfSpy, Toronto Star, Golf Business Canada, GreenMaster Magazine, Golf Canada Magazine, Pro Shop Magazine, Maclean’s, LINKS Magazine, Golf World, Golf Journal (USGA), Ontario Golf Magazine, GolfStyle, ClubLink Life, Fairways Magazine, London Free Press, the National Post and the Globe & Mail. He has also provided content for Golf Town, Matchplay Golf Marketing, RBC and the Province of New Brunswick.   

Young has covered the Ryder Cup, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Presidents Cup, U.S. Amateur, RBC Canadian Open, CP Women’s Open as well as multiple Canadian and provincial amateur events. This year marked his 24th PGA Merchandise Show.       

Recognizing his passion for golf equipment, Bob Weeks hired Young in 1999 to provide industry coverage as SCOREGolf’s equipment and business analyst. He continues in that role for the national publication and has been a panelist for SCOREGolf’s Top 100 and Top 59 public course rankings since inception. 

A past member of the Golf Writers Association of America, Young’s belief in a national association of golf media helped form the foundation for the first incarnation of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada (1995-2000). Resurrected in 2006 Young assumed duties on the GJAC Board of Directors as President (2008-2011) followed by a third term in 2021-2022. He remains on the GJAC board as Immediate Past President and Vice-President of Outreach and Industry Relations.

Young is a six-time GJAC Writing Awards recipient and was recognized by Golf Ontario in 2009 for his contributions to the game. He has written two books – From Fifth to 59 to 2009: The 100 Year History of the Oxford Golf & Country Club and the 100 Year History of The Briars Golf Club – and is a frequent guest on golf talk radio shows and podcasts. 

An advocate and supporter of municipal and public golf he was introduced to the game by his dad at the former Woodstock Golf Club when he was nine years old. He spent 41-years as a member of Craigowan Golf Club and now plays regularly at Tarandowah Golfers Club.   

A graduate of the Business program at Fanshawe College in London Ontario Young, his wife Carol, and their daughters, Kirsten and Madisen continue to live in Woodstock, Ontario while frequenting Miramichi, New Brunswick during the summer.      

About Golf Ontario

Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact, to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to shaping lives through Golf.

About the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame

The Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of extraordinary contributions and accomplishments in the game of golf in Ontario. Founded in 2000 by the Ontario Golf Association and the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association, the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is housed at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.

For more information please contact:

Nick Taylor, Chief Marketing & Development Officer, Golf Ontario;

NTaylor@gao.ca

Golf Ontario is pleased to share that on the occasion of the 5^th Anniversary of the event, the 2023 Ontario Adaptive Championship will be held at the prestigious Weston Golf & Country Club on July 17-18, 2023.

The Ontario Adaptive Championship was originally launched in 2019 as a provincial competition to showcase Ontario’s best golfers with a disability, and will be held for the fifth time this season. Focusing on player development, the event will ensure a proper pathway for high preforming athletes. The world ranked event will see men and women compete in low gross and net categories.

Annually ranked in the top 100 courses in Canada, Weston Golf & Country Club is no stranger to hosting major events including Arnold Palmer’s first PGA Tour win at the 1955 Canadian Open. More recently they hosted the Ontario Junior Girls Spring Classic in 2010 & 2011.

“Weston’s membership couldn’t be prouder to host this year’s Ontario Adaptive Championship,” said Alan Crossley, President Weston G&CC. “We are looking forward to sharing our course, which is steeped in history and heritage, while being able to cheer on and watch the inspiring play of these dedicated athletes. We are pleased to be able to continue our tradition of giving back to the community of golf through our on-going efforts to promote and enhance the game for all.”

Immediate past champions of the event, Natasha Stasiuk and Kurtis Barkley will surely be looking to repeat as Champions for the 5^th time, having also won the event each year since inception. With a growing field of competitors each year and 2023 being a special anniversary held at such a prestigious facility, the 2023 Championship is a highly anticipated event on the calendar.

Regarding the evolution of the event, Golf Ontario CEO Kyle McFarlane said, “In alignment with Golf Ontario’s vision of Golf for All, we are motivated to increase opportunities for individuals of all abilities. With a focus on promoting inclusive environments, the term ‘Adaptive’ will now be used in place of ‘Disability’ for all related Golf Ontario programming, including new adaptive participation opportunities to connect more people to positive golf experiences.”

One of the key factors considered in moving forward with the new term of ‘Adaptive’ is that, “…it focuses on the modification of sport rather than on disability of the athlete…”¹ and “…it provides an opportunity for the pursuit of excellence in sport through a full spectrum of settings for participation.”²

For more information about the championship, please go to the Official Tournament Website or contact the Tournament Team at tournaments@gao.ca .

ABOUT GOLF ONTARIO:

Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world.  From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to Shaping Lives Through Golf.

Ibid ^1,2 (Winnick & Porretta, 2017)

For more information, please contact:

John Lawrence,

Director, Competitions & Performance – Golf Ontario

JLawrence@gao.ca

Nick Taylor.

Chief Marketing & Development Officer – Golf Ontario

NTaylor@gao.ca

Today, Golf Ontario is proud to announce a critical new hire that will join our staff on Monday, March 20^th to support our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan Golf For All.

Raphael Root joins Golf Ontario in this important revenue generating role to support the immediate investment in, and long term sustainability of our strategic pillars across Participation, Performance, Membership and Organizational Strength. He will prioritize the establishment of this new department and related operational strategies and best practices within the portfolio if work.

Raphael is a fundraising and sport professional with over 7 years of robust experience in sports and non-profit industries. He comes to Golf Ontario from The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation where he supported the Donor Experience and Stewardship Impact team as well as the Corporate & Community Partnerships team. During his time with the Foundation, he helped manage fundraising for the Journey to Conquer Cancer which is a family-friendly run/walk event that raised over $965,000 for cancer research. Then after, he moved to the Donor Experience team where he helped deliver impact by stewarding and recognizing countless major giving donors.

Raphael is also a veteran on the operational side of sports entertainment with more than 7 years of experience with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). Bringing fans to their feet by creating unforgettable experiences for various properties including the Toronto Marlies, Toronto Raptors and Raptors 905.

Raphael holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Post-Graduate degree in Sport & Event Marketing from George Brown College. The energy of being around competition and sports at a world-class level is what drives Raphael. He is looking forward to the opportunity to help advance the sport of Golf in Ontario.

Nick Taylor, Chief Marketing & Development Officer shared that, “Raphael is joining our team at the perfect time.  With our Strategic Plan launched this winter, and new leadership at the Executive and Board levels, he will have a tremendous opportunity to leverage that leadership expertise, and share the story around our vision and mission with prospective donors and existing supporters as we put the pieces in place to support immediate impact on our programming and long term sustainability and growth of the organization.”

About Golf Ontario

Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to Shaping Lives Through Golf.

For more information please contact:

Nick Taylor, Chief Marketing & Development Officer, Golf Ontario,

NTaylor@gao.ca

The inaugural Ontario Junior Players Invitational Championship presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach at River Hills Golf & Country Club sees Emily McKee of St. George’s G&CC and Isaiah Ibit of Camelot G&CC emerge as Champions in the Girls and Boys U19 Overall divisions respectively.

Additional divisions recognized were the U15 Girls won by Nobelle Park and U17 Girls won by overall champion Emily McKee. The U15 Boys low score was attained by Dawson Lew (Wyndance GC) and U17 low score went to Luke Smith.

Despite the risk of frost earlier in the morning, competitors were on the range as much as two hours prior to the start of the final round under bright blue skies and temperatures of six degrees. The day’s pairings went off on split tees in the early afternoon, experiencing slightly warmer conditions up to nine degrees as play commenced.

With ten boys starting the day within five shots of Smith, and three girls chasing McKee and Zhao just four shots back, there was great anticipation around which players could challenge for the title of Inaugural Tournament Champion.

As the first few holes were completed, it looked like it was Luke Smith maintaining form from the first round, but it wasn’t long before Ibit started to make his move up the leaderboard, ultimately recording five birdies and only one bogey in the round. After a first round 77 (+5) on Monday, he finished day two with a 68 (-4) and total two day score of 145 cementing a two shot margin over Luke Smith at 147 followed by Zachary Smith (Brampton GC) and Jordan Hwang (Emerald Hills G&CC) at 150.

The in-form player in the U19 Girls Overall division was McKee, as she started the day where she left off Monday evening and never let up. With scores of 72 (E) Monday and 74 (+2) today, she finished at 146 and a two stroke margin over Nobelle Park (RattleSnake Point GC) who made an impressive move up the leaderboard in the final round, and four strokes ahead of Alexa Ouellet (Weston G&CC) at 150.

At the conclusion of play, Tournament Director Connor Doyle remarked on the movement across both divisions on day two. “What an exciting finish to a successful inaugural tournament. Thank you to Play Golf Myrtle Beach for helping make this tournament possible. Every player played their heart out this week and they should be proud of their results.”

During the awards presentation officiated by newly minted CEO Kyle McFarlane, Scott Tomasello of Play Golf Myrtle Beach thanked all competitors for venturing down to Myrtle Beach and later, offered his congratulations to the champions saying, “We’re thrilled to have showcased Myrtle Beach golf to these talented juniors. Congratulations to Emily & Isaiah on their respective victories.”

For more information on the 2023 Ontario Junior Players Invitational presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach, including the final results, visit our Golf Genius page.

Learn more about Play Golf Myrtle Beach offerings online.

Stay Connected on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @TheGolfOntario

Championship Contact:

John Lawrence – Director, Competitions and Performance, Golf Ontario

JLawrence@gao.ca

Media contact:

Nick Taylor, Senior Director, Marketing, Golf Ontario

NTaylor@gao.ca

Day one of competition at the Ontario Junior Players Invitational Championship is in the books. In the Girls U19 Overall division of the competition, for the better part of the round, it was a battle for the lead between Station Creek’s Kelly Zhao and Emily McKee out of St. George’s G&CC, with Alexa Ouellet (Weston G&CC), Joline Truong (Trafalgar G&CC) and Nobelle Park (RattleSnake Point GC) following close behind. Ultimately it was Zhao and McKee who finished the day on even par and leading the field into the final day tomorrow.

Over in the Boys U19 Overall division, while he needed all eighteen holes to take the lead into day two, Luke Smith of The Thornhill Club has a one shot lead at plus one over Zachary Smith from Brampton Golf Club. There are nine more players within four shots or better of the leader, including Andreas Diogenous (Whistle Bear GC) at four over par, who had shared the lead with Zachary Smith for much of the round. The final day of competition would appear to be up for grabs with so many players chasing the leader.

Following first round play, Tournament Director Connor Doyle said, “It is great to have so many talented Ontario juniors in Myrtle Beach competing in our inaugural tournament. All the player’s hard work in the off season paid off, as we had many excellent scores showcased on the leaderboard. With a close leaderboard after today, we are in for an exciting final round tomorrow.” 

The day began under grey skies and cool 9 degree temperatures, as the fifty one junior golfers from across Ontario trickled in to River Hills Golf & Country Club throughout the morning to get some range time in before the first pairings headed out at 12:30. With no indication of significant wind or rain in the forecast, and gradually warming temperatures that reached a high of 16 degrees, the day unfolded to provide good conditions for the field to test themselves.

Officially kicking off Golf Ontario’s 2023 Championship season, the Ontario Junior Players Invitational presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach is the only event held outside the province, but the Myrtle Beach area feels like home for many of the athletes, coaches and rules officials who spend time in the area in our traditional off-season. Speaking on behalf of the Championship Presenting Sponsor and Official Partner of Golf Ontario, Scott Tomasello said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate our partnership with Golf Ontario and all golfers in Canada with this tournament. We hope to see these juniors play well this week and come back to visit Myrtle Beach in their future endeavors.”

For more information on the 2023 Ontario Junior Players Invitational presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach, including the leaderboard and day two pairings, visit our Golf Genius page.

Learn more about Play Golf Myrtle Beach offerings online.

Stay Connected on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @TheGolfOntario

Championship Contact:

John Lawrence – Director, Competitions and Performance, Golf Ontario

JLawrence@gao.ca

Media contact:

Nick Taylor, Senior Director, Marketing, Golf Ontario

NTaylor@gao.ca

With participating players and coaches on the ground in North Myrtle Beach for the last couple of days, the inaugural Ontario Junior Players Invitational presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach will officially get under way on Monday at the beautiful River Hills Golf & Country Club.

While today’s forecast is calling for a 90% chance of up to 15mm of rain, which will challenge any players engaged in pre-tournament training, the forecast for Monday and Tuesday looks good with high temperatures of 17 and 13 degrees respectively.

Fifty-one athletes from across Ontario have assembled to participate in this first year event, including fifteen members of Team Ontario, three Next Wave players and a large contingent of Junior Golf Pathway competitors.

Director of Competitions & Performance, John Lawrence said, “We are excited to be here at River Hills Golf Club, with the full support of presenting sponsor Play Golf Myrtle Beach, as we deliver the first ever Ontario Junior Players Invitational. Our strategy over the next four years at Golf Ontario, includes the expansion and enhancement of the performance development pathway, and this new event signals our commitment to that growth.”

Given the breadth of talent involved in the event, any number of players could surface at the top of the leaderboard when play gets underway in the two day tournament on Monday. Certainly the members of Team Ontario will be pushing their way to the top as they will have been be put through their paces under the guidance and support of Provincial Head Coach Reggie Millage, Dr. Charles Fitzsimmons and Dr. Nick Martichenko, as well as staff from Golf Ontario’s Performance team.

Past performance at the tail end of the 2022 season might indicate that Luke Smith, two time member of Team Ontario and the U19 Junior Golf Pathway 2022 number one ranked boy, as well as Kelly Zhao, the U19 JGP 2022 number one ranked girl, a first year member of the Provincial team, could be players to watch for.

For more information on the 2023 Ontario Junior Players Invitational presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach, visit our Golf Genius page.

Learn more about Play Golf Myrtle Beach offerings online.

Stay Connected on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @TheGolfOntario

Championship Contact:

John Lawrence – Director, Competitions and Performance, Golf Ontario

JLawrence@gao.ca

Media contact:

Nick Taylor, Senior Director, Marketing, Golf Ontario

NTaylor@gao.ca

We caught up with just some of the passionate girls and women across our community recently, and asked them to share what it means to them to be a woman in golf in Ontario, and if there was a moment in their golf experience that made a major impact on them.

We know that sport has the power to change lives. Girls who play golf tend to learn teamwork, self- reliance, resilience and confidence. All powerful skills that can create great leaders. I love watching young women playing golf and I’m very proud to be associated with both Golf Ontario and Golf Canada who provide so many opportunities for both young and older women to learn the sport, compete in the sport and to support the sport. We are so fortunate in Ontario to have many excellent female role models as players, as coaches, as volunteers, as golf course owners and even as golf course architects. And, as we all know, “if you can’t see, you can’t be it”. So on March 8th, let’s celebrate all that International Women’s Day means to golf and to all the opportunities that we have and can continue to create for female golfers. “Play like a Girl”

Growing up, media coverage for the LPGA tour was not very big. Only recently, it started to change and women in golf are beginning to gain the attention and recognition they truly deserve. As a woman in golf, I believe I have the opportunity to represent this community to further develop the game for future generations. The sport has given me many new opportunities to grow and learn invaluable skills. I hope to inspire other girls to become more involved in sports and continue the progress we are making for female athletes today.

I always felt like golf was always a very male dominated sport, I didn’t know many other female golfers and women’s golf was almost never broadcasted on TV. I’m glad to say that female golf is gaining its proper recognition now, and it means the world to me that I am a part of the generation where female golf is growing immensely. Golf means the world to me, and I am so proud that I am able to represent females in golf for Ontario. I hope that my fellow female competitors and I can continue being role models for the female golfers in the making.

Women in Sports have come a long way in the last few years with pay raises, more tournaments/tours, and more recognition on television. One of the sports that I have seen the most improvement in is golf. There is so much talent for women in sports and in golf right now, and I think we can prove to the world that we should be recognized. Women in Golf is an awesome movement to bring more women into this sport and help them feel belonged, and I think Golf Ontario is doing a great job by promoting this event every year and helping it grow. The more we can teach and get women interested in golf, the more we can help this sport grow in all parts of the world for everyone!

In my family tree, I am the only female athlete to have come far enough to play in provincial, national, and international tournaments at a junior age. I have tremendous support from my whole family and our friends. But, the most support I get is from my little cousins! They love to ask me about my tournaments and find out if I have won, and watch me play. They are so interested to learn and play golf when they grow up and go play in these high-level tournaments. When they ask me if I can teach them golf, and they say “I want to be like you when I grow up,” it inspires and motivates me to become better every day. I think to myself that one day I will be inspiring many more little girls to start playing golf, and grow this sport for the girls out there that can truly bring out their talent!

I joined my golf club shortly after graduating and I didn’t know a soul. Over the past 47 years, I have participated in many events, draws and competitions. I started without a handicap and I’m now a single digit golfer. Most importantly, I have met hundreds of people through golf some I include in my family circle. These lasting connections will last a lifetime.

I think it is very important for women in business to participate in golf. Personally I started to golf when I first started at a law firm and the men left to go golfing but the women were not invited. Many women miss out on important business development and mentoring opportunities when they don’t know how to golf. Learning to golf is not only enjoyable but can be very helpful in a woman’s longer term career objectives.

Golf has and continues to play a significant role in my life, in wonderful and meaningful ways. Starting back as a student, I fondly recall enjoying the landscape and sunshine of Ontario summers outdoors on the golf course on a beverage cart. In my professional career as a finance professional, I have had the fortune of occupying leadership roles at member golf facilities, and at present here at Golf Ontario. Our vision of Golf for All and mission to shape lives by connecting people to positive golf experiences are statements that resonate, and are congruent with my personal values and philanthropic desires. Our association’s path forward is exciting!

As a Woman working in Golf, I am driven to be a positive influence and supporter of others in both the accounting profession and in business management, particularly in sport. In my personal life, golf talk continues – my husband also works in the golf industry as a Turfgrass Professional, we met nearly 20 years ago on course, sharing many friends in this wonderful industry. Today we raise our two young children with an active lifestyle, and cherish the memories we make as a family together, often on the golf course.

For me this means so much more than just women playing the great game of golf. I would love to see in future years more women in the business of golf, whether that be reporting, managing or even creating golf courses. I am most excited to see Golf Ontario venture into creating hype over working in golf and all the benefits that come along with the game!

I will never forget the time when we hosted the 2019 University College National Championship and a players parents came up to me to say how their daughter couldn’t believe that it was a woman in charge of running the facility. Throughout the week I had many young ladies ask me about my career path and how I came to hold my position in golf. This was encouraging for me as they now can see someone who they can relate to in a senior leadership position as well as opening the conversation surrounding female empowerment in sport.

This International Women’s Day, Golf Ontario celebrates and acknowledges all the many contributions made by these young girls and women that are just a small part of the fabric of our golf community across Ontario. We thank them for being part of our mission to shape lives by creating positive golf experiences for all.

Uxbridge, ON – The Board of Directors of Golf Ontario (GO) today announced that Kyle McFarlane will replace Mike Kelly as the next CEO of the organization beginning on March 1^st, 2023.

Dr. Susan Vail, President of the Board, said, “Following the completion of a comprehensive search process which included a deep field of talented candidates, it is my distinct pleasure to share the exciting news that Kyle McFarlane will assume the leadership of Golf Ontario.”

Since 2004, Kyle has demonstrated tremendous dedication to the organization across his multiple roles most recently as Chief Sport Officer. Over the course of his career with the association he has been directly involved in significant growth in the operational and financial breadth of Golf Ontario. He has helped strengthen core and value-added services to members, led the development of new initiatives to introduce more golfers to the game and supported the launch of systems for our best athletes to achieve their highest potential.

Kyle brings a breadth of knowledge and experience that is valued within the sector. As a respected member of the industry, Kyle has developed credibility and in turn strong relationships with Golf Ontario members and industry partners alike. He is well positioned to work collaboratively with partners to positively impact the health of the game and the industry.

In accepting the role, Kyle shared that “For almost two decades, I have had the pleasure to be involved in the evolution of Golf Ontario into a recognized world class operation. This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time as I’m fully prepared for a new challenge, and am energized to take on the responsibility of leading Golf Ontario through the 2023-26 Strategic Plan.”

Kyle’s passion for golf started at an early age and continues to this day. He is a sports enthusiast and actively involved in his community. Kyle graduated from the University of Memphis with a Master’s degree in Sport Commerce.  He currently resides in Whitby with his wife Lisa and their three children Nolan, Jake and Maya.

About Golf Ontario

Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to Shaping Lives Through Golf.

For more information please contact:

Nick Taylor, Chief Marketing & Development Officer, Golf Ontario,

NTaylor@gao.ca