Stouffville, Ontario – On Monday May 28 th 2018, Golf Ontario ran the 7 th annual Junior Golf Drive and Gala at the beautiful Granite Golf Club. This event is Golf Ontario’s single biggest fundraiser of the year, with the proceeds going to Junior Golf in Ontario and the day was a huge success, raising over $97,000. Funding from this event will go to support key programs like Golf in Schools, Future Links driven by Acura, and Team Ontario.

The sold-out day began with 32 foursomes hitting the immaculately conditioned Granite Golf Club under perfect weather conditions with temperatures staying in the mid to high 20’s for the entire round. Golfers were treated to many on course competitions and activities, including the option of using the drives of Team Ontario members on 5 different holes.

Following golf, attendees were treated to a gala evening component for the first time. A cocktail
reception was help in the Granite Golf Club clubhouse, and this was followed by a delicious dinner and world-class entertainment. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Mark Zecchino from Golf Talk Canada. David Merry performed his unique brand of comedy/magic at the reception and then Dave Hemstad brought the house down with a hilarious comedy routine to cap the evening off.
Other participants for the Golf Ontario Junior Golf Drive and Gala included current Team Ontario
members that participated both on-course, and during the evening. As well, special guest, LPGA Tour Player and Team Canada Player Brittany Marchand, attended the event, and hit drives from the 6th tee during the tournament. She also spoke at the evening event and was thankful for the beneficial impact that Team Ontario and golf has had on her life. She remembers the pivotal moments in her life that have made her into a better person “All the experiences add up, I thank Team Ontario for helping me get to where I am today”.

View the photo album from this event on Flickr.

Golf Ontario would like to thank all the sponsors of the Junior Golf Drive and Gala, as well as everyone who attended the event on Monday. Key sponsors included Golf Talk Canada, Play Golf Myrtle Beach, RBC, Baka Wireless, TaylorMade, Adidas Golf, and Greybrook Realty Partners Inc. We would also like to thank Granite Golf Club for allowing us to host the Junior Golf Drive and Gala at their fantastic facility. It took all of these contributions to make this event the success it was, and the true beneficiary will be Junior Golf in Ontario.

Amber Morley
Marketing and Communications
amorley@gao.ca

From Golf Canada

OTTAWA – Today, to mark Canada’s first annual National Golf Day, Canadians are invited to take a swing on Parliament Hill with a number of We Are Golf interactive golf activities. As well, PGA of Canada professionals will be on hand to provide golf tips and share their enthusiasm for the game with golfers and Ottawa-area school students.

The event is aimed at raising awareness among the public and government decision-makers on the many positive health, economic, social, environmental and charitable impacts of the golf industry across Canada.

“Golf is a game for everyone. And not only do more Canadians play golf than any other participation sport, our industry also drives more economic impact, employment and charity fundraising,” said Jeff Calderwood, We Are Golf Chair. “So we want to celebrate the golf onNational Golf Day and we invite Canadians to join us on Parliament Hill to talk golf and take a few swings.”

The conversations will include the healthy fitness benefits of the sport, with a typical 18-hole round being an eight to ten- kilometer walk that burns up to 2000 calories. And the environmental stewardship of golf preserving over 175,000 hectares of green space managed by over 2300 golf course operators, including 30,000 hectares of unmanaged wildlife habitat.

There will also be an emphasis on junior golf, noting that golf develops important life skills for children of all ages. Programs like Adopt A School and Take A Kid To The Course will be promoted on the front lawn during National Golf Day. Thirty-seven percent of the 126,000 Canadians employed by golf are also youth students.

Since golf is not only a great game, but also a highly developed industry, the economic impact generated is substantial and leads all other participation sports in Canada. Golf’s $14.3 billion annual direct GDP includes tourism benefits exceeding one million overnight trips by Canadian golfers, creating spending of $2.5 billion annually on golf travel within Canada. Foreign visiting golfers spend an additional $1.6 billion on golf related travel each year.

“We are looking forward to welcoming golf enthusiasts, area residents and students out to the We Are Golf activities on the front lawn of Parliament to learn about all the many ways that the golf experience contributes to life in Canada,” added Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “There are so many meaningful benefits that golf delivers in communities from coast to coast and it will be exciting to share those insights on National Golf Day.”

Golf activities are available on the front lawn of Parliament Hill from 9 am to 5 pm, May 29, 2018.

Cataraqui Golf & Country Club wins George S. Lyon Team Championship

Whitevale, Ontario. –

On Monday, May 28^th, 2018, The George S Lyon Team Championship was held at Whitevale Golf Club, in Whitevale, Ontario.  The Championship was won by the team from Cataraqui Golf & Country Club in Kingston, Ontario.  The team finished the Championship with a score of +3 (291).

The day was sunny, and the temperature stayed in the high 20’s – low 30’s for the Championship, players were in good spirits due to the warm and sunny day.  The conditions made for an excellent day of golf all-around.

The team from Cataraqui Golf & Country Club was made up of Noah Steele (-1) 71, Drew Mayhew 72, Jamaal Moussaoui (+2) 74, and Peter Sauerbrei +2 (74).

In second place was the team from Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto (+17) 305, and in third was the team from Deer Ridge Golf Club in Kitchener (+19) 307.

Golf Ontario would like to thank everyone who participated in the George S. Lyon Team championship, as well as Whitevale Golf Club for hosting the championship. Thank you!

 Marketing and Communications

Amber Morley

amorley@gao.ca

From May 28 to June 1, Golf Canada will be celebrating all donations made towards the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program in support of the third annual Adopt a School Week.

The week represents a coast-to-coast celebration to mark the efforts of all Golf in Schools adoptions. Since the program’s inception in 2009, adoptions have accounted for close to 50% of the over 3,500 registered schools delivering the curriculum. Together, Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), and all provincial partners have aligned to celebrate the generosity of golf enthusiasts across the country.

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

For the first 30 adoptions, any golf facility, PGA of Canada professional or individual who adopts a school into the Golf in Schools program from May 28- June 1 will see their adoption matched with a school of their choice. This matching grant is possible due to Golf Canada’s partnership with the Canadian Seniors Golf Association (CSGA).

In 2017, 266 new schools were adopted, introducing an average of 120 students per school to golf.

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

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

Following Adopt a School Week, Golf Canada will be announcing all elementary, intermediate and high school adoptions conducted in 2018.

TO ADOPT A SCHOOL IN YOUR COMMUNITY, VISIT GOLFCANADA.CA/ADOPTASCHOOL

From Golf Canada

OTTERVILLE, Ont. – Laurent Desmarchais came from behind while Taylor Kehoe maintained her second round lead to earn medallist honours at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship at Otter Creek Golf Club.

Kehoe continued her strong showing in the girls division by carding a 2-over 74 to close out the tournament with a 5-over total of 217. The Strathroy, Ont. product struggled on the front-nine after recording five bogeys but finished the day strong, with 5 birdies across 18-holes.

“This win means a lot,” said the 14-year-old of her first time play at the tournament and subsequent medallist honours. “It was a very fun tournament and amazing opportunity.”

Team Canada Development squad member Monet Chun posted a 1-over 73 to finish the tournament in solo-second. The 17-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., who recently won the Future Links driven by Acura Pacific Championship, ended the tournament only 2-strokes behind the lead.

Rounding out the top-six spots are Emily Romancew of Pierrefonds, Que. (+9), round one leader Hailey McLaughlin of Markham, Ont. (+9), Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (+11), Emily Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont., Tiana Cruz of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Victoria Zheng of Markham, Ont. (+13).

Alyssa DiMarcantonio, also of Team Canada, finished T9 after shooting a 4-over 76 in today’s round. The 15-year-old leaves the tournament tied for most eagles made with two eagles  –  one on hole 6 in round 2 and one on hole 15 in round three.

Desmarchais, who started the day in second, earned a hard-fought victory to end the tournament in first place.

“I made a few good putts and was 6-under through 14 holes,” said Desmarchais, who will also be competing at the Quebec edition in two weeks time. “It was very nice to earn this win after tough conditions and a tough course.”

The Longueuil, Que. native shot 2-over in round three to close out the tournament with a 3-under par total and a comfortable 3-stroke victory.

Cam Kellett topped the leaderboard going into the final round and started the day strong with birdies on holes 2 and 3, entering the back-nine only one-stroke behind Desmarchais.

However, back-to-back double bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes signalled trouble for the London, Ont. product. The 18-year-old finished the tournament in second place after shooting 6-over in the final round.

Dylan Henderson of Waterloo Ont. made an eagle on hole 4 to end the day in third after firing  a three-round total of  3-over, 216.

Rounding out the players in the top-6 spots are Bavake Sihota from Caledon, Ont. (+7), Logan Boucher of Beaconsfield, Que.(+7) and Robbie Latter of Mississauga, Ont.(+7).

Full results

Golf Association of Michigan Team wins first 2 rounds in International Senior Matches

DEARBORN, Michigan. – The Golf Association of Michigan won four of the first five singles matches to top the team from Golf Ontario in the 8th International Senior Matches Thursday at TPC of Michigan.

The GAM built a 3-1 lead in foursomes or best-ball play Wednesday, and then wins by Bill Zylstra, David Bartnick, Matt Wiley and Rick Herpich in singles matches Thursday insured the 7 ½ – 4 ½ victory.

The GAM and Golf Ontario alternate hosting the matches that are presented annually to promote international sportsmanship. Each four-ball match was worth one point, and each singles match was worth one point. Halved matches earned each team one-half point.

Zylstra, Bartnick and Wiley helped with points on both days in the competition.

RESULTS

Wednesday, May 23, Four-Ball Matches

Christopher Kertsos/John Taylor (GAO) d. Steve Maddalena/Rick Herpich (GAM) 3 and 1

David Bartnick/Bill Zylstra (GAM) d. Joe Miszk/John Murphy (GAO) 1-up

Mitch Wilson/Randy Lewis (GAM) d. Robert Gibson/Larry Cooper (GAO) 3 and 2

Matt Wiley/Craig Adams (GAM) d. Kerry Short/Charlie Burke (GAO) 4 and 3

GAM 3, OGA 1

Thursday, May 24, Singles Matches

Zylstra d. Cooper 2 and 1

Bartnick d. Taylor 3 and 2

Wiley d. Murphy 4 and 3

Burke d. Adams 1-up

Herpich d. Short 3 and 2

Miszk d. Maddalena 4 and 3

Wilson and Kertsos halved

Gibson d. Lewis 3 and 2

GAM 4 ½, OGA 3 ½

FINAL SCORE – GAM 7 ½ – OGA 4 ½

Golf Ontario is very excited to announce the launch of a great new fundraiser to raise money for junior golf in Ontario. Golf Ontario Great Golf Getaways is a program inspired by the recent successes of the 12 Days of Golf fundraiser that was run in December 2016 and 2017 and will also utilize an online auction to deliver this exciting initiative.

Golf Ontario Great Golf Getaways have been put together for golfers to have the opportunity to bid on amazing packages taking advantage of the great golf, lodging, and craft breweries that Ontario has to offer. These Golf Ontario Great Golf Getaways will make a great trip for friends, girls getaways, or guys getaways, and over a dozen different stay and play packages will be available for destinations across the province.  All packages include golf, hotels, craft breweries and restaurants for groups of two to four people and will represent excellent value for the winning bidders. Many of the packages include access to exclusive private golf facilities that are not readily accessible to the everyday golfer.

Over the next couple of weeks, Golf Ontario will roll out various destinations in Ontario through the Golf Ontario Great Golf Getaways website and eBay page. Visit www.greatgolfgetaways.ca for more information and to be directed to the eBay auction site, or search for Golf Ontario directly on eBay.

“We have had tremendous support from partner clubs, tourism offices across Ontario, accommodation providers, craft breweries and restaurants, who have partnered with us to provide these Golf Ontario Great Golf Getaways. We are looking forward to seeing the reaction from golfers to these unique and compelling package offerings that will allow them to experience the great golf and hospitality this province has to offer. We hope that golfers will take advantage of the opportunity to try courses in an area they may have never been to.” – Jason Hraynyk, Manager, Business Development.

Regions include London, Windsor, Ottawa, Barrie, Haliburton, Perth, North GTA, Toronto, Kingston, Owen Sound, Durham and others.

All proceeds from this initiative will go to build and support key junior golf initiatives in Ontario.

Amber Morley

Marketing and Communications

amorley@gao.ca

Uxbridge/Stouffville

— The Golf Ontario’s Investors Group Junior Spring Classic wrapped up on May 21 after three days at Wooden Sticks Golf Course in Uxbridge and Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Stouffville. When all was said and done it was Matthew Anderson who captured the boys’ title while Emily Zhu took home the girls’ championship.

At the junior boys’ event, taking place May 29-21 at Wooden Sticks Golf Course, Matthew Anderson of Credit Valley Golf & Country Club took the gold medal with a total score of 214 (68-76-70), While Cameron Kellett of St. Thomas Golf and Country Club (77-72-66), Laurent Desmarchais (74-72-69) of Vallée du Richelieu, and Brendan Dunphy (71-72-72) of Whitevale Golf Club had a three-way tie for 2^nd (+) and a total score of 215.

Capturing the Juvenile Division was Roseland Golf & Curling Club’s Shawn Sehra (+1) with (74-75-68-217).  Thanks to his low 3^rd round, he was able to win the Juvenile Championship.

Over at the junior girls’ event at Sleepy Hollow Country Club Emily Zhu, from National Pines Golf Club finished in first place with tournament scores of 77-77-70 for a score of (+8) 224.

Zhu was excited to have won the Junior Spring Classic U19 Girls Championship and says she loves following her normal routine going into tournaments, which include a lot of time practicing her golf game, “to stay in my comfort zone, I go through a normal routine before tournaments”.

14-year-old Zhu has been golfing since she was 5 years old, She said that she loves the way a golf game can change instantly while you are playing, “you can have a double-bogey and suddenly have an eagle on the next hole, I love the unexpectedness of everything”

Taking the silver medal was Team Ontario member Hailey McLaughlin from Granite Golf Club (73-75-77-225) who finished +9.  Taking the bronze medal was Taylor Kehoe from West Haven Golf & Country Club who finished +11 (77-80-70-227).

About the Investors Group Spring Classic

The Investors Group Junior Spring Classic Championship is contested annually over the Victoria Day long weekend and features many of Ontario’s best male and female junior golfers.  The field of competitors gained entry to the competition through a qualifying process earlier in the season.

For more information on the Investors Group Junior Girls’ Spring Classic click here.

For more information on the Investors Group Junior Boys’ Spring Classic click here.

To view a photo album of the event click here.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @thegolfontario for live updates of the Investors Group Junior Spring Classic Championship and other tournaments and championships.

Stouffville- The 2018 Champion of Champions was held at Spring Lakes Golf Club on Monday, May 14^th, 2018.  This year was the first year where all categories of Champion of Champions played at the same course on the same day.  The categories included men’s, senior men’s, women’s, and senior women’s categories.  It has been 14 years since Spring Lakes hosted a provincial championship.

Mike Kelly, Executive Director of Golf Ontario, explained that “We are excited to have held this event at Spring Lakes Golf Club this year highlighting the efforts of exceptional golfers.  Having won their respective club championships, these golfers come to the championship playing at an extremely competitive level, today was a great way to highlight the efforts of these golfers”.

In the men’s category, David Lang of Donalda Club finished in 1^st -4 for a score of (68) followed by Jake Adams from Thames Valley Golf & Country with -3 (69), while Kyle Gordon of Coppinwood and Dave Bunker of Brampton GC finished -2 with (70).

In the senior men’s category, Christopher Kertsos of York Downs Golf & Country finished -4 with a final score of (68). Robert Gibson of Cedar Brae GC finished 2^nd -2(70) and Lars Melander of Hidden Lake GC, Bernie Starchuk of Burlington Golf & Country and Rich Parsons from St. Mary’s Golf & Country had a three-part tie for 3^rd -1 (71).

In the senior women’s category, Gail Pimm of Whitevale GC finished +4 (75) for first place, followed by a two-part tie for 2^nd place, held by Sandy Byckowski from Brampton GC and Sandra Billyard from Port Colborne Golf & Country with +7 (78).

In the women’s category, Mary Ann Hayward of St. Thomas Golf & Country club finished at par with a 71, followed by Kelsey Sear of York Downs Golf & Country who finished +1 (72). There was a two-part tie third place between Sarah Thompson of Thornhill Club and Jillian A Friyia of Highland Country Club who finished +7 (78).

About the Champion of Champions

Since 2006 the Ontario Women’s Champion of Champions event has been contested annually and features female club champions from Golf Ontario member clubs across the province. Past champions include Brittany Marchand, Stefani Markovich, Julia Hodgson, Elizabeth Tong and Mary Ann Hayward.

The Senior Women’s Champion of Champions made its debut in 2015 and has been played in conjunction with the Women’s Champion of Champions for the past two years. Kathy Pilkey is the only other past champion.

The Ontario Men’s Champion of Champions was first contested in 1946 and features men’s club champions from Golf Ontario member clubs across the province. Past champions of the event include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame members Bill Morland, Gerry Kesselring, Warren Sye, and Stu Hamilton, as well as Big Break Indian Wells champion David Byrne.

The Ontario Senior Men’s Champion of Champions was first contested in 1970 and features senior men’s club champions age 55 and over from Golf Ontario member clubs across the province. Past champions include Nick Weslock, Ed Ervasti and Patrick Suraj, who won the event a record six-times.

2018 is the first year that all categories of the event were combined and held on one day at one location, this year, that location was Spring Lakes Golf Club.

Golf Ontario would like to thank Spring Lakes Golf Club and their staff for helping to host an excellent event. We would also like to thank all of the golfers who participated in the event and made for a terrific competition for this event. Thanks also to the Golf Ontario volunteers for their continued support of golf in the province.

For more information, including the final leaderboard for all of the categories visit:

Men’s: here.

Senior Men’s: here.

Women’s: here.

Senior Women’s: here.

To view the photo album from the event click here.

Plaid for Dad was launched in 2015 to help raise awareness and vital research funds for prostate cancer. One out of every seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Plaid for Dad has quickly become a fun and easy way for Canadians to celebrate dad (and all the men in their lives) that may be diagnosed with prostate cancer one day.

This year, ClubLink is starting a new tradition with the Plaid for Dad Golf Day. ClubLink is opening its doors to the public at four Member Club locations, in addition to two of its Daily Fee locations, on Tuesday, May 22 and donating 50% of the proceeds from the golf day to Prostate Cancer Canada.  So get your friends and family together to enjoy a nice day on the golf course and donate to a great cause.

Ensure you mark the calendar for Tuesday, May 22 as we introduce the Plaid For Dad Golf Day.

Click here to register. You can also donate here. Also visit clublink.ca/plaidfordad for more details.

Because of your support, Prostate Cancer Canada can invest more funds in critical research and programs to help even more men and their families.

HOST VENUES

Emerald Hills Golf Club, Stouffville, ON – $119 per person

Wyndance Golf Club, Uxbridge, ON – $119 per person

Heron Point Golf Links, Alberton, ON – $109 per person

The Lake Joseph Club, Port Carling, ON – $99 per person ($175 per person as a stay and play package)

The Club at Bond Head, Bond Head, ON – $89 per person

Cherry Downs Golf Club, Pickering, ON – $89 per person

Your Plaid for Dad Golf Day registration includes: green fee, shared power cart, lunch buffet and welcome package. 8am shotgun start at all venues* with lunch to follow.

When you register to play at any participating Plaid for Dad Golf Day event you’ll have a chance to win a trip for two to Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Florida. The prize includes flights and a two night stay at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel, Golf Club & Convention Center!