MINETT, ON (Golf Canada) – The Rock Golf Course in Minett, ON, will play host to the second CN Future Links Championship event of 2014 – the CN Future Links Ontario Championship – which will be held May 22-25, with a practice round being staged on Thursday, May 22.

The 54-hole stroke play championship will feature the country’s top junior golfers aged 11-18. Players will vie for titles in a Junior Boys and Junior Girls division, respectively.

“We are excited to be in Muskoka for the CN Future Links Ontario Championship,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Cam Crawford. “With so many Team Canada Development Squad members, as well as other CN Future Links veterans, this championship should prove to be both exciting and challenging for the competitors.”

In the Junior Girls division Team Canada Development Squad members Valérie Tanguay, 18, of St. Hyacinthe, Que. and Naomi Ko, 16, of Victoria will look to continue their strong play from the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. Earlier this month, Tanguay captured the season-opening event in a playoff, while Ko finished third. On the Junior Boys side, Team Canada Development Squad member Carter Simon of Sutton, Ont., returns to defend his CN Future Links Ontario title from 2013. Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon County, Alta., will also look to improve on his third place finish at CN Future Links Pacific.

The Rock Golf Club opened in 2004 and was Nick Faldo’s first Canadian design course. The Rock has previously played host to the Ontario PGA Class ‘A’ Championship in 2009 where golfers battled for a coveted spot on PGA Team Ontario.

“The Rock takes pride in helping to build the game of golf in Canada, and in doing so we recognize that growing junior golf is imperative to that,” said Spencer Morland, Director of Instruction and Associate Golf Professional at The Rock Golf Course. “There is nothing better than hosting competitive junior events to carry on our tradition of being family-friendly and a great home for junior golfers.”

Team Canada’s Development Squad will be well represented at The Rock in both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls divisions. The men’s side will be represented by defending champion, Carter Simon, 18, of Sutton, Ont., along with Étienne Papineau, 17, of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and Matt Williams, 18, of Calgary, Alta.

From the Women’s Development Squad, the field includes Tanguay, Ko, and Sabrine Garrison, 18, of Calgary, Alta.

In 2013, Carter Simon won the CN Future Links Ontario Championship at the Listowel Golf Club, while Matt Williams placed first in the 2012 championship at the Loyalist Golf and Country Club in Bath, Ont. Maddie Szeryk , the 2013 CN Future Links Ontario Junior Girls champion, will not be in the field at this year’s event.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship will earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara Battlefield course in Niagara Falls, Ont. The Junior Girls Champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, which runs July 28 – August 1 at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. In addition, the champion will receive an exemption into a Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The CN Future Links Junior Golf Championships are part of CN’s ongoing partnership with Golf Canada and their commitment to junior golf. Focused on supporting safe and fun activities that have a positive impact on children’s health and well being, CN’s investment in CN Future Links is helping to increase grassroots junior golf participation in communities across Canada.

The CN Future Links tournament schedule also includes the CN Future Links Prairie Championship (May 29 – June 1 at Shilo Country Club in Westman, Man.), the CN Future Links Western Championship (July 1- 4 at Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C.), the CN Future Links Quebec Championship (July 7 – 10 at Club de Golf Continental in Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Qué.), and the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship (July 13 – 16 at Humber Valley Resort in Little Rapids, N.L.).

For more information on the 2014 CN Future Links Ontario Championship, click here.

BRAMPTON – Jeff Overholt and Jon Roy of Golf Performance Coaches have partnered with the Brampton Golf Club to launch the first and only Junior Golf Development Centre designed specifically for girls in Canada.

The objective is to create an opportunity to encourage young girls to participate in golf while developing confidence and respect in a safe and supportive environment. It will also provide a coaching pathway for girls who are interested in playing competitive golf.

The program, a joint effort between Golf Performance Coaches and Brampton GC, is in conjunction with the governing bodies for golf in Canada. It is supported by Golf Canada, and run by PGA of Canada members.

“We found there was an opportunity to create a structure to take girls’ golf games to the next level,” explained Overholt. “There’s a gap between the number of girls, especially at the competitive level, and we thought this program will help fix a disconnect we’ve seen. Other programs are already in place for different sports like hockey or baseball, but this is the first for golf.”

It’s a unique strategy for growing the game that will be mimicked in future years across Canada and a chance for young girls to develop a passion for the game that will enable them to enjoy golf for the rest of their lives.

“Our hope through this program is to grow the game, specifically with young girls, in a very unique, fun and social environment,” explained Emerson Mahoney, Head Golf Professional at Brampton Golf Club. “The board and membership of Brampton GC are very excited for this partnership, as it aligns well with the Club’s vision of promoting a lifelong passion for golf.”

The centre will launch in early July with both recreational and competitive coaching programs available for both current Brampton junior members as well as the public.

More specifically, things will be kicked off on July 7th with a free “girls only” future champions clinic – open to the public – prior to the Golf Association of Ontario’s Women’s Amateur Championship (happening July 8th – 11th at Brampton GC).

For parents in the Brampton area, there will be an information night on June 2nd from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the golf course.

Brittany Marchand, the 76th-ranked female amateur in the world, member at Brampton GC and member of Golf Canada’s national amateur team, will be fully supporting the program and will appear at the information night.

If you have a daughter between the age of 6 – 18 who would be interested in being a member of the JGDC please contact Jeff Overholt at 647-897-6178 or email him at jeff@golfperformancecoaches.com

The GAO is proud to present The Regional Team Program.

UXBRIDGE, ON— Despite relinquishing their leads during the second round of play, both first-round leaders, Vaughn’s Tony Gil and Thornhill resident Selena Costabile regained their leads during the final round of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) 2014 Investors Group Junior Spring Classic to capture the title.

For Gil, he sat in a tie for the lead after the second round, at Wooden Sticks, with fellow Team Canada National Development Team member Carter Simon. However, Gil had one of the lowest rounds of the day, a four-under 68, to finish the tournament at seven-under. As for Simon, the Sutton resident carded a one-under 71 for a tournament total of four-under.

“My iron play was right on throughout the week.  I made a lot of good putts and didn’t make any big mistakes, so it was a good week for me,” said Gil. “The first three birdies on 10, 11 and 12 was a confidence booster and turned my game on. I was a little nervous on the first tee and cold topped it but I just thought to myself that there were 17 holes to go and anything could happen.”

At 16-years-old, Gil also captured the juvenile division title.

Finishing in a tie for third at three-under for the tournament were Waterloo’s Trevor Ranton and Cayuga’s Charles Corner. Ranton fired a three-under 69, while Corner finished four-under 68 for the round. In fifth was Mississauga’s Conner Watt at one-under for the event after an even-par 72 final round.

Over at Sleepy Hollow, in Stouffville, Kingsville’s Alyssa Getty took a one shot lead into the final round but quickly relinquished it. Getty bogeyed the first hole while Costabile started birdie-birdie to take the lead. Costabile went on to birdie four on the back nine and finished with a confortable three-shot victory. She ended the day three-under for a tournament total of two under. Getty was one-over for the day and the event.

“I played really well today which helped me close the victory,” said Costabile. “My putts were rolling really well the past three days and most of the credit for my win is because of my putting. After nine holes I was behind but once I started making those birdies on the back nine I knew I had a good chance to win. Birdieing my first two holes, especially the second, was a huge confidence boost, even though I double bogeyed six. I was able to make a few good putts later and it all turned out ok.”

Finishing third was Toronto’s Ana Peric who was five-over for the day and 18-over for the tournament. She narrowly stayed a head of both Pickering’s Crystina Kertsos and Markham’s Stephanie Chu. The two finished in a tie for fourth at 19-over for the tournament after Kertsos was four-over and Chu three-over during the final round.

The Investors Group Junior Spring Classic Championship is a 54-hole stroke-play competition contested annually over the Victoria Day long weekend that 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. The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank Wooden Sticks Golf Club and Sleepy Hollow Country Club for hosting the event as well as Investors Group for their continued support of amateur golf in Ontario.

Full Leaderboard and Scorecards – Investors Group Junior Spring Classic, Boys 

Full Leaderboard, Info and Scorecards – Investors Group Junior Spring Classic, Girls 

Investors Group Junior Spring Classic – Boys

Wooden Sticks Golf Club, Uxbridge ON

May 17-19, 2014

Final Results

Juvenile Final Results

Investors Group Junior Spring Classic – Girls

Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Stouffville ON

May 17-19, 2014

Final Results

Canada’s National Open Championship returns to Jack Nicklaus-designed Oakville course for 27th time

Volunteer and Corporate Hospitality Opportunities Now Available

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Steeped in history and tradition, Oakville’s Glen Abbey Golf Club has once again been named to host the 2015 RBC Canadian Open, as announced by Golf Canada and RBC today. The world-class event, which is part of the Triple Crown of national golf championships, will host many of the best golfers in the world July 20 – 26, 2015.

Renowned as the longtime home of the Canadian Open, Glen Abbey will play host to Canada’s National Open Championship for a record 27th time. The announcement marks the return of the RBC Canadian Open to the ClubLink-owned facility where it was last held in 2013, an event won by PGA TOUR star and Team RBC member Brandt Snedeker.

“Glen Abbey has challenged the world’s best on 26 occasions and played host to many of the most memorable finishes in Canadian Open history, including Brandt Snedeker’s exciting victory last summer,” said Golf Canada Executive Director and CEO Scott Simmons. “The Abbey’ and Canada’s National Open Golf Championship share a special connection and we are pleased to continue that legacy in 2015.”

“It’s very exciting to see the tournament return to Glen Abbey, where it was selected as the PGA Tour’s ‘Most Fan-Friendly Event’ in 2013,” noted Jane Broderick, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, RBC. “Along with Golf Canada, we look forward to welcoming the world’s top golfers and our dedicated fans back to this prestigious golf course next year.”

“We are very pleased to welcome the RBC Canadian Open back to Glen Abbey,” said Rai Sahi, ClubLink President and CEO. “It is only fitting that Canada’s most famous course plays host to our National Open Championship. Since the Canadian Open was first played on this Jack Nicklaus Signature course in 1977, Glen Abbey has produced many worthy champions including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Curtis Strange and Brandt Snedeker. We look forward to a great tournament week and another outstanding champion in 2015.”

Glen Abbey was owned and operated by Golf Canada from 1982 – 1998 before selling the property to ClubLink in the fall of 1998. As the longtime host of Canada’s National Open Championship, ‘The Abbey’ hosted 22 Canadian Opens between 1977 and 2000 as well as 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2013.

The 2014 RBC Canadian Open will take place July 21-27 at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île-Bizard, Que. For information about tickets, volunteer opportunities or corporate hospitality for either the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at The Royal Montreal Golf Club or the 2015 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.

TORONTO— Light on and off showers throughout the day could not dampen the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) first championship of the season: the Men’s Better Ball, an event that has been running since 1959. On May 15, Oakdale Golf and Country Club played host to 61 teams (112 golfers) all looking to become this year’s champions.

In the end, it was the team of Brad Newman, from Beacon Hall Golf Club, and Jud Whiteside, Thornhill Golf & Country Club, who shot a seven-under 65 on the day.

They edged out the duo of Rob Cowan, Westmount Golf & Country Club, and Dave Bunker, Brampton Golf Course, who finished with a six-under 66. Bunker came into the tournament after a strong performance in late April in Lima, Peru at the Manuel Prado and Carlos Raffo Cups.

There was a five-way tie for third at five-under 67. 2013 Mid-Am Champion Tyler McDannold, Brampton Golf Club, who also had a hole-in-one on the 11^th hole, and Brett Saunders, The Club at Bond Head; Nic Powell and Harris Bundy, both from Scarboro Golf & Country Club; Ryan Tsang and Truman Tai, both from Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club; Christian McCullough, Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club, and Alex Dumais, Caledon Woods Golf Club; and Geoff Goodwin and Walt Spivak, both from The Oaks Golf Club, all took home bronze medals.

There was no doubt that the weather was a factor during the round, but Whiteside explained that they were prepared for worse. “In general we thought it was going to rain more than it did, so I think we lucked out. We just kept it hole-by-hole and shot-by-shot and didn’t think about it too much.”After the round the winners were thrilled with their victory. “It is a great feeling to win. This is my first time playing in the event and it is awesome to win the first time playing here,” explained Newman.

The team got out to a strong start during the event and never looked back. “We were three-under through four and just continued to play well throughout the rest of the day but it certainly was good to get off to a strong start like that,” said Newman.“We kept saying to ourselves let’s just focus on the next shot and not get too far ahead of ourselves. You never know what the score will be in events like this so if you just keep plugging away and hit your shots well, the score looks after itself,” added Whiteside.

The win was the first GAO championship for either Newman or Whiteside.

2014 Men’s Better Ball Full Results:  

Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru registration is open! Plan your event today for a chance to win an iPad Mini!

Why should join us this year in the fight against breast cancer?

• Golf Canada and our partners offer this program at no cost, providing you with all the materials necessary to run a successful event.
• 100% of the funds raised at each event will go directly to breast cancer research and support programs for those affected nationwide.
• Our ‘Viva Las Vegas’ contest presented by Subaru is back! Every participant and coordinator across the country has a chance to win two VIP tickets to Celine Dion’s “Return to Las Vegas” including travel expenses.

In 2014, Golf Fore the Cure aims to reach over 13,000+ participants with over $500,000 in funds raised. We need your help!

Golf Fore the Cure welcomes all women participants! Not sure what it takes? Our planning guide takes you through the steps to running a successful event and how Golf Canada can support you.  Request a planning guide today from gftc@golfcanada.ca

• No cost to you or the golf course.
• Turn-key women’s golf event.
• Prizing provided by presenting partner, Subaru.
• Fun and interactive women’s golf event.
• Brings women together in support of a great cause.

Golf Canada looks forward to working with you for the 2014 Golf Fore the Cure season.

Mother Nature hasn’t been kind this winter, causing many golf courses to have less than ideal conditions to start the season.

Problems that have arose because of unfavourable winter weather include: tree destruction, turf issues (especially on greens and fairways) and bunker deterioration. The result for many courses is having a few to the majority of their greens out of play – likely well into June.

At Golf Canada, we’ve been receiving many concerned calls from courses, clubs, leagues and golfers about how this impacts them and their golf season. Here’s a look at some of the concerns facing golfers, clubs and courses:

Score posting for golfers:

Golfers are wondering if their scores can be posted for handicapping purposes if less than 18 holes are completely played.

In such cases where holes are completely out of play or temporary greens are in use, our trusty Golf Canada Handicap Manual describes a procedure often referred to as Par Plus. This means the player would count the PAR of the hole, plus any handicap strokes that he/she is entitled to receive on that hole.

For example: A player with a Course Handicap of 15 receives ONE handicap stroke on the first 15 allocated handicap-stroke holes. If the player does not play the sixth allocated handicap-stroke hole which is a par-4 because of construction on the green, the player must record a score of par plus one for handicap purposes, or a 5 in this case. If at least seven holes are in play on one nine, a nine-hole score must be posted, and if 13 or more holes are fully in play (no temporary greens, etc.) an 18 hole score is to be posted, with the remaining holes posted using the par plus procedure.

How clubs/courses can run events and score them on a course with temporary greens or holes out of play:

Questions I’ve received from courses and clubs have predominantly revolved around their events and how to score them equitably if less than 18 holes are played.

Each situation is a little different in terms of the number of holes which may be out of play or under temporary setup, but the procedure in dealing with the situation is the same. For example, we have a course that only has 12 holes in play and they have severe damage on the other six holes. They were wondering if it is possible to conduct their annual match play competition because all 18 holes cannot be played until August.

If we reference the definition of “Stipulated Round” from the Rules of Golf, we would find “stipulated round: consists of playing the holes of the course in their correct sequence, unless otherwise authorized by the Committee. The number of holes in a stipulated round is 18 unless a smaller number is authorized by the Committee.”

That definition is designed to help in just such cases where conditions will not allow 18 holes to be played. Should a club/league decide to proceed using less than 18 holes for their events, some adjustments must be made to handicaps of participants. As handicaps in this situation would normally be for 18 holes, we need to reduce handicaps by an appropriate number of holes that are to actually be played, in this case 12. We would need to take 12/18 of handicaps (or 2/3 if we reduce our fraction to lowest terms, don’t be alarmed this will not turn into a high school math class).

The last step to have an equitable event/match is to modify your stroke hole table (Handicap Stroke Holes). As there are six holes out of play, we need to reduce our stroke hole table by six as well (to a total of 12). To modify the stroke hole table equitably, it will depend on which holes are actually taken out of play and what number the stroke hole is. If one of the holes out of play in our example was stroke hole #2, stroke hole #4 would now become stroke hole #2 for the event, and so on.

I hope these explanations have helped to clear up some of the looming questions about handicapping and temporary greens or closed holes. If you have any questions, please contact our Golf Canada membership team at members@golfcanada.ca or 1-800-263-0009 ext. 399.

Additionally, you can check out our Handicapping section online here.

TORONTO, ON – Members at Markland Wood Golf Club are coming to appreciate the calm after the storm as they prepare to celebrate the club’s 50^th anniversary throughout 2014.

The storm first blasted many Toronto area clubs and homes last summer with torrential rains and flooding. Markland Wood’s 18 low-lying fairways and bunkers were flooded in July by an overflowing Etobicoke Creek. The course remained closed for nearly two weeks for clean-up before fully opening a month later with rebuilt bunkers.

Green 13, in March of 2014 after severe ice damage.

If that wasn’t enough, Mother Nature’s fury struck Toronto in December with a devastating ice storm, followed by the Polar Vortex’s flash freeze in early January that hit clubs across Ontario, Quebec and the North Eastern United States. Many courses in the Greater Toronto Area with poa annua (annual bluegrass) greens, including Markland Wood, were especially hard hit by a four to eight inch blanket of ice over much of the course that severely damaged thousands of greens.

“You could say that Mother Nature has not been very kind to us, but the membership has really pulled together and turned these natural disasters into a positive outcome,” says Superintendent Owen Russell who has been dealing with the aftermath on a daily basis. Both private and public clubs across the GTA, and Ontario for that matter, continue to deal with the aftermath of the harshest winter in at least 25 years.

Since last summer’s storm, the club has spent close to $2 million to repair damage including; rebuilding all 65 bunkers with assistance from architect Cam Tyers, sodding 11 acres of fairway, installing a new irrigation system, cleaning up trees damaged by the ice storm and sodding 14 greens with 72,000 square-feet, or 8,550 rolls of Aggressor bentgrass. The remaining five greens will be re-surfaced at the end of season to ensure consistency for putting areas.

“I think the resiliency of the membership is quite remarkable and inspiring because they have been able to accept the circumstances and move forward very quickly,” he adds. Now there is sod shortage in Ontario and clubs are looking outside of the province and the country to try and make repairs. “When we fully open the course in June with the new greens our members are essentially going to have a new golf course to play on and that’s something they should be very proud of,” Russell says.

“While it was initially hard to see the silver lining through the devastation incurred, that dejection quickly turned to the realization of the opportunity to revitalize the golf course,” says Markland Wood GC President, Scott Peart. “We won’t be playing on the new greens for a few weeks, but I can already feel the anticipation building within the membership.  It’s going to be an exciting 50^th anniversary celebration with several member events in the works, a few great charity tournaments and the club is hosting the 15^th annual Toronto Star Women’s Amateur from June 23 to 26^th.”

The club is also publishing a book “50 Years of Fellowship” to commemorate the 50^th anniversary. If you have a chance to read it you’ll learn that the Markland Wood area goes back as far as 1810, when John Silverthorn and his family settled here along the Etobicoke River. They established a saw and gristmill that operated until 1870 when the flow of water diminished to the extent that there was insufficient power to drive the mill. The Silverthorn family then turned to farming, before selling it to developer Marc Cavotti in 1958. His associates lightheartedly referred to the property as “Marc’s Land”, which was the preamble to the area’s final moniker of Markland Wood.

After the initial plans for the Markland Wood community were prepared, it was discovered that the land adjoining the Etobicoke River was situated on a floodplain established by Hurricane Hazel, and not suitable for residential development. Being the avid golfers that they were, Cavotti and his associates decided this land would be an ideal place to put a golf course. The project was then turned over to architect Eric Hanson, who transformed the unique crescent shaped parcel of land into an 18-hole golf course. The Club officially opened with Bob Hope as special guest of Head Professional Al Balding, a member of both the Canadian and the Ontario Golf Halls of Fame.

The course plays from 4,763 yards to 6,285 yards, par-70 from five sets of tee blocks, but it is the narrow fairways, fast greens, strategically placed bunkers, mature trees and the ever present, Etobicoke Creek, that define its character and challenges players of every level.

Despite the steep repair bill, Peart says the club of 700 members remains in an excellent financial position having now completed a significant portion of capital work on the course without any assessments to the members. It’s a place where denim can be worn year-round in the lounge of a modern full-service clubhouse where families are encouraged to become friends with other families. The club’s slogan for this year is “Celebrating 50 years of Fellowship.”

“The Markland Wood residential community has the motto “a circle of friends”. This holds true for Markland Wood Golf Club as well,” Peart says.  “It is a tightly knit group of golfers who are proud of their golf course and support their fellow members.  As we turn the corner and prepare for the journey for the next 50 years I believe the club is well positioned for growth and prosperity.”

UXBRIDGE— The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) was pleased to hold it’s annual Ontario Hall of Fame induction ceremony on May 7 at Wooden Sticks Golf Course. Earl Fritz, John Henrick, Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe and Bob Weeks were inducted as the class of 2014, while Ken McKee was the recipient of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award.

GAO president Jim King summed up the importance of the evening for golf in the province. “Tonight is about honouring our past. I think it is very important that we recognize the accomplishments, contributions and the inspiration that these people have provided for the other side of the equation: the up and coming. So it is really nice to honour them.”

Maxwell McKee delivering his grandfather Ken’s speech.

The ceremony began with the presentation of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award to Ken McKee. McKee was unable to attend the ceremony, however his grandson Maxwell, delivered his acceptance speech that was written by McKee and members of his family. “Mostly we just wanted this speech to convey sentiments and how much he enjoyed covering the game. From high school to the Masters, he just loved getting there to tell the story in his own way. My grandfather is truly humbled and thankful to have been chosen as the 2014 Lorne Rubenstein Award recipient, my grandfather has the utmost respect for his work.” Maxwell closed with a word of thanks directly from McKee. “I want to thank the Golf Association of Ontario for this award and to all the players, past and present, I could not have done my job without you.”

The first inductee to be recognized was Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe. In acceptance of the award for Hurd Howe, the Ladies President of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Nancy Rundle, where Hurd Howe was a member while she lived in Canada, sent a letter of thanks for the recognition of one of their own. It was delivered by emcee Rod Black. “The Ladies Executive of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club was pleased to hear that Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe was to be inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. While her stay in Canada was only three years, she sure had an impact on the game of golf.”

Jim King presents Earl Fritz with his induction award.

Next, Earl Fritz took to the stage to receive his award. “I never understood how excited one could be until I was called by Dave Mills (retired GAO Executive Director) and told that I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Golf Association of Ontario. I was excited and honoured. I was on a cruise in the Mediterranean at the time. The excitement got to me so much that I had to phone Dave and thank him all the way from Barcelona. I’d like to thank all of the other inductees for all of the work they have done to develop the game of golf. Thanks to everyone who is here and to the GAO for such a big honour.”

John Henrick accepts his induction award from Jim King.

John Henrick then was presented his recognition and shared some of the thought he had before heading out for his Hall of Fame round of golf earlier in the day.  “I can’t thank you enough for this honour. I am so proud to be a member of the golf scene, still as a player. My last competitive round was played in 2008 at Royal Woodbine and I shot a 70 on a par 72 course. My first competitive round I went to caddie but then herd my name called by the pro shop. Our pro told me I was to fill in for one of the pros. I shot a 74. Ladies and gentlemen 61 years later, I’m getting better!”

Kim Locke speaks on behalf of Bob Weeks.

Only earlier in the day the final inductee Bob Weeks notified the GAO that he had a family emergency to tend to and would be unable to attend. However, his friend and colleague from SCOREGolf Kim Locke stepped in to say a few words. “The last thing I wanted to do was to be here speaking for Bob. I know how honoured and excited he was to have the opportunity to be here tonight. The SCOREGolf brand and its success over the years, without Weeksy, would not have grown and might not even exist today.”

Locke closed with the speech that Weeks had sent to him just hours before the ceremony. “I have been so fortunate to be able to travel far and wide, meet people and enjoy this wonderful game of golf on so many levels. The best part of it all is just how many friends I have made, for that I am blessed. Not a day goes by that I don’t realize how lucky I am to do what I do. To be honoured here tonight is humbling and extremely exciting.”

With that the 2014 class entered the hall capping off an excellent Hall of Fame Day celebration.