UXBRIDGE— It was a week to remember, Dec. 5-12, for all of the participants of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Inaugural 2-Ball Invitational in St. Kitts and Nevis. The Caribbean island hosted a group of 20 golfers from Ontario, who not only played in a two-day tournament, but also got to experience everything that the island has to offer, thanks to the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, a partner of the GAO.

“It is so important to have partnerships, like the one with the GAO, because golf is one of our niche markets,” said Racquel Brown, C.E.O. of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “We want to promote golf, but also increase our visitor arrivals. We are hoping to see this partnership grow from year-to-year.”

After arriving at the Marriott Resort, the trip began with rounds of golf at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, host site of the St. Kitts 2-Ball Invitational. The 18-hole, par 71 course had many interesting features for the golfers to experience including fantastic views and holes that run along side the Atlantic Ocean and face the Caribbean Sea. Originally built in 1976, it was redesigned to highlight these features a decade ago by renowned designer Thomas McBroom. The course, just a short cart ride from the Marriott, seemed to be a big hit with the golfers.

“The course is absolutely beautiful! It is so picturesque, the weather is awesome and it is just a lot of fun to play, we are having a great time out here,” said Lindsay Knowlton, one of the golfers on the trip. “My favorite part was the third hole, hitting out towards the Caribbean Sea was so beautiful. The scenery is great and the course is in amazing condition. Even though it is Bermuda grass you can still get some pretty good lies.”

After experiencing the Royal St. Kitts, the group got the chance to see the country’s second course at the Four Seasons on the island of Nevis. A newer course that opened in 1991, the Four Seasons Golf Course featured even more outstanding views. On the front nine golfers climb the mountain towards Nevis peek and then descended on the back to wonderful ocean views.

“It is extremely important for us to have a good relationship with golfers. We realize that golfers not only look for a facility with a course but also a spectacular course,” said Mac Kee France, Director of Recreation at the Four Seasons Nevis. “We make sure that our course is ready to accommodate even the most discerning golfer.”

Those goals seemed to have been met after speaking with some of the participants. “This course is beautiful! There’s great scenery, it is in great condition, the fairways are lush, the greens are nice, there really isn’t anything to complain about,” said Christine Schlecht. “I like the up and downs and the water shots, you can just take a picture on every hole.”

After a day of touring the island and getting to see historical sites like the Botanical Gardens at Romney Manor and Brimstone Hill, site of a British Fortress now a world heritage site, the two-day tournament began at Royal St. Kitts.

Joining the golfers from Ontario were three local pairs to really give the event an international flavour. The format was a modified net stableford where the lower score between partners on the hole was used to determine points. After the first round there was a tie for the lead at 43 points between Knowlton’s team, paired with Anand Harridyal, from St. Kitts, and Harry Harridyal and Sylvia Jones, also residents of St. Kitts.

The second day saw some great scores on the golf course including a 66 by Knowlton, which earned her the ladies’ course record. Her amazing day helped her team finish in a tie atop the standings with the team of Dave Ramsumair and Lorena Clark. After going through the GAO tiebreaking procedure, the local team was awarded the trophy as the first winners of the St. Kitts 2-Ball Invitational.

That night an awards ceremony was hosted at the Marriott and featured a special guest, the Hon. Mr. Lindsay F.P. Grant, St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Tourism, International Trade Industry and Commerce. The minister talked about how happy he was to see a travel group experience the island. “All I have heard are a lot of accolades: the golf has been fantastic, the friendliness of the people and helpfulness of the staff, along with the warmth of the atmosphere, the nightlife and restaurants. I think everyone on this trip has had a wonderful time. I went around and spoke with people on the trip and many said they would definitely come back and try to bring some of their friends too, to make it a much bigger occasion. We are grateful for not only the GAO but for the entire golfing community in Canada. St. Kitts is grateful for the partnership and collaboration between the two groups.”

This year’s event may have come to a close, but all indications are that the event will continue to grow and become bigger and better. St. Kitts is working on two more courses for golfers to experience Irie Fields at Kititian Hill and Christophe Harbour.

Irie Fields is expecting completion in 2016 and will be a 100 per cent organic, edible course. The course will feature numerous fruit trees so that golfers can taste a variety of fruit during their round before returning to the clubhouse on Belle Mont Farm for a fresh meal sourced from the farm itself.

As for Christophe Harbour, this course is set to be one of the jewels in the Caribbean. Designed by Tom Fazio, the course is hoping to be one that gets the island on the world golfing stage.

“At the moment we have two courses but in the next 18 months we plan to have two more come on stream and therefore will put us in the category of a golf destination. I think that is what golfers want to see so that when they come for a week they can experience four unique courses with two islands being experienced, which is something I don’t think to many other places can offer,” added Minister Grant.

The GAO would like to thank all of those who participated in the trip. Also, a huge thanks to the St. Kitts Tourism Authority for giving the group a first class experience of the island. From cultural sites, to the fine restaurants, they truly helped make it a memorable experience. In addition, thanks to the courses and resorts themselves for hosting the group. Stay tuned for details on next year’s St. Kitts 2-Ball invitational for your chance to experience St. Kitts.

UXBRIDGE— The Golf Association of Ontario is pleased to welcome the three new members who will be inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony tentatively set to take place on May 4, 2016 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge. Dave Mills, John Gordon, and Patty Howard will become the 73rd, 74th and 75th members of the Hall.  In addition, Bill ‘Skip’ Johns will be receiving the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to accredited members of the Ontario media for “major contributions to golf.”

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.

2016 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inductees

Dave Mills

Dave Mills has been involved with the GAO/OGA since 1986. He served on the board of directors from 1989-1997, before being appointed Executive Director in 1997. He turned around an association that was experiencing significant financial and administrative challenges.

Mills led several initiatives during his time as Executive Director including: the GAO Scholarship Program, educational seminars, Golf in Schools, learn to play clinics, new provincial championships, Team Ontario, participation in Canadian and Ontario Summer Games, a partnership with Ontario Golf Magazine to be official magazine of Association, led the process to establish Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and helped to have golf recognized as an “Official Sport” by Sport Canada. Perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments was leading the process to amalgamate the Ontario Golf Association with the Ontario Ladies Golf Association to create one of the largest amateur golf Associations in North America.

Mills is also a certified rules official and has volunteered his expertise at numerous GAO events and at the Canadian Open, Canadian Amateur and Telus Skins Game. He retired from the GAO in 2014, but continues to volunteer at provincial events.

John Gordon

John Gordon left the Canadian Press to become managing editor of SCOREGolf in 1986 and has been involved in the golf industry ever since. Recruited by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) in 1990, he initiated their communications and member services departments and was the founding editor of the Golf Canada Magazine. After a stint as executive director of the Golf Association of Ontario, he founded The Gordon Group, specializing in communications and consulting for the golf industry, in 1994. He has contributed to the National Post and Toronto Sun and appeared on multiple television stations as a golf analyst. He has also provided Rogers Sportsnet with online material and served as an associate editor of the Sportsnet Magazine.

Gordon is a past chairman of the NGCOA Canada and has conducted golf-related seminars and presentations across Canada, the U.S., and Scotland. Gordon was a founding board member of the Professional Golf Management program at Georgian College, where he also taught. In 2008, he was hired by ClubLink to build an in-house communications department, re-launch their member magazine and build out more than 50 web sites.

Gordon has written hundreds of articles for golf consumer and trade publications and is the author of eight golf books. John recently has returned to freelance golf writing.

Patty Howard

Patty Howard achieved success as professional golfer and as a teacher. She notched three provincial championships: 1988 Ontario Ladies Professional Championship, 1988 Ontario Ladies Summer Championship and the 1991 Ladies Professional Summer Championship. She also captured a pair of wins on the Florida Mini Tour (now Symetra Tour).

Howard’s impact on the game stretched past her playing career. She was the first female head professional at a private mixed club in Canada. She originally joined the PGA of Canada in 1975 and received Class A status in 1981. She was the first female to sit on the PGA of Ontario Board of Directors.

Howard has been recognized on numerous occasions for her work in the game. Honours she has received include: 2001 YWCA London Women of Excellence Award for Sport, Fitness and Recreation, 2007 Ontario Club Professional of the Year, 2007 Canadian Club Professional of the Year, 2007 Score Golf Club Professional of the Year, 2008 London Sports Person of the Year, 2009 London Sports Hall of Fame Induction, and 2013 London Heart Award.

Bill ‘Skip’ Johns- Lorne Rubenstein Award

Skip Johns began a career in journalism at the Niagara Falls Review in 1957. In 1972 he moved on to the Kitchener-Waterloo Record to continue his top priority: Sports Journalism. Throughout his 58-years in sports journalism, Johns always had a passion for golf. His work also included writing for Ontario Golf News and Golf Scene. Even now at 77-years-old, Johns continues to cover golf online. In 2002, John was honoured, where he started, as he was inducted into the Niagara Falls Virtual Wall of Fame.

The Fall/Winter Issue of Ontario Golf News is now available. Click here to read!

Province Focusing on Participation, Development and Excellence in Sport

TORONTO – Ontario is launching a new sport plan that will help more Ontarians participate and excel in sport.

Building on the success of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games, the province is releasing Game ON – The Ontario Government’s Sport Plan.

Game ON targets actions in three priority areas:

• Participation: actions that enable all Ontarians to participate in safe, organized amateur sport
• Development: actions that help Ontario’s athletes receive the right support as their skills develop
• Excellence: actions to help Ontario’s high-performance athletes pursue excellence by facilitating access to the latest training, programs, facilities, resources and technical experts

Game ON builds on a strong existing foundation of sport organizations, programs and investments. It recognizes the many ways in which organized sport can be good for people and communities, from the health benefits of physical activity to the economic benefits of hosting major events.

Progress is already underway on a number of initiatives, including:

• Minister’s Advisory Panel: the province has named prominent sport sector leaders and experts to its new Minister’s Advisory Panel to help achieve the priorities set out in Game ON
• Roundtable on Women and Girls in Sport: in early 2016, Ontario will gather sector leaders to explore opportunities for women and girls in sport, built around the plan’s priority areas
• Ontario Sport Symposium: in spring 2016, the province will bring together leaders in the sport sector to highlight research, trends and issues and to plan the best ways to implement Game ON.

Investing in the development of Ontario athletes and providing them with more opportunities to succeed is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up. The four-part plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

“Participation in sport improves health and wellness and helps to strengthen people and communities. That’s why, I am proud that we are building on the success of the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games to launch Game ON – The Ontario Government’s Sport Plan. Through this plan, we will collaborate with our sport partners to create a world-class sport system and support our athletes from the playground to the podium,” said Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and Minister Responsible for the Pan and Parapan American Games.

“The sport plan will help address the gaps and ensure we have all parts of the system, from government to education to local communities working together to support our athletes and coaches along the pathway. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Advisory Panel to provide guidance on the new plan for Ontario’s sport system in all contexts, ” added Susan Kitchen, Executive Director, Coaches Association of Ontario, Member of Minister’s Advisory Panel.

• In Ontario, there are at least 2.1 million registered athletes, supported by 121,000 coaches, 58,000 officials and 363,000 volunteers.
• The sport industry contributes an estimated $2.1 billion to Ontario’s GDP and supports 43,730 jobs.
• Ontario has almost tripled its support for amateur sport from $8.78 million in 2003 to more than $25 million in 2015-16.
• The Ontario government is investing almost $985,000 in 2015-16 to provide Sport Priority Funding to 15 Provincial and Multi-Sport Organizations, supporting services and specialized training for athletes and coaches.
• Ontario is committed to providing access and opportunities for our children and students to participate in 60 minutes of physical activity, both in and outside of school. Promoting well-being is a key goal of Achieving Excellence, Ontario’s renewed vision for education.

UXBRIDGE — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is very pleased to name the 2015-16 rosters for the Under-17 High Performance Regional Team Program.

The program, which debuted in 2013-14, was well received in its initial season and expanded in 2014-15 from three to five teams. Once again in 2015-16, the program will sport five squads from across the province. The team members were selected based on their 2015 tournament scores, 2015 GAO Order of Merit standing, as well as testing results from GAO Skills Combines held earlier this fall.

The five teams in 2015-16 will be Ottawa, York, Waterloo, Essex-Kent and Niagara. The program will see 54 promising young athletes on the various teams, which will include monthly technical and physical training at a regional centre and a five-day camp during March Break in South Carolina. The teams will also compete in the Team Ontario Cup, with members of the GAO’s provincial team, to be played at Grand Niagara Golf Course in Thorold, April 22-24.

“We are extremely excited about the upcoming season for our five regional teams,” said Mary Ann Hayward, GAO Manager of Sport Performance. “The regional teams continue to be a great feeder system for Team Ontario and the Team Ontario Cup is a great culminating event for our high performance athletes.”

Team Ottawa

Team Ottawa is made up of athletes from Ottawa and surrounding areas in Eastern Ontario. Adam Holden coaches the team and Allen Hicks is the team’s strength and conditioning coach. They will train out of the Kevin Haime Golf Centre in Kanata and the Ottawa Athletic Club.

Team Ottawa Athletes:

• Cameron Belanger (Stittsville, Ont.)
• Will Bellamy (Perth, Ont.)
• Daniel Costea (Kemptville, Ont.)
• Max Dragon (Ottawa, Ont.)
• Daniel Hinke (Ottawa, Ont.)
• Ethan Johnston (Belleville, Ont.)
• Tyler Read (Brockville, Ont.)
• Terrell Thomas (Akwesasne, Ont.)
• Brayden Valiquette (Cornwall, Ont.)
• Gabrielle Landriault (Cornwall, Ont.)
• Isabella Landry (Nepean, Ont.)
• Karianne Lefebvre (Orleans, Ont.)

For more information on the team and its players visit the Team Ottawa page at: https://gao.ca/team-ottawa/

Team York

Team York covers Toronto and the GTA. Jeff Overholt coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Nick Martichenko. Team York will train out of Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan.

Team York Athletes:

• Eric Byun (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
• Kevin Doran (Sharon, Ont.)
• Brendan Dunphy (Whitby, Ont.)
• Daniel George (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
• Zack Mason (Toronto, Ont.)
• Nicklaus Naumovski (Halton Hills, Ont.)
• Tristan Renaud (Sudbury, Ont.)
• Vaijayanti Bharkhada (Brampton, Ont.)
• Madelin Boyd (Oshawa, Ont.)
• Logan Hackett (Oakville, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s athletes visit the Team York page at: https://gao.ca/team-york/

Team Waterloo

Team Waterloo is made up of players from the Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding area. Mike Martz coaches the team and their strength and conditioning coach is Angella Lee. They will train out of the Golf Performance Centre at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge.

Team Waterloo Athletes:

• Luca Carestia (Ancaster, Ont.)
• Dylan Henderson (Waterloo, Ont.)
• Eli Mathew (Waterloo, Ont.)
• Noah Romeo (Puslinch, Ont.)
• Bennett Ruby (Waterloo, Ont.)
• Carter Snowden (Kitchener, Ont.)
• Matt Sommerville (Baden Ont.)
• Cole Tondeur (London, Ont.)
• Jillian Friyia (London, Ont.)
• Joy Liu (Kitchener, Ont.)
• Kyra Vandervoort (Kitchener, Ont.)
• Abby White (Simcoe, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players visit the Team Waterloo page at:

https://gao.ca/team-waterloo/

Team Niagara

Team Niagara is comprised of golfers in the Niagara region, which includes Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and surrounding area. John White coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Wayne Oliver. They will train out of Beechwood Golf & Country Club, in Niagara Falls and the Niagara Falls Sportsplex.

Team Niagara Athletes:

• Jordan Antonucci (Winona, Ont.)
• Mathew Gibson (Jordan, Ont.)
• Jason Maloney (Beamsville, Ont.)
• Zach Smith (Fonthill, Ont.)
• Max Vahrmeyer (St. Catharines, Ont.)
• Sasha Baker (Dunnville, Ont.)
• Kira Petriello (Thorold, Ont.)
• Taylor Simoneau (St. Catharines, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s athletes visit the Team Niagara page at: https://gao.ca/team-niagara/

Team Essex-Kent

Team Essex-Kent is made up of golfers from the Windsor and South-Western Ontario area. Randy McQueen coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Ryan Carlone. They will train out of Roseland Golf & Curling Club, On The Green Indoor Golf (OTG), Dominion Dome, Silver Tee, and Tecumseh Golf.

Team Essex Athletes:

• Mitch DeMelo (Leamington, Ont.)
• Josh DiCarlo (Amherstburg, Ont.)
• Jack Ferguson (St. Thomas, Ont.)
• Austin Friesen (Essex, Ont.)
• Spencer Higginbottom (Lakeshore, Ont.)
• Shawn Sehra (Windsor, Ont.)
• Myles Thiessen (Kingsville, Ont.)
• Luc Warnock (McGregor, Ont.)
• Shannon Coffey (Windsor, Ont.)
• Rachel Cote (Windsor, Ont.)
• Brooke MacKinnon (Chatham, Ont.)
• Tess Scaman (Chatham, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s athletes visit the Team Essex-Kent page at: https://gao.ca/team-essex-kent/

ABOUT THE REGIONAL TEAM PROGRAM

The Regional Team Program is designed for golfers under the age of 17. A combination of skills combines results, tournament results and current Order of Merit standings, determine the players that are selected for each team. Team members take part in an eight-month training program with a PGA of Canada certified head coach and strength and conditioning consultant. They participate in multiple local winter indoor training sessions before a March break training camp in Myrtle Beach and the Team Ontario Cup competition to be held in Niagara at the end of April.

UXBRIDGE— The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is delighted and disheartened to announce the retirement of Manager of Sport Performance Mary Ann Hayward, with her final day being January 29, 2016.

Hayward has been with the GAO since May of 2009 when she came onboard as Sport Performance Coordinator. Hayward brought with her a long list of accomplishments as a competitive golfer including: numerous provincial and national championships; a member of the Canadian Women’s National Team for multiple years between 1990 and 2006, as well as being part of the Canadian World Amateur Team on eight occasions. Hayward, a Canadian, Ontario and Quebec Golf Hall of Famer, also served as a volunteer on the GAO’s sport committee before joining the staff.

Looking back, Hayward says that it was her role in the Team Ontario and Regional Team programs that she will remember most. “The athletes, families and coaches that have been a part of these programs have been phenomenal. I have learnt even more about golf and performance from them over the past six years.”

Being as close as she was with the athletes, in the various programs, Hayward offered some parting words to the players. “The only advice I can give is to put 100 per cent into everything they do. We do not always achieve the results we want, but there is never any excuse for not putting forth 100 per cent effort in training and preparation.”

“Although Mary Ann continues to have an incredibly decorated, Hall of Fame playing career, her impact on young juniors and their families is right up there,” added Mike Kelly, GAO Executive Director. “I am personally grateful and feel confident speaking on behalf of all staff and volunteers in sincerely thanking Mary Ann for her commitment and dedication to the GAO. We wish her all the best in this exciting, next phase of her life.”

Moving forward, Hayward says she is focused on playing in more competitions and achieving more goals as a golfer. The GAO wishes Hayward all the best and will surely be seeing her at many of the provincial championships in the coming years.

Uxbridge, Ontario – The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) Board of Directors have appointed Mike Kelly as its next Executive Director, following a four month interim role.

“I am very pleased to announce Mike Kelly’s appointment as Executive Director of the GAO. Mike has been an integral part of the GAO for the last decade and has demonstrated a clear ability to lead this organization towards a prosperous future. His enthusiasm, work ethic, knowledge and creativity will enable the GAO to pursue our strategic plan that will serve golf in Ontario. I am very excited at the prospect of continuing to work with Michael,” stated GAO President Christian Osborne.

“It is a true honor and privilege to continue to serve the GAO as its next Executive Director, an opportunity which is very exciting for myself and my family,” said Kelly.

Kelly joined the GAO in 2006 after nine years with ClubLink Corporation and has served in a variety of roles, most recently as the Managing Director of Sport. During his tenure, he helped pioneer golf in schools, Team Ontario, National Junior Golf Development Centres and the World Junior Girls Golf Championship.

After receiving a golf scholarship to Union College in Kentucky, Kelly graduated from the Professional Golf Management program at Georgian College, where he received the Board of Governors Distinguished Alumni Award. A Class ‘A’ member of the PGA of Canada, Kelly is a two-time Zone and National Award winner.

“I’m very lucky to be surrounded by an incredible team at the GAO and look forward to meeting our many opportunities and challenges head on as we collectively work to build golf in every corner of the Province,” added Kelly.

UXBRIDGE— The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) will be hosting an online Level 3 Rules Workshop beginning January 4, 2016. This seminar is being offered to all individuals who have successfully completed Golf Canada Level 2 Certification and are interested in proceeding to Level 3 certification.

For the past several years the GAO has offered Level 3 Rules Education through a weekly online webinar. This program will once again be offered in 2016 for those interested in becoming a Rules Official at the regional and provincial competitions.

The program runs one night per week for 13 weeks starting the week of January 4^th, with each session lasting 2 – 2.5 hours.

This year, increased emphasis will be placed on the new code that includes the new rule on anchoring. The USGA and The R&A, golf’s governing bodies, have adopted changes to Rule 14-1 of the Rules of Golf that prohibit anchoring the club in making a stroke. The new rule will go into effect on January 1, 2016, in accordance with the regular four-year cycle for changes to the Rules of Golf.

For more information on the workshop or to register visit: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao16/event/gao161/index.htm

Registration closes December 14.

Highlights from the GAO’s 2015 Ontario Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Championship, Aug. 18-20, at Deerhurst Resort – Highlands Course in Huntsville.