About Us

OVERVIEW

Golf Manitoba is the Provincial Sports Organization and governing body for golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario representing 10,000 golfers and 85 member clubs and leagues. A proud partner of Golf Canada and Sport Manitoba, Golf Manitoba’s mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the game of golf for the benefit of all participants. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our vision is to be a leader in delivering quality, innovative and accessible golf programs and services.

IMPORTANT LINKS

2023 Annual Report & Financial Statements

WATCH | 2023 Year in Review

MISSION

To develop, promote, govern and service the game of golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario for the benefit of all participants.

VISION

To be the center of excellence that delivers quality, innovative and accessible golf programs and services.

HISTORY

The game of golf has a proud history in Manitoba. The first golf course in Canada west of Brantford, Ontario was laid out in Stony Mountain, Manitoba in 1889, probably by the warden of the penitentiary, Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Bedson. However, this course closed around 1894. The town of Virden, Manitoba opened a golf course in 1892. Portage la Prairie established a golf course in 1896. Brandon opened its first golf course in 1900.

In 1894, the first golf course in Winnipeg was opened, the Winnipeg Golf Club with a nine hole golf course located in Norwood. The golf course opened for play on July 14, 1894 with seventy-three members, one third of them women. The original site was abandoned later in 1894 for a better site off Portage Avenue and a second nine was added in 1896. Other golf courses followed with St. Charles established in 1905, Pine Ridge in 1912, Elmhurst in 1914 and Assiniboine in 1917. The 1920s are rightly called a “boom” period for golf in Manitoba: in 1919, Manitoba had nine golf courses but by September, 1926, there were 68 golf courses in operation with 16 of these in Winnipeg, including Niakwa and Southwood which had both opened in 1923.

In 1916, the Winnipeg Parks Board approved the construction of an 18 hole municipal golf course. Kildonan Park Golf Course was opened in the spring of 1921 and was immediately popular: in its first season, it rented out 55,000 sets of golf clubs. In order to meet this demand, another municipal golf course, Windsor Park Golf Course, was opened in 1925. Courses have been added over the years and now there are well over 100 golf courses throughout Manitoba from the city of Thompson in the north to the U.S. border in the south.

Manitoba has also had an impact nationally in the early days of golf in Canada. The Royal Canadian Golf Association was formed in 1895 by 10 golf clubs, one of which was the Winnipeg Golf Club. The first Canadian Men’s Amateur held outside of Ontario and Quebec was held at the Winnipeg Golf Club in 1921. The first Canadian Ladies’ Amateur outside of Ontario and Quebec was held at Elmhurst in 1926. The first President of the R.C.G.A. who was not from Ontario or Quebec was Charles Harvey of Elmhurst in 1929.

The Manitoba Golf Association was formed in 1915 with five clubs: St. Charles, Pine Ridge, Norwood, Winnipeg Hunt Club and Elmhurst. In 1922, the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association was formed. Effective March 31, 2004, the Manitoba Golf Association and the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association amalgamated to form Golf Manitoba.

Manitoba is also home to some of Canada’s finest golfers. George Knudson, arguably the best golfer Canada has ever produced, was born in Winnipeg in 1937, winning the Manitoba Junior in 1954 and 1955 and the Canadian Junior in 1955. Knudson joined the PGA Tour in 1958 but still came back to win the Manitoba Open in 1958, 1959 and 1960. Added to his 8 PGA Tour Victories were the low individual in the 1966 World Cup Matches and winning the World Cup Matches in 1968 when he was teamed with Al Balding. Dan Halldorson of Brandon was on the PGA Tour for more than a decade and had two PGA victories along with four Manitoba Open Championships. Glen Hnatiuk of Selkirk is currently playing on the PGA Tour. Gail Graham of Winnipeg has played on the LPGA Tour for over ten years.

Building on these strong roots, the game of golf appears to have a great future in Manitoba.

PAST PRESIDENTS OF GOLF MANITOBA

*deceased

2021 – 2023Wayne McWhirterSouthwood Golf & Country Club
2019 – 2021Ken WarwickNiakwa Country Club
2017 – 2019Vince MarianiElmhurst Golf & Country Club
2015 – 2017Tammy GibsonNiakwa Country Club
2013 – 2015Kevin O’DonovanBreezy Bend Country Club
2011 – 2013Rob MacDonaldElmhurst Golf & Country Club
2009 – 2011Harvey GoehringBreezy Bend Country Club
2007 – 2009Trish JordanSouthwood Golf & Country Club
2005 – 2007Lou SpadoSt. Boniface Golf Club
2003 – 2005Don MacDonaldRossmere Country Club
2002 – 2003George McLeodWheat City Golf Course

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE MANITOBA LADIES’ GOLF ASSOCIATION

2001 – 2003Ms. Lezlie Parker
1999 – 2001Mrs. Carol Doerksen
1997 – 1999Mrs. Anne Liebl
1994 – 1997*Mrs. Joyce Collier
1992 – 1994*Mrs. Valerie Spencer
1990 – 1992*Mrs. Allie Lumsden
1988 – 1990Mrs. Phyllis Bell
1986 – 1988Mrs. Lorraine MacLeod
1984 – 1986*Mrs. Ethel Calnek
1982 – 1984*Mrs. M. L. (Phylles) Wotton
1980 – 1982*Mrs. T. J. (Colleen) Hutchison
1978 – 1980*Mrs. G. D. (Aihlin) Walker
1976 – 1978*Mrs. J. (Connie) McCrindle
1974 – 1976*Mrs. A. (Peggy) Colonello
1972 – 1974*Mrs. H. (Bea) Sharpe
1970 – 1972*Mrs. D. H. (Lavonne) Pitts
1968 – 1970*Mrs. J. W. (Melba) Darracott
1966 – 1968*Mrs. J. C. H. Blackburn
1964 – 1966*Mrs. N. H. Greenberg
1962 – 1964*Mrs. O. L. Robinson
1960 – 1962*Mrs. H. L. Hallett
1958 – 1960*Mrs. R. S. Pearce
1956 – 1958*Mrs. T. H. Clarke
1955 – 1956*Mrs. P. H. S. Campbell
1953 – 1954*Mrs. E. J. MacKenzie
1951 – 1952*Mrs. L. P. Mason
1950 – 1951*Mrs. J. L. Peterson
1949 – 1950*Mrs. D. P. Allen

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE MANITOBA GOLF ASSOCIATION

2002George McLeodWheat City Golf Course
2000 – 2001Rob MacDonaldElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1998 – 1999*Ken MacCharlesSt. Charles Country Club
1996 – 1997*Syd CohanGlendale Golf & Country Club
1995Rick ThainWinnipeg Municipal Courses
1993 – 1994Dave MorisonBreezy Bend Country Club
1991 – 1992Jim ScollanElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1990Ted ChopNorthernaire Golf Course
1989Bob ForcandBreezy Bend Country Club
1988*Rudy BoivinSouthwood Golf & Country Club
1986 – 1987Jim BristowBreezy Bend Country Club
1985Al MacatavishElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1984*Keith D. ArmstrongNiakwa Country Club
1982 – 1983Michael AverbachGlendale Golf and Country Club
1981*Donald L. NutleyBel Acres Golf & Country Club
1980P. M. (Peter) KremerCharleswood Golf Club
1979*E. K. (Bud) FosterElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1978*Gordon PattisonSt. Boniface Golf Club
1977D. R. (Don) CraigWpg. Municipal Courses
1976R. B. (Bob) GoodwinNiakwa Country Club
1975*W. J. (Bill) DoyleSouthwood Golf & Country Club
1974John C. BrownWinnipeg Canoe Club
1973*Manuel BrickerGlendale Golf & Country Club
1972*H. E. CaldwellElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1970 – 1971R. E. GallowayPine Ridge Golf Club
1968 – 1969*Dwight Parkinson, M.D.St. Charles Country Club
1966 – 1967*J. P. VinetAssiniboine Golf Club
1964 – 1965*Herbert A. FosterPine Ridge Golf Club
1962 – 1963*J. W. AbbottSouthwood Golf & Country Club
1960 – 1961*Charles L. JonesNiakwa Country Club
1958 – 1959*J. A. SwansonAssiniboine Golf Club
1956 – 1957*W. Arthur JohnstonPine Ridge Golf Club
1954 – 1955*J. M. BlairSt. Charles Country Club
1952 – 1953*C. M. ThompsonNiakwa Country Club
1950 – 1951*Fred J. O’MalleySouthwood Golf & Country Club
1948 – 1949*W. S. BickellElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1946 – 1947*Harold ParkerPine Ridge Golf Club
1944 – 1945*H. Bruce BorehamTuxedo Golf Course
1942 – 1943*Dr. N. C. CarmichaelSt. Charles Country Club
1940 – 1941*Gordon L. LeggoSouthwood Golf & Country Club
1938 – 1939*R. G. MurrayAssiniboine Golf Club
1936 – 1937*R. J. GallagherNorwood Golf Club
1934 – 1935*J. L. M. ThomsonNiakwa Country Club
1932 – 1933*Judge J. E. AdamsonSandy Hook Golf Club
1930 – 1931*Robert JacobElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1929 – 1930* C. W. JacksonSt. Charles Country Club
1928 – 1929*D. E. ClementBrandon Golf & Country Club
1927*C. E. HarveyElmhurst Golf & Country Club
1926*T. J. LytleAssiniboine Golf Club
1925*R. H. BairdSt. Charles Country Club
1924*G. B. SaundersSouthwood Golf & Country Club
1922 – 1923*R. C. S. BruceNorwood Golf Club
1920 – 1921*T. K. MiddlemassWinnipeg Golf Club
1918 – 1919*C. P. WilsonSt. Charles Country Club
1915 – 1917*F. L. PattonSt. Charles Country Club