The rules of golf were substantially revised effective January 1, 2019. There have already been a few highly-publicized incidents on the professional tours regarding application of the new rules.

Golf Manitoba wants to assist any golfer who may play in one of its event to have a practical understanding of how the new Rules affect competitive play. We invite all competitive players to join us for a free Player’s Rule Session at the Glendale Golf & Country Club on April 16, from 7 – 8:30 pm.

The objectives are to provide you with the key changes to the rules, how to avoid problems, and to answer any of your questions. We will have Golf Manitoba “referees” (that is the new name for “rules officials”) conducting the session.

Please email the Golf Manitoba office at info@golfmb.ca or call 204-925-5730 to RSVP your attendance.

The Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame recognizes and honours those who have made their mark on Manitoba’s rich golf history through their extraordinary activities and accomplishments.

Do you know of someone who should be recognized for their contributions and accomplishments to the game of golf as either a competitor (both amateur and/or professional), builder and/or superintendent? Nominations for induction for the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Class are now open.

Learn more and to nominate today >> http://bit.ly/MBGolfHallofFame

The Western Canada Games training squad has already started preparations for the upcoming Games being held August 9-18, 2019 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The squad has been practicing weekly at the Golf Dome since the beginning of January and will continue to do so until mid-March. In addition to the weekly practices, athletes attend a fitness combine, receive a Golf Dome membership and will attend two rules seminars.

Twenty-five girls and boys ages 16 and under are participating in the Golf Manitoba performance pathway program that is overseen by Golf Manitoba’s Director of Player Development and 2018 PGA of Manitoba Coach of the Year, Garth Goodbrandson. Also helping with the program is Elmhurst Assistant Professional Bri-Ann Tokariwski. Players from the University of Manitoba Men’s and Women’s Bison Golf teams are also assisting with the indoor practices.

As the finale to the training program, 5 boys and 5 girls will be be selected to represent Manitoba via a qualification schedule that concludes with the Manitoba Junior Championship.  At the Games, teams will compete in both a 54-hole individual stroke-play event and a 36-hole team event.

Next time you’re at the Golf Dome, watch for these dedicated and talented young junior golfers.

The world has lost a great friend, gentleman and a sports legend. On January 30, 2019, Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Mr. Bob Picken passed away. He was 86 years old.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Barbara as well to his family and friends.

Mr. Picken was a tremendous supporter of golf in the province of Manitoba, and, as a tribute to Mr. Picken, we thought it fitting to re-publish the biography from his induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame. The biography was written by his good friend, fellow sports journalist and fellow Honoured Member of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, Ralph Bagley.

R. J. (Bob) Picken – Builder

For more than 60 years, Robert John Picken has kept Manitobans well informed on events in the world of sports through broadcasting and writing and he has been recognized for his achievements in many areas.

His induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is a tribute to his detailed attention to golf events in the province. He is similarly honoured by his inductions in recent years to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame, Winnipeg Football Club Media Hall of Fame, Canadian Football Media Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Roll of Honour.

Born in Winnipeg on September 24, 1932, Picken attended St. John’s High School and his journalistic career began in 1948 while in high school when he joined the staff of the Winnipeg Citizen to cover a variety of sports, including golf. The paper folded in 1949.

From 1965 to 1969, he was on the sports staff at CJOB and he later returned to that radio station on a free-lance basis from 1993 to 2008, covering mainly golf and curling. He was the voice of sport on CBC radio commencing in 1969 until his retirement in 1990.

During his career, Picken covered virtually every type of golf event, from provincial and national amateur championships through the Canadian Open, Canadian Senior Open, the duMaurier Classic, the America’s Cup, the World Amateur in Vancouver and two trips to the Masters at Augusta.

In addition to his extensive radio reporting, he also contributed articles in Backspin magazine from 1993 to 1998 and to the Golf Manitoba Journal since 1993.

He has been an active contributor to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, being involved as it was being formed and serving on the selection committee from 2003 to 2007. He was master of ceremonies for the first two induction ceremonies. He has also served as chair of the selection committee for the Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award since its inception in 1975.

Picken has been a director of the Grey Owl golf tournament since 1979, serving as secretary for many years, a two-year term as president and currently is the drawmaster for the event, which marked its 50th year in June.

R. J. (Bob) Picken is an inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc., September 27, 2010

Golf Manitoba is making some changes to select events for its 2019 championship season. These changes are being introduced in response to a variety of factors including current trends in event participation and venue acquisition while still adhering to competition guidelines as per long-term athlete development.  Additionally, these changes hope to improve the overall competitor experience while at the same time maintaining the integrity and history of conducting high-level events and provincial championships.

The following events will see changes effective for the 2019 season:

• The Alternate Shot event will be discontinued with the intent of replacing this event with a new format at a date to be announced.
• The Ladies Interclub A and Interclub B events have been amalgamated into a single day event. Both events will run concurrently with a shotgun start.
• The Women’s City & District Championship will run concurrently with the Bantam Championship.
• A 54-hole cut will be introduced to the Manitoba Junior Boy’s Championship. The final day of play will see the field reduced to the top 16 players and ties and those within 10 shots of the lead.
• The Junior Interclub event will be replaced with a 36-hole team event that will run concurrently during the first two days of the Manitoba Junior Championship. The new format will see teams of 3 compete in inter-club competition.
• The Nott Autocorp Men’s Manitoba Amateur Championship will have both a 36-hole and a 54-hole cut. After 36-holes, the field will be reduced to the top 50 players and ties. After 54-holes, the field will be reduced to the top 24 players and ties and those within 10 shots of the lead.

Online registration for all Golf Manitoba events opens on April 1, 2019. For details about the Golf Manitoba 2019 championship schedule including dates and venues and to register, please visit  http://golfmb.ca/2019-championship-schedule/.

About Golf Manitoba:  Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and North West Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the game of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.

OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum today announced that amateur and professional golf standout, Rod Spittle, as well as celebrated collegiate golf coach Herb Page have been selected for 2019 induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Read full news release >> 

If your winter vacation plans include golf, and if you are a Golf Manitoba/Canada Gold Member, you are covered for up to $6,000 of incident protection including lost, damaged or stolen equipment and cart and window damage. Your coverage period ends when your Golf Canada Gold membership expires. You can check your coverage period by viewing your profile on the Golf Canada Score Center or by calling the Golf Canada member services hotline.

For more information about the Golf Canada Gold membership program, visit golfcanada.ca or contact the Golf Manitoba office at 204-925-5730.

Former Golf Manitoba Junior and Match Play Champion Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Manitoba, will make his European Tour debut this week at the Australian PGA Championship being held November 29-Dec 2 at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.  Aaron earned status on the 2019 European Challenge Tour and conditional status on the European Tour by finishing in 72nd place in the 2019 European Tour Qualifying School. Aaron tees off this Thursday at 8am GMT.

For a list of tee-times including the event leaderboard, please click here >> http://bit.ly/2P3pRVi

Golf Manitoba is pleased to introduce the 2019 Board of Directors. Five members of the eleven member board were recently re-elected at the Golf Manitoba Annual General Meeting held on October 22, 2018 at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club. The Board includes the following individuals (in alphabetical order):

Tammy Gibson (Director – Past President) has been a Board Member since 2010 and is currently Past President. She has been active in Manitoba’s golfing community for over 25 years as a competitive golfer and over 10 years as volunteer with Golf Manitoba. She has been Chair of the Tournament Committee and Volunteer Committee, is a Level 3 Rules Official and has been in executive roles on the Board since 2014.

In her role as President, Tammy presided over the plans and activities for Golf Manitoba’s 100^th Anniversary in 2015. Tammy brings to the Board her 30 years of experience with the Manitoba Government in areas of policy development, training, strategic planning and performance management. She retired from government in 2013, currently owns her own business and stays active in competitive golf.

Vince Mariani (President) has been a Golf Manitoba board member since 2011 and has served as Treasurer and Vice-President.  Vince has been a proud member of Elmhurst Golf and Country Club since 1992 and served on the board of directors for several years and as president in 2009 and 2010.  A CPA, CMA, Vince is currently the Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the River East Transcona School Division.

Craig Martin (Director) is an Assistant Professor of Business and Organizational Administration in the Redekop School of Business at Canadian Mennonite University.  He has a PhD in Agricultural Economics and Business from the University of Guelph and is a CPA, CMA.  He joined the Board of Assiniboine Golf Club in July of 2016.  He became President of the Assiniboine Golf Club in 2017.  He joined the Board of Golf Manitoba in 2017.

Wayne McWhirter (Director – Treasurer) has been a Golf Manitoba Board Member since 2015 and is currently the Treasurer and Vice President. He also is the Chair of the Course Rating Committee. Wayne is a member of Southwood Golf and Country Club, and was President of the Club in 2013-2014. As part of his Community involvement, he was Chair of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and a Board member of Winnipeg and Canadian Chambers of Commerce. He retired in 2016 as a partner in MNP LLP , a national accounting firm.  He was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

F. (Bob) Peters (Director) has served as a Golf Manitoba Director since 2017 and was appointed Chair of the Sponsorship Committee this year. Bob is a Partner with the law firm Fillmore Riley LLP. and practices primarily in the area of Regulatory Law and Administrative Law representing clients in the relationship between government and its citizens. Bob has, throughout his advocacy practice, appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Manitoba Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Court of Queen’s Bench, the Public Utilities Board, Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission, and numerous other Administrative Tribunals. Bob is involved with golf through St. Charles Country Club where he was a member of the committee that brought Brooke Henderson to Winnipeg in July 2018 in support of junior golf in Manitoba.

Ken Warwick (Vice President) has served as a Golf Manitoba Board member since 2014. Currently the Tournament Committee Chairman. Has represented Manitoba Golf on many occasions at the National level. Member of Niakwa Country Club since 1986 and has been on the Social and Competition Committee for 10 years. Greens Committee for many years before that. Current Captain of the Senior Putter Golf Team and Past Captain of the Mundie Putter Team. A Licensed Realtor since 1988 and has been with Century 21 Bachman & Associates since 1993.

Michael Berney (Director) has served as a member of the Golf Manitoba Board since 2016 and has been active in the Manitoba golf community since the early 80s. Mike has competed in numerous Golf Manitoba and Golf Canada sanctioned events both regionally and nationally.

Mike has been a member of Transcona Golf Club for over 35 years and has served on their Board of Directors both in the 90s and most recently from 2011 until 2017 in the role of Golf Director. He has extensive experience organizing successful tournaments.

Mike is a life long Manitoban residing in Winnipeg retired from the railroad in 2010 after 37 years of service.

Susan Wright Cassan (Director) has been an active Board member since 2016. She is also on the Tournament Committee and Chair of the Membership Committee. Sue earned her Community Coaching Certificate in the spring of 2018 and has been organizing Golf in School programs in Thunder Bay for the last 4 years. Sue also organizes and runs a mixed fun event with all raised funds supporting the Golf in Schools program.

Some additional golf, volunteer and career highlights include the following:

• President of the Superior North Ladies Golf Association.
• Chair on the McKenzie Tour Staal Open in Thunder Bay for the last 5 years.
• Volunteered for the Ryder Cup in 2016 and the LPGA event held at St. Charles.
• Past President (15 years) of Emerald Greens Golf Course
• Course rating for 14 years with Golf Manitoba and also an active tournament participant in provincial women’s championships.
• Sue grew up in Hamiota, Manitoba and currently resides in Thunder Bay where she retired from CIBC as a Manager.

James (Jim) Gosman (Director) has served as a Golf Manitoba board director since 2014 and the Rules Chairman for 1 year. He started with GM as a rules official in 2012 and has since obtained a level 4 ranking, officiating, 6-8 golf tournaments each year.  Jim was a teacher for 32 years and has been associated with sport as a player, coach, and referee for over 60 years.  He has coached basketball at the Junior High, High School, and the Provincial Levels and was the coach of a silver medal team at the Canada Games. Jim spent 30 years as a NCCP Theory of Coaching facilitator at all levels receiving the 2014 Community NCCP Coach Development Award from Sport Canada. In addition to officiating golf, he has refereed basketball and volleyball for many years. James has been part of the mission staff for Sport Manitoba at the Manitoba Games, the Western Canada Games, and the Canada Games.  He is a long-time member of the Southwood Golf and Country Club and since retirement has maintained a membership in the EDG (every day golfers) group.

Barry Hooke (Director) has served on the Golf Manitoba Board for 9 years. He has held the position of Committee Chair on Membership, Volunteer and Player Development. Presently, Barry is a member of the Tournament Committee and has also been a Rules Official for the past 8 years. Barry resides in Portage la Prairie and throughout his travels in rural Manitoba, be it as an avid golfer or a Golf Manitoba Director, a consistent message he has heard is how important it is to have a rural representation on this Board. Barry looks forward to serving his final year promoting the benefits of Golf Manitoba to all Golfers in Manitoba.

Kathy Turner (Director) – retired Assistant Commissioner Canada Revenue Agency. Kathy’s working background is in accounting, finance, information technology and tax policy and she has significant senior management experience. She has board and volunteer experience in golf at the club level and with the former CLGA.  Kathy also has board experience with charitable organizations such as the United Way and Citizen’s Advocacy of Ottawa (an organization that works with adults with disabilities).  Kathy was a founding director of Camelot Golf and Country Club.

Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and North West Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the game of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.  To learn more about Golf Manitoba or programs and services available to amateur golfers, visit Golf Manitoba at golfmb.ca.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba Inc.
Office: (204) 925-5729
Cell: (204) 291-8032
jared@golfmb.ca

(Monday, October 22, 2018) – Southwood Golf & Country Club’s Rhonda Orr and Breezy Bend’s Justin McDonald were awarded the 2018 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards at Golf Manitoba’s Annual Awards Reception held at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.

Rhonda Orr was the winner of the 2018 Manitoba Senior Women’s Championship and was a member of the provincial team where she finished tied for 18th in the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship.  In addition to her provincial title, Rhonda finished in a tie for 4th in both the Manitoba Women’s Amateur and the City & District Championships. Rhonda also qualified to compete in the 2018 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship by tying for medalist honours in a regional qualifier. Rhonda went on to qualify for the match play portion of the championship making it to the round of 64. Rhonda also finished in a tie for 12th in the Senior Women’s North & South Amateur held at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, U.S.A. This is Rhonda’s second Golfer of the Year Award winning her first in 2016.

The other finalists for Female Amateur Golfer of the Year were Marissa Naylor of Pine Ridge and Camryn Roadley of Southwood. Charmaine Mackid of Breezy Bend, Bobbi Uhl of the Shilo Country Club and Veronica Vetesnik of Southwood earned honourable mentions for their 2018 accomplishments.

Justin McDonald  had an impressive 2018 campaign claiming both the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur and the Manitoba Mid-Amateur titles. Justin won both events in commanding fashion finishing 8 strokes ahead of the field in the Amateur and 9 strokes ahead in the Mid-Amateur. Justin went on to represent Manitoba by competing in the 2018 Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship where he recorded a T38th finish and was a member Team Manitoba that posted a 3rd place finish in inter-provincial play. Justin was the medalist in the Match Play Qualifier and also finished in 2nd place at the Grey Owl.

The finalists for the Male Golfer of the Year Award included 5-time winner Todd Fanning of Niakwa and Ryan McMillan of Elmhurst. Jacob Armsrong (St. Boniface),  Garth Collings (Breezy Bend), Jay Doyle (Niakwa), Eric Johnson (Breezy Bend) and Devon Schade (Elmhurst) received an honorable mention for their 2018 accomplishments.

The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award dates back to 1975, and was presented for the 44th time on October 22.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba Inc.
p. 204.291.8032
e. jared@golfmb.ca