Like most of us, Ann Holmes is at home in Prince George, B.C., looking at a snow-covered landscape and wistfully thinking of the coming golf season.

Unlike most of us, she’s preparing daily for that first swing of the year. And, thanks to YouTube, she can make a virtual house call to help the rest of us do the same thing.

Early in the pandemic, in partnership with BC Golf, Holmes created a series of 11 Facebook Live videos intended to improve flexibility, mobility, strength and range of motion, all with a golf focus.

There’s no question she’s qualified. A PGA of Canada professional, she’s the golf coach at Prince George Golf and Curling Club and the former coach at the University of British Columbia. She’s got a Masters in Human Kinetics and is a certified personal trainer, among numerous other credentials. She, along with Tracie Albisser, also a certified exercise physiologist, operates the Active Health Solutions facility (www.activehealthsolutions.ca ) in Prince George.

“There are lots of online fitness resources but they are mostly for the elite golfer,” says Holmes. “These videos are aimed at the average golfer.”

A large proportion of those “average golfers” this winter are snowbirds and other seniors who, because of travel restrictions necessitated by the pandemic, are stuck north of the border. Holmes suggests they see this not as a disappointment but as an opportunity.

“Off-season training will help maintain the flexibility, endurance and strength you gained in your golf swing over the summer,” she explains. “Instead of taking the winter off, work on all of these fitness essentials for the sport you enjoy.

“The golf swing is a single-action, single-sided, ballistic movement and the goal is to create rotational power for distance. This can be hard on the body, especially the back and shoulders.  And when the golf swing is repeated over and over, injuries and issues can crop up.  Compounding the concern is that, as we age, we lose muscle mass, flexibility and endurance, which are all fundamental to the golf swing.”
Holmes says one of the most common issues for older golfers is that their posture becomes hunched, with a rounded lower back and an inability to rotate the pelvis into a proper spine angle at address. Her translation: “You need to stick out your behind instead of tucking it under.”

What all of that means, she says, “is that the rotation for the backswing is compromised and people swing with their arms instead of turning their shoulders. Ultimately,this causes a reduction in clubhead speed and weak shots that fade. This position also means that people tend to generate more shearing forces on their lumbar vertebrae (equaling pain in their lower back).

“And, finally, the rounded shoulders will reduce the space for the upper arm bone (the humerus) to move within the joint and people will start to complain of rotator cuff problems and injuries.”

One of her favourite catchphrases is “pre-hab.” Pre-hab is mobility and strength work done on an ongoing basis to address common weaknesses or muscle tension. “The body parts that are meant to be mobile, like your neck, hips, shoulders or thoracic vertebrae, should move with ease,” she says. “When these are tight, other parts will move to compensate during the swing.

“If you can prevent injuries or minor deficits before they become a problem, you will enjoy playing good golf and not lose any distance.”

Holmes’s folksy, friendly, cheerful and chatty “golf coach next door” approach requires no special equipment. A towel, key lanyard, wooden spoon, a thick book and a chair will do for starters. A golf club or similar is handy but not for swinging—just to help with extension. Each video is 30 to 40 minutes but, as she points out, “you can do these at your own pace and your own comfort level.”

Take it from me. The “pause” button comes in handy.

The R&A and the USGA have re-engaged with the golf industry on the Distance Insights project, which aims to help achieve a more sustainable long-term future for golf.

2 February 2021, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, N.J., USA: The governing bodies are issuing specific Areas of Interest to help mitigate continuing distance increases and three proposed changes to the Equipment Rules to ensure their effectiveness in relation to distance limits.

The delivery of research topics related to hitting distances and golf’s sustainability was delayed in 2020 to allow the golf industry to focus on the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The Areas of Interest notice, sent yesterday to golf equipment manufacturers, follows the conclusions of the Distance Insights Report delivered last February. It is the first step of the established Equipment Rulemaking Procedures, which give the opportunity for golf’s stakeholders to provide research and perspectives on topics that might lead to equipment rules changes.

In addition, three proposals related to equipment standards were also sent to the manufacturers yesterday and have been published – two to modernise equipment testing protocols and the other to consider the adoption of a Model Local Rule that would provide flexibility for committees, if they so choose, to limit the maximum length for clubs other than putters from 48 to 46 inches. Notice and comment periods have begun immediately to invite feedback on each of the three proposals from golf industry stakeholders.

Research Topics/Areas of Interest
Download Here (Research due by 2 November 2021)
The Areas of Interest notice addresses two specific Areas of Interest:

• The potential use of a Local Rule that would specify the use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances. This would enable committees conducting competitions to stipulate whether such equipment should be used. It could be available at all levels of play and would also allow golfers playing outside of competition to choose for themselves.
• A review of the overall conformance specifications for both clubs and balls, including specifications that both directly and indirectly affect hitting distances. This review would consider whether any existing specifications should be adjusted or any new specifications created to help mitigate continuing distance increases. It would not consider revising the overall specifications to produce substantial reductions in hitting distances at all levels of the sport.  A list of club and ball specifications to be reviewed can be found in the official notice.

Stakeholders are invited to participate in the process by sharing any data or perspectives they might have on these topics by 2 November 2021.

The topics are purely areas for research. No solutions or decisions are being proposed at this stage. Any proposals for Rule changes that might result from this research will be communicated in accordance with the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures.

Proposed Equipment Standards changes 
Download Here

The R&A and the USGA are addressing the effectiveness of current equipment testing processes, protocols and standards with respect to distance limits. As a result, the governing bodies are seeking comment from equipment manufacturers on three proposed Equipment Standards changes, as follows:

Proposal 1: Club length – reduction to 46 inches available as Model Local Rule (MLR) (Original proposal delivered in 2016 and paused in 2017 due to the Distance Insights project). Comment period ends on 4 March 2021.

Proposal 2: Update on testing method for golf balls. Comment period ends on 2 August 2021.

Proposal 3: Change to testing tolerance – Characteristic Time. Comment period ends on 2 August 2021.
The 2020 Annual Driving Distance Report

The R&A and the USGA also today released the 2020 Annual Driving Distance Report. The full report can be found here.

The R&A and USGA comments

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We are now able to progress with the work on this critical topic and are beginning the next phase as expeditiously as possible. The research topics and the proposed changes we have announced will be the focus of our attention in the coming months and we look forward to gaining insights from the golf industry and fully understanding their perspectives on these key areas. We remain fully committed to conducting this hugely important exercise for the sport thoroughly, efficiently and collaboratively.”

Mike Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the USGA, said, “The research conducted through Distance Insights clearly shows that hitting distances have consistently increased through time and, if left unchecked, could threaten the long-term future of our game at every level and every golf course on which it is played. This is the first forward step in a journey and a responsibility the USGA and The R&A share with the worldwide golf community, to ensure that golf continues to thrive for the next hundred years and beyond.”

Updates Since February 2020

During the pause in distance-related research caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, The R&A and the USGA completed their regular review of equipment testing processes, protocols and standards to ensure their effectiveness in relation to distance limits.  The proposals detailed above are the outcome of this regular review of equipment testing processes, protocols and standards to ensure their effectiveness.

As such, these proposals were not conceived and are not intended to be solutions to the distance issues identified in the Distance Insights Report.

All notices related to golf equipment follow the Equipment Rulemaking Procedures adopted in 2011 by The R&A, the USGA and golf equipment manufacturers, which provide an open process of dialogue for all involved. The procedures can be reviewed here.

The Distance Insights Report released last year highlighted the impact of long-term hitting distance increases on some of golf’s essential elements, including changing the strategic challenge of the game, altering the variety of skills needed to be successful and risking courses becoming less challenging or obsolete. Further, the report states that the overall trend of golf courses becoming longer has adverse consequences that ultimately affect golfers at all levels of the game. The governing bodies are working with the key stakeholders in golf to address these issues in a way that brings the game together and which ensures it continues to thrive for many years to come.

Work is also currently being conducted to develop industry-wide recommendations and best management practices on course design, set-up and course conditions related to distance for all golf courses and golfers, as detailed among next steps in the Distance Insights conclusions document delivered last year.  The USGA is currently conducting field testing and research, with outcomes to be delivered throughout 2021.
For more information visit www.RandA.org and www.usga.org.

Novelist Paul Theroux once said: “Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” He could never have imagined just how true those words would ring right now.

Not that we have much choice. Most of us, the sensible ones that is, are staying home because of the pandemic and the precautions imposed to prevent its spread. Kudos to us.

So what’s a golfer to do? We’re mired in a Canadian winter with travel south of the border restricted and limited opportunities to congregate at public golf simulators, ranges or other golf-related activities.

Don’t despair!

If you don’t have the space, budget or inclination to have a home simulator, there are myriad options to pass the time … “prepare” as Theroux suggested … until, hopefully, golf courses across Canada reopen in spring. Online instruction, social media, podcasts (what?) … even, dare I say, books and magazines … all not only can improve your game but boost your spirits as well.

READ

As an author myself, I may be biased but I enjoy turning the pages of a book or magazine. My special area of interest is course architecture so, after rereading the essentials yet again, I look for Canadian authors. Keith Cutten’s The Evolution of Golf Course Design is a fascinating deep dive into the broader question of not just how course design evolved but why. James Harris’s Stanley Thompson and Icons of Canada has no equal in its in-depth examination of Canada’s most iconic architect as a master of his craft and a man. Although not Canadian and actually intended for green committee members and club managers, many of whom (wrongly) think they are qualified for DIY projects on a multi-million-dollar course, Designs on a Better Golf Course (published by the American Society of Golf Course Architects) is a must-read for armchair architects as well as folks whose hobby is second-guessing their course’s superintendent. For pure “golf porn,” there are few better options than Catalogue 18, a luxurious magazine published in Toronto featuring awesome photography and text from around the world.

WATCH VIDEO TIPS

We were all thankful when the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour returned to TV in January but if you need more than entertainment and climate envy, there are hundreds of videos on social media, many from PGA of Canada instructors. Derek Ingram, Team Canada’s Men’s Head Coach, posts indoor tips on Instagram. Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally offers helpful hints on Twitter. (Just between you and me, Ingram and Mullally are collaborating on an upcoming project that distills their extensive experience into instruction for folks like you and me. Stay tuned.

 

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PRACTICE

Once you’ve looked at those videos, you’ll want to practice, so order a putting mat and/or chipping net online. My Golf Spy picked the BirdieBall 4×14 as its best putting mat but the company has a variety of customizable products. Lots of other companies make comparable mats at various price points and in a full range of sizes. A chipping net is a compact and convenient way to hone your short game at a reasonable price. My choice would be the GoSports Chipster. It’s about $60, includes three nets of various sizes and can be used indoors with foam balls or outside with real golf balls.

CONNECT

Find some (virtual) friends with common interests. I’m a member of the Stanley Thompson Society and the Golf Historical Society of Canada. If you’re interested in the history of the game in this country and/or being a collector of anything golf, the GHSC is a fantastic resource.

FANTASY GOLF

Fantasy pools, such as PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, can be a blast if you need some heated competition to warm you up during the winter. Or you can organize your own fantasy league using online resources and invite your friends and colleagues to participate.

VIDEO GAMES

You may not have access to that Golden Tee game down at the local pub but you can order the home edition if you’re addicted. More affordable options are video games such as the highly rated PGA TOUR 2K21. Golf nut Shawn Bell of Kelowna, B.C., has not only played the game since its first release several years ago but has actually designed a course for it. He says he enjoys the experience for many reasons including the fact that “it provides me with an outlet to spend time thinking about and playing the game I enjoy so much. There is also the ability to play with others live which is pretty cool. Played a round with an acquaintance in Ireland the other night. It was fun and a social interaction, playing golf, that would otherwise be impossible.”

PODCASTS

If, like me, you were late to the world of podcasts, a podcast is a conversation or discussion you can download to your personal device and listen to at your leisure. Makes for great company when you’re walking the dog or when you’re just hankering for the sound of someone else’s voice. (Although I do get some odd glances when I bark back at them when they don’t share my own—indisputably correct—opinion.) There are lots of terrific golf podcasts including some with great Canadian content that I subscribe to like Flagstick.com’s TeeTalk, Golf Talk Canada and Swing Thoughts with Tim O’Connor and “Humble” Howard Glassman.

And, remember, in the words of Ernest Hemingway,

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be the happiest.”

That won’t be a problem for us golfers!

SAN DIEGO — Showing no effects from a rules controversy a day earlier, Patrick Reed pulled away for a five-shot victory Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his ninth PGA Tour title with a birdie on the 18th.

Abbotsford, B.C. native Adam Hadwin finished in a tie for 18th place. The 33-year-old fired a 1-under 71 to end his tournament at 5-under par. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., fired a 2-under 70 in his final round to finish in a five-way tie for 37th. Merritt, B.C. native Roger Sloan finished in a tie for 53rd.

The former Masters champions finished at 14 under after a consistent four days at the blufftop municipal courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He shared the first-round lead with Alex Noren, was in a group one shot off the lead in the second round and then shared the third-round lead with Carlos Ortiz.

The controversy arose Saturday on the par-4 10th when Reed hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker with a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before settling into the rough. Without waiting for an official, Reed picked up the ball to see if it was embedded. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. He was awarded a free drop and saved par in a round of 70.

On Sunday, Reed jump-started his round with a 45-foot eagle putt on the No. 6 to get to 12 under and followed with a birdie on the par-4 seventh. His only bogey was on the par-3 eighth, and he rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. He played par the rest of the way until sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Palmer, Henrik Norlander and Viktor Hovland tied for second.

Hovland had been the closest in pursuit with four birdies on the front nine, including on the ninth to get to 12 under. But the birdies dried up and he bogeyed Nos. 14, 15 and 17 — missing a 2-footer on 17 — in a round of 1-under 71.

Ortiz stumbled badly with a round of 6-over 78. He hurt himself with three bogeys on the front nine that left him even at the turn. He had even more trouble on the back nine, when he bogeyed No. 11 and then had trouble getting out of a greenside bunker on No. 12, taking a double-bogey 6. He bogeyed 15, 16 and 18.

It was a rewarding night for two PGA of Canada – Manitoba professionals during the 2020 PGA of Canada National Awards ceremony held on Thursday, January 28.  Golf Manitoba junior development team coach Derrik Goodwin was awarded both the Tex Noble Award for Professional Development and the Stan Leonard Class A Professional of the Year.  Team Canada men’s head coach Derek Ingram was recognized with the Ben Kern Coach of the Year award.

Golf Manitoba junior women’s development team coach Bri-ann Tokariwski was named as a finalist for the Moe Norman Apprentice Professional of the Year Award.

Tex Noble Award for Professional Development – Derrik Goodwin

Derrik Goodwin continues to show extreme devotion to his craft. The St. Charles Country Club assistant professional devours all things golf education to better himself. This is evidenced by his winning four-straight Manitoba Teacher of the Year and four-straight Manitoba Junior Leader of the Year awards. He’s also won two-straight Manitoba Class A Professional of the Year awards. Derrik is certified in numerous platforms and shares his knowledge with both his peers and students on social media platforms and on his own website.

Stan Leonard Class A Professional of the Year – Derrik Goodwin

Derrik Goodwin continues to add to his impressive trophy case. With thorough knowledge in numerous teaching technologies, such as TrackMan, Foresight Sports, K-Vest, and Quintic, Derrik brings a wealth of knowledge to members of St. Charles Country Club and to the players on the golf teams at the University of Manitoba, where he is the director and head coach. In addition, Derrik is a vital member of the St. Charles golf staff — running leagues, tournaments, club fitting, introductory clinics, the junior program, and the Future Links Learn to Play program. He also volunteers his time to numerous initiatives, such as the PGA of Manitoba’s Future Pros program.

Ben Kern Coach of the Year – Derek Ingram

Team Canada men’s head coach Derek Ingram took on even greater responsibilities in 2020, overseeing Golf Canada’s entire development program. He was one of the first coaches to use remote connection tools like CoachNow to work with his many students — including PGA Tour winner Corey Conners — and he shared his golf wisdom on social media with his popular Garage Series tips. Derek also operates a high-performance program at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club in his native Manitoba, where many of his pupils are ranked among the province’s top juniors. Derek is now a four-time national award winner, having been the 2003 Junior Leader of the Year and the 2003 and 2007 Coach of the Year.

For more information on the 2020 PGA of Canada national award winners, please click HERE.

Nott Autocorp, title sponsor of the Manitoba Men’s Amateur Championship, is pleased to introduce the Golf Manitoba VIP Member Program. The program, exclusive for Golf Manitoba members, includes a variety of sales and service options with enhanced benefits exclusive to active Golf Manitoba members.

Service

Why Nott shoot some hoops, play some pool while your vehicle is serviced!

• 10% off Labour
• 10% off Parts
• $99 Fully Synthetic Oil Change
• $100 off any set of 4 new tires.
• Free 3D Alignment Inspection on our 3D Alignment Machine. Any adjustments required are an extra cost.

Sales

Why Nott Buy Smart?

• $250 Service Credit (On advertised price)
• $500 Extended Warranty Credit
• $100 Reloadable cash card when you refer us to a friend who purchases a vehicle.

Consignment

Why Nott Sell Smart?

• 10% off Total service fee when you consign your car with us.

Autospa

Why Nott get a massage while your vehicle is detailed!

• $300 off Ceramic Coating
• $300 off Vehicle Wraps
• $19.99 Basic Exterior & interior

***Concierge Service available for any services/sales for all VIP members

To qualify for the Golf Manitoba Member VIP Program, show your active Golf Manitoba/Canada membership card available on the Golf Canada mobile app.  For more information, please contact Golf Manitoba Executive Director, Jared Ladobruk at jared@golfmb.ca.

About Nott Autocorp

Nott Autocorp’s mission is to provide the most comfortable buying experience by delivering affordable luxury and exceptional service in a unique atmosphere. The Nott’s are heavily involved in many community charitable events and understand the importance of strong example of integrity and leadership which has been an underlying principle in their success. Nott Luxury Auto & Art Gallery is located at 1322 Waverley Street (at the corner of Waverley & McGillivray) where you can shop indoors in their 20,000 sq. ft. showroom and view art from local artists. Learn more at nott.ca.

About Golf Manitoba

Golf Manitoba is provincial sport organization (PSO) for amateur golf in Manitoba. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the sport of golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario for the benefit of all participants.

Winnipeg, MB – Golf Manitoba is thrilled to announce the rosters for the 2021 Junior Development Teams, which feature many of the best young golfers in the province. Thirty-one U18 boys and fourteen U18 girls have been selected based on their performance in the 2020 golf season and will receive athlete and coaching support to help develop their talents on and off the golf course.

2021 Junior Boy’s Development teams:

Gold Team:

• Ryan Blair – Pine Ridge Golf Club, Winnipeg
• Grady Chuback – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg
• Noah Fiks – Pine Ridge GC, Winnipeg
• Adam Ingram – Elmhurst G & CC, Winnipeg
• Braxton Kuntz – Breezy Bend CC, Winnipeg
• Jordan McDonald – Breezy Bend CC, Winnipeg
• Scott Miner – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg
• Jack Moro – Whitewater CC, Thunder Bay, ON
• Trey Ross – Rossmere Country Club, Winnipeg
• Jack Taylor – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg
• Nolan Watson – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg

Black Team:

• Haydon Chaloner – Pine Ridge GC, Winnipeg
• Hayden Delaloye – Neepawa CC, Neepawa
• Kaleb Lambert – Elmhurst G & CC, Winnipeg
• Ryan Orchard – Carman G & CC, Carman
• Eric Reid – Golf Manitoba Public Player, Virden
• Declan Robertson – Niakwa CC, Winnipeg
• Jack Rudick – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg
• Thomas Scott – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg
• Jacob Taweel – Elmhurst G & CC, Winnipeg
• Payne Wood – St. Boniface GC, Winnipeg

Blue Team:

• Austin Boge – Pine Ridge GC, Winnipeg
• Brayden Boge – Pine Ridge GC, Winnipeg
• Jackson Delaurier – Dauphin Lake GC, Dauphin
• Zostrianos Giordani-Gross – Shilo CC, Shilo
• Carson Inman – Portage GC, Portage
• Nathan Lepore – Golf Manitoba Public Player, Thunder Bay, ON
• Cameron McDonald – Breezy Bend CC, Winnipeg
• Cashe McNabb – Pine Ridge GC, Winnipeg
• Ryan Tuck – St. Boniface GC, Winnipeg
• Terrence Rafferty – Southwood G & CC, Winnipeg

2021 Junior Girl’s Development team:

• Armaan Dhillon – Elmhurst G & CC, Winnipeg
• Cala Korman – Killarney GC, Killarney
• Jeri Lafleche – Clear Lake GC, Clear Lake
• Sarah Farmer – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg
• Mackenzie Forsythe – Elmhurst G & CC, Winnipeg
• Addison Kartusch – St. Charles CC, Winnipeg
• Jenna King – Niakwa CC, Winnipeg
• Jewel Lafleche – Clear Lake GC, Winnipeg
• Gracie McMillan – Pine Ridge GC, Winnipeg
• Payten Oakden – Glendale G & CC, Brandon
• Clara Peake – Binscarth, MB
• Annika Russell – St. Boniface GC, Winnipeg
• Elle Wood – St. Boniface GC, Winnipeg
• Crystal Zamzow – Swan River GC, Swan River

The Junior Girl’s Development Team will be lead by PGA of Canada professional Bri-ann Tokariwski and the Junior Boy’s Team by PGA of Canada professional Derrik Goodwin. With a focus on the team’s vision, mission, and values aimed at inspiring excellence, both Tokariwski and Goodwin will work to help team members grow as golfers while also instilling habits that will lead to success throughout life.

With a strong focus on training and athlete development, the Junior Development Team program has been built to help foster the success of these athletes. The 9-month program includes winter team training at the Golf Dome, club competition in the Nassau and Mundie Putter leagues, spring and summer training camps, weekly practices, strength and fitness coaching, nutrition, and sports psychology and coaching observation at championships. Both Tokariwski and Goodwin will also be accompanying both inter-provincial junior teams to Golf Canada national championships.  Funding for this program has been generously provided by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation.

Congratulations to all of the 2021 Junior Development Team members!

About the Golf Manitoba Junior Development Team Program

The Golf Manitoba Junior Development Team program is a unique opportunity for identified athletes in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. These athletes can expect to receive the very best in coaching services, training/competitive opportunities, and peer support as they continue their journey towards excellence in golf and life.  Being selected to be part of the program is a tremendous accomplishment, but the hard work and dedication doesn’t end at selection.  The program places considerable emphasis on developing life-long excellence in all facets.  As such, athletes in the program will receive guidance on themes like time and self-management, strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition, tactical strategies, and technical feedback.

About Golf Manitoba

Golf Manitoba is provincial sport organization (PSO) for amateur golf in Manitoba. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the sport of golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario for the benefit of all participants.

Just how busy were golf courses across Canada in 2020?

Early one morning at the beginning of the season, Stephen Jardeleza positioned himself in front of his computer at GreyHawk Golf Club. On his screen was a blank tee sheet for the Ottawa club where he is the Director of Operations.

In a few minutes, the computerized tee-times reservation system would open for members to begin booking tee times for the upcoming Saturday. Up for grabs were 130 tee times across the club’s 36 holes, which, if fully booked, would work out to 520 golfers.

At 7 a.m., the tee sheet came alive. “In 40 seconds, our tee sheet was fully booked,” Jardeleza said. “And this happened every day.”

The 2020 golf season—and the year—will go down in infamy as one of the strangest that most of us will ever experience.

Faced with a mysterious and deadly nemesis, golf provided a beacon of badly needed joy amid fear and frustration. We were smitten. We couldn’t get enough golf.

“It didn’t matter that there was a worldwide pandemic,” said Simon Bevan, General Manager of Riverbend Golf Club in London. “Golf was like a drug. We all wanted to hit the little white ball.”

Now that the season has ended, the golf club industry in Canada is celebrating a record year in which rounds skyrocketed to historic proportions. Thousands of people took up golf—some for the first time, and some came back to the game—and veteran golfers played more than they ever have.

But right out of the be-careful-what-you-wish-for playbook, the industry faced the challenge of how to mollify established golfers frustrated that they could no longer get to the first tee when they wanted.

Back in April, with cities around the world looking like ghost towns, and major league sports and the PGA TOUR shut down, golfers held on to a slender thread of hope that a golf season might be possible.

By early May, golfers in Ontario and Quebec had endured two months of a gruelling lockdown, made worse by a tantalizingly warm spring that screamed golf. Golfers ached for their game. A friend said, “Golfers can distance. I play golf with people. I don’t dance with them.”

After weeks of consultation with the golf industry on safety measures, the Ontario government said courses could open May 16. Quebec set May 20 as its opening day.

Golf clubs had only a few days to finish their preparations in order to keep golfers safe. Staff removed ball washers, water coolers, benches and outfitted flagsticks with doo-hickeys that allowed you to extricate your ball without having to touch the stick.

Held back from their usual start to the season, golfers were ravenous. On May 15—the first day that tee times could be booked—thousands of ClubLink Members went online to reserve their tee times at 7 a.m., causing the system to crash.

Many technology platforms serving the golf industry were overwhelmed. When Golf Ontario opened its online tournament registration on June 24, 17,000 people visited its site in a matter of minutes, causing it to crash for the first time in its history, according to executive director Mike Kelly.

On those first wonderful days of the 2020 golf season, golfers were over the moon to play and golf club personnel were cautiously nervous.

“We were hoping that members wouldn’t contract the virus just from touching things,” said Paul Carrothers, Director of Golf at Royal Ottawa Golf Club.

Thousands of golfers wanted to play the game—not just because they are an extremely obsessive bunch—but also to escape the same four walls at home. Without having to travel for work or commute, working from home also afforded many golfers the freedom to play when they wanted. More or less.

With offices and schools closed, and nearly every other option for having fun shut down, golf became the ‘it’ activity. Spouses, friends and kids who had not tried golf, and those who had given up the game, were playing.

“Almost all of the guys that I played slow-pitch with every Tuesday for 20 years were now playing golf,” said Kevin Thistle, CEO of the PGA of Canada. “The way we play golf, work, watch sports—it’s all changing, and forcing us to adapt.”

From the once-a-year golfer to the 100-rounds-plus player, everyone played more—and wanted more.

“Players who would normally play 30 to 40 rounds played 70 to 80 rounds,” said Adam Tobin, Director of Golf at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge.

Even with most corporate events cancelled at most clubs, tee times became a precious commodity.

By the end of June, Canadians had played more than 1.5 million rounds during the month, an increase of 17 per cent over June 2019. And that’s a monumental feat folks when you consider June is THE busiest and best month to play. For an industry that faced media reports a few years earlier that it was declining, business was booming.

But for avid golfers who routinely play three or more rounds a week and were used to convenient tee times, it was not all sunshine and rainbows.

“There was a lot of frustration,” said Jason Wyatt, Head Professional at Sunningdale Golf & Country Club in London, where demand shot up 52 percent over 2019 with the same number of members. “There were people who wanted an 8 a.m. time but had to settle for hours later.”

Even playing ‘executive’ or nine-hole courses was a challenge. “There were times that we had six groups lined up to play our nine-hole course,” said Dennis Firth, Head Professional at Royal Montreal which experienced a 30 percent increase in rounds over 2019. “It was unprecedented.”

As a golfer, and the fellow in charge of tracking golfers across the country for Golf Canada, Adam Helmer said he could no longer just head out to play. He had to become organized in scheduling his golf.

“A downside of golf being so popular was that not everyone was able to get the tee time they wanted,” said Helmer, senior director of Golf Services for Golf Canada.

The problem was simple. Demand for tee times appeared limitless, but every course has a finite number of holes and daylight. And to keep golfers from getting too close to one another, most clubs spaced out tee times, which meant fewer golfers on the course.

John Finlayson, Chief Operating Officer of ClubLink, says that—as a general rule of thumb—a private golf club with 18 holes carries about 400 full dues-paying members to sustain its business.

But even in June when the days are longest, there’s only enough room to accommodate about 225 golfers. “If 300 people want to play that course that day, you have a problem,” said Finlayson, whose ClubLink courses saw a 29 percent increase in rounds in 2020 compared with 2019.

Many private clubs responded by restricting the number of guests that members could bring, and restricted access for certain classes of memberships.

“To make room for our full members, we had to restrict our legacy and out-of-town members,” said Ian Leggatt, General Manager of Summit Golf Club in Richmond Hill. “We had to communicate to them that these are unusual times,” said Leggatt, who has since moved to the same position at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Initially, Leggatt and other senior club managers wondered if golfers would “drift from the game” because they couldn’t socialize in the clubhouse restaurant afterwards,

and the on-course experience was altered.

But with fewer golfers on the course, no need to rake bunkers, and single riders on carts, the speed of play improved dramatically.

“The measures were taken for safety, but it provided a better experience,” Finlayson said. “Most golfers expect to play 18 holes in 4 to 4.5 hours, but this year a 4-hour round was considered a bit slow.”

Nonetheless, many golfers were frustrated about access, and many golf clubs stepped up their communication efforts to help their members adapt.

“You couldn’t over-communicate,” Leggatt said. “This whole thing was shifting, and there was no template on how to make it work better.”

It affected everyone, including ClubLink Member and CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, Jeff Calderwood.

“I’d jump on the computer five days in advance at 7 a.m. this fall, and there were often no times at Eagle Creek (his Home Club in Ottawa),” he said. “It illustrated the dilemma we had.”

Industry leaders such as Calderwood are thankful golf provided a silver lining during a pandemic, but they are also mindful that the industry is challenged by how it satisfies core golfers while retaining new players.

“I don’t claim to have all the answers. You could restructure and find that, perhaps with a vaccine, demand doesn’t stay so high, and then you’re not sustainable if you got it wrong.”

Mike Kelly of Golf Ontario was among the industry leaders who consulted with the Ontario government to allow clubs to open this season, and he’s grateful golfers turned a possible disaster into a banner year for golf.

As a golf administrator who represents the sport in Ontario, as well as players who want to play and have fun, Kelly says he can’t lose focus on what’s truly important.

“Our job is to provide a safe environment. That’s our No. 1 priority during this pandemic. We can’t screw this up. The game has grown and the industry will evolve, but the priority must be safety.”

Tim O’Connor is a golf and performance coach, writer and author of four books, co-host of the Swing Thoughts podcast, and webinar presenter. He is the 2020 winner of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award given by Golf Ontario. tim@oconnorgolf.ca

TORONTO – In a year unlike any other, which included the PGA TOUR’s longest hiatus since World War II due to Covid-19, a record number (7) Canadians held PGA TOUR status while the country as a whole impressed across both the amateur and professional ranks.

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) is proud to announce Brooke Henderson, Mackenzie Hughes, Laurent Desmarchais and Brigitte Thibault as the 2020 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country. Along with the player awards, the surge in popularity in golf across Canada was voted as the story of the year.

“Each year, GJAC is proud to recognize and applaud the incredible performances by Canadian professional and amateur players,” said Rick Young, GJAC President. “While 2020 was a difficult year, players across Canada continue to record performances that make covering their achievements and telling the stories behind them a joy for our members.”

After claiming two wins in 2019 to become the winningest Canadian golfer of all time, Henderson continued to make headlines in 2020, making all but one cut on the LPGA Tour, including five top-10 finishes and a runner-up showing at the ANA Inspirational. The 23-year old finished the season with the second-lowest scoring average on Tour (69.7) and is currently the sixth-ranked female professional player in the world.

Mackenzie Hughes was named Male Professional of the Year after recording his best season to date, earning six top-10 PGA TOUR finishes in 22 starts. The 30-year old’s season was highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Honda Classic, where he posted 66 in both the third and final round, and the Tour Championship, where he finished in 14^th place in the FedEx Cup standings, the best of any Canadian since 2013 (Grahem DeLaet, 8^th).

For the second-consecutive year, Rosemére, Quebec’s Brigitte Thibault earned honours as Female Amateur of the Year after another standout season that included wins at the Women’s Western Amateur and the Women’s Dixie Amateur. In addition, Thibault earned two top-3 collegiate finishes with the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Finally, Longueuil, Quebec’s Laurent Desmarchais was named Male Amateur of the Year after claiming a victory over both amateurs and professionals in the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Canada Life Series Championship at TPC Toronto. In addition, Desmarchais was named to the Golf Canada’s National Amateur team due to his standout play.