Golf Manitoba is mourning the passing of past-president and long-time volunteer, Sydney (Syd) Cohan, who passed away at the age of 89 on November 7, 2020 after a brief struggle with illness.

Mr. Cohan was President of the Manitoba Golf Association from 1996 to 1997 and was a founding member of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc. He also volunteered for many years as a Rules Referee in addition to serving as the non-playing captain of the Manitoba Willingdon Cup team that competed at the 1997 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championships. Mr. Cohan was a longtime member of Glendale Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, MB.

To view Mr. Cohan’s obituary, please click HERE.

Golf Manitoba released its annual report during its annual general meeting that was held virtually on October 28, 2020.

Click HERE to view the report which includes a summary of the association’s highlights and successes from the 2020 season including financials for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020.

In a year unlike any other, 2020 amplified the many benefits of golf to the world. In Manitoba and Northwest Ontario, the outstanding and altruistic acts of generosity by our sponsors has enriched Golf Manitoba programs for all golfers. It is with sincere gratitude that Golf Manitoba thanks its sponsors and encourages our golf community to continue to support our sponsors through your patronage:

adidas Golf Canada and territory sales and marketing manager, Paige Lawrence. adidas Golf is the official performance apparel partner of Golf Manitoba and features the latest in high-performance golf apparel technologies proudly worn by Golf Manitoba teams, staff and volunteers.

The Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation and foundation president, Marg Homenuik. The Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation’s unprecedented support of Golf Manitoba’s grassroots and high-performance junior girl’s and junior boy’s programs continued in a challenging year for youth. Additionally, the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation continued its support of the University of Manitoba’s female and male golf programs as well as the induction ceremony conducted by the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

Diamond Athletic Medical Supplies and Gerald Diamond. Diamond Athletic is one of the most respected sports medicine healthcare and rehabilitation companies in all of Canada and is based in Winnipeg since 1946. Diamond Athletics continued and enhanced its sponsorship for both the Women’s Amateur and Men’s Mid-Amateur.

Nott Autocorp and president, Trevor Nott. NOTT Autocorp’s long-term commitment to amateur golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario through its vehicle donations is an example of its community and charitable support that has been invaluable in allowing Golf Manitoba to provide and enhance our exposure in the golf community.

TaylorMade Golf Canada and sales and marketing territory manager, Eric Johnson. TaylorMade Golf Canada is the official equipment performance partner of Golf Manitoba and continued to donate high performance golf products to Golf Manitoba to help players of all skill levels reach their potential.

The Golf Dome and owner Janet Robertsen. The Golf Dome continues to support Golf Manitoba’s offseason training and player development in a spacious and enjoyable environment that is not weather dependent.

Last and certainly not least, we wish to acknowledge the tremendous support we receive from Golf Canada and Sport Manitoba, funding, and programming partners of Golf Manitoba. We also wish to extend our thanks to our partners at the PGA of Manitoba.

If your business is interested in learning more about joining Golf Manitoba as sponsor in 2021, please contact Jared Ladobruk, Executive Director of Golf Manitoba at 204.925.5729 or at jared@golfmb.ca.

They are some of Canada’s most renowned golf legends, a list amassed of professional and amateur players, course architects and administrators. They have all contributed to the growth of the game of golf in this country. However, their contributions to golf pale in comparison to their contributions to the fabric of our nation.

November 11 is Remembrance Day. A day we remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. What better day to remember Canadian golfers of the past who helped our nation during its greatest times of need.

The following are just some of the contributions Canadian golf legends made to the Allied forces during the First and Second World Wars.

Florence Harvey

During World War I, Hamilton, Ont. native Florence Harvey, along with other women golfers in Canada, raised enough money to purchase an ambulance for use in Serbia.

A staunch advocate of women’s golf, Harvey founded and held the position of Secretary of the Canadian Ladies Golf Union – later known as the former Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association (CLGA).

One of the top players of her day, Harvey won the 1903 and 1904 Canadian Ladies’ championship, while capturing the Ontario Ladies Championship on four occasions.

During WWII, the CLGA also raised money, this time their money went towards the purchase of a Spitfire plane.

Karl Keffer is best known for becoming the first Canadian-born golfer to win our national championship – the Canadian Open – in 1909. He also won in 1914.

Keffer, from Tottenham, Ont., was a founding member of the PGA of Canada and held numerous positions during his 29-year involvement with the association including; secretary-treasurer, captain and president. Keffer, a war veteran, pleaded with other golf professionals of his day to join the war effort.

Stanley Thompson

Stanley Thompson

Most golf enthusiasts will know Stanley Thompson as a renowned Canadian golf course architect. Thompson, who was born in Toronto, has 200 course designs to his credit throughout an illustrious career as an architect with a majority of them residing in Canada.

However, many don’t know Thompson was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in WWI.

Donald Carrick

Donald Carrick, born in Thunder Bay, Ont., was a standout amateur golfer. A two time Canadian Amateur champion, Carrick also won the 1924 US Junior Boy’s Championship, several Ontario amateur titles and played for Canada against the British Walker Cup team before retiring from competitive golf in 1933 to focus on his family and law practice. Carrick would become a political figure and also competed as a boxer in the 1928 Summer Olympics.

Carrick also received the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E) for his service in the Royal Artillery during WWII.

Winnipeg’s Geoffrey Cornish, one of the legendary Stanley Thompson’s protégés, fashioned a career in golf course architecture. He was one of the best Canada has ever produced. With a career that included more than 200 golf course designs or remodellings, Cornish turned his attention towards chronicling the history of his field, becoming an author and penning several internationally-acclaimed books on golf course architecture in the later part of his career.

Cornish was a Major in the Canadian Army, serving in Europe from 1940-45.

To these and other notable figures in Canadian golf who have supported our troops as well as all of the brave men and women who have served our country – thank you.

WINNIPEG – Bobbi Uhl of the Shilo Golf & Country Club and Neel Soni of the St. Charles Country Club have been voted as the 2020 Amateur Golfers of the Year, Golf Manitoba announced today. It is the first Golfer of the Year Award for both Uhl and Soni.

Each year upon the completion of the competitive season, the Amateur Golfer of the Year Award Selection Committee reviews athlete results and votes on the candidates. This year’s panel included four-time provincial women’s amateur champion, provincial junior champion and former Golfer of the Year recipient, Jill Hardy, two-time men’s amateur champion, provincial junior champion and touring professional, Adam Spiers, and Clayton Dreger of CFAM radio 950 and sportsnet.ca contributor Ken Wiebe.

“On behalf of the Board and volunteers of Golf Manitoba, my congratulations to both Bobbi Uhl and Neel Soni on being voted the 2020 Amateur Golfers of the Year,” said Golf Manitoba President Ken Warwick. “This was an exceptional year for both Bobbi and Neel and our association is delighted to be able to recognize their accomplishments and add their names to the prestigious list of past recipients.”

Bobbi Uhl began the 2020 summer competitive season with an impressive win at the Golf Manitoba Women’s Match Play Championship that was contested at the historic St. Charles Country Club. Uhl started the event by earning medalist honours in the 36-hole qualifier by 8 shots. In the finals, she took the victory with a 5 and 4 victory defeating defending champion Hannah Diamond in the finals. The win was her first in the event after two straight runner-up finishes in both 2019 and 2018. She then followed her Match Play victory with a runner-up finish in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship on rounds of 74-79-76 for a 229 total and one shot shy of tying top spot.

Bobbi Uhl, 2020 Female Amateur Golfer of the Year (photo: Thomas Friesen)

Neel Soni of the St. Charles Country Club finished his junior competitive career by winning the 2020 Junior Men’s Championship. Soni took the lead in the 54-hole event after round one and never looked back posting rounds of 68-70-70 enroute to his first junior championship title. Soni continued his strong play later that week at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship where he posted a four-day total of 289 to finish alone in 2nd and just three shots back of the winner. By right of his play with an impressive 71.0 scoring average in both the junior and amateur championships, Soni would have qualified to represent Manitoba on both the junior men’s and men’s amateur interprovincial teams had the 2020 national season not been cancelled due to the pandemic.

Neel Soni, 2020 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year (photo: Bob Poole)

The finalists for Female Amateur Golfer of the Year were Rhonda Orr (Southwood Golf & Country Club), Veronica Vetesnik (Kingswood Golf & Country Club) and Crystal Zamzow (Swan River Golf & Country Club). The finalists for the Male Golfer of the Year Award included Austin Dobrescu (Shilo Country Club), Braxton Kuntz (Breezy Bend Country Club) and Marco Trstenjak (Elmhurst Golf & Country Club).

The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award was presented for the 46th time on November 4, 2020.

About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award – The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award recognizes outstanding performance by Manitoba golfers in all levels of competition with the first award presented in 1975. In 2015, the award was re-established to include both a female and male category.

Past Golfer of the Year Recipients:

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.

For more information:

Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
jared@golfmb.ca

The Order of Sport Excellence Award Program was established by the province of Manitoba to celebrate athletic achievements by Manitobans. Administered by Sport Manitoba, the awards give public recognition to the accomplishments of athletes and coaches in provincial, national and international competition. In recognition of this award program, Sport Manitoba and Golf Manitoba would like to congratulate the 2020 provincial golf champions with Award of Merit Certificates:

• 2020 Junior Men’s Champion: Neel Soni
  
• 2020 Junior Women’s Champion: Crystal Zamzow
• 2020 Men’s Amateur Champion: Marco Trstenjak
• 2020 Women’s Amateur Champion: Veronica Vetesnik
• 2020 Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion: Allan McDonald
• 2020 Men’s Mid-Masters Champion: Mike Tibbs
• 2020 Men’s Senior Champion: Bruce North
• 2020 Women’s Senior Champion: Rhonda Orr
• 2020 Super Senior Men’s Champion: Barry Minish
• 2020 Super Senior Women’s Champion: Karen Saarimaki

Congratulations to this years Order of Sport of Excellence Award recipients!

Ada MacKenzie was a pioneer in women’s golf in Canada, both through her competitive accomplishments and her efforts to encourage young women to play golf.  In 1933 she was named Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year by the Canadian Press and later inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1971.

The Ada MacKenzie Award was created as a tribute to her legacy and is awarded annually by Golf Manitoba. It is a club level competition where each club determines their Ada MacKenzie winner based on the lowest Net score of participating female members. Scores are then submitted to Golf Manitoba and a provincial winner is determined.

This year, Golf Manitoba is pleased to recognize Leslie King of the Tuxedo Ladies Group on winning the 2020 Ada MacKenzie award with a net score of 65. From all of us at Golf Manitoba, congratulations Lesley!

WINNIPEG, MB – Volunteers have been at the heart of Golf Manitoba since its founding in 2003 and prior to that for both the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association (MLGA) and the Manitoba Golf Association (MGA). The time and expertise volunteers donate year after year enable Golf Manitoba to achieve its goals. The volunteer contribution, dedication and commitment are vital to the growth of the organization.

Each year, Golf Manitoba recognizes the outstanding individual contributions of a long-serving volunteer through its Distinguished Service Award. The criteria for the award is long-time service to Golf Manitoba (including Manitoba Golf Association & Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association); going above and beyond the expectations of a volunteer; proving to be an advocate for the game and the Association, demonstrated commitment to amateur golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario and displaying qualities of a positive role model for other volunteers.

After a combined 52 years of volunteerism to the sport of golf, Golf Manitoba is pleased to recognize Brenda & Dennis Prystayko as this year’s recipients of the Golf Manitoba Distinguished Service Award.

Brenda’s volunteerism in golf began in 1990 with the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association where she served as a Board member and a non-playing captain for numerous junior girl’s provincial teams. When the MLGA merged to become Golf Manitoba, she became actively involved with the junior girl’s development teams that competed in the ladies Nassau League, Western Canada and Canada Summer Games and at national level championships. Brenda’s enthusiasm and her involvement directly contributed to the success of the junior girl’s program where many of her past players have continued to play competitively at university and provincial level championships.

Brenda has been an excellent role model for junior girl’s golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario where she created an atmosphere that made playing competitive golf fun. The Nassau team alumni speak fondly of their experience and continue to enjoy their relationship with Brenda. Every parent and every junior girl who where fortunate to know Brenda have nothing but nice things to say about her contributions and her genuine interest in wanting to help and grow junior girls golf.

Brenda Prystayko’s volunteer highlights:

• Began volunteering with the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association (MLGA) in 1990
• Previous Board member of the MLGA
• Non-Playing Captain for Provincial teams with the MLGA
• Manager for Team Manitoba at the 2011 Western Canada Games
• Manager for Team Manitoba at the 2013 Canada Games
• Manager for Team Manitoba at the 2017 Canada Games
• Non-Playing Captain for Team Manitoba numerous times at the Canadian Junior
• Non-Playing Captain for the Junior Girls Nassau Team since their inception in 2008

Dennis Prystayko’s volunteerism began in 1998 with the then Manitoba Golf Association and most recently with Golf Manitoba. He has dedicated countless hours assisting with the junior boy’s development program where he acted as a non-playing captain for the junior teams that competed in the Mundie Putter league and at national junior championships. His leadership skills are exceptional, and he has developed an amazing relationship with many junior golfers several of whom have gone on to play college golf, have become top provincial players as well as Club and Touring Professionals. Dennis has shown a genuine interest and dedication in helping to grow the sport of golf during his 22 years of service.

Dennis Prystayko’s volunteer highlights:

• Began volunteering for the MGA in 1998
• Non-Playing Captain for Team Manitoba at the Canadian Junior for many years
• Captain of the junior boys Mundie Putter team for 17 years
• Past member of Golf Manitoba’s Player Development Committee

Dennis and Brenda continue to enjoy their passion for golf and are both active, long-time members of the Pine Ridge Golf Club in Winnipeg.

“Golf Manitoba is very fortunate to have received so many years of dedicated service from both Brenda and Dennis Prystayko. They have been fantastic role models for junior golf and have been exceptional ambassadors for the association,” said Golf Manitoba Executive Director Jared Ladobruk. “And on behalf of our association and our volunteers, we are honoured to recognize Brenda and Dennis Prystayko as the Distinguished Service Award recipients for 2020.”

Past Distinguished Service Award recipients:

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.

For more information:

Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
jared@golfmb.ca

Volunteers have been at the heart of Golf Manitoba since its founding in 2003 and prior to that for both the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association and the Manitoba Golf Association.

We cannot say enough about our fabulous group of outstanding, dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers that have continued to sustain Golf Manitoba as a viable organization over our 105 years of operation! Our wonderful volunteers continue to fill the many critical roles necessary to allow Golf Manitoba to achieve its vision of providing quality, innovative and accessible programs and services to our membership. Volunteer roles with Golf Manitoba include:

• Board of Directors
• Committee chairs and members
• Rules referees
• Photographers
• Non-playing captains
• Junior program development
• Course raters
• Starters & scorers
• Pace of play officials
• Rules educators
• Fundraising
• Host club activities

It is vital to Golf Manitoba to recognize and thank its volunteers as we could not deliver our programs and services without them. The Volunteer Recognition Program recognizes volunteers with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25+ years of service. Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS to the following individuals who achieved milestones in volunteerism with Golf Manitoba in 2020:

5-years of Service:

• Rob Bell – Glendale Golf & Country Club – Rules Referee
• Bob Poole – Photographer
• Bob Peters – St Charles Country Club – Board of Directors /Sponsorship Committee Chair

10-years of Service:

• Celeste Pryma – Course Rating
• Lori Russell – Breezy Bend Country Club – Course Rating / Starter
• Vince Mariani – Elmhurst Golf & Country Club – Board of Directors / Past-President

15-years of Service:

• Aija Culley – Carman Golf & Curling Club – Course Rating
• Gord Hudson – Southwood Golf & Country Club – Rules Referee /Course Marker / Officials Committee
• Bill Barbaza – St Charles Country Club – Rules Referee

20-years of Service:

• Don Hargot – St Charles Country Club – Course Rating / Pace of Play Official
• Florence Mehmel – Breezy Bend Country Club – Rules Referee / Pace of Play Official

25-years of Service:

• Betty Grant – Windsor Park Golf Course – Rules
• Michelle Lee – St Charles Country Club – Rules/ Starter/Committee

New for 2020, we are retro-actively recognizing volunteer milestones beyond 25 years. Congratulations and THANK YOU to the following individuals on 30, 35 and 40+ years of service:

30-years of Service:

• On October 23, 2019: Irv Benne – Elmhurst Golf & Country Club – Rules Referee / Course Marker
• On October 23, 2019: Barbara Hamill – St Charles Country Club – Course Rating / Rules / Pace of Play / Starter / Committee
• On October 23, 2019: Brenda Prystayko – Pine Ridge Golf Club – Starter / Junior Program Development
• On October 23, 2019: Lou Spado – Rules Referee /Board Member / Past-President
• On October 21, 2013: George McLeod – Shilo Golf & Country Club – Rules Referee / Course Marker / Past-President
• On October 23, 2006: Rick Thain – Rules Referee / Course Marker / Past-President

35-years of Service:

• On October 22, 2018: George McLeod – Shilo Golf & Country Club – Rules Referee / Course Marker / Past-President
• On October 18, 2011: Rick Thain – Rules Referee / Course Marker / Past-President

40-years of Service:

• On October 24, 2016: Rick Thain – Rules Referee / Course Marker / Past-President

For more information on volunteering with Golf Manitoba, please visit golfmb.ca/volunteering.

The Canadian golf industry generated $18.2B in economic benefits across our nation in 2019, according to a recent economic analysis conducted by Group ATN Consulting Inc. on behalf of the National Allied Golf Associations (We Are Golf).

According to The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019), the Canadian golf industry employs the equivalent of nearly 249,000 people through direct and spin-off effects and contributed to $10.6B in household income. The industry also contributed $4.5B in government tax revenue ($1.8B federal and $2.1B provincial) used to support a variety of programs for all Canadians.

Based on nationwide surveys completed by golfers and golf course operators in 10 provinces and three territories along with multiple industry data sources, The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) is a follow up to previous comprehensive and independent assessment studies (2014, 2009) of the economic impact of the golf industry in Canada. The $18.2B economic impact of golf represents a 14% increase in contribution to Canada’s GDP between 2013 and 2019.

“The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) further reinforces the enormous financial, employment, charitable, tourism and positive environmental impact that the sport and the business of golf are affecting across Canada,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chair of We Are Golf and CEO of Golf Canada. “This third iteration of the study provides the golf industry with a powerful snapshot of the scale and magnitude that our sport has on the Canadian economy and within the communities where we live, work and play.”

The study presents economic insights for each of the 10 provinces and three territories from coast to coast. Also captured in the report are comparisons to international economic insights from select countries and regions including the United States, European Union, and Australia.

The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) was conducted on behalf of We Are Golf by Group ATN Consulting Inc., a world leader in economic development and analysis for communities, regions, and industries. Group ATN previously conducted the 2014 and 2009 Canadian Golf Economic Impact Studies (based on 2013 and 2008 data respectively) which have allowed the Canadian golf industry to benchmark the game’s economic impact over five-year periods.

“Every industry has its own unique circumstances to allow for, and the ability to repeat the same application of our model for Canadian golf is a significant advantage,” said Tom McGuire, Principal with Group ATN Consulting. “Beyond consistency, we have also been able to further improve certain aspects based upon learnings from the prior studies we did for the National Allied Golf Associations (We Are Golf).”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GOLF IN CANADA (2019)

The game of golf accounts for an estimated $18.2B of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is up 14% from the $15.9B reported in 2014*. Included within the 2019 economic impact:

• The golf industry directly employed nearly 150,000 full-time, full-year equivalent positions, representing many more individuals who are employed in the sector. This number grows to approximately 249,000 when accounting for direct, indirect, and induced employment.

• The golf industry directly contributed $4.8B in household income, rising to $10.6B when considering the combined direct, indirect, and induced impacts.

• The golf industry generated $4.5B in government tax revenue; including $1.8B in federal tax revenue and $2.1B in provincial tax revenue.

• Conservatively, course operators invested $727M industry-wide on capital expenditures.

*Note that 2014 figures are adjusted by the consumer price index and reported as current dollars.

Additional Insights from The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019)

• Employment – The golf industry is a significant job provider for youth with 48% of its workforce identified as students.

• Travel – Canadians along with international visitors contributed to $8.6B in golf-related travel nationwide. Canadians made approximately 4.8M trips involving golf, including 3.0M in their home province and 1.8M outside their home province and abroad.

• Golfer Spending – golfers in Canada spent approximately $19.3B on items such as green fees, memberships, lessons, equipment, travel, hospitality, events, and other golf-related expenditures.

• Canadian Course Operators – a total of 2,283 facilities were estimated to be operating in 2019, accounting for 2,043 courses (18-hole equivalent); course operators collectively spent approximately $3.8B in course expenditures.

• Land management – Golf course operations manage between 155,000 and 175,000 hectares, including 30,000 to 35,000 hectares of wildlife and wetland area.

• Charitable Impact – The golf industry generated an estimated $330M in charitable impact through more than 51,000 tournaments and events.

• Golf Participation – Canadian golfers played an estimated 57.0M rounds in 2019.

Although released in 2020, The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) does not factor in the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian golf industry.

“Establishing a baseline for the economic impact of our sport measured against pre-2020 Covid-19 spending is an important benchmark consideration for the integrity and continuity of the study,” added Applebaum. “Based on what we learned through the 2020 season, the safety of golf through this pandemic and the potential for a lift in participation and spending on the game, we are optimistic in looking ahead.”

An executive summary along with a complete report outlining the results of The Economic Impact of Golf in Canada (2019) is available by clicking here or by visiting any of the We Are Golf partner websites.