General registration for most Golf Manitoba championships is now open.

To be eligible to compete in all Golf Manitoba competitions, players must be an active Golf Manitoba/Canada member and must also hold a current Golf Canada Handicap Index.

Players who do not have an active Golf Manitoba/Canada membership through a member club or league can click HERE to learn more and join.

The championship registration process is easier, less time consuming and accessible through Golf Canada’s Score Centre.

To enter all Golf Manitoba events, you must first log into your Golf Canada Score Centre profile using a web browser and select the competitions tab found under the user menu on the top right-hand side of the web page.

Registration is open for the following:

• Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre
• Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Qualifier
• Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Qualifier
• Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation
• Junior Boys Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation
• Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship
• Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship
• Hodson Financial Men’s Senior Championship

Registration for our final six championships will be announced at a later date.

Please note that personal Golf Genius accounts that are active at the club level will not permit you to register for any Golf Manitoba Championship. 

New for 2023, entry deadlines for most events will now close 14 days prior to the start of the championship.

If you have any questions regarding registration, please do not hesitate to contact Amy at amy@golfmb.ca.

You can view the 2023 championship schedule and register HERE.

Golf Manitoba Executive Director Jared Ladobruk is pleased to announce David Borowski has been named Director of Competitions & Rules.

Borowski joins Golf Manitoba after four years in event sales and management. His most recent golf posting was at Kingswood Golf & Country Club where he served as the Head Professional from 2017 to 2019.

“With over 25 years of experience in the golf, sales and service industries, David is a well-respected member of the golf community.” said Ladobruk. “We’re excited to see him apply his business acumen and leverage his years of golf experience in helping to grow our championships and Rules of Golf profile.”

The Winnipeg product also gained valuable experience travelling throughout the province of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario serving as the Territory Manager for Nike Golf Canada.

A PGA of Canada Class “A” member and graduate of the Red River Business & Administrative Studies program, Borowski started his golf career at St. Boniface Golf Club before moving on to Golf Town and then to The Players Course.

“I’m honoured to join the team at Golf Manitoba” said Borowski. “I look forward to working with our volunteers during every event we host and putting on a first class championship for everyone involved.” 

Your League Levelled Up!

(April 3, 2023) – Golf Canada has announced the launch of The National Golf League (NGL), a nationwide network of existing recreational golf leagues designed to enhance the league experience for participants and generate charitable support for First Tee – Canada.

Built for golfers of all skill levels, the National Golf League will feature a six-week regular season that takes place within existing recreational league play during the summer. A series of regional playoff tournaments across Canada will take place in the fall at premium golf courses. The National Golf League will culminate with the NGL National Championship at Hamilton Golf and Country Club as part of the 2024 RBC Canadian Open tournament week celebration.

The National Golf League will also contribute to the development of a more sustainable and inclusive future for the sport by supporting a charitable component through First Tee – Canada. First Tee is a youth development program that provides accessible pathways to golf participation at schools, community centres, and golf courses across the country.

“League play is one of the most popular ways that Canadians engage with golf. The National Golf League will build on the fun that league golfers already have by supplementing and levelling up existing leagues through a national platform for regular season play and an exciting and unique playoff format,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer, Kevin Blue. “The National Golf League will also provide important charitable support to First Tee – Canada, a program that creates youth participation opportunities for the next generation of recreational golfers.”

National Golf League competitions will utilize an official Golf Canada Handicap applied towards a net Stableford scoring system that allows golfers to earn points for the net score they record on each hole.

Regular season NGL competition will take place over nine holes during six weeks of identified league play called “NGL Majors” that are integrated into existing league play and scheduled at the convenience of the local league operator. A golfer’s best four net Stableford point totals of the six NGL Majors will count towards their season-long points total on the NGL leaderboard.

A portion of the top regular season finishers in each participating league will qualify for the NGL Regional Playoffs, which will take place at premium courses across Canada. Qualifying golfers will select a guest teammate who also played in their regular season league and participate as a team of two in a best-ball net Stableford competition over 18 holes. Successful teams in the NGL Regional Playoffs will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to the NGL National Championship.

The NGL is open to recreational golf leagues played at both private and public courses. Participants must be Golf Canada members to ensure an official handicap is used. There is no registration fee for golfers or leagues to join the National Golf League. Participants will be asked to support First Tee – Canada in their home province by way of donation.

The size of the National Golf League will be limited in its launch year to ensure a positive experience for players and league operators. A limited number of spots remain for leagues to join the National Golf League in 2023—interested league operators should contact Ryan Logan (rlogan@golfcanada.ca) to express interest before April 15. For more information visit NationalGolfLeague.ca.

Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill saved his best for the final round during this week’s stop on the DP World Tour.

Cockerill shot a seven under par 65 in the Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg, South Africa to finish play at 16 under par 272, tied for 13th on the leaderboard.

His scorecard included an eagle on the third hole, birdies on the seventh, 10th, 11th, 15th and 16th holes along with 12 pars.

Cockerill opened play Thursday shooting a six under par 66.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

Golf Manitoba Executive Director Jared Ladobruk and Elmhurst Golf & Country Club Director of Golf Operations Dave McMillan are pleased to announce a joint venture in the expansion of the 2023 Elmhurst Invitational Amateur Championship.

This year’s championship will see the addition of Golf Manitoba’s top junior boys and girls players to the field. Thanks to the generous contributions of the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and in partnership with the Elmhurst Golf & Country and Golf Manitoba, the winners of each division in the 2023 event will receive a spot in the respective Golf Canada Canadian Junior Championship along with financial travel support.

“I am thrilled to see this opportunity presented to our junior players” said Ladobruk. “The Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation has been such a tremendous partner in helping us to grow our junior programming and this is another example of their dedication to junior golf in Manitoba. I also want to thank the membership of the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club for their support of player development in our province in adding a junior division to this great event.”

“We are delighted as a club to be able to carry on the Colonello name and its legacy of supporting junior golf,” added McMillan. “Alex and Peggy were both honorary life members of Elmhurst and did so much for the club and continue to give back to Manitoba Golf through their foundation. We are happy to be able to affiliate The Elmhurst Invitational with Alex and Peggy’s vision of providing opportunities for junior golfers at their long-time golf home. I want to thank Golf Manitoba’s Jared Ladobruk for their partnership, supporting the event through the years, and moving ahead with this new initiative. Special thanks to the members of Elmhurst, long-time member and former champion John Multan and Head Professional Matt Lorenz for keeping the event alive and well. We look forward to celebrating the event’s rich tradition and adding the Colonello foundation’s support will only enhance the event for years to come.”

Once again this year, an exemption will be available to either the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship or the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion for the winner in this year’s men’s field. Invitation criteria will be adjusted and subject to the approval of the tournament committee as well as Golf Manitoba being able to accommodate the junior players on the field.

Founded in 2003 by long-time Elmhurst member John Multan, the Elmhurst Invitational Amateur Championship has become one of the highest regarded amateur events held in the province outside of the Golf Manitoba championship calendar. The field is continually one of the strongest of the year with most of the province’s top players taking part.

Past champions include the likes of the DP World Tour’s Aaron Cockerill, along with past Manitoba Men’s Amateur Champions Garth Collings, Derek East, Todd Fanning, Matt Johnston, Brad Kirton, Justin McDonald, Peter More and Marco Trstenjak.

The 2023 Elmhurst Invitational will be contested June 24 & 25.

Golf Manitoba Executive Director Jared Ladobruk is pleased to announce Sean Murray has been named the new Head Coach of the Team Manitoba Junior Boy’s Program.

Murray, who is a PGA of Canada class A professional, assumes the role from Derrik Goodwin, who resigned due to personal and professional time constraints.

“First of all, I would like to thank Derrik for everything he has done for our program. He spent countless hours with our young athletes continuing the tradition and work ethic of his predecessor Garth Goodbrandson. I, and our staff, are grateful to know Derrik will be a valued resource moving forward as he focuses on his family and current position at Glendale Golf & Country Club” said Ladobruk. “As we move forward into 2023, we welcome Sean to our Golf Manitoba family. Sean is highly regarded by his mentors in the golf community and I know our Team Manitoba athletes will learn a great deal from him both on and off the course”. 

Murray is a graduate of Sisler High School and continued his studies into Red River College’s Business Administration program where he majored in marketing.

His golf and coaching resume includes working locally at The Players Course and Breezy Bend Country Club prior to moving to Calgary to join the staff at the Bearspaw Golf Club. During his time in Alberta, Murray was an Assistant Coach with the University of Calgary Dinos and Alberta Provincial team. He then went East and was named High Performance Coach and Junior Coordinator at Royal Montreal Golf Club.  In 2022, Murray was named an Assistant Coach for the Team Manitoba Junior Boys’ Program.

Last year, Murray returned home to join the staff at St. Charles Country Club as an Associate Professional. He will continue with his current role as Director of Instruction and Junior Golf Coordinator.

About Team Manitoba: The Team Manitoba program provides enhanced training, development, and competitive opportunities for both aspiring and accomplished junior female and male athletes from the Golf Manitoba region.

The program encompasses fitness, sports psychology, nutrition, technique, equipment management and regional, multi-sport, and national level competition. For more, please visit golfmb.ca/team-manitoba.

The board of directors, volunteers and staff at Golf Manitoba hope you enjoy a safe and happy holiday season and we extend our best wishes for the New Year.

In observation of the holiday season, the Golf Manitoba office will be closed beginning December 24, 2022 and will re-open on January 3, 2023.

The 2022 edition of Golf Canada’s successful campaign for #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards features personalized achievements and countless golf stories from across the country

OAKVILLE (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada’s #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is back, and the 2022 edition is loaded with more achievements, more milestones and more fun for every member who logged their scores this year.

Building on the success of the 2021 campaign and the hugely popular Spotify Wrapped, Golf Canada has enhanced this year’s #MyGolfYear experience with a snapshot from golf scores posted during the season. In addition to total rounds, best round, total holes played, total distance played, users will now have more personalized insights in the form of Achievements.

“Last year we saw how much Golf Canada members loved sharing their #MyGolfYear stats on social media,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Marketing Officer, Lisa Ferkul. “So, this year we really wanted to step up our game and give members even more personal achievements to be proud of when posting to social media channels.”

The full list of achievements for 2022 include:

• Top Golfer: You’re in rarefied air; your handicap ranks you as one of the top X% golfers in Canada.

• Every Day I’m Golfing: You played golf every day of the week this year; something you and 106,943 other Canadians did in 2022.
• Golfer for All Seasons: You played at least one round in each of April, May, June, July, August, September and October.
• Have Clubs, Will Travel: You and XX,XXX other Canadians ventured out and played golf in Y different cities in Canada in 2022.
• #MyGolfDay: You play golf on Sundays and only on Sundays. That’s your day. No ifs, ands or buts.
• Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: You managed to play at least a round of golf five weeks in a row this year.
• Peak Summer: Canada’s warmest day in 2022 was July 28th; on that day, you and another 56,894 Canadians played golf.
• Hole in One: The highest of achievements; you and just 3,089 other Canadians got a hole-in-one in 2022.
• From Sea to Sea: You really get around; you and just X,XXX others played golf in Y different provinces of Canada this year.
• I Am Canadian: You and 109,718 others celebrated Canada Day weekend in the best possible way: Getting in a round of golf.
• Giving Thanks: An ideal Thanksgiving may or may involve turkey, but for you and 32,704 other Canadians, it definitely involved a round of golf.
• Golf Supporter: You’ve been a supporter of Golf Canada and golf in Canada for more than five years—thank you!
• Golf Protector: You’ve supported Golf Canada for over 10 years and helped us grow the game—thank you!
• Breaking Not Bad: You scored a round under 100 / 90 / 80 / 70 this year—congrats!
• New To The Club: You’re new to the Golf Canada community for 2022—welcome!

“We want Golf Canada members to see their achievements from score posting as badges of pride and measures of participation and improvement,” Ferkul said. “We also think it will be great when they receive validation of those achievements from their friends when they post their #MyGolfYear roundup on social media.

With more than 270,000 Golf Canada members posting scores in 2022, the marketing team at the national sports organization started digging into the data that would eventually lead to #MyGolfYear months ago. Sully Syed, Golf Canada’s Senior Director of Digital Experience and Technology said that once his team started exploring the data behind the posted scores, several things caught his attention.

“Once we started getting through the score posting data, we really started learning about Golf Canada members,” Syed said. “We learned about the days of the week they play, what golf courses they play most, how far they will travel to play golf, and so much more about their golfing habits in 2022.”

The data also revealed several amazing individual member stories, like that of Jeff Forgrave—whose posted scores indicated he did a few things no one else in Canada did in 2022. Forgrave played golf in all 10 provinces, played 103 different golf courses and played in 50 different cities in 2022.

“I’m an overly avid golfer,” Forgrave admits. “I’ve previously played in all 10 provinces, but never in the same year. This year was one of extensive travels and a lot of golf.”

While Forgrave is a longtime golfer, there were other stories from brand new Golf Canada members like Kathryn McCully of Petitcodiac Valley Golf and Country Club in New Brunswick. As a new Golf Canada member in 2022, McCully logged 89 rounds of golf for the year.

“I plan to play as much, if not more in the coming seasons,” McCully says. “My goal is to get technical with my game and do regular lessons with hopes of becoming more consistent, confident and competitive,” she says, adding, “it’s addicting to add your scorecard into the Golf Canada App and watch your handicap hopefully improve.

With more than 270,000 Golf Canada members posting nearly 10-million scores in 2022, there is no shortage of stories from #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards. What’s your 2022 #MyGolfYear story?

To learn more about Golf Canada and the benefits of membership, visit join.golfcanada.ca

The 2022 golf season has come to an end in Manitoba.

One of the memorable stories to share is Ryder St. Laurent, who made two holes in one on the 14th hole at Niakwa Country Club.

Golf Manitoba released its annual report during its 20th annual general meeting that was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2022.

Click HERE to view the report which includes a summary of the association’s highlights and successes from the 2022 season including financials for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022.