The 2025/26 Golf Manitoba Board of Directors was announced at the Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF at Niakwa Country Club. The twelve-member board was elected during the associations 23rd Annual General Meeting that was held on October 29, 2025.

The Board of Directors is comprised of dedicated volunteers from across the Golf Manitoba jurisdiction of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario.

The Board’s duties are to direct the business affairs of the association.

The members of the 2025/26 Golf Manitoba Board of Directors are:

OFFICERS

President: Bob Peters, St. Charles Country Club
Vice President: Craig Martin, Minnewasta Golf & Country Club
Vice President & Treasurer: Janice Rees, Windsor Park Ladies
Past President: Susan Wright-Cassan, Emerald Greens Golf Course & Driving Range

DIRECTORS

Rob Bell, Breezy Bend Country Club
Michael Berney, Delahunt Golf & Country Club
Gord Hudson, Southwood Golf & Country Club
D’Arcy Lachance, Elmhurst Golf & Country Club
Justin Price, Glendale Golf & Country Club
Blake Russell, Niakwa Country Club
Matthew Simmons, Whitewater Golf Club
Braden Watts, Shilo Country Club

In addition to the election, Golf Manitoba also released its 2025 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the Association’s Financial Statements.

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

(courtesy Michelle Lee)

Good evening everyone and congrats to all of our competitors, volunteers and staff on a successful 2025 season. My name is Michelle Lee and together with Susan Wright-Cassan we have been gifted the opportunity to present Golf Manitoba’s Distinguished Service Award.

This award was created in 2006 and first awarded in 2007 recognizing an individual who has gone above and beyond, who is a true advocate of all aspects of the sport of golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. It is NOT simply based on year of service but rather exceptional service, dedication, and that special je ne sais quoi that  that deserves the title of distinguished!

This evening we are just tickled pink to honor Carol as the newest member of the DSA family and are so pleased that she is able to be with us tonight and I will get back to that in a bit.

Carol and I go back so many years that we both had long, dark, undyed  hair. One of our first meetings was as competitors at the Women’s City & District Championship. Carol fired into the Kingswood Golf & Country Club parking lot in her hot red sports car with her hair flying behind her in the wind and parked right next to me. She had somehow managed to squeeze her clubs into that tiny red sports car and as we were unpacking, she greeted me with that big warm smile of hers and introduced herself. Thanks to golf we created a long lasting connection.

Carol started volunteering initially for the Manitoba Ladies Golf association in 1997 and is still volunteering with Golf Manitoba 28 years strong. There is not any sign of her slowing down. That’s just not Carol’s MO.

Hopefully, some of you read Carol’s media release and her healthy resume. She certainly does check all the boxes for the ‘distinguished’ category.

I would like to speak to another facet that cannot be quantified in a checklist.

Carol is that type of special volunteer who can always put a smile on our faces even if it is something we don’t want to hear:

• like a ruling not in our favor,
• like a time violation warning,
• like an op-positional opinion in our boardroom.

She has taken on being a district rep, club rep, started & scorer, pace of play official, a board member and a rules official …with integrity, discipline, dedication, honesty & fairness …and a true and genuine love for our sport.

Carol is the type of volunteer that you have every confidence in her dependability, in her professional conduct, in her desire to provide the absolute best for Golf Manitoba in each and every volunteer role she has taken on….and yes, that includes the good old days when we worked the night shift Bingo’s.

Carol is the type of volunteer who offers her help before she is asked.

Carol, you have been an absolute pleasure to work with as a volunteer…and that comes from many more volunteers than just me. 

Carol has been a one person recruitment team for our association. No wonder you have recruited so many volunteers – you make it sound like winning the lottery! Thanks for advocating for Golf Manitoba as both a volunteer and as a competitor.

Carol makes volunteering fun. She has a sparkle about her that is infectious. She has been a superb mentor to so many and is always happy to do so.

Always wanting to help, Carol helped with the

• launch of the initial Manitoba Golf in Schools program and went out to her neighborhood schools to promote and educate and obtain funding for the program.
• She was also right there to pitch in with the planning and the day for the  ‘PINK OUT LOUD’ golf for the cure tournaments which saw almost 50 women all in various shades of pink ..golfing and raising money for cancer care Manitoba.

As a level 2 certified rules official, Carol demonstrates a kindness and fairness that helps us to realize that the rules officials are actually there to help us…not punish us.

Always there, always ready to ‘pitch in’, always with a positive and engaging attitude and ALWAYS ready to let out her trade mark “WOOP WOOP”!

Carol has driven that same hot red convertible right up to this year. But don’t worry, she simply replaced it with another red convertible and she still can fit her golf clubs in it and still let’s her ‘not as long and a bit more gray hair‘ fly in the wind!

So from your volunteer family, your fellow competitors and friends, all of Golf Manitoba…our warmest congratulations and gratitude.

Earlier I had mentioned ‘I’ll get back to that in a bit’ ..So here is that ‘bit’.

Carol has managed to be with us tonight while she is living through a very difficult time that is related to family illness. I just know that this entire room sends out to Carol their care & support. Tough to ‘woop woop’ right now so on behalf of Carol I would like to express her sentiments about being the 2025 recipient of the DSA award.

Firstly, Carol feels both honored and touched to have been chosen. Being part of Golf Manitoba for 28 years has been a wonderful journey that has created for her a second family. She thanks the past MLGA for her ‘start’ on this Journey and to Golf Manitoba and our sponsors for providing the opportunities to continue on with her learning, growing, and creating an even larger 2^nd family.

Carol has always followed the motto of paying it forward and Golf Manitoba has provided her the opportunity to do just that. To the volunteer family – it has been a priceless gift to have had so many adventures, laughs and challenges together with all of you. For Carol, the experience of spending decades in creating this cherished circle of friends has been a joyous time and her hope, her wish, and her belief is that there will be much more of that to follow.

She is beyond pleased to accept this award and is both proud and humbled to be the 2025 recipient.

Thank you to Golf Manitoba, to her fellow volunteers and of course to her own family who has steadfastly supported her volunteer work.

Honoring a Community of Volunteers

In addition to the Martel, this year’s awards ceremony celebrated the dedication of twelve outstanding volunteers who have reached significant milestones in their service to Golf Manitoba. These individuals have been recognized for their continuous contributions of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25+ years of service.

5 year: David Kazina, Joan Todd
10 year: Rob Bell, Bob Peters, Bob Poole
15 year: Sandra Cross, Vince Mariani, Celeste Pryma, Lori Russell
20 year: Aija Culley, Gord Hudson
25 year: Florence Mehmel
30 year: Betty Grant, Michelle Lee

All volunteers were honoured during the 2025 Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF on Wednesday, October 29 at Niakwa Country Club.

To view the photo gallery, click here.

About the Golf Manitoba Distinguished Service Award

The Golf Manitoba Distinguished Service Award (DSA) recognizes volunteers who have gone above an beyond in making a positive impact on the golf community locally, regionally and/or nationally. The ideal candidate will display qualities of a positive role model to fellow volunteers through leadership, creativity, mentorship, excellent communication skills and dedicated service to the sport of golf and to Golf Manitoba.

Past DSA recipients

Golf Manitoba members set an all-time score posting record in 2025 with 320,629 scores registered in the Golf Canada Score Centre. That is an average of just over 29 rounds posted per member.

The 2025 season total represents a 10% increase over the previous record set in 2024 (289,000).

Over 205,000 rounds posted in 2025 were using the Golf Canada App.

Nationally, Golf Manitoba members contributed to another record breaking season reported by Golf Canada of with score posting to surpass over 10.5 million rounds.

The top five member clubs in Manitoba for score posting during the 2025 Active Season were as follows:

1. Pine Ridge Golf Club – 23,508
2. Southwood Golf & Country Club – 23,507
3. St. Charles Country Club – 22,294
4. Rossmere Country Club – 21,308
5. Elmhurst Golf & Country Club – 20,697

All Golf Manitoba/Golf Canada members receive access to score posting under the World Handicap System. Any nine or 18 hole round played at an official Golf Manitoba/Canada Member Club or any club worldwide that has an official Course and Slope Rating under the World Handicap System qualifies towards establishing and maintaining an official Golf Canada Handicap Index.

Not a member? To join Canada’s largest golf community, click here.

Thank you to our host facilities, volunteers, competitors, corporate partners and fans who made 2025 a year to remember.

Enjoy a look back courtesy of Mike Peters, May Contain Studios.

Golf Manitoba is proud to share Director of Player Development Sean Murray and Assistant Coach Bri-Ann Tokariwski have been named as finalists by the PGA of Manitoba for their 2025 individual awards.

The winners will be announced on Monday, November 3rd at Canad Inns Club Regent.  

Murray is a finalist for the Junior Leader of the Year Award while Tokariwski is a finalist for Class “A” Assistant Professional of the Year, Teacher of the Year and Coach of the Year.

PGA of Manitoba regulations do not allow a person to win an award in consecutive years. Murray was named the winner of the 2024 Coach of the Year Award and Professional Development Award.

He was born in India, but according to one of the newest members of the PGA Tour, it was here in Winnipeg where Sudarshan Yellamaraju fell in love with golf.

Yellamaraju played his first competitive round in 2012 at Tuxedo Golf Course finishing fourth overall in the Junior Bantam Championship on the leaderboard at 14-over par 154 shooting back to back rounds of 7-over par 77, just five strokes back of champion John Racciatti Jr. However, his score was good to win the 12 and under division crown, two strokes better than Marco Trstenjak of Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.

Yellamaraju, who credits time at Larters at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club and the Golf Dome for allowing his early development, spoke with Golf Manitoba Director of Communications & Development Brian Munz about the ride it’s been so far and looking ahead to his full time membership on the PGA Tour.

After 32 years at Pine Ridge Golf Club as the Head Superintendent, Derrick Chlopecki has announced his retirement.

Chlopecki reflects with Golf Manitoba Director of Communications & Development Brian Munz on his time at Pine Ridge, how he got started and much more.

Since celebrating his 60^th birthday in June, Winnipeg’s Darcy Furber feels he is on top of the golfing world.

You will remember in 2023 Furber was inducted into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, which he reminds his closest friends in jest when conversations get a little spicy, but now he also has a World Champion title in his back pocket if required.

In early August, Furber earned a seven stroke victory over the field to win the International Blind Golf Association B1 World Championship in Simcoe, Ontario.

“The last few years have been pretty special to say the least” says Furber. “I was shocked when I got the call for the Hall of Fame and that night is something I think about a lot. Then to win a world title, it’s been so awesome. I’ve been fortunate to play golf all over the world — it’s taken me to some beautiful places. The blind game is really growing and it’s exciting to have more people getting involved.”

Darcy’s passion for the sport began early, and he first made his mark in 1983 by winning the Manitoba High School Championship, a pivotal moment that sparked a lifelong love for golf. He continued to compete at a high level as a sighted golfer, earning spots on Manitoba’s Willingdon Cup Team in 1985 and 1992.

As his vision deteriorated, Furber transitioned into blind golf and quickly rose through the ranks, first in the B2 division, which includes golfers with up to 5% vision and now the B1 division, which is reserved for golfers who are completely blind and play using blackout glasses.

“The big challenge for me or the tough shots are when the ball is below your feet, to get a clean club on the ball” says Furber. “Everything else from tee to green I just kind of take in stride.”

He credits much of his success to his coach and brother-in-law Ron Oliver, a member at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.

“Ron and the entire staff at Elmhurst led by Dave McMillan and Matt Lorenz have been everything to me” added Furber. “Without them, I would not have been able to get on the course and have as much in my life as I do.”

Next on the calendar, Furber is targeting the 2027 World Blind Golf Championship in Spain.

“That’s the plan, I take things day by day, so I guess we’ll see how it goes”.

Swan River Golf & Country Club was established in 1934 and is the most northern picturesque 18 Hole golf course in Manitoba, set between the Duck and Porcupine Mountains.

The Golf Club oversaw a major renovation project with the expansion of another 9 holes, designed by David Grant and opened in 2010.

Currently seeking a highly motivated Superintendent in 2026, this position is full-time seasonal, from mid-March to mid-November. The Golf Course Superintendent, will be reporting to the General Manager and will be responsible for managing all aspects of the golf course property and turf maintenance team.

Responsibilities;

• Course set up
• Equipment, operation and maintenance
• Ensure all record keeping and required government permits are current
• Irrigation operation and maintenance on fully automated system
• Cultural practices (Aeration/Topdressing, Verti cutting)
• Chemical application
• Lead the turf care team
• Directly work with and report to the General Manager

Experience;

• Diploma or Certificate in Turfgrass management or equivalent experience
• Previous golf course maintenance experience
• Knowledge of Rain Bird irrigation systems
• Ability to communicate with General Manager/and membership
• Valid Manitoba Pesticide applicator license (or willing to obtain)
• Ability to lift 50lb and work in sometimes challenging environments
• Positive attitude towards staff and moving the golf course in the right direction
• Flexible shift times including weekends / evenings and holidays

Swan River Golf & Country Club offers a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience which includes;

• Golf and Power cart Privileges
• Pro Shop and Meal Discounts
• Professional Development and Association Dues
• Clothing Allowance
• Cell Phone allowance
• Gas Allowance

While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. 

Please forward resume to clintonweir@outlook.com by January 31^st, 2026.

Monday, September 22nd we were fortunate to gather at Glendale Golf & Country Club to show our appreciation to our volunteers for their time and dedication to our sport. Without them, it would not be possible.

To view the photo gallery, click here.

We would also like to thank Glendale Golf & Country Club for hosting us led by PGA of Manitoba Professional & General Manager James Chapman, PGA of Manitoba Head Professional Derrik Goodwin, Course Superintendent Greg Mitchell, Food & Beverage Manager Paige Monzon along with their staff and club members for their warm welcome.