Golf Canada and Cub Cadet are excited to announce an integrated partnership that makes Cub Cadet the Official Lawn Mower Partner of Golf Canada and the country’s two National Open Golf Championships, the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open.

As the Official Lawn Mower Partner of the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open, Cub Cadet will showcase its award-winning product line at both tournaments and engage fans through immersive on-site experiences that exhibit how Cub Cadet lawn mowers can enhance the lawn care experience for homeowners and professionals.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cub Cadet as Golf Canada’s first Official Lawn Mower Partner,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer, John Sibley. “This partnership across our two flagship properties will showcase Cub Cadet’s innovative product line to spectators at the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open, demonstrating the intrinsic connection between golf, premium lawn maintenance and the turf care experience.”  

For more than 60 years, Cub Cadet has been manufacturing innovative equipment that unlock possibilities for lawn care lovers worldwide – from the landscapers who rely on Cub Cadet to make every lawn as pristine as an 18th green, to the neighbourhood enthusiasts globally, whose immaculate yards are their greatest passion.

Cub Cadet’s award-winning and renowned lawn maintenance lineup features residential lawn tractors – the XT Enduro™ Series as well as the Ultima Series of zero-turn mowers, featuring both traditional lap-bar control and innovative steering-wheel control. Cub Cadet also offers a full array of zero-emission battery-powered mowers.

“At Cub Cadet, we build tools of strength and precision so our consumers can create the space they envision and live the possibilities they imagine. Partnering with Golf Canada allows us to extend these homeowner possibilities to the back nine and beyond,” said Jennifer Duchesne, Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications for Cub Cadet.

The 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont., with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility. The CP Women’s Open will be contested August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

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Golf Canada and BDO Canada LLP (BDO) have announced an integrated multi-year partnership that will see BDO become the Official Business and Professional Services Partner of Golf Canada and its two signature events – the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open.

As the presenting sponsor for all nine Canadian Amateur Golf Championships conducted by Golf Canada, BDO has made a significant commitment to the growth of golf in communities across Canada. BDO will also partner with Golf Canada to develop and further enhance technologies that support the Canadian golfer experience.

In addition to BDO’s support for golf at the professional and amateur levels, Golf Canada will access BDO’s trusted expertise providing accounting, assurance, tax, and advisory services for the National Sport Federation.

“Golf Canada has had an exceptional relationship with BDO as our auditor and professional services firm since 2019 and the work and growth that we have experienced together has brought us to this enhanced next level,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum.

“We are extremely excited about the opportunities for BDO in golf and in working with our team and connected stakeholders. BDO is a world class organization, and we are thrilled to be working with them extensively to expand our use of their services across all of their areas of expertise.”

For BDO Canada, partnering with the National Sport Organization to engage with Canada’s considerable golf audience reflects a firm-wide commitment through sport to give back to communities served across the country.

“We are excited to partner with Golf Canada and become the presenting sponsor for Canadian Amateur Golf Championships,” said Pat Kramer, CEO of BDO Canada.

“This is the next step in our commitment to connecting and engaging with Canadians, through sport. Working alongside Golf Canada, we look forward to supporting Canadian athletes at both the amateur and professional levels.”

Golf Canada’s 2022 Annual Meeting culminated on Thursday, March 3^rd with the election of Liz Hoffman of Wasaga Beach, Ont. to serve a second term as the 116^th President of the National Sport Federation.

Hoffman, a member of both Mad River Golf Club in Creemore, Ont. as well as The Thornhill Club in Vaughn, Ont. is joined by Vice-President Dale Jackson of Victoria, B.C. in leading the 13-member Board of Directors who will work closely with Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. 

Based on the report of Golf Canada’s Nominating Committee, Hoffman and Jackson will be joined on the 2022 Board of Directors by returnees Alison Chisholm of Rothesay, N.B., Adam Daifallah of Montreal, Que., Diane Drury-Clarke of Montreal, Que., Shawn Evans of Kitchener, Ont., Patrick Kelly of Victoria, B.C., Susan MacKinnon of Calgary, Alta., Peter Major of Calgary, Alta., David McCarthy of Toronto, Ont., Jean-Sébastien  Monty of Montreal, Que., and Rai Sahi of Mississauga, Ont., along with new addition Michelle Collens of Vancouver, B.C. 

“I am extremely honoured that the Nominating Committee and membership has extended their confidence in me to serve a second term as President”

Liz Hoffman

“In 2021, the organization and our sport continued to grow with pace and 2022 is going to be another special year. Our National Open Championships are back, Canadian high-performance golf is accelerating, First Tee – Canada will continue to roll out across Canada, industry collaboration with our provincial and national partners has never been stronger, and most importantly, people are enjoying the game and everything it has to offer.”   

Long time Golf Canada volunteers Barbara Allan of Kingston, Ont. and Jim Clark of Aurora, Ont. were recognized at the Annual Meeting for their contributions to the association as Honorary Life Governors. Golf Canada’s 2022 Annual Meeting was conducted virtually over two days, March 2-3 with volunteers, staff, member clubs, and key industry stakeholders participating.

2021 Annual Report & Financial Statements

Click here to read Golf Canada’s 2021 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the organization’s 2021 Financial Statements, which were released during Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting.

Feature Presentations

Golf Canada’s 2022 Outlook & Operational Plan – presented by Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum

Keynote Address: Fireside Chat with International Golf Federation President & World Golf Hall of Fame Member, Annika Sörenstam – hosted by Golf Canada President Liz Hoffman

Canadian Golf High-Performance Strategy – presented by Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Safe Sport – Introduced by Golf Canada Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Safe Sport, Laura Wilson

Ken Casey and David Atkinson named co-recipients of the 2021 Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year… 

In the continued celebration of volunteerism, Golf Canada also recognized Ken Casey of St. John’s, N.L. and David Atkinson, formerly of Vancouver, B.C. and now Goderich, Ont. as the 2021 co-recipients of the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award. Now in its 16^th year, candidates for the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth to Golf Canada for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community.  Click here for more.

Volunteers Ruth & Ian Giles along Golf Journalist Garry McKay to Receive Golf Canada’s 2022 Distinguished Service Award…

Golf Canada announced that three accomplished golf contributors from Hamilton, Ont. – tireless volunteers Ruth and Ian Giles along with esteemed golf journalist Garry McKay – will be acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to the sport as the 2022 recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award. The presentation of the Distinguished Service Award will be celebrated in person during the week of the 108^th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, July 19-22 at Westmount Golf and Country Club in Kitchener, Ont.  Click here for more.

Three accomplished golf contributors from Hamilton, Ont. – tireless volunteers Ruth and Ian Giles along with esteemed golf journalist Garry McKay – will be acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to the sport as the 2022 recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

The announcement of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award honourees will be made during Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting which will be conducted virtually on Thursday, March 3. 

“Golf Canada is extremely proud to recognize two long-serving volunteers in Ruth and Ian Giles along with respected golf journalist Garry McKay as the recipients of our 2022 Distinguished Service Award,” said Golf Canada President Liz Hoffman.

“Their contributions have been incredibly impactful to golf in their community as well as at the provincial and national level.”

Liz Hoffman

“Each of their collective efforts has left a meaningful mark on the Canadian golf landscape and it is with great respect and admiration that we honour each of them for their passion and commitment to our sport.”

The presentation of the Distinguished Service Award to this year’s honourees will be celebrated in person during the week of the 108^th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, July 19-22 at Westmount Golf and Country Club in Kitchener, Ont. 

Golf Canada 2022 Distinguished Service Award Honourees:

Ruth & Ian Giles (Volunteer)

The Giles’ pairing are long tenured golf volunteers who have shared their time and passion for the game with both Golf Ontario and Golf Canada, serving on numerous committees at the operational and executive level. Over the past four decades, the Hamilton residents have supported hundreds of local, provincial, national, international, and professional championships as duty roster volunteers in a rules or starting and scoring capacity.

Ruth was previously honoured with the 2007 Golf Ontario Volunteer of the Year, the 2007 Bruce Mitchell Golf Canada Volunteer of the Year, and the Golf Ontario 2011 Dick Grimm Distinguished Volunteer of the Year. She also supported Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board middle school golf tournament over the years. 

Ian served as the President of the Ontario Golf Association (OGA) in 2001 and in 2002 helped lead the association’s amalgamation with the Ontario Ladies Golf Association – today Golf Ontario. Before becoming President, he spent six years as a Golf Ontario Director chairing numerous committees including the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame committee in 2007 and 2008. A Level 3 rules official and past governor with Golf Canada (2003-2012), Ian has given his time to numerous Golf Canada volunteer committees including the Governors Council and has also served on a number Golf Ontario Volunteer committees. In 2014, Golf Ontario named Ian the recipient of the Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award. 

The Giles’ have been long-time contributors to the Hamilton Halton Junior Golf Tour—Ruth has served since 1999 in a variety of roles including past President (2002-03), secretary and a board member. Ian served as President from 1996-98 and has also contributed over the years as a board member and rules official. The selection of Ruth and Ian Giles marks the first time that a family duo has been selected for Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

Garry McKay (Media)

A past President and founding director of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC), McKay is a respected sports journalist who has covered golf for more than 43 years. He first reported on the RBC Canadian Open in 1968 for CKOC radio and is highly respected as the longtime golf reporter for the Hamilton Spectator where he has covered all aspects of the sport from local golf to the professional game. McKay has also contributed to a multitude of Canadian and international publications during his tenure including Pro Shop, SCOREGolf, Ontario Golf and Golf Canada Magazine.

A decorated journalist across a number of sports, he has garnered a number of achievements including a SCOREGolf Award. McKay has served on the selection committees for the World Golf Hall of Fame, PGA of Canada Hall of Fame, Ontario Golf Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and has also volunteered his time with the Stanley Thomson Society and Golf Canada’s Heritage Committee. McKay is also a founding director, current board member, and treasurer of the Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year Award as well as a founding director and current chair of the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a founding director of the Hamilton Halton Junior Golf Tour (1984), an organization he continues to serve on the board of directors and as a volunteer at the registration table, as a rules official, and at the scoreboard. 

McKay was recognized by Golf Ontario with the 2015 Lorne Rubenstein Media Award and in 2021 was honoured by his GJAC peers with the Dick Grimm Award.

Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been presented annually since 1993 to recognize individuals who have had an outstanding impact on Canadian golf either nationally or within their community. 

In addition to the 2022 Distinguished Service Award, Golf Canada will also celebrate Ken Casey of St. John’s, N.L. and David Atkinson, formerly Vancouver, B.C. and now Goderich, Ont. as co-recipients of the 2021 Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year.

Another pair of distinguished Golf Canada volunteers – Barbara Allan of Kingston, Ont. and Jim Clark of Aurora, Ont.– will be named Honorary Life Governors for their long serving contributions to the organization. 

Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting will culminate with Liz Hoffman of Wasaga Beach, Ont., a member of both Mad River Golf Club and The Thornhill Club sworn in to serve a second term as President of Golf Canada. 

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Ken Casey of St. John’s, N.L. and David Atkinson, formerly of Vancouver, B.C. and now Goderich, Ont. have been named the 2021 co-recipients of the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award. A presentation of the award will take place on Thursday, March 3^rd as part of Golf Canada’s Virtual Annual Meeting.

“Volunteers are integral to the success of golf in this country and on behalf of Golf Canada and all of the provincial golf associations, we are very proud to recognize Ken Casey and David Atkinson for their deep contributions to the advance the game,” said Golf Canada President Liz Hoffman. “They have supported golf in Newfoundland and British Columbia as well as at the national level and have had a major impact on the advancement of the sport in their communities.”

The Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award is named in recognition of Toronto native Bruce Mitchell who in 2017-18 was the first Canadian to serve as captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A). Born in Victoria and raised in Edmonton, the former President of the Toronto Golf Club and R&A member since 1988 was just the ninth internationally appointed captain of the R&A, one of the most prestigious volunteer positions in the world of golf. Duties as captain included representing the R&A as a global ambassador and aiding in the R&A’s effort to develop golf around the world.

Now in its 16^th year, candidates for the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth to Golf Canada for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community.

Get to Know – Ken Casey (Golf Newfoundland & Labrador)

Golf Newfoundland & Labrador is extremely proud of their long-time friend, Ken Casey.

At 12 years old, he took up the game at Bally Haly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. and has enjoyed it for a lifetime. Ken began to volunteer at Bally Haly in the late 1980s where he was elected to serve on the golf committee and several years later was named Golf Captain. In 1990, Ken assembled a group of volunteers to organize the Bally Haly Men’s Invitational (one of the largest in the province) which 30 plus years later continues to draw golfers from all across the province.

In 1994 Ken became President of what was then the Newfoundland Labrador Golf Association (NLGA) and had served the organization across a number of activities and committees over the years. A decade later, he was approached to serve on the Board of Directors of newly formed Golf Newfoundland Labrador ( Golf NL) as Treasurer and after a two-year term, accepted the nomination to serve as President where he spent four years helping to direct the growth and development of the organization.

Ken’s contributions have been felt across the entire organization including the development of a new membership model that provided financial stability. He has also been a champion for new policies to address safe sport, enhancements to the player development program and ensuring that funds were allocated to develop a three-year marketing plan for the organization.

Ken also guided the creation of the Go Golf Booklet initiative and has supported fundraising activities including the development of a junior golf scholarship program.   

Get to Know – David Atkinson (British Columbia Golf)

Although he now lives in Ontario, David Atkinson’s support for the game in British Columbia and nationally has been outstanding.

A constant presence at golf championships in British Columbia, David volunteered as a starter and scorer at a multitude of zone, provincial and national championships as well as the Vancouver Golf Tour. David also has the great honour of serving as the non-playing captain of three Lamley Cup teams.

Administratively, he served seven years on the Board of Directors with of BC Golf including three years as President and three more as Past President. His contributions to the organization were felt across a number of committees including Human Resources, Finance and Governance, and he played an important role helping BC Golf to diversify its Board.

David also plugged in to support the Pacific Coast Golf Association, serving eight years as a Trustee and two years as President in addition to his work at four of the association’s championships.

With Golf Canada, in addition to joining the duty roster at various championships, he served three  years on the Board of Directors and has been an active member of the Governors Council where he participated on and chaired several committees. David has also been active contributor with the Golf Canada Foundation as a member of the Grants and Scholarship Committee.

Golf Canada announced today that sports marketing executive Lisa Ferkul has joined the organization as its new Chief Marketing Officer, beginning March 21, 2022. 

Ferkul joins the Executive Team of the National Sport Federation after serving more than ten years with Scotiabank, most recently in the role of Director & Head, Canadian Sponsorship Marketing. Her portfolio of responsibilities included all brand, creative, strategic development, digital and social media as well as relationship management for the Bank’s sponsorship marketing portfolio in Canada inclusive of two verticals: Hockey and Arts & Culture.

“Lisa is a dynamic and accomplished sports executive who will take on an instrumental role in the advancement of Golf Canada’s sport programs and commercial properties as well as our signature golf championships,” said Golf Canada CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “Lisa brings exceptional energy and a depth of leadership that will play a critical role in the continued development and execution of Golf Canada’s integrated marketing, communications, digital strategy.”

“I am beyond excited to be joining the incredibly talented team at Golf Canada at a time when golf is thriving across the country,” said Ferkul. “As a passionate golfer and sports marketer, I look forward to contributing to the growth and development of the sport and will work tirelessly to continue driving that momentum.”

The Toronto resident was also a leader in the development of Scotiabank’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy in hockey (hockey for all), extensive growth of the bank’s community hockey programming, and was a key member of the deal team that negotiated the landmark $800MM MLSE partnership expansion including Scotiabank Arena naming rights as well as official bank status of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors.

In 2017, Ferkul was named among the 5 to Watch – Canada’s Sport Business Awards, an annual recognition of five of the most influential and accomplished Canadians under the age of 40 in the business of sport.

A depth of professional association and volunteer experience, Lisa has contributed to a number of organizations including the BlackNorth Initiative; the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada; and the Toronto chapter of Women in Sport & Events (WISE).

Ferkul is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (Honours BA, Kinesiology) and earned a Public Relations Post-Graduate Certificate from the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Golf Canada is undertaking an integrated and multi-faceted enhancement of its high-performance program to accelerate Canada’s position in the global professional golf landscape. 

The National Sport Federation announced today a strategic framework for its player development program with a stated primary objective to increase the cumulative number of Canadian athletes on the LPGA and PGA TOUR to 30 by 2032. 

The enhancements to Golf Canada’s player-development program are outlined in a detailed update authored by Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue and will be presented in full at Golf Canada Annual General Meeting on March 2. 

“Canada has made significant progress in the development of world-class golfers in the past decade and is poised to take another step forward,” said Blue. “Over the past year, we undertook an in-depth analysis of global golf, consulted with numerous stakeholders who are involved in Canadian high-performance golf, and created the framework for an updated strategic plan for Canada to develop more world-class golfers.” 

It’s a special day for golf in Canada ⛳️??

By 2032, we are committed to helping 30 Canadians advance to the PGA and LPGA Tour to accelerate Canada’s position in the global golf landscape. 

➡️ https://t.co/RgKgzVlcpz pic.twitter.com/yZIMsxYCNF

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 23, 2022

Golf Canada’s enhanced investments in player development are financially supported by a group of generous donors who have made initial major gifts totalling $13.5 million through the Golf Canada Foundation. Paul McLean, CEO of Turf Care and former president of Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation has made a lead gift of $5 million – the single largest gift ever directed towards Canadian high-performance golf. 

“The achievement of our players on tour is a source of pride for everyone involved in Canadian golf,” said McLean who served as president of Golf Canada in 2015.

“I am thrilled to support the effort to increase the number of Canadians on tour and we look forward to seeing even more Canadian flags on worldwide leaderboards.” 

Paul McLean

Major gifts were also committed by The Kavelman Fonn Foundation, John Francis, Jean Monty, David Kaufman, Steve Lister and Dr. Molly Rundle, and a pair of donors who wished to remain anonymous. These generous donors are part of the Golf Canada Foundation Trustee program, which provides critical philanthropic support for important Canadian golf initiatives such as player development and First Tee. Golf Canada Foundation is continuing to identify Trustees who are interested in supporting the Team Canada player development program and expanding First Tee across Canada. 

The strategic enhancements for the Team Canada player development program were shaped by in-depth feedback from numerous stakeholders in Canadian high-performance golf and a global comparative analysis of other countries’ efficiency success in producing world top-200 players. The analysis considered factors such as participation base, culture, and financial investment into high-performance golf, with particular focus on countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Australia, and England that that are geopolitically and culturally similar to Canada. 

“Canadian performance on the world golf stage continues to advance significantly since the original implementation of the player-development program and this is a transformational moment for Canada to take the next step forward towards the top-levels of global golf,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum.

“Fueled by incredible philanthropic support, stakeholder collaboration, and a systemic enhancement to our player-development system, Canada is well positioned to deepen our talent pool of athletes and become a world-class golfing nation.” 

Laurence Applebaum

One of the first enhancements to occur in 2022 will be the creation of a national infrastructure for identifying and developing the most promising early-stage juniors in Canada (i.e., ages 10-14), with Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally transitioning to the newly created position of National Talent Identification Director. In this new capacity, Mullally will provide additional resources to the parents and coaches who work with the most promising young juniors in Canada. He will also facilitate the development and implementation of local talent identification camps in every province. 

Mullally will transition into the new role over the coming months and a search will begin immediately for a head coach to oversee the women’s program as well as an additional assistant coach to complete the women’s coaching staff. 

The enhancements to Golf Canada’s High-Performance program build on the support that Canadian athletes have received in their development years from their family, member clubs, personal coaches, university programs and provincial golf associations. In addition to Golf Canada Foundation and the generosity from the major donor Trustee program, Golf Canada’s High-Performance Program and Team Canada are proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific, Audi, Titleist, FootJoy, COBRA PUMA GOLF, Foresight Sports, Heritage Canada, Bear Mountain Resort, Citi Canada (Young Pro) and the Canadian Olympic Committee. 

Golf Canada will continue to seek stakeholder feedback on the systemic enhancements to the player development system over the coming weeks. A formal presentation will be made on March 2 as part of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting. 

Golf Canada and Matt & Steve’s have announced a multi-year integrated partnership that will see Matt & Steve’s become the Official Caesar Partner of Canada’s National Open Golf Championships—the CP Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open.

Through the partnership, Matt & Steve’s will offer a selection of their popular ready to drink Caesars, Extreme Beans, and pickled garnish products at Golf Canada’s two signature championships beginning in 2022. Spectators at the RBC Canadian Open will also enjoy Matt & Steve’s Canadian Caesar Deck as an exciting addition to the Recipe Unlimited Fare Way food and beverage experience.

“We are thrilled to partner with Matt & Steve’s to deliver their innovative portfolio of Caesar products to the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open,” said John Sibley, Chief Commercial Officer of Golf Canada. “We look forward to building out a summertime atmosphere and integrating Matt & Steve’s premium Canadian blend of flavorful products into the social and hospitality experience of our two flagship properties.”

Founded in 2000, Matt & Steve’s is a fast-growing and leading-edge food and beverage company based in Mississauga, Ont. First established with only two employees and one product, the Extreme Bean, Matt & Steve’s has grown to support thousands of clients and numerous products within the retail, foodservice and beverage alcohol sectors throughout North America.

“We are very proud to be partnering with Golf Canada in the support of Canadian golf, the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open,” said Steve McVicker, Partner and Co-founder of Matt & Steve’s. “At Matt & Steve’s we believe in creating products that celebrate the social and fun parts of life, and we are extremely excited to share our brand experience with Canadian golfers both on and off the course.

The 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont., with the CP Women’s Open being contested August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are excited to announce the names of eight talented coaches who will receive critical education to advance their careers as top golf coaches in the country. 

The eight successful applicants will receive in-depth career development focusing on four main areas: individualized learning plans, virtual and in-person coaching education, hands-on training experience with coaches and top players, and new for 2022, integration with the PGA of Canada mentorship program. 

Launched in 2021, the Women in Coaching program aims to strike a stronger gender balance with high-performance coaches to better reflect the Canadian golf community.

“Increasing the number of female mentors and role models is imperative to the future of golf in Canada and is a priority for the governing bodies of golf in the country,” said Emily Phoenix, Manager, High Performance Sport with Golf Canada. “After seeing the success of the program in 2021 and how impactful it was for the participants, we are excited to build on the momentum and continue mentoring this generation of coaches while building a foundation for the future.” 

“All of us at the PGA of Canada were thrilled to hear the positive feedback from participants last winter as we debuted the Women in Coaching program alongside our friends at Golf Canada,” said PGA of Canada Technical Director Glenn Cundari. “We are excited to give these eight coaches the opportunity to learn first-hand from industry leaders to help enhance their knowledge and skill-sets.” 

Application information was posted publicly on Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada’s websites, where applications were accepted from November 22 to December 6. 

25 applications were received, and eight PGA of Canada members were selected based on prior coaching experience and current coaching or volunteer coaching positions. Past competitive playing experience was also considered an asset. 

The eight chosen participants include: 

Alison Timlin – Ottawa, Ontario

Timlin, who held partial status on the Symetra Tour for three years after graduating from Fresno State University, is currently an Associate Professional at the Kevin Haime Golf School, as well as the Associate Head Coach of the Carleton University Men’s and Women’s Varsity golf teams. 

Alyssa Getty – Kingsville, Ontario 

A former member of the University of Nevada Las Vegas golf team as well as the University of Windsor Golf team where she claimed the OUA individual championship in 2019, Getty is currently a Development Coach at the Ontario Golf Academy at Whistle Bear Golf Club. 

Carrie Vaughan – Rothesay, New Brunswick 

Vaughan, who claimed the 2016 PGA of Ontario Women’s Championship, spent three years on the Symetra Tour and 10 years on the Canadian Tour prior to founding and becoming the Head Coach of girls only programming at Glen Abbey Academy. Vaughan is currently the Head Professional at the Riverside Country Club. 

Christine Wong – Vancouver, British Columbia 

Wong, who is currently the Head Teaching Professional at Christine Wong Golf and the Head Coach of both the Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams at Langara College, had a tremendous year on the course in 2021, winning both the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and the Glencoe Women’s Invitational. Wong was a member of Golf Canada’s National Team program from 2010-2013. 

Jennifer Ha – Calgary, Alberta 

The former Team Canada member for eight years between 2012-2019 was an LPGA Tour member in 2017 and a Symetra Tour member in 2016, 2018 and 2019. Prior to turning professional, Ha won five NCAA events as a member of Kent State University, where she was a three-time conference player of the year. Ha is currently an Assistant Professional at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club. 

Keri Moffat – Vancouver, British Columbia 

A two-time PGA of BC Coach of the Year Award Recipient (2011 & 2019), Moffat spent time as the BC Golf Provincial Coach and as a teaching professional at The Bluffs Golf Club and Westwood Plateau Golf Academy. Moffat currently serves as the Director of Instruction at Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club and is also the Women’s Assistant Coach for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. 

Lindsay Manion – Surrey, British Columbia

A former member of the UBC Thunderbirds, Manion now operates Lindsay Manion Performance Coaching at Northview Golf & Country Club and provides performance training consulting for the Simon Fraser University golf teams, a service she also provided for the University of British Columbia varsity golf teams in the past. In addition, Manion has also served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Tour Performance LAB, the Robert Bateman Golf Academy, the Sardis Golf Academy and the Delta Golf Academy. 

Marie-Pierre Bernier – Levis, Quebec 

A former member of the Rollins University Women’s Golf Team where she picked up one individual NCAA win as well as the 2006 Quebec Amateur champion, Bernier is currently the Assistant Professional at Golf La Tempête and the founder of MP Golf. 

The golf industry in North America is growing in new and exciting ways. Lightspeed Commerce Inc. (NYSE: LSPD) (TSX: LSPD), the one-stop commerce platform for merchants around the world to simplify, scale and create exceptional customer experiences, today announced a multi-year agreement with Golf Canada, the National Sport Federation representing more than 271,000 golfers and 1,400 member clubs across the country, allowing both participating golf courses and golfers to share certified Golf Canada handicap data across both platforms.

Lightspeed Golf empowers courses to manage an entire facility from a single platform, synthesizing systems for daily operations, tee sheets, on-site hospitality and retail, and online booking. The integration of Lightspeed Golf’s commerce platform with the Golf Canada Score Centre will provide a solution for more Canadian golfers to maintain an Official Handicap Index, leveling the playing field for participants across Canada.

“We are both excited and honoured to be partnering with such a revered Canadian organization,” said Lightspeed Golf GM David Hope. “This platform integration will streamline operations for golfers and course operators alike, enabling improved handicap integrity and reporting. We look forward to working with Golf Canada to grow the game through educational content and putting intuitive technology in the hands of both golfers and golf course operators.”

The platform integration will help more golfers track their scoring history and demonstrated ability on the golf course, allowing both golfers and course operators to see handicap data when booking tee times and navigating tee sheets.

“Golf Canada is extremely pleased to be aligning our Score Centre with Lightspeed Golf,” said Golf Canada Director of Membership Ryan Logan. “This platform integration will open up new opportunities to grow our membership-base across Canada and will further support our member clubs in providing a more streamlined and enhanced golfing experience.”

Golf in Canada continues to show growth and resilience through the past two seasons impacted by the pandemic. In 2021, a record 9.3M scores were posted to the Golf Canada Score Centre, a 19% increase from 2020 and 27.5% increase over 2019, and Lightspeed Golf customers reported a 23% increase in rounds played from 2019 to 2020. Lightspeed Golf customers are growing and modernizing their businesses, attracting younger patrons and more diverse golfers, and re-thinking their business models to diversify their revenue streams.

“Golf is booming right now, but even before that our rounds were continuously up every single year over the past five years,” said Lightspeed Golf customer Jenifer Wright, GM of Westwood Plateau Golf. “We’re making changes to get new people into golf and we’ve been really impressed with every integration Lightspeed has come out with. We can’t wait to see how this platform integration with Golf Canada will benefit our course and players.”