WINNIPEG, MB – The selection committee for the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is pleased to announce the class of 2019.
Brionie Brown and Bruce North will be inducted as Honoured Members in the Athlete category. Rob Officer will be inducted in the Builder category and the 1985 Manitoba Junior Men’s Team that won the Canadian Junior Men’s Inter-Provincial Team Championship will be inducted in the Team category.
“The Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is very pleased to announce this year’s inductees and to thereby permanently recognize their outstanding achievements in golf and their contributions to the game. We look forward to the Induction Ceremony, which is sponsored by the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation, to celebrate the accomplishments of the new Honoured Members” said Don MacDonald, President of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc.
The official induction ceremony will take place on Monday, September 30, 2019 at the Southwood Golf & Country Club.
Accomplishments, Contributions & Highlights:
Brionie Brown
Born Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Alberta Junior Women’s Champion (1992)
- Manitoba High School Girls Champion (1992)
- Manitoba Junior Women’s Champion (1993)
- Canadian Junior Women’s Champion (1993)
- 5-time Manitoba Junior Women’s Team Appearances (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
- Manitoba City & District Champion (1995)
- Manitoba Women’s Team Appearance (1995)
- Member of 1991 Manitoba Team that won the Canadian Junior Women’s Team Championship
- Canadian 15 and Under Junior Women’s Champion (1989 – Age 13)
- Canadian 16 and Under Junior Women’s Champion (1991 – Age 15)
- Competed in 1991 and 1992 U.S. Girls Junior Championship – in 1992 qualified for match play round, low 32, but lost first match
- 1993 Score Magazine Canadian Junior Women’s Golfer of the Year
- 1993 Canadian Ladies Golf Association #1 ranked Canadian Junior Woman
- 1993 Runner up for Manitoba Golfer of the Year
Bruce North
Born in Carman, Manitoba
- 8-time Manitoba Rural Amateur Champion (1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1993 1998, 2001, 2003)
- Manitoba Senior Champion (2018)
- Mid-Amateur Team Appearances (1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005)
- Senior Team Appearances (2011 and 2019)
- Willingdon Cup Appearances (1986, 1992)
- Runner Up , Canadian Mid-Amateur (2001) to Graham Cooke
- On Manitoba Mid-Amateur Team that won the Canadian Mid-Amateur Team Competition (2005)
- 3-time Manitoba Amateur Golfer of Year Runner Up (1982, 1998, 2001)
- 8-time winner of Tamarack Golf Tournament (7 Men, 1 Junior)
- 3-time winner of International Golf Tournament (1979, 1980, 1982)
- 2-time winner of the Grey Owl Golf Tournament (1982 and 1984)
- 2nd place, Manitoba Men’s Amateur (1996)
Rob Officer
- Since 1997 has been integral in developing the Greenspace Program at Red River College
- Grow in and Construction Superintendent at Grand Pines Golf Course (1995 – 1996)
- Canadian Golf Superintendents Association John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award (2015) – awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the profession of Golf Course Superintendent
- Member of CGSA Board of Directors (1992 – 1998) Member of CGSA Education and Certification Committee (1994 – 2001)
- Chairperson CGSA National Occupational Standards (1994 – 1998)
- President of MGSA (1994 and 1995)
- Diploma, Turfgrass Management, Fairview College (1987)
- University of Winnipeg Bachelor of Arts (Business Administration – 2008) and (Environmental Studies – 2009)
- University of Manitoba Master of Environment (2012)
- Assistant Golf Superintendent, Elmhurst Golf and Country Club (1987)
- Golf Superintendent, Elmhurst Golf and Country Club (1988 – 1992)
- Assistant Golf Superintendent, Selkirk Golf & Country Club (1993)
- Golf Superintendent, Swan River Golf & Country Club (1993 – 1994)
- Lead Instructor, Fairview College Grounds and Golf Course Program (1994 – 1995)
- Golf Superintendent, Grand Pines Golf Course (1995 – 1997)
- Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame Board of Directors member 1996-1998.
- Member Membership Standards Committee Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, 1997.
- Member of the Canadian Golf Superintendents National Occupational Standards Marketing/Communications Committee 1994-2000.
- Member of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association Education and Certification Committee’s, 1994-2001
- Recipient of the Inaugural (1991) Gord Witteveen Article of the Year Award for Greenmaster Magazine- National Magazine of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.
- Member, Canadian Golf Superintendents Association Public Relations, Communications & Marketing Committee, 2005-2013
- Member, City of Winnipeg Advisory Committee, Golf Courses Operating Agency, 2005-2009
- Member, City of Winnipeg Topsoil Advisory Committee, 2005- 2008
- Member of the Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association Environmental Resource Manual Committee, 1999.
- Advisory Committee Member for the Red River College/Assiniboine Community College Turfgrass Management Committee 1992-1997.
- Vice Chairman of the Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation 1997.
- Red River College:
- Program Facilitator/ Instructor – Greenspace Management Program (1997 – 2005)
- Program Instructor – Greenspace Management Program (2005 – 2016)
- Program Instructor and Academic Planner – Civil Engineering and Landscape technician Programs (2016 – June 2019)
- Executive Director – Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association (June 2019-present)
- During 12 years as Superintendent had 10 staff members go on to become Superintendents; while teaching at RRC has had over 300 graduates including over 30 who have become Superintendents
- Director of Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association (1988 – 1998)
1985 Manitoba Junior Men’s Team
- Won the Canadian Junior Men’s Interprovincial Team
- Team members:
- Glenn Collins, St. Charles Country Club
- Todd Fanning, Southwood Golf & Country Club
- Dave McMillan, Rossmere Country Club
- Ken Tresoor, Jr., Rossmere Country Club
- Jim Bristow, non-playing captain
- Played during first two days (August 27 and 28) of Canadian Junior Men’s Championship at Rossmere Country Club from August 27 – 30, 1985
- Second time that Manitoba won the Interprovincial Junior Men’s Team Championship (1967 at Toronto Golf Club with Steve Bannatyne of Rossmere, Dave Hill of Southwood, Kenny Redfern of Elmhurst and Manfred Braovac of Thunder Bay)
- Led by Provincial Junior Men’s Champion Todd Fanning with rounds of 69 and 71
- Won by 4 shots over New Brunswick and Ontario
- Manitoba was 7 shots back starting Day 2
- Todd Fanning won the Canadian Junior Golf Championship in 1985 and in 1986
About the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame & Museum Inc. – The Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame & Museum Inc. was formed to acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments made by Manitobans as competitors, both amateur and professional, builders and course superintendents to the game of golf. It is a tripartite organization, the partners being Golf Manitoba, Manitoba Golf Superintendents’ Association and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of Manitoba.
Individual members and member clubs wishing to nominate an individual (amateur or professional golfers, superintendents, builders, media, etc.) for the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame may obtain nomination forms through any of the three member organizations or at manitobagolfhalloffame.com
About the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation – In 2018, the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation was established with a mandate to support junior golf in the province of Manitoba as well act as the title sponsor of the annual Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Foundation will eventually commit a total of $3 million dollars to an endowment that will aid in supporting the development of new generations of golfers through grassroots golf initiatives and high-performance programming.
Peggy Colonello served as president of the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association in 1974 – 76 and was an active participant at her home course, the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, where she and husband Alex had been members since the 1940s.
Peggy also served a two-year term as president of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association from 1982-83. During her time on the national executive, Peggy attended World and Commonwealth championships in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, Britain and Switzerland, including the various Canadian events in which she participated. Peggy was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and was an inaugural inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame on September 29, 2003.
Alex Colonello first moved to Winnipeg in 1941 where, in 1949, Bay Bronze Company asked him to start a machinery division for them. Alex eventually bought control of the company in 1973 becoming President until his retirement in 1996. In 1998, Alex purchased the golf accessory line from Bayco Industries to form Bayco Golf Inc. Alex Colonello passed away in 2013 at the age of 93.
For more information:
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
jared@golfmb.ca