Golf Manitoba members set another score posting record in 2024
Golf Manitoba
Golf Manitoba members set a new record in 2024 with 289,188 scores registered in the Golf Canada Score Centre. That is an average of just over 28 rounds posted per member.
The 2024 season total represents a 2% increase over the previous record set in 2023 (283,431) and a 39% increase from the 205,000 rounds posted in 2019.
Of the 289,000 rounds, over 169,000 rounds were posted using the Golf Canada App.
Nationally, Golf Manitoba members contributed to a record breaking season reported by Golf Canada of 10.7 million rounds which betters the previous year’s record of 10 million.
Scores posted nationally in 2024 are 47% higher from the 2019 total of 7.3 million.
The top five member clubs in Manitoba for score posting during the 2024 Active Season were as follows:
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? Join Canada’s largest golf community here.
Golf Manitoba members set new score posting record in 2023
Golf Manitoba
It was a record breaking year for Golf Manitoba members who posted 283,431 rounds to the Golf Canada Score Centre in 2023. The season total represents a 28.5% increase over 2022 (220,576) and an 8.5% increase over the previous record set in 2021 (261,224).
Of the 283,000 rounds posted, over 138,000 rounds were posted using the Golf Canada App. Golf Canada is also on pace for a record setting year of score posting projecting over 10 million rounds posted nation wide.
The top five member clubs for score posting during the 2023 Active Season were as follows:
1. Breezy Bend Country Club – 21,952 2. Pine Ridge Golf Club – 20,563 3. St. Charles Country Club – 19,135 4. Niakwa Country Club – 18,600 5. Elmhurst Golf & Country Club – 17,579
All Golf Manitoba/Golf Canada members receive access to score posting under the World Handicap System. Any game 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? Join Canada’s largest golf community here.
(April 6, 2023) Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce its 2023 championship schedule. The 2023 competition calendar includes fifteen Provincial Amateur Championships that will be contested at Golf Manitoba member clubs.
As the Provincial Sport Organization and governing body of golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario, Golf Manitoba conducts premier amateur golf championships to support the development of the province’s competitive golfers.
Golf Manitoba’s championship season kicks off May 28 with the Match Play Championship, presented by St. Vital Dental Centre, at the Glendale Golf & Country Club and concludes with the return of the Men’s Four-Ball Championship that will be played on September 21 at the Bridges Golf Course in Starbuck, Manitoba.
Championship registration will open on Monday, April 10 at 10am and only for players who achieved exempt status based on their play in 2022. General registration will open on Monday, April 17 and also at 10am. Players who fall into the exempt category will receive an email informing them of their status.
To view Golf Manitoba’s 2023 Championship Schedule, including all host venues and registration requirements, click here.
Golf Manitoba Amateur Championships
Golf Manitoba annually conducts more than 15 golf competitions and qualifiers – which play host to more than 900 golfers who play over 1,700 rounds. In partnership with our host clubs, volunteers, and our proud sponsors, Golf Manitoba is dedicated to supporting player development through first-class competition. Golf Manitoba’s amateur championships are proudly supported by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation, TaylorMade, adidas Golf Canada, Manitoba Blue Cross, Nott Autocorp, Diamond Athletic, St. Vital Dental Centre, Hodson Financial and our sport partners at Sport Manitoba and Golf Canada. For more information and scheduling visit golfmb.ca/competitions.
Golf Canada launches National Golf League in support of First Tee – Canada
Golf Manitoba
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.
Elmhurst Invitational to add junior division in 2023
Golf Manitoba
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.
Registration dates announced for Golf Canada’s 2023 championships
Canadian Junior Girls Championship Trophy
(Photo: Gary Yee/Golf Canada)
Golf Manitoba
Registration for Golf Canada’s competitions is opening soon. The 2023 schedule features a total of 35 competitions including:
10 National Amateur Championships, presented by BDO
8 NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards
5 RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers, culminating at the Final Qualifier on Sunday, June 4
CP Women’s Open Final Qualifier on Monday, August 21
Various USGA Qualifiers in May, June and July
Registration will open on the following dates for each category of championships and qualifiers:
NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards
NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards will continue to provide a high-performance training ground and championship experience across Canada, which showcases the next wave of elite junior golfers.
Registration will open on Wednesday, February 15th at 12:00pm EDT.
Join the world’s best amateur and professional golfers and attempt to qualify for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open. Registrants are selected on a first-come, first-serve basis, as long as each applicant meets the eligibility requirements.
Registration will open on Wednesday, February 22nd at 12:00pm EDT.
True to the life-long sport that golf is, Golf Canada will be conducting 10 national amateur championships for golfers of all ages, genders and abilities.
Registration will open on Wednesday, March 15th at 12:00pm EST.
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
Vikes, Thunderbirds crowned Canada West Golf Champions
Photo: Canada West
Golf Manitoba
Victoria, B.C. – The University of Victoria Vikes men and University of British Columbia women took home the team titles at the 2022 Canada West Golf Championships, Oct. 4.
The Vikes men finished +3 collectively with rounds of 293 and 278. UBC finished second at +7 (279, 296) in the team standings, while Fraser Valley rounded out the top three with a +9 (286, 291) over the two-day tournament. The University of Manitoba Bisons men finished in 6th place with a +43 team score (303, 308). The Bisons were lead by Stefan Lavallee and Cameron McIntyre who both finished at T16 with a two-day total of +9 (151). Also playing for the Bisons were Trent Robertson (T19), Connor Stewart (T23) and Cole Peters (T37).
The UBC women shot +19 (221, 224) as a team to earn the conference banner, followed by Victoria at +25 (226, 225) for silver, and UBCO with a +29 (225, 230) in bronze position as teams.
Neel Soni (2020 Manitoba Junior Boys Champion) who plays for the University of British Columbia, helped the Thunderbird men to a second place team finish on rounds of 74 and 73 to finish individually at T11. Jacob Armstrong, (2019 Manitoba Junior Boys Champion) playing for the University of the Fraser Valley, shot scores of 75 and 82 to finish at T25.
For more on the 2022 Canada West Golf Championship and for the full leaderboard, please click here.
The Clear Lake Ladies Golf Club celebrated its 75th year on August 31, 2022. The group recognized its diamond anniversary with a luncheon at the NINE Restaurant at the Clear Lake Golf Course.
The Wasagaming Ladies Golf Club was first formed in 1947 thanks to the vision of Helen Hickling, a practicing Winnipeg lawyer and Clear Lake cottage owner, who decided to compete in the Manitoba Championships tournament in Winnipeg. Helen approached the first superintendent of Riding Mountain National Park, Mr. Hislop, to ask for permission to join the Manitoba Ladies Golf Association so that she could compete in the tournament. Permission was granted, Helen competed and subsequently became the first president of the club.
At the 1995 spring meeting, The Wasagaming Ladies Club changed its name to the Clear Lake Ladies Golf Club. The late 90s also saw the formation of the Fall Classic Tournament which had a very successful run for many years thanks to the efforts of several dedicated members. The membership currently sits at thirty-five players and one associate member. The Club has active members in their nineties continuing to enjoy coming out to play. Once a week, members take turns hosting a “social” at their cottage after a scheduled weekly game and for many members, this is a definite perk of belonging to the club.
Competitive golfers within the club included Muriel Clark, Geri Ferris, Betty Hall, Helen Hickling, The Lawrence sisters ( Donna, Heather and Marion), Donna Lawson, Joan Kullberg, Lynn MacDonald, Bea Matheson, Ann McDiarmid, Mabel Mitchell, and Marg Patrick. Notable junior members, Stacey Bieber and Kaitlin Troop, made their mark with impressive tournament play in Manitoba, Canada and the US.
The Clear Lake Ladies Club is proud to celebrate seventy-five years of memorable moments celebrating golf, women and good times that have defined the club’s past and will shape its future.
After a two year hiatus due to COVID the 60th annual Grey Owl Golf Tournament will be held at Clear Lake, Manitoba on the weekend of Friday, June 10th until Sunday, June 12th.
The Grey Owl is one of the longest running tournaments of its kind in North America and with up to 16 flights gives golfers of all skill levels the opportunity for competition, camaraderie and of course lots of fun.
Held at the picturesque and challenging Clear Lake Golf Course in Riding Mountain National Park, the tournament has gained the reputation as one of the premiere events on Manitoba’s golf calendar and draws golfers from not just Manitoba and nearby Saskatchewan but from locales throughout North America.
Online registration is now open and all applications submitted by April 30, 2022 will be considered. For more information, visit thegreyowl.ca.
