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.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) – The LPGA Tour has a new title sponsor for its developmental tour that will boost prize money, award $10,000 to each of the leading 10 players that graduate to the LPGA Tour and seek to eventually cut entry fees in half.

Epson America has a five-year deal with the LPGA Tour that runs through 2026.

The newly named Epson Tour, which is set to begin the first week of March in Florida, will announce its schedule in a few weeks.

“This ground-breaking partnership will provide expanded opportunities for the future stars of the game from around the globe to test their talent and take one step closer to realizing their dreams,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said.

The developmental tour enters its 42nd year of structured competition, and it has produced such future stars as Karrie Webb, Lorena Ochoa, Inbee Park and Nelly Korda. Nine players who started on the tour accounted for 12 victories last season on the LPGA Tour.

The LPGA’s deal with Symetra expired last year.

Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., a global technology company, is the parent company of Epson America, based in California.

More than being the title sponsor of the main circuit that leads to the LPGA Tour, it will start the Epson Tour Ambassador Program, giving $10,000 to the 10 leading players to provide a financial boost as they start on the LPGA Tour.

The standard tournament prize money will be $200,000, another increase.

The commitment is believed to be roughly three times greater than the previous season.

The deal also includes Epson contributing money to lower entry fees by 10% each tournament for every player, which would amount to as much as a $1,000 savings for each player.

And through the Epson Tour DEI Partnership, the company and the LPGA are challenging at least four companies to join them by working to cut entry fees from $500 to $250. Participating companies would receive Pro-Am spots and advertising at every Epson Tour event.

“We don’t only want to put our name on the Epson Tour. We want to find ways to invest in players chasing their dream of the LPGA Tour and support them once that dream becomes a reality,” said Kendra Jones, Epson America’s vice president of legal affairs and general counsel.

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. 

Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB) is excited to share the following job opportunity

Dormie Workshop- Junior Sales Representative

Dormie Workshop is looking for a junior sales representative to join our team in our Halifax office! This person will actively seek out and engage prospective customers to sell our product and/or services, assist in Website Sales, Custom Sales, and handle in-store sales activities.

The ideal candidate is results-driven, hungry for customer acquisition, and passionate about contributing to top-line revenue growth. Having an unhealthy obsession with golf is considered an asset!

Please CLICK HERE for a full Job Posting

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Jan 31, 2022

There is considerable debate about this topic, to say the least. There are several clubs and several people who have staked claims about the origin of the term ‘mulligan.’

The story most widely accepted focuses on a gentleman named David Mulligan who played at the St. Lambert CC in Montreal during the 1920s. There are several versions of the David Mulligan story.

Story one: Mr. Mulligan was a hotelier in the first half of the century, a part-owner and manager of the Biltmore Hotel in New York City, as well as several large Canadian hotels. One story says that the first mulligan was an impulsive sort of event – that one day Mulligan hit a very long drive off the first tee, just not straight, and acting on impulse re-teed and hit again. His partners found it all amusing, and decided that the shot that Mulligan himself called a ‘correction shot’ deserved a better named, so they called it a ‘mulligan.’

Story two: Mulligan played regularly with a group of friends at St. Lambert, and in the morning he drove to pick up his golfing buddies. The road into the club was reportedly bumpy and windy and just sort of generally poor, with bridge of bumpy railroad ties. An extra shot was allotted to Mulligan, the driver of the car, on the first tee because he was jumpy and shaking from the difficult drive.

Story three: this story again identified a specific moment, citing a day when David Mulligan showed up late to the course, having scrambled to get out of bed late and get dressed and get to the course on time. He was frazzled on the first tee, hit a poor shot, and re-teed.

Another version of the ‘mulligan’ story comes from the Essex Fells CC in N.J. This story is one of the latest, and may therefore be less credible. According to this version, the term was named after a locker room attendant at the club named John A. ‘Buddy’ Mulligan, who worked at the club during the 1930s and was known for replaying shots, particularly on the first tee.

Adam Stanley / Golf Canada

Golf continues to provide a record number of Canadians safe refuge during the COVID-19 global pandemic as a proven activity that benefits physical and mental health. 

As we look ahead to 2022, there is comfort in knowing golf can continue to be a haven for safe gathering and fitness – for all. 

And beyond just the ability to continue to play the game, the world of golf has given Canadians much to be excited about as we look ahead to a new year! 

Here are nine things Canadians should be excited about in 2022: 

BROOKE’S BACK AT THE CP WOMEN’S OPEN

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, planning for the 2022 CP Women’s Open is full-steam ahead. Hosted by Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, it’s the first time our national open will be in our nation’s capital since 2017. That year Brooke Henderson made the cut on the number and proceeded to fire a course-record 63 on Saturday to zip up the leaderboard. Henderson would, of course, go on to win the CP Women’s Open in 2018 and end up in the final group on Sunday in 2019. Tickets are on sale now for Ottawa’s event and it’s a fabulous opportunity to see some of the best golfers in the world tee it up – including our home-grown hero. 

RBC CANADIAN OPEN WELCOMES THE GAME’S TOP STARS

Like the CP Women’s Open, plans for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open are well underway as the excitement for the return of Canada’s lone PGA TOUR stop is at an all-time high. Hosted by St. George’s Golf and Country Club and Islington Golf Club’s practice facility, signs are pointing to this event – last won by Rory McIlroy in Hamilton in 2019 – being a very special one. There is set to be a ton of fabulous new activations for Canadian golf fans and there’s nothing quite like seeing our guys, like the top-ranked male Corey Conners, tee it up in person. Get your tickets here.

PRESIDENTS CUP HOPEFULS

Speaking of Corey Conners! Both he and childhood friend – and long-time Golf Canada National Team member – Mackenzie Hughes are in the conversation to be part of the International Presidents Cup team at Quail Hollow come September. Mike Weir is back as an Assistant Captain, and if Hughes and Conners both make the team it will be the first time in history with multiple Canadians on the squad. 

NEW YEAR, NEW GEAR

We say it often enough, but the top brands in golf continue to put out amazing gear to help you look, feel, and play better year after year. The Titleist Pro V1 (and Pro V1x) continue to be the No.1 ball in golf, while Puma and Levelwear are set to make clothing drops that are fit for the fairways or streamlined for the streets. Look in your bag or your closet to see what might need replaced in the new year and you won’t be disappointed at what’s on offer now, or what’s to come. 

FIRST TEE LAUNCHES IN CANADA

In concert with the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada was thrilled to put in motion the launch of the First Tee – Canada in 2021, with a targeted growth strategy for next year and beyond. The commitment from golf’s key stakeholders in Canada will allow for the next generation of divot-diggers to be able to thrive in any environment. With a big thanks to the Golf Canada Foundation and some key donations through this year, it’s an exciting time to be a youngster involved in golf in this country. 

ROAD TRIP! 

If the last two golf seasons have shown anything to Canadians, it’s that we have a lot of darn good golf courses in this country. Whether you’re looking for a hidden gem somewhere in Saskatoon, keen to combine golf and wine in Niagara, ready to heed the call of the mountains in Canmore Kananaskis, hot for history in Quebec City, or finally ready to check that bucket-list item off your list at Cabot Cape Breton, there’s no better time that grabbing some friends and safely hitting the road, or the skies, to explore what kind of great golf is on offer in this country. Find your course here.

CLUB COMPETITIONS

Perhaps the last two years have been restrictive in terms of who can play and when, but with more safety measures installed at clubs across Canada it’s likely you might have the opportunity to get those competitive juices flowing once again. Maybe you want to test your mettle at your club, or tee it up at a provincial tournament? Or maybe you can finally bring your friend to your place for a thrilling member-guest experience? Whatever the event may be, we’ve got our fingers-crossed that there will be more opportunities in 2022. 

GOLF’S GROWING POPULARITY

Whether there was play at a local muni, a nine-hole layout, or a championship 18-hole track, 2021 saw more Canadians teeing it up than ever before – this after a record-setting year in 2020. As Golf Canada continues its commitment to inclusion at all levels, don’t be surprised to see more people from all backgrounds enjoying the game more in 2022. A safe space means more enjoyment for all. 

ALWAYS TRYING TO GET BETTER

Even Tiger Woods, the greatest modern player in history, is trying to chase improvements on the course. While Woods’ return – of which we saw a tease of in December – is something itself to look forward to in 2022, take a page out of Woods’ book and keep working on your own game. The opportunity to improve (be sure to speak with a PGA of Canada professional!) is something that makes golf a game for a lifetime, and a new year means more time to try to shave a few strokes. Trying to get just a little bit better next year is something that carries many Canadians through wintertime. To keep detailed stats on your game, give Golf Canada’s free mobile app a try.

OAKVILLE – (Golf Canada) – Some golfers claim their favourite aspect of the game is recanting highlights (and maybe even some lowlights) with friends following a round of golf. 

Now, members of Golf Canada and their respective provincial golf association who track their games with Golf Canada Score Centre can do just that… digitally.

Introducing Golf Canada #MyGolfYear – a retrospective of a member’s golf year generated by the scoring data posted to the Golf Canada Score Centre in 2021.

Statistics on the graphics, which were emailed direct to members on December 28t^h, 2021, include total best round, number of holes played, distance played and most-played golf courses. 

Golfers who posted scores using hole-by-hole method will see additional statistics added to their graphics, including total number of pars, birdies or better and holes-in-one.

Golf Canada is encouraging members to share their graphics with friends via email or post them to their favourite social networking platform using the hashtag #MyGolfYear. Below are just a few examples shared since the inaugural campaign launched.

Golfers aiming to earn a coveted place in The 150^th Open at St Andrews will have opportunities at 16 professional events in 11 countries that make up The Open Qualifying Series in 2022.

Three players have already booked their places through the Joburg Open, the first event in the Series which was played in South Africa last month. The SMBC Singapore Open will be the next chance for golfers to qualify for the milestone championship at the home of golf when it is played at Sentosa from 20-23 January.

A minimum of 46 places in The Open are available through the Series, which provides golfers with opportunities to qualify at events around the world on the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Asian Tour, Korean Tour, Japan Golf Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “We have worked closely with our colleagues at the leading professional tours to agree an exciting schedule of events through which golfers can qualify for The 150^th Open at St Andrews. There is a real desire among players to be part of this historic occasion at the home of golf and this will undoubtedly spur them on to secure a sought-after place in the Championship next year.”

For the first time, the New Zealand Open on the PGA Tour of Australasia will feature as part of the Series when it is played at Millbrook in Queenstown from 31 March-3 April. Three qualifying places will be offered at New Zealand’s national championship.

On the PGA TOUR, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and John Deere Classic will each have three qualifying places. Two places will be available at the RBC Canadian Open, while the last qualifying place in The 150^th Open will be confirmed at the Barbasol Championship on the eve of the Championship.

The Genesis Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour for the first time, will carry three qualifying berths. Three places at both the Irish Open and Dutch Open on the DP World Tour will be available.

Four places will be on offer at the Mizuno Open in Japan and two places at the KOLON Korea Open.

Regional Qualifying events will take place at venues throughout Great Britain and Ireland on 20 June.  A minimum of 12 places will then be available at Final Qualifying events taking place at Fairmont St Andrews, Hollinwell, Prince’s and St Annes Old Links on 28 June.

The R&A has also published the list of exemptions that will be used to confirm the field for The 150^th Open at St Andrews. Please visit TheOpen.com for more information.  

(St. Andrews, Scotland) – New research figures revealed by The R&A and Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) show golf has enjoyed a significant increase in popularity worldwide since 2016 with over five-and-a-half million additional golfers taking up the sport.

The measure includes club members and non-member independent golfers playing nine or 18 holes and users of driving ranges in markets where course availability is limited.

The new figure reflects a positive trend in golf in which participation levels are now rising worldwide after a period of decline. This was recently highlighted in the 2021 European Golf Participation Report, which highlighted that over 10.6 million golfers now enjoy playing full-length courses on the continent – a healthy increase from the 7.9 million last monitored in 2016.

Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said, “Golf is enjoying a real boom in popularity at the moment and we are seeing substantial increases in participation in many parts of the world, particularly in the last two years when the sport could be played safely outdoors during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The new figures are very encouraging but we need to work together as a sport to make the most of this opportunity by retaining those people who have returned to golf or tried it for the first time. We can achieve this by offering a variety of attractive and flexible options that encourage golfers to play more regularly and enjoy its many health and wellbeing benefits with family and friends.”

SMS collected participation data reported by national federations in different regions around the world, using nationally representative studies and expert estimates to calculate the global number of total golfers.

Regions experiencing the largest rises include Asia (20.9 million to 23.3 million); Europe (7.9 million to 10.6 million – driven largely by Great Britain and Ireland 3.6 million to 5.7 million); and North America (29.9 million to 30.6 million).

The research figures indicate the growth trend began before Covid-19 and then accelerated during the pandemic as the popularity of golf grew due to golfers being able to socially distance in a safe outdoor setting and stay active to boost their physical and mental health.

In Great Britain, the number of adults playing a nine or 18-hole course began to gradually increase before the onset of Covid-19, rising from 2.5 million in 2017 to 2.8 million in 2018, then to 3 million in 2019, before surging to 5.2 million in 2020.

Following the easing of lockdown restrictions, The R&A sought to carry out additional research into this rise in demand and how different types of golfers were engaging with the sport.

The Post Covid Opportunity Research, along with findings from Bayfirth Research, details experiences of golfers during the pandemic, motivations for playing and long-term plans for the future. Among new golfers, 98% of those interviewed identified they are enjoying playing golf and 95% see themselves playing golf for many years to come.

The research also outlined recommendations clubs can take to retain new players, including feeling welcome and valued; a friendly culture and relaxed atmosphere; participation options based on ability and experience; good customer service; having an efficient booking system; the quality and maintenance of the course; and, importantly, playing in an encouraging environment.

The R&A also launched a Covid-19 Support Fund to help golf deal with the impact of the pandemic, with the £7 million funding package largely aimed at national federations and other affiliated bodies in Great Britain and Ireland.

Further support for national federations is set to come in 2022. The R&A is creating a series of new assets to help market and promote the sport so that more people are encouraged to take up golf and existing golfers are retained.

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.”