Youth on Course – the non-profit organization providing young people with subsidized golf, college scholarships, caddie programs and paid internships, in partnership with Golf Canada and Alberta Golf – breaks international ground and brings affordable junior golf to Canada.

Initially, Youth on Course will be launching as a two-year pilot in the province of Alberta and will be recognized under the umbrella of Canada’s National Junior Golf Program – Future Links. With 17,000 junior member golfers and nearly 1,400 Golf Canada member clubs from coast to coast, Golf Canada will evaluate the results of the pilot prior to expanding the program nationwide.

In Alberta, the list of courses offering junior golf rounds for $5 or less are:

• Goose Hummock Golf Resort
• Westlock Golf Course
• RedTail Landing Golf Club
• Whitetail Crossing Golf Club
• Eagle Rock Golf Course
• Olds Golf Club
• River Spirit Golf Club
• Heatherglen Golf Course
• Serenity Golf Club
• McCall Lake Golf Course (18 & par 3)
• Shaganappi Golf Course (18 & 9)
• Banff Springs Golf Club (Tunnel 9)

“Golf Canada and Alberta Golf continually inspire and nurture a new generation of golfers by providing access to affordable rounds,” says Adam Heieck, CEO of Youth on Course.  “With the highest per-capita golf participation in the world, Youth on Course’s expansion will benefit the sport’s sustainability.”

Youth on Course will be a significant addition to the existing Future Links suite of programs and offers an on-course application for facilities to offer to youth, eliminating golf’s barrier of affordability and providing more opportunities for kids to play golf. Golfers, ages 6-18 will be able to join the Youth on Course international network, getting access to 1,000 golf courses in 27 different states.

“When first introduced to Youth on Course, we felt it was a very strong initiative to advance junior golf and we are pleased to be involved in this pilot stage for the program in Canada,” says Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer of Golf Canada. “Together with Alberta Golf and our participating partner courses, we are eager to give community access to golf at an unprecedented level of affordability.”

Golf Canada runs a variety of grassroot level programs under the Future Links brand, aimed at introducing and developing the game of golf amongst Canadian youth. A national junior program conducted in partnership with the PGA of Canada and Canada’s 10 provincial golf associations, Future Links is focused on three primary pillars of engagement – an in-school program, facility programs and outreach programming, all of which have contributed to the success of Future links, which has eclipsed the mark of 1.7 million youth engaged in golf.

Operating in every U.S. region, Youth on Course has more than 50,000 active members. Since 2006, juniors have played more than 10 million holes and 765,000 rounds while the organization has helped generate more than $5.2 million in tee-time revenue reimbursed back to individual golf courses. In addition to subsidized rounds, Youth on Course also facilitates paid internships, a caddie program and nationwide scholarships. They have awarded 223 students with college scholarships totaling more than $1.4 million in financial support. The current Youth on Course scholarship retention rate is ninety-four percent, with 80 students already graduated.

For many of us trying to squeeze in the last few rounds of the season, or for those planning on heading south this winter, it’s important to note the “active season” in the region, province or country you’re playing in.

Golf Canada’s Handicap System stipulates every player is responsible for returning all acceptable scores into one’s scoring record from rounds played on courses observing their active season, which is part of the golf season when courses have acceptable playing conditions.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf association to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.

Each year, provincial associations analyze numerous factors to determine their active seasons. This ensures consistency of when scores would be posted by the majority of golfers to help keep Handicap Factors accurate.

Scores made at any golf course observing an inactive season are not acceptable for handicap purposes. The rationale behind this is that posting scores during inactive seasons (periods of poor course conditions) could artificially increase a player’s Handicap Factor.

Scores made at a golf course in an area observing an active season must be posted for handicap purposes, even if the golf club from which the player receives a Handicap Factor is observing an inactive season. The club’s Handicap Committee must make it possible for a player to post these away scores at the beginning of the active season.

For example, if a player belonging to a golf club in Ontario plays golf in Florida during January, any scores made in Florida are acceptable and must be returned to the player’s Ontario golf club. If the player is also a member of a golf club in Florida, scores must be posted to the player’s Florida club.

In Canada, the active season in each province is as follows:

BC = Mar. 1 – Nov. 15
AB = Mar. 1 – Oct. 31
SK = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
MB = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
ON = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
QC = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
NS = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
NB = May. 1 – Oct. 31
PE = Apr. 16 – Nov. 14
NL = Apr. 1 – Nov. 30

It’s also important to note that if you are travelling to other countries, you should determine their active seasons to prevent posting unacceptable scores. Your home club needs all acceptable scores from the “off-season” as well to ensure your Handicap Factor is accurate once recalculated at the beginning of the season.

For a detailed list of active and inactive schedule in the United States, click here.

For more information on handicapping, click here.

To enter your scores for an official handicap, become a Golf Canada member here.

Prologue:

Blair Armitage is Golf Canada’s Regional Director, Western Canada.  In 2019 Golf NB will complete its four year transition to the new Golf NB / Golf Canada Membership Model.  While each province has its own unique variations on membership, Clark Stork’s article from Golf Saskatchewan’s website on March 11, 2019, Blair’s thoughts, comments and information provided ring true for Golf Canada’s National Membership Platform, the Golf Canada Gold Membership, regardless of provincial boundaries.

Written by Clark Stork

For the past decade Blair Armitage has been Golf Canada’s voice of reason for member clubs and players across Western Canada.

With plenty of course management experience in both Ontario and British Columbia the national governing body of golf called upon Armitage to help rebrand their image and be the face for Golf Canada from B.C. to Manitoba. Known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) just over ten years ago, everyday Canadians didn’t understand what the organization did, or that it even existed. That’s when Armitage came on as one of Golf Canada’s regional directors. In fact, Golf Canada was more recognizable to people than the RCGA and the organization hadn’t been incorporated yet, so Armitage said a rebranding was necessary and his employment with Golf Canada began.

“We decided then and there that we would get heavily involved in starting a communication effort with our various facilities,” he said.

Armitage travels to golf clubs across the four western provinces speaking with managers providing updates on what Golf Canada memberships do for both facilities and golfers. He will be in Saskatchewan in the first week of April and will see about six member clubs and six clubs that have since left the Golf Canada membership family for various reasons. Armitage said clubs can reach out to him for more details on Golf Canada benefits.

“It usually happens when there has been an issue. Generally, the issues we experience come about because there’s been some miscommunication or the facility is having technical difficulties with our score posting or access to the score centre. If they have difficulties they go online, have a look at who’s who, up pops my name and I will get a call,” he explained.

Armitage said about 10 to 12 years ago lots of clubs left the organization, mostly due to financial reasons. He’s working hard to redevelop those relationships. He said Golf Canada has increased their value with hopes of providing more value for member clubs.

“We’ve improved the value of being involved with Golf Canada over the past decade. There are more things for both the facility and the average golfer in terms of what we call the benefit package,” he said.

When Armitage speaks to golf course management, he has a trio of items he brings to their attention. He seeks clubs that haven’t had a visit from either a Golf Canada or Golf Saskatchewan representative in some time. Armitage likes to speak with the course manager and golfers at the facility, he said he focuses on facilities left the membership and he works to get regular golfers to be members of Golf Canada. One way to do so is advertising their “incident protection plan.”

“We provide a reimbursement program for people if they lose their clubs, have them damaged or stolen or whatever anywhere in the world, not at their golf club but anywhere in the world. It could be in Africa, the airplane lost them, they can file for a reimbursement up to $2,500,” Armitage said.

The benefit package includes what Golf Canada calls “bad shot insurance” too. Up to $2,500 in damage is covered for broken windows on homes or vehicles at the course. Golf cart damage is also covered through the program. For more details see our membership page.

You can hear more from Armitage below who joined Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork ahead of his first Saskatchewan visit of 2019.

Always check your yardage. Golfers who compete at the highest level, value their yardage guide as critical to performance—a roadmap for collaboration that fosters fact-based decision-making in the moments when execution matters most. Developed through meaningful consultation with our provincial, national and international partners, Golf Canada’s 2019–2022 Strategic Plan is our yardage guide—a roadmap for operational, competitive and commercial success that outlines the most critical priorities of our business.

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum officially kicked off the Annual Meeting with a presentation on Golf Canada’s new Strategic Plan, a foundational framework built through collaboration that when executed with precision will advance the sport and drive Golf Canada’s vision to be a world leader in golf.

February 26, 2019

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Jeff Hutt of Fredericton, NB has been appointed as Golf Canada’s full-time Regional Director in Atlantic Canada.

Jeff, who was previously splitting his time between Golf Canada and his position as Director of Marketing with Golf New Brunswick, will now focus his time to better serve member clubs and support the execution of Golf Canada’s non-affiliated player strategy Atlantic Canada.

Jeff’s depth of industry insight, past experiences and established network of club contacts across the region will help strengthen the collaborative relationship between Golf Canada and the Atlantic Provincial Golf Associations while delivering enhanced service to our member clubs.

“I am really excited to be joining Golf Canada in a full-time capacity. “As I expand my role, my focus is to work with our provincial associations to better support our partner facilities in the implementation of our programs and services. I also look forward to helping grow an enhanced member experience for both non-affiliated players and members of partner facilities.”

Born in Halifax, N.S., Jeff moved to Fredericton, N.B. where he grew up in a golfing family. He was a member at Fredericton Golf Club where he participated in the junior program. As a teenager, he worked as a summer student at Kingswood Golf Course and went on to Holland College in P.E.I. where he enrolled in their Golf Club Management Program. After graduation, he returned to the University of New Brunswick to earn a degree in Hospitality and Tourism.

Over his 19-year career, Jeff has developed a strong skill set and industry network across the golf industry in New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada.  He spent 10 years at Kingswood Resort in various roles before joining Golf New Brunswick as Manager of Marketing and Junior Programs. Over the next nine years, he held various roles with Golf N.B. including his most recent position as Director of Marketing. In 2015, Jeff added to his responsibilities and worked with Golf Canada on a part-time basis as the Regional Director for Atlantic Canada.

Jeff remains an avid golfer carrying a 5.8 handicap factor and enjoys playing the game both left and right handed.

Contact Information

Jeff Hutt
Regional Director, Atlantic Canada
E – jhutt@golfcanada.ca
P – 1.506.260.6599

DORVAL, Qué. – Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting culminated on Saturday, March 2 with the election of Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué., to serve as the National Sport Federation’s President.

Beaulieu succeeds 2018 President Leslie Dunning in leading Golf Canada’s Board of Directors. Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont., becomes 1^st Vice-President and Dale Jackson of Victoria assumes the role of 2^nd Vice-President.

“I am honoured to assume this post as the 115^th president of Golf Canada,” said Beaulieu. “There is a great enthusiasm in the game right now and I believe we have a real opportunity to be innovative in how we advance the sport and make the game more accessible. Together with the Board of Directors, I am looking forward to working closely with CEO Laurence Applebaum and our committed staff, volunteers and partners for the betterment of golf in Canada.”

Charlie Beaulieu joined Golf Canada’s Board of Directors in 2011 and has  served the organization on a variety of committees during his tenure. Formerly the President of the Fédération québécoise de golf, he chaired a special taskforce which led to the amalgamation of the Fédération québécoise de golf and Golf Québec. The Québec Golf Federation includes representatives from the golf course owner’s association, the provincial professional golf association, the regional golf associations and amateur golfers, all aligned in promoting the development of the game.

A member of Le Mirage Golf Club, Beaulieu brings more than 30 years of corporate, real estate and entrepreneurial experience across a variety of businesses. Together with his family—through an annual golf tournament held in honour of their late father—he has helped the Roland Beaulieu Foundation, raise over $1.2 M over the past 20 years for various charitable causes in Québec.

Left to right: Leslie Dunning, Charlie Beaulieu, Laurence Applebaum

Beaulieu, Hoffman and Jackson will lead Golf Canada’s 2019 Board of Directors which also includes Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg, Man., David Atkinson of Vancouver, B.C. Susan MacKinnon of Calgary, David McCarthy of Toronto and Adam Daifallah of Montreal as well as new Directors Jean Stone-Seguin of Ottawa and Patrick Kelly of Vancouver. Also remaining on the Board is past President Leslie Dunning of Calgary.

Golf Canada Releases Strategic Plan (2019-2022)

During the Annual Meeting, CEO Laurence Applebaum also presented Golf Canada’s three-year Strategic Plan (2019-2022) to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf.

Annual Report & Financial Statements

Click here to read Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the organization’s 2018 Financial Statements, which were both released during Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting.

Raymonde Michaud Honoured with Volunteer of the Year Award
Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, Qué. was recognized as Golf Canada’s 2018 recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award. This marks the 13^th year in which the association has honoured volunteers for their efforts and commitment to grow the game in their community. Click here for more on Volunteer of the Year honouree Raymonde Michaud.

Raymond Gaudet, Daniel Caza and Jean-Claude Gagné honoured as Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award:
Created in 1993, Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been presented annually to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada. This year’s recipients  respected Québec golf club owner and industry advocate Raymond Gaudet, veteran golf journalist Daniel Caza and long-time volunteer Jean-Claude Gagné. Gaudet, Caza and Gagné were recognized during Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting dinner on Saturday, March 2. Click here for more information on the 2019 Distinguished Service Award honourees.

Images, Panel Sessions & Presentations from Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting:

A snapshot of photos from Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting is available here while a link to the various panel sessions and presentations that took place is available here.

Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting took place February 28 to March 2 at the Montreal Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Québec.

Leslie Dunning might be expected, as she leaves the presidency of Golf Canada after an eventful year, to focus just on the milestones.

And there were some notable moments, including trophy presentations to the likes of the world’s top-ranked male golfer, Dustin Johnson, at the RBC Canadian Open and, even more memorable, the presentation to Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who became just the second Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open.

How about the announcement of a new, more preferable date for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open? Seeing a historic modernization of the Rules of Golf come into effect? Or travelling to iconic tournaments such as The Masters and the U.S. Open?

While Dunning acknowledges those were wonderful experiences, she chooses to highlight themes, rather than events. And that should come as no surprise, if you recall her “mantra” when she was elected a year ago.

“I’m trying to make sure that I’m doing something every day to grow the game in Canada,” she told me at that time.

Leslie Dunning looks on during the inaugural CP Women’s Leadership Summit at Hotel Saskatchewan during the week of the 2018 CP Women’s Open

As a result, she harks back to attending historic events such as the inaugural CP Women’s Leadership Summit, the first Women’s Summit hosted by the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada, and others, such as when Golf Canada invited some long-overdue guests to the RBC Canadian Open.

In an effort to “walk the talk” expressed in Golf Canada’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy (the outcome of a task force Dunning spearheaded), representatives of about a dozen golf organizations were invited to Glen Abbey to share information about their organizations and learn about Golf Canada..

“These diverse groups are well-functioning organizations; some have been around for decades,” said Dunning. “They are just a small sample of the many groups of golfers across the country who love the game; but few of them have been engaged as part of Golf Canada.”

“We learned from those first meetings that, just like traditional golf associations and clubs, these groups want to grow their membership, grow the game, have fun and educate players about the Rules so they can maintain good pace of play and accurate handicaps for net competitions.”

Once learning about the benefits of Golf Canada membership, some groups, not already members, committed to join Golf Canada.  As well, a few new governance volunteers were recruited, including one for Golf Canada’s Investment Committee and another for its Human Resources Committee.  Some groups have expressed interest to “adopt” a hole for the RBC Canadian Open or CP Women’s Open.  “It has been an encouraging start and we will continue to work with these groups, and others, to involve them and their members as part of Golf Canada.”

While perhaps not as exciting as meeting DJ and Brooke or walking the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, Dunning’s dedication to staying true to her “mantra” is undoubtedly more impressive and impactful.

To say her calendar was full is an understatement and many of the occasions were focused on expanding diversity and inclusion in golf in Canada. It started with hosting last year’s Golf Canada annual general meeting on the Tsuutina Nation near her home in Calgary where Golf in Schools kits were gifted to the Nation’s elementary and high schools. And the pace seldom slowed.

“I tried my best to do something every day whether it was meeting with organizations, reading to expand my knowledge and understanding, attending events, speaking with people or exchanging information..”

She is optimistic about the commitment to diversity and inclusion by everyone involved in golf in Canada. “We are seeing diversity and inclusion on conference agendas, in magazine articles and in policy and program development.”  Not only did she write an article on equity, diversity and inclusion for the Canadian Society of Club Managers magazine, she also gave a number of interviews and presentations focusing on the topic.

Dunning was gratified, by an article on diversity in golf in a major magazine.  “The writer did a terrific job researching the true diversity that already exists in golf.  It is now up to Golf Canada, other organizations and clubs to ensure that we are as diverse as the golfing public.”

Sandwiched between all this were Golf Canada Board of Directors meetings and other governance responsibilities, something Dunning takes very seriously, especially as she was working with the association’s new CEO, Laurence Applebaum, though his first full year on the job.

“As president, my primary responsibility has been to provide leadership to the Board and to work in partnership with the CEO to prepare for and follow up after Board meetings.”

She says working with Applebaum has been “a real pleasure” and credits “a great and hard-working Board, committed volunteers and talented staff” for their invaluable contributions.

Dunning will hand over the reins to Charlie Beaulieu of Montreal at Golf Canada’s annual general meeting on March 2, 2019 in Montreal.

Pat Edwards describes herself as a “very average” golfer, but her impact on the sport in New Brunswick will felt for many generations.

The 82-year-old Bathurst resident is one of six new inductees into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame. The shrine’s 50^th annual induction ceremonies are scheduled for June 1 at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst.

“I was, of course, surprised (by the election to the hall of fame),” Edwards said. “I am very honoured and humbled.”

Edwards, who was born in Point La Nim, didn’t play golf as a junior, but she played her first round in 1958 at the Restigouche Golf Club. She was immediately hooked on the sport and wondered why she didn’t take it up sooner.

Edwards enjoyed competitions, but her legacy would come as a builder. Her tenure as a mentor for juniors and organizer for all levels would continue for many decades.

“Through the years being involved in golf, I have met so many interesting and extraordinary people  and the love of the sport – it is just too hard to walk away from it,” said Edwards, whose first foray as a builder was serving four years as the director of ladies’ junior golf in New Brunswick.

“When you are working with the juniors, one becomes very close to them and I was called ‘mom’ by many of them,” she added.

“I am very proud of their successes – Bari Gourley, who is now technical director of Golf N.B. and Allison Chisholm, who is course rating and handicap chair as well as having served as chair of N.B. Golf, are among the many young players I worked with.”

Edwards was chairwoman of junior development in New Brunswick from 1984-87 and has fond memories of helping at junior golf schools with Doug Brewer and Dave Robertson at Magnetic Hill.

She was president of the New Brunswick Ladies Golf Association in 1998-99 and later served as vice-president and president of the Canadian Ladies Golf Association. She represented Canada at several international tournaments and meetings.

“It was an honour, but one of the biggest thrills was seeing my youngest daughter, Cyndi, compete at the New Brunswick and Canadian junior championships,” said Edwards, who has three children with her husband Rex.

Another personal highlight was bringing and chairman the first national championship at her home course of Gowan Brae, when the venerable club hosted the junior ladies’ tournament in 1992.

“Having Carole Mix from Moncton and Judy Astle on the executive when I was the CLGA president was also very comforting and assuring,” she noted.

In 2008-09, Edwards served as president of the Canadian women’s senior golf association (New Brunswick branch.

“I have to give the sincerest thanks to all who have supported me over the years and I especially want to thank the two ladies who spearheaded my application for the new Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame – Brenda Parrot and Kathy Grebenc as well as endorsers Bari Gourley and Kathy Meagher.

“I want to give special thanks for the board of directors (of the hall), especially Betty Bouma, who has been a long-time friend and collaborator in skating.”

Edwards judged more than 23 national and international skating competitions.

The New Brunswick hall was formed 1970 and now has more than 700 members.

DORVAL, Que. – Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting is set for this week (February 28 to March 2) at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Que., just outside of Montreal.

The event brings together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, staff and volunteers as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations, national and international partners and other stakeholders. The group will assemble for select meetings, innovative presentations and discussion in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

CEO Laurence Applebaum will also present Golf Canada’s Strategic Plan (2019-2022) to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf.

Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting will culminate with the appointment of Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué., to serve as the National Sport Federation’s 115^th President, taking over from 2018 President Leslie Dunning of Calgary.

The formal appointment of Beaulieu along with the release of the association’s 2018 Financial Statements will take place during Golf Canada’s official Annual General Meeting on Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m. ET.

Golf Canada will also celebrate outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada with the presentation of its 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award to Raymonde Michaud as well as Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award(s) to industry collaborator Raymond Gaudet, long-time volunteer Jean-Claude Gagné and golf journalist Daniel Caza.

Golf Quebec has also scheduled its Annual General Meeting to take place in conjunction with assembly in Dorval, Que.

A full schedule of activities and presentations taking place during Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting is available here.

Dorval, Qué. (Golf Canada) – A trio of lifetime contributors the sport of golf – course owner and industry collaborator Raymond Gaudet, long-time volunteer and rules official Jean-Claude Gagné and acclaimed golf journalist Daniel Caza – will be acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to the sport as the 2019 recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

The presentation of the 2019 Distinguished Service Awards to Gaudet, Gagné and Caza will take place on Saturday, March 2 as part of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting (February 28 to March 2) at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Qué.

Gaudet is the founder of Club de Golf Montcalm, a 36-hole family owned and operated golf facility in Saint-Liguori, Qué. He is a founding member of Québec Golf Course Owners Association and was the driving force behind the formation of the Golf Association of Québec, an association comprised of club owners and managers, delegates of Golf Québec, club professionals, superintendents and other industry stakeholders.

Gagné has spent more than 30 years volunteering with Golf Canada and Golf Quebec. He is a long-time Rules official and French language translator who has supported the translation of materials for the Rules of Golf as well as Handicap and Course Rating.

Caza is a respected sports journalist who has chronicled the sport of golf in Quebec and nationally for more than 20 years. He is a lead golf contributor and the Editor and Chief with Ovations Media golf properties including Mongolf.ca, Revue Golf International, Golf Les Affaires and Guide Québec Golf as well as the golf television program “Au 19e” broadcast on RDS.

“Golf Canada is extremely proud to recognize Raymond Gaudet, Jean-Claude Gagné and Daniel Caza as the recipients of our 2019 Distinguished Service Award,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Each of their respective contributions across various touchpoints in the game has left a meaningful impression on the Canadian and Quebec golf landscape. It is with great respect and admiration that we honour these individuals for their passion and commitment to our sport.”

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.

Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award are often selected from within the province or region of the organization’s incoming President. On Saturday, March 2, Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué. will be sworn in as Golf Canada’s 115^th president. As president-elect, Beaulieu will succeed Leslie Dunning of Calgary who served as President in 2018.

In addition to the presentation of the Distinguished Service Awards, Golf Canada will also recognize Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, QC as the 2018 Volunteer of the Year.

Michaud, Gaudet, Gagné and Caza will be honoured on Saturday, March 2 during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting.

Click here to see a full schedule of events for Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting.

Golf Canada 2019 Distinguished Service Award Honourees

Jean-Claude Gagné (Volunteer)

Jean-Claude Gagné of Sherbrooke, Qué. has been a strong contributor to the game of golf both in Québec and at the national level for more than 30 years.

A long-time golfer and member of the Milby Golf Club, he has served as a volunteer and Rules of Golf official with Golf Canada and Golf Québec. Gagné has officiated at numerous amateur and professional golf championships over the course of his career in addition to serving as Tournament Chair or Rules Chair for various regional, provincial and national competitions, including the 2013 Canada Games held at his home club in Sherbrooke.

Gagné served on numerous Golf Canada committees during his volunteer tenure including Rules of Golf and Handicap (which he chaired from 2002 to 2005) and on the (former) Executive Committee for six years (2003-2009). A highlight of his volunteer experience included accompanying Team Canada in 2006 and 2007 as a Head Rules Official for the Toyota Junior Boys World Cup in Japan.

A past President of the Eastern Township Golf Association, his contributions provincially with Golf Québec spanned more than a decade where he supported various committees, served as Tournament Chair in 1998 and 1999, and was President of the Association in 2000. Gagné has also lent his expertise to Golf Canada over the years as a technical expert and French language translator supporting the Rules of Golf as well as Handicapping and Course Rating. In 2018, he contributed to a working group alongside past Golf Canada President Jacques Nols and current Golf Canada Rules Chair Diane Barabé in the full translation of the new Modernized Rules of Golf including publications and supporting materials which came into effect January 1, 2019. This year, he will apply his technical translation expertise to the French-language adaptation of materials and the Handicap Manual to support the global roll-out of the World Handicap System which comes into effect January 1, 2020. Gagné has also supported Golf Canada and Golf Québec in conducting numerous education and certification sessions related to the Rules of Golf as well as Handicap and Course Rating.

Raymond Gaudet (Industry)

Raymond Gaudet’s contributions to the game of golf in Québec are rooted in two pillars—family and collaboration. Born in Saint-Liguori, Qué., Gaudet—a passionate golfer and former member at Club de Golf Joliette—was a practicing dentist for 42 years while making his mark in the golf industry. His entrepreneurial spirit in the 1970’s inspired him to build a golf course in his home village and in 1977, the opening nine of the now 36-hole Club de Golf Montcalm was designed by course architect John Watson.

The course became 18 holes in 1978, 27 holes in 1987 and then the final nine opened in 1991. Montcalm was, and remains to this day, a family business as his wife of 56 years, Evangeline, served as the General Manager of the club for 40 years. Today, his four children lead the business including son Claude who is President, General Manager and Superintendent; daughter Eve who is Food and Beverage Manager; son Sylvain who is Director of Golf; and son Robert-André who is Assistant Superintendent.

Gaudet, a trusted advisor in the Québec golf community, would go on to become one of the founding members of the APTGQ—the Québec Golf Course Owners Association. He would serve as the association’s second president, remained in office for seven years and would later participate in the founding of the Québec Golf Federation (QGF). Looking to give back to the sport he loved, Gaudet helped the QGF to launch the Maxi Golf Junior Circuit, a provincial tour aimed at developing young golfers in Québec.

A respected voice in the Québec golf industry and advocate for collaboration and industry cooperation, Gaudet was a driving force behind the formation of the Québec Golf Federation, an association comprised of club owners and managers, delegates of Golf Québec, club professionals, superintendents and other industry stakeholders. Although he retired in 2016 after more than 40 years leading Montcalm, Gaudet remains full of projects for the club.

Daniel Caza (Media)

Over the course of a distinguished media career, Daniel Caza has chronicled the sport of golf in Québec and nationally. He is a trusted voice in the Québec golf and sports media landscape. The Montreal native is an insightful commentator who is well respected by his peers and the golfing public, as well as club operators and golf industry stakeholders for his unique perspective on the Québec golf landscape.

Before becoming a golf writer, which he’s done for the past 20 years, Caza was contributing to prestigious media outlets such as La Presse Canadienne, Le Soleil daily newspaper and RDS covering the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Expos as well as other major international events such as Formula One Grand Prix, boxing and tennis.

He joined Radio-Canada during the same period where he had the opportunity to be part of the broadcasting team covering the coverage of the Olympic Games in Atlanta and Nagano. Since 1999, he has worked almost exclusively in the golf industry—first with Transcontinental, then with Gesca and, finally, with Ovation Media. He has been a lead contributor to the golf division of the publishers mentioned, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the MonGolf.ca platform.

His golf contributions with Ovation Media also extend to Revue Golf International, Golf Les Affaires and Guide Québec Golf. Caza also contributes to the golf television program “Au 19e” broadcast on RDS.