The stats, both in terms of kids impacted and kilometres on the odometer, are mighty impressive.
And Matt Seifert is adamant that he is just getting started.
Seifert is determined to both give back and grow the game. That’s why he just returned from his latest RV road-trip to northern Alberta, travelling from course to course — and from campground to campground — to conduct clinics for juniors and women at facilities that don’t employ a certified teaching pro.
“There’s about 150 courses (across the province) with PGA of Alberta pros,” Seifert said. “And there are just shy of 300 that I’ve found that do not have a pro. My goal is to go to every single one of them. The only problem is it will take me about 10 years.”
That’s not so much a problem as a passion for Seifert, also an instructor at Golf Future in Calgary.
Two summers back, he was on the road for a 24-day stretch. He even made it as far as the Northwest Territories.
He had to cancel his plans in 2023 due to forest fires but was determined to hit the highway again.
“This latest one was 13 days, just me and a truck and trailer,” said Seifert, who covered more than 3,200 kilometres on his most recent roadie and worked with upwards of 500 golfers along the way — roughly 400 juniors, 140 women, and 20 dads or husbands. “I made it all the way up to High Level, which is the most northern golf course in Alberta. I made it to Fairview, where I had probably the best experience I’ve had on the RV tour. I actually had to go back for my day-off because there was such a demand for lessons.”
Seifert knows first-hand that the demand isn’t limited to Alberta’s major centres.
While he’d started to groove his golf swing as a youngster in Calgary, he was just about to start Grade 10 when his family moved to the village of Linden, a farming community with a population in triple digits.
The nine-hole Acme Golf Club became his home hangout.
“All of a sudden, everything I had in the city, all the golf resources, everything was gone and I was kind of left to fend there for myself,” Seifert said. “But I just worked really hard and there were some people that didn’t know a lot about golf but still inspired me to pursue it as a career when no other kid in town was even looking at golf as a career. So, I was lucky.
“I guess I’m one of the few professional athletes to ever come out of Kneehill County. So that’s pretty cool for me.”
There have been, in Seifert’s golf journey, plenty of pretty cool moments.
He’s competed on the mini tours. He’s worked in Australia and New Zealand. He has volunteered at the Hero World Challenge in Bahamas, a star-studded shootout that benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. That has provided the opportunity to chat with some of the biggest stars in the sport — from Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa to Nelly Korda and Michelle Wie and even Tiger himself. Seifert has a cherished photo with the 15-time major champion.
“I’ve dined with celebrities and I’ve caddied for presidents and I’ve met Tiger Woods,” said Seifert, not boasting but rather explaining why he feels indebted to the game of golf. “I’m like, ‘This shouldn’t have happened to a small-town kid.’ This RV tour means the world to me, because it wasn’t supposed to happen to me. But it did.”
That is exactly why Seifert, who just turned 40, gasses up and hits the road — because he hopes it will eventually happen again for some other kid from some other speck on the map in rural Alberta.
He plans to focus a little closer to Calgary in 2025, since he’ll soon have a baby at home. He has already started a list of stops in southern Alberta.
“I’ve had parents who will tell me, ‘I haven’t been able to make my kid smile in two months and all of a sudden, you have them smiling and they want to come back to the golf course the next day,’” Seifert said. “For me, I get emotional just talking about it. But that was my goal to start. It wasn’t about making money. I just wanted to give back to the game of golf. It was if one small-town kid sees my tour bag, like I saw Ron Laugher’s or Dale Tomlinson’s or Greg Griffith’s when I was kid … If one kid decides to pursue golf and they get to live half the life I’ve lived travelling the world, to me that’s it. One kid is enough.
“I’m very lucky right now that dozens and dozens of these hundreds of kids are starting to think, ‘I want to work in a pro-shop’ or ‘I want to play on the PGA Tour or the LPGA Tour.’
Things like that probably weren’t on their minds until I rolled through.
“I know we’re definitely inspiring a few kids out there. And with kids and sports, that’s what it is all about.”
Association News
Education Committee Formation & New Roster Set
We are excited to announce that the new Education Committee has been formed for the remainder of 2024 and for 2025. Thank you to all the applicants who have volunteered their time and passion to help support our Association.
A message from Chair, Todd Halpen:
" We are really looking forward to working closely with the new members of the Committee. We are extremely pleased the we have members from both Public and Private facilities that will bring in their personal experience and club experiences to help make the education events beneficial for the association. With this committee we are looking to execute long range planning to ensure success for all our events in the future."
The Education Committee will sit with a minimum of 8 Members and maximum of 12 and shall meet as a committee up to 4-times per year and at the call of the chairs for:
1. Spring Seminar. 2. PD Series. 3. Teaching Summits. 4. Buying Show Education. 5. Further education development that works within the scope of the PGA of Canada curriculum. 6. Proactively obtain input and suggestions from members on their level of satisfaction with suggestions for improvement of the education portfolio. 7. Liaise with other committees as required on operations and activities that may overlap. 8. Undertake other activities assigned by the Board of Directors. 9. Review the terms of reference on an annual basis and make any recommendations for change.
The committee chair will provide a report on committee activity at each Board of Directors meeting even if no formal committee meetings have taken place.
Tournament News
Sophie Dhaliwal and Tate Bruggeman Win Play Golf Alberta Junior Masters
Camilla Ruesga Rojas and Jayden Arnold win U15 titles
EDMONTON—Calgary’s Sophie Dhaliwal and Edmonton’s Tate Bruggeman were crowned the queen and king of the Play Golf Alberta Junior Masters event for 2024, hosted by the PGA of Alberta at Royal Mayfair Golf Club.
Dhaliwal, who plays out of the Wingfield Golf Club in Calgary, won her second-straight Junior Masters title. Dhaliwal fired back-to-back 73s to run away with a nine-shot victory (146) in the Overall Girls Division (U19).
“I love the course. It is so well maintained from the tee deck to the putting greens, and I love playing tournaments in Edmonton,” said Dhaliwal, who stumbled out of the gate, opening with double bogeys in both of her rounds.
“A lot of my time on the course was spent on bouncing back. I struggled with the first couple of holes on the front nine, so my goal was to make a bunch of birdies, come back, manage my emotions. My putting was very good on the first day and it helped me on the second day as well.”
It certainly did.
The youngster mixed four birdies together with two doubles and four bogeys in her opening 18-hole spin. She played steady, making one birdie coming home in her final round.
Three players were deadlocked in second at 155. Emma Liu (Windermere Golf and Country Club) and Eva Hogue (Edmonton Golf Club) fired rounds of 80 and 75, while Jayla Kucy (Camrose Golf Club) carded scores of 74-81 in the field of 17 athletes.
Camilla Ruesga Rojas (Pinebrook Golf and Country Club) was tops in the U15 Girls Division at 78-75—153.
Tate Bruggeman lit up the Royal Mayfair Golf Club with a sizzling 64 in the final round of the boys event to take a five-shot victory. A member of The Derrick Golf and Winter Club, Bruggeman carded three birdies a side to finish 5-under-par and lead the 59 junior boys players in the two-day event with a score of 71-64—135.
“I hit the golf ball pretty solid both days. Yesterday, I was just a little bit off. I didn’t give myself enough really good looks and couldn’t make a ton of putts, but I got off to a good start today, kept it rolling, made a couple of 15 to 20-foot putts on the back nine that I hadn’t seen going in lately,” said Bruggeman.
The northern Alberta teen bookended his junior competitive golfing career at the Royal Mayfair.
“Today was just kind of a nice way to cap off my junior career. About 10 years ago, I played my first junior tournament ever here, so it was a special week,” said Bruggeman. “Royal Mayfair is a world-class golf course. It was in great shape and the staff and volunteers did an awesome job. I love the course, it was in great shape. The staff and volunteers did a great job. I always enjoy playing this PGA of Alberta event.”
Bruggeman began the final round one-shot back of Matthew Keane (Bearspaw Golf Club). Keane finished even-par 70 both times out for a total score of 140 and second spot. Ryan Gillis (Pinebrook Golf and Country Club) and Peter Hlushak (Windermere Golf and Country Club) placed third with combined scores of 144.
Jayden Arnold (Earl Grey Golf Club) was the U15 Boys Division champion after heating up the Royal Mayfair track with rounds of 68-69—137.
Levelwear pledges the following levels of support to the Red Cross Alberta 2024 wildfire relief fund:
100% of all net proceeds from levelwear.com from July 27-31
100% of all net proceeds from sales in the official CPKC Women’s Open merchandise tent July 27-28, visit their Instagram for more information.
A donation of 2000 units of new men’s, women’s and youth apparel to the region
For more information on how to support, please visit levelwear.com.
Tournament News
Competition Heating Up at the Junior Masters
Royal Mayfair GC hosted 56 of the provinces top juniors on Sunday at the Play Golf Alberta - Royal Mayfair Junior Masters presented by Sundog Eyewear/Blue Tees.
The girls teed off first and Camilla Ruesga Rojas (Pinebrook G&CC) leads the U15 division after round 1. Camilla will take a 5-shot lead into day 2, looking to claim her division for the first time.
The race for the U19 girls overall title will see leader Sophie Dhaliwal (Wingfield GC) try and defend her title after carding 4 birdies to finish the day at 73. Sitting closely behind her is Jayla Kucy (Camrose GC), who finished today just one shot back of Dhaliwal. Jayla won the overall title in 2021 and she will try and capture her second title when they tee off together at 8:50am.
The boys were also in action and the U15 leader is Jayden Arnold (Early Grey GC) after 4 birdies set him a top the division, finishing the day at 68. Erik Petersen (Carnmoney GC) and Chase Strang (Pinebrook G&CC) sit just 4 shots back with 18 holes to play on Monday.
The low round of the day belongs to Peter Hlushak (Windermere G&CC) where he birdied 5 holes in a row to lock in a 67 after round 1. Matthew Keane (Bearspaw GC) and Chase Lassman (Stony Plain GC) will join Peter in the final group, looking to build off their rounds of even par and take home their first overall boys title.
Earl Grey’s Female Pros Understand Power of LPGA Event on Home Turf
Janelle Istvanffy understands the impact of an event like this. She has experienced it first-hand.
Istvanffy is now an associate professional at Earl Grey Golf Club, proudly playing host this week to the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. It brings back memories from 1999, when the LPGA Tour paid its first visit to the Calgary area.
“I grew up at Priddis Greens and I remember watching the du Maurier Classic in 1999, when I was just a little kid,” Istvanffy said. “I remember Karrie Webb walked off the 18th green after winning and handed me a golf ball. I still have vivid memories of that.
“It’s fun seeing our juniors now have those same experiences. We hosted a junior Ryder Cup on Saturday (prior to tournament week) and as part of it, we got them to all take pictures in front of the trophy before they teed off. And just seeing their smiles, it was like, ‘That was me, back in 1999.’ You can really see that these are memories that they will carry with them forever.”
It’s not just the junior members at Earl Grey that are in pinch-me mode this week as Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko and others dig divots on their home turf.
For the staff of seven PGA of Alberta professionals at this private facility, including three women, this is truly something special.
“It’s been like the dream come true that I didn’t even know I had,” said associate professional Jennifer MacKinnon, who has witnessed the evolution of Earl Grey through a major redesign (2018), a centennial celebration (2019) and now an event that is drawing international eyeballs. “It’s just an opportunity that I feel like I’m so fortunate to be a part of. I’ve been here for eight years, so I’ve gone through all of the construction and changes and I think it’s amazing that the rest of the world gets to see our little slice of heaven.
“And now, to see all these famous people that I never in my wildest dreams thought that I’d be able to be two feet from, it’s just so cool.”
It’s even cooler when those big-name birdie-seekers are heaping praise on your course, when golf fans around the globe are going to be seeing the highlights on TV or on social media.
Earl Grey’s head professional, Pat Wilmot, has encouraged his staff to “take it in, enjoy every moment and be proud of position you’re in and that you’re a part of what built it.”
They have done precisely that.
Associate professional Shannon Raina was thrilled to tee it up in the pro-am, strolling the fairways alongside LPGA Tour regulars Bianca Pagdanganan and Jenny Shin. She called it “a top experience of my life” and “a day I’ll never forget.”
Apprentice professional Josh Berze has been hauling a bag as a caddie.
Istvanffy was among those who attended the CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, where the speakers included the commissioner of the LPGA Tour and president of the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League. Istvanffy described that event as “a 12 out of 10” and added “it really set the stage for a great week because we talked about how we can champion women’s sports.”
“I’m just trying to be a sponge,” MacKinnon said during the hubbub of CPKC Women’s Open week. “Just taking the opportunity to connect with coaches — whether it be a swing coach or a mental coach or physiotherapist — and just watching their practice routines and stuff that I can then take back into my day-to-day role here and share with our members when I’m coaching them. So just trying to soak up as much as possible.”
The members at Earl Grey, regardless of age or gender, are doing the same. Many are volunteering at the tournament.
“I hope it keeps building the love of the game,” Raina said. “Even for myself, I felt reinvigorated by playing in the pro-am. I was like, ‘Man, I want to practice more. I want to play more.’ I saw a couple of our junior members out there and they were watching Brooke Henderson with wide eyes. Maybe this just makes them love golf even more.
“You don’t have to be a pro golfer, but if you just keep loving the game … If that is what happens, I think that’s incredible.”
MacKinnon, too, has first-hand experience with that.
When the LPGA Tour played at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton in 2007, she was among the junior participants in the pro-am. She remembers posing for a photo with Alena Sharp, who has been competing in the CPKC Women’s Open for two decades now.
“So, it’s kind of coming full circle. It’s cool to be a part of it on this side now,” MacKinnon said. “The more that they get the itch after this week, the better. Shannon already has a huge junior program going here.”
Indeed, there are about 200 juniors at Earl Grey. When they hosted a girls-only night in June, the sign-up sheet filled up fast.
What’s especially meaningful is that when the LPGA Tour stars pack up and head off to the next stop at the Olympic Games in Paris, those youngsters will still have three strong role models in Istvanffy, MacKinnon and Raina.
There can’t be many courses in Canada, or anywhere, with this many females on their professional staff.
“I think the girls here will grow up seeing that as normal,” Istvanffy said. “And that’s really cool.”
“It’s nice to have them as my co-workers as well as my friends,” Raina added. “The golf industry, for females, is not an easy place to be all the time. But it doesn’t feel like that at Earl Grey because it’s almost like there’s more of us than there are men. It’s super cool, and we’re pretty close. I just think having us together navigating this all is really important.”
Tournament News
Dueck and McKenzie Victorious at Pro-Lady South
On Thursday, ladies from Calgary and surrounding areas joined their PGA of Alberta golf professionals at the Winston Golf Club to compete for the 2024 Pro-Lady South Title. Nestled into the floor of an escarpment and bisected by Nose Creek, the Winston’s 18 hole, Par 72 layout includes a challenging and enjoyable course living up to its claim of "Calgary’s inner city hidden gem".
The team from Water Valley GC, Jeremy Dueck and Megan McKenzie, had it rolling as they topped the field with 45 stableford points on their way to victory. "What a fabulous experience playing in my first Pro-Lady event," said McKenzie. " I loved the stableford format, as it made it fair across the playing field. Super fun course with some challenging greens, but they ran so true it was awesome to see the longer putts drain right to the hole - and we made some long putts yesterday!"
The PGA of Alberta will host the second iteration of the Pro-Lady on August 12th at the Ranch G&CC. Thank you to our sponsors adidas Golf, EFW Radiology, and Jancor Agencies.
Pos.
Professional
Facility
Partner
Score
1
Jeremy Dueck
Water Valley GC
Megan McKenzie
45
2
Taylor Irvin
Country Hills GC
Joanne Chilton
44
3
Doug Repp
Glencoe G&CC (The)
Beth Brownrigg
42
T-4th
Josh Fleming
365 GOLF Inc.
Titia Born
41
T-4th
Randy Robb
Mickelson National Golf Academy
Cara Smith
41
T-4th
Chris Horton
Golf Channel Academy at Cottonwood G&CC
Lori Grandon
41
T-4th
Darcy Boudreau
Woodside GC
Jodie Quantz
41
T-8th
Kurtis Foote
Valley Ridge Golf Academy
Blanche Loyer
40
T-8th
Tyler LeBouthillier
365 GOLF Inc.
Wendy Ellacott
40
T-8th
Chris DiPasquale
Par 3 Golf Academy at Bridge Valley Golf
Laura Jensen
40
T-8th
Mike Matuch
Bearspaw GC
Erin Wagner
40
Tournament News
Michael Harrison Wins PING Club Professional Championship in Playoff
CALGARY—Michael Harrison stormed his way back from a five-shot deficit in the blistering heat to win the 2024 PING Club Professional Championship on Tuesday at the prestigious Calgary Golf and Country Club.
The head professional at the Coal Creek Golf Resort fired a one-under-par, 69, to secure himself the opportunity to playoff against David MacComb (Royal Mayfair Golf Club). The duo carded identical scorecards of 73-69—142 over the two-day event on the tight 6,503-yard track.
“It was hot and a challenge both days. I didn’t get off to the fastest start in round one, but I battled back, just kind of hung around and stayed really patient today,” said Harrison, who was born and raised in Camrose, Alta. “Today I got off to a much better start. I felt like I was there all day, had much better looks and a few good saves with a lot of good bounces. The course was in great shape – they did an awesome job hosting here.”
The graduate from the University of Alberta who played college golf at Augustana Campus, made a stellar par on the 18th and final hole to keep his hopes alive.
“That was a big save on 18 to finish my round and get into a playoff with Dave. I was very happy with that,” he said.
The duo headed back to the par-5 opening hole to determine the winner.
“That is my first playoff. I’m brand new to that kind of feeling,” added Harrison. “I wanted to play aggressively, kind of how I started the day, so I pulled driver and was trying to flag hunt into that first playoff hole. Luckily, it was a two-putt birdie and that was enough.”
MacComb was forced to settle for second place at 142 after making bogey on the extra hole. Three others were tied for third spot at 143 including defending champ, Samuel Kirkness (Inglewood Golf and Country Club), Dallas Cantera (Cardiff Golf and Country Club) and first-round, co-leader, Kevin Black (Redwood Meadows Golf and Country Club).
Black had a three-shot lead in the field of 69 PGA of Alberta pros after Monday’s opening round after carding a 68 alongside Matthew Kirlin (Lynx Ridge Golf Course).
Championship season kicked off today at Calgary G&CC with 69 Club Professionals battling to claim top spot. The smoldering weather continued down by the Elbow River, which offered no reprieve from the record temperatures that will continue tomorrow in Calgary. Tee times will start at 7:30am for round 2 of the PING Club Professional Championship.
Kevin Black (Redwood Meadows G&CC) and Matthew Kirlin (Lynx Ridge GC) lead the field after round 1, both shooting a 2-under 68. Dallas Cantera (Cardiff G&CC) looks to make a push tomorrow morning after finishing 3 shots back of the leaders carding a 1-over, 71.
Leaders After Round 1
Name
Facility
Score
Kevin Black
Redwoods Meadows G&CC
68
Matthew Kirlin
Lynx Ridge GC
68
Dallas Cantera
Cardiff G&CC
71
Craig Gibson
Sirocco GC
72
Scott Stiles
Earl Grey GC
72
Jamie Kureluk
GOLFTEC Calgary Blackfoot
72
David MacComb
Royal Mayfair GC
73
Todd Halpen
Golf Future
73
Adam Bruce
Northern Bear GC
73
Jason Stanier
Inglewood G&CC
73
Eric Locke
Priddis Greens G&CC
73
Michael Harrison
Coal Creek GR
73
Round 2 Draw
Awards News
PGA of Alberta Calls for Nominations for 2024 Awards, Encourages Membership to Get Involved
The PGA of Alberta is asking its membership to nominate deserving colleagues who have made significant contributions to the game of golf over the past year for one of nine awards that will honour their extraordinary achievements in 2024.
The call for nominations will be officially open July 23 – August 27, 2024. Members who submit a nomination will receive two, Top-100 points. Winners for each award will be announced at the PGA of Alberta Awards Cocktail Reception and Ceremony slated for October 23, closing out the second day of the PGA of Alberta Buying Show at Calgary’s BMO Centre.
“The PGA of Alberta Awards program is a critical pillar for recognizing and celebrating the efforts of our members’ exceptional contributions to golf in our communities,” said Chris Paskin, Chair of the PGA of Alberta Awards Committee and head golf professional at Valley Ridge Golf Club.
“The role of the local golf professional extends far beyond playing competitively or helping others with their games. Golf professionals are community leaders who are crucial to nurturing the sport’s growth and sharing the life skills the game presents within the community. I think it is important to recognize the tireless efforts of these professionals, regardless of the role they are playing, and I highly encourage all of the members of our association to get involved in this process and nominate one of their peers today.”
Members and industry affiliates are encouraged to nominate as many individuals as possible during the process via the PGA of Alberta website for one of the following awards:
Once the nomination period closes, all nominees will be notified by e-mail they have been nominated for an award. Nominees are then required to complete an application to move forward in the awards process.
“A sub-committee comprised of awards committee members and past winners of the respective award will review all of the nominations. Using a platform called SmarterSelect, a ranking system will be followed to determine the five finalists in each category,” said Paskin, who added that nominees are encouraged to also submit a video bio as part of their application.
The five nominees with the highest ranking are then presented to a 12-member main awards committee who are all past Club Professional of the Year recipients. The committee will rank the finalists once again to determine a winner.
The PGA of Alberta will also use the celebration ceremony to present the Jack Skellern Patron of the Year, Top 100 winner, Championship winners, Order of Merit champions, and Player of the Year.
Tournament News
Birdies and Bombs Secure Chris Horton PGA of Alberta Players Tour Event Win on Second Playoff Hole
CALGARY—Chris Horton was crowned champion of the Players Tour presented by Duca del Cosma after carding back-to-back birdies in a playoff that extended two extra holes under blistering Alberta sun at the Mckenzie Meadows Golf Club on Thursday.
Horton, an Apprentice Professional at the Golf Channel Academy at Cottonwood Golf and Country Club, matched jabs with Kevin Black, in the playoff after both Calgarians carded 7-under-par 65s.
The head-to-head duel continued into the first extra hole, a 555-yard par-5, where the PGA of Alberta pros both made birdie. Horton continued his birdie streak to the 351-yard par-4 to lock up the victory.
“I was excited to head out against Kevin. I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it back,” said Horton, who added Black was the first group out on the day and left the property after his round so had to be called back for the playoff. “We both made some birdies and then he was in the fairway bunker on the second hole, and I hit it in close to seal the deal.”
Horton made the turn in 34 after carding four birdies and two bogeys on the opening side before catching fire on a back nine that saw him rattle off five birds in a six-hole stretch.
“On the front nine I had a few soft bogeys so I wasn’t sure how the day was going to go, and then I got it going on the back and finished well,” said Horton, who was hitting bombs in addition to firing darts at the flagsticks.
“I knew the course was fairly short, with short par-4s that you can get to in one. I just stayed aggressive all day. I hit three of them under regulation with a lot of two-putt birdies. It made it feel like a pretty easy round out there. It was an awesome, the course is in great shape, and the greens were rolling well.”
Black, who holds the post as Director of Golf at Redwood Meadows Golf and Country Club, was also as hot as the prairie sun on the closing nine, firing five birdies and an eagle of his own for a round of 36-29—65.
Five southern Alberta pros posted 18-hole spins of 67 (-5). Tyler LeBouthillier (365 Golf Inc.), Jason Stanier (Inglewood Golf and Curling Club), Austin Keller (The Links of Glen Eagles), Ethan Palmer (Cottonwood Golf and Country Club), and Samuel Kirkness (Inglewood Golf and Curling Club) all finished deadlocked in third place in the field of 70 players.
Terry Carter claims top spot in the senior division
Terry Carter (National Golf Academy at McCall Lake) was the lone golfer in the 18-man senior division to shoot a sub-par round. After opening with an eagle, Carter mixed together third birdies and one double-bogey for a score of 69 (-3).
Darryl James (National Golf Academy at Shaganappi) shot an even-par 72 for second place. Andre DiBartolo (Edmonton Garrison Memorial Golf and Country Club) and Brian Bassen (Strathmore Golf Club) matched rounds of 73 to finish T3 under ideal conditions.
The PING Club Professional Championship is next up on the 2024 tournament docket where a field of 71 PGA of Alberta pros will tee it up at the pristine Calgary Golf and Country Club, July 22.
The Education Committee would like to announce that the committee has officially been dissolved and is commencing a new application process. If you wish to be considered for the Education Committee, please submit a brief cover letter stating why you wish to be involved and a summary of your contributions to the association in recent years.
All submissions should be sent to Thomas Powley ([email protected]) before the deadline of July 23rd at 4:00PM. The new committee will be announced by August 2nd.
Responsibilities The Education Committee shall meet as a committee up to 4-times per year and at the call of the chairs for:
1. Spring Seminar. 2. PD Series. 3. Teaching Summits. 4. Buying Show Education. 5. Further education development that works within the scope of the PGA of Canada curriculum. 6. Proactively obtain input and suggestions from members on their level of satisfaction with suggestions for improvement of the education portfolio. 7. Liaise with other committees as required on operations and activities that may overlap. 8. Undertake other activities assigned by the Board of Directors. 9. Review the terms of reference on an annual basis and make any recommendations for change.
The committee chair will provide a report on committee activity at each Board of Directors meeting even if no formal committee meetings have taken place.
Top 100 Points - Each member will receive 5 Top 100 points for being a part of the committee (see more information here).
Fresh Golf Solutions will join the PGA of Alberta Senior Championship at Trestle Creek GR on August 26th & 27th
Fresh Golf is a search firm that specializes in finding leaders in the Golf & Club world. Since early 2022, Fresh Golf has found candidates for Head Professionals, General Managers, Superintendents, Marketing & Communication, Sales, Chefs, C.O.O.’s and Executive Directors. To separate itself from other search firms – besides pricing that all Clubs can afford – the advisory and search team is the most connected team in the industry because they are still active members of the golf world.
Fresh Golf Solutions has had a number of searches for golf roles in Alberta market recently. They also updated their website, continue to supply weekly emails to the golf community about all the roles in Golf & Clubs and expanded their recruiting team. In addition, they assist candidates’ growth by offering to assist in resume review at no cost.
If your facility needs help finding a leader in the future or you want to know what you need to be ready for your next job search, please go to www.freshgolf.ca or contact:
Adam Bruce Tees Up Win at PGA of Alberta Players Tour 1-Day Event
LACOMBE, Alta.—Adam Bruce celebrated a two-shot victory at the Players Tour 1-Day presented by Duca Del Cosma at the Lacombe Golf and Country Club on Thursday.
The born and raised Edmontonian, who is the head golf professional at Northern Bear Golf Club, topped the 64-man field with a sizzling round of 67 In near perfect conditions.
“It was pretty boring to be honest for the first 14 holes, but I managed to birdie my last four,” said Bruce, who found his passion for tournament golf while playing on the MacEwan University Varsity Golf Team. “I got a couple of lucky breaks, but it was a pretty solid round. The course is in amazing shape and the greens rolled very true. Putting is usually a struggle for me but on greens like this it is tough to have a bad day putting.”
David MacComb (Royal Mayfair Golf Club) was the next best finisher, posting a round of 69. Gage Murphy (GOLFTEC Sherwood Park) completed his 18-hole spin of the testy Lacombe track at 70.
Congratulations to the 3 players who passed the Play Ability Test yesterday at Lacombe GC. The 3 players all successfully passed after shooting the target score (79) or (81) for +50 to become an Apprentice Professional of the PGA of Canada.
Name
Score
Mike Caines (365 GOLF)
74
Gabriel Schaadt (Banff Springs GC)
79
James Ferrier (365 GOLF)
80
Partner News
Sundog Eyewear Joins as Presenting Sponsor for the 2024 Pro-Pro Scramble at Priddis Greens G&CC
"Sundog Eyewear is proud to sponsor the Pro-Pro Scramble event this year, continuing our longstanding partnership with the PGA of Alberta," said Corey Austin, GM of Sundog Eyewear. "Our mission is to enhance the performance and comfort of golfers with high-quality eyewear. As we expand our offerings with brands like Barstool Sports, Blue Tees, Black Clover, CMC Design, and Tour Tee, our golf professional partners have embraced these brands, allowing us to deliver exceptional products to golfers in Alberta. We are excited to support Alberta’s golf professionals and celebrate our partnerships at the Pro-Pro Scramble Event."
About Sundog Eyewear...
Sundog Eyewear is committed to providing performance-driven sunglasses for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Our advanced lens technology ensures superior clarity, protection, and comfort, meeting the unique needs of golfers in various conditions. Sundog remains a top choice for Alberta Golf Professionals, representing brands such as Barstool Golf, Blue Tees, Black Clover, CMC Design, and Tour Tee. The list of brands Sundog represents continues on our mission to provide high-quality, performance driven products that are industry leading in their respective categories.
For Pro Shops, we offer customizable solutions tailored to your needs. Join us in our commitment to excellence and experience the Sundog Eyewear difference.
