Forget New Year Predictions. Here’s What We Know About 2010

To say that this corner of GNN is capable of predicting what will happen in 2010 would be truly obnoxious, so let’s just say there are a few events to keep an eye on for in the coming year.

Here are just a few:

New CPGA Executive Director

In the immediate future, the next executive director of the Canadian PGA will probably be announced in the next week to two weeks, replacing Steve Carroll, who is now with the Royal Canadian Golf Association.

The new person will need to hit the ground running with the association’s annual meeting in March, where it hopes to pass the PACE (Professional Advancement and Career Enhancement) program, which has been tweaked for members since its first go-round a couple of years ago.

There will be some other priorities on the new executive director’s plate including an apparent renewed interest in reviving the dormant Canadian PGA Championship, education and working with the National Allied Golf Association (NAGA).

O Canada

We’ll see how much that weight that rosy economic impact statement unveiled last summer has with NAGA planning a national golf day, similar to one held by the American industry in Washington, in the spring.

Whether the movers and shakers on Parliament Hill in Ottawa listen to the golf industry’s concerns on subjects such as taxation remains to be seen, but being seen as a servant to golf, which is perceived as a rich person’s game by many, is not looked upon favourably by a lot of voters who decide their respective MP’s fate in this difficult economy.

Make It Clear Early

Perhaps, the feds will cut the industry a break since Ottawa played a big role in instituting the Harmonized Sales Tax in Ontario and British Columbia and it’s sure to pop up in provinces in-between in the next couple of years.

The HST kicks in July 1 and golf operators would be wise to launch an information program from the get-go that explains it’s the HST and not the facility that is raising the price of green fees and memberships. People may already know that, but it never hurts to show them you’re on their side.

St. George’s In The Spotlight

There’s little doubt that St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto’s west end will show well as a PGA Tour venue when the RBC Canadian Open is played there in July, but it will be interesting to see how those from outside the game reacts to the congestion and road closures in this old part of town.

Hopefully, we know where the Open will be played beyond 2011 by the end of this year.

CN On Board?

The LPGA Tour is down to 24 tournaments, 11 of them outside of the United States and the last thing it needs is the loss of a fine title sponsor, but that could happen in Canada where CN’s sponsorship of the Canadian Women’s Open expires after this year’s playing at Winnipeg’s St. Charles Country Club.

CN’s involvement has resulted in the Canadian event being elevated to premier status on tour and its loss would hurt more than a Manitoba mosquito bite. There has been talk about giving the Canadian event major status, which it had in a previous event, but such status might sweeten the pot for CN.

Those are some of the stories we know about and to predict what will happen may be a New Year tradition, but one without merit. The only thing for sure is that GNN will be there to cover them as they happen.

Over the next couple of weeks, GNN will be talking to the people who run the various associations in this country to ask them their opinions on the issues and events that will shape the year ahead for them.

Be sure to stay tuned.