Remembering Jim Barclay

A celebration of the life of Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Jim Barclay will be held on Thursday at 11 a.m. in Toronto, with a reception to follow at St. George’s Golf and Country Club.

For more details on the celebration of life and Barclay’s life, click here.

Hall Of Fame Historian Jim Barclay: 1923-2011

Golf historian and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Jim Barclay has died at the age of 88.

Best known for his book Golf in Canada: A History, Barclay was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1923 and penned other books such as Canadian Professional Golfers – The Scottish Invasion of 1881-1933, The Toronto Terror, the Life and Times of Stanley Thompson Golf Course Architect and St. George’s Golf and Country Club, Celebrating 75 Years.

Barclay also contributed to several Canadian golf publications over the years and served as volunteer curator of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

He became a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2008, after being named to the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame two years earlier. His club affiliations include St. George’s in Toronto, where he has been a member since 1980.

Barclay had been fighting a variety of illnesses recently. No funeral arrangements had been announced at this writing.

Hall Of Famer Avoids Centre Stage

Brent Franklin, a 2010 inductee into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, appreciates that honour, but apparently isn’t too big on any ceremony that goes with it. He tells Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun, he prefers to “fade into the background.”

For more on that story, click here.

Industry Notes: October 11, 2011

Team Quebec defeated Team Ontario 17-7 in the Titleist Cup held last week at Toronto Golf Club in Mississauga, Ont. … Golf historian Jim Barclay has been inducted as a builder into the St. George’s Golf and Country Club Hall of Fame in Toronto. Barclay is also a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and is best known for his book Golf In Canada: A History … A successful grant application submitted by Golf Canada and Golf Quebec to the Quebec Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sport in connection with the province hosting the 2011 CN Canadian Women’s Open will go to the National Golf In Schools program. The grant funding will allow Golf Canada and Golf Quebec to bring the Golf In Schools program to more than 100 elementary schools in the province.

Hall Of Famer Plans To “Be In The Moment”

One of the first orders of business during the week of the RBC Canadian Open in Vancouver is the induction of former PGA Tour player Richard Zokol into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

That takes place Tuesday evening at Marine Drive and Zokol isn’t sure what to expect.

“I have no idea. It’s going to be in the moment, with the culmination at Marine Drive, the week of the Canadian Open and it’s my 25^th  wedding anniversary” said the winner of the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open.

“It’s not like a golf tournament. I know what that’s like. I don’t know what this is like and I won’t know until I’m in that moment and when I walk up to the podium,” he said.

“I can assure you it will be emotional. It will be very reflective, which I don’t do. I’ve worked and trained my emotions to be in the moment and to detach from the past, so when I do the reflection back and look at the support from the people – my wife and my family and parents – it’s going to be very emotional,” said Zokol.

Industry Notes: Feb. 28, 2011

Adams Golf celebrating a triple crown of sorts a week ago when Aaron Baddeley won at the Northern Trust Open on the PGA Tour, Bernhard Langer took the Ace Group Classic on the Champions Tour and Yani Tseng won the Honda LPGA Thailand. All are Adams players … TaylorMade-adidas has extended its relationship with LPGA Tour star and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open winner Paula Creamer, who will wear the TaylorMade logo on the left side and back of her headwear, used a TaylorMade staff bag, wear adidas Golf apparel and her Paula footwear. Creamer has won nine times on the LPGA Tour and 11 times worldwide and qualified three times for Solheim Cup play. She recently switched to TaylorMade’s new R11 driver … Al Balding and Nick Weslock will be the focus of two Beyond the Fairway: The Legends of Canadian Golf speaker series at the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum on the grounds of Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont. The Weslock portion of the series will take place March 13, while the Balding portion is schedule for April 9. Both take place from 1-3 p.m. Tickets are available for $25 each or $40 for both. Tickets can be obtained by e-mailing cghf@golfcanada.ca, or by calling 1-800-263-0009, ext. 411.

Zokol Continues To Give Back To Golf

With both Stephen Ross and Richard Zokol going into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame this year, we have two selections that were a lot alike in a few ways.

As I mentioned in my last blog, Stephen Ross did what was best for the RCGA during his tenure as executive director and Richard Zokol was doing the same for Canadian golf in general with some of the opinions he voiced over the years.

You didn’t have to love his opinions or even agree with them, but he was great with junior golf and he gave of himself for junior golf. He was always willing to help anybody who was willing to listen.

He was a great player, but even when his playing days were over, he still stay involved with golf through Sagebrush, his wonderful golf course out west. Even by being involved in advisory roles with the RCGA, he’s done a lot for the game.

He may have had opinions that some people didn’t agree with, but they were his opinions and he stuck by them. I admire somebody who stands up for what he actually believes in.

Besides his playing career, his willingness to give back to the game and his willingness to speak up for the good of the game, he’s just a great guy and very approachable.

I remember one Canadian Open, I was walking down the fairway with some staff during the tournament when he walked by and said, `Hey Kev, how’s it going?’

I wouldn’t bother a player on the golf course because that’s their office, but my staff though it was neat that he would do that in the heat of battle and this wasn’t a Canadian Open held at Angus Glen when I worked there. I don’t care if you saw him at a trade show or the golf course, he always had a big smile and big hello.

When his playing days were over, he didn’t just say that’s the end of my resume. He continued to give back and I think there are so many aspects to Richard Zokol that they add up to a well-rounded inductee into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Like Stephen Ross, he had the game’s best interests at heart and they both had long careers that demonstrate their commitment to golf. This year is a good one for the Hall of Fame.

Ross Did What Was Best For The RCGA

I was happy to see that former Royal Canadian Golf Association executive director Stephen Ross and ex-PGA Tour player Richard Zokol will be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

I was lucky enough to deal with Stephen Ross and the RCGA through the Canadian Women’s Open and the two Canadian Opens that were held at Angus Glen during my time at that course in Markham, Ont. Our owner, Gordon Stollery, and Stephen structured a deal and we worked closely with the RCGA for years.

Stephen Ross was nothing but great to me and others. The measure of a man to me is how he treats people, whether it be me, my staff or our ownership group.

During his time as executive director, he could be controversial at times. We all weren’t in agreement with decisions he made or directions he took the RCGA in, but I really don’t think he did anything out of a personal agenda. I think, in his mind, whatever he did was what he thought was best for the RCGA.

There’s nothing wrong with that. When we made decisions on our side, the management groups always did what was best for Angus Glen, as well.

Sure, what is now Golf Canada is a lot different now than when Stephen Ross was running the RCGA. There’s always going to be change. If you’re not moving forward, you’re standing still or going backwards and I like the direction Golf Canada is going in, but Stephen Ross is receiving a well-deserved honour.

He started with the RCGA as a very young man, worked his way up through the ranks and you’ve got to applaud somebody for that. Thirty years is a long tenure and, in this day and age, a lot of people change jobs every five years or less.

His long service shows where his heart was, that he had commitment and that he was very loyal.

In my next blog, I’ll offer my take on Richard Zokol’s induction.

Zokol Fondly Recalls His CPGA Win

The Zokol family has several reasons to celebrate on Tues., July 19, when twin boys Garrett and Conor, 23, and daughter Hayley join mom and dad, Richard and Joanie, on their 25^th anniversary.

Of course, Richard is known to Canadian golf fans as the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open champion and long-time PGA Tour player, but he says it wouldn’t have been possible without his family.

“The support system and the structure beneath is really the foundation and without it, it’s simply not possible. The primary structure is family and love,” said Zokol, who will have both aspects of his life come together in a double celebration on July 19^th.

On that evening, Zokol will also be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame just before the RBC Canadian Open tees off a couple of days later at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. Mike Weir and Globe and Mail columnist Lorne Rubenstein will be the guest speakers.

Zokol joins former Royal Canadian Golf Association executive director Stephen Ross as a 2011 inductee into the hall and while his induction and anniversary will take precedence that evening, it’s worth noting that it will also be 10 years since Zokol won the Samsung Canadian PGA Championship. Read more

Ross, Zokol Named To Hall Of Fame

Ex-PGA Tour player Richard Zokol and former Royal Canadian Golf Association executive director Stephen Ross are the 2011 inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“It is an honour to be nominated and elected into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. I have worked in golf my entire adult life and it is very rewarding to have my life’s work recognized in this way,” said Ross.

“Congratulations to Richard Zokol and his entire family for his election.  I accept my election to the hall on behalf of my family and all those employees who worked with me over the years and helped make this announcement possible,” he added.

Ross spent 30 years with the RCGA, including 18 as executive director before stepping down in 2007.

He first joined the RCGA as assistant amateur tournament director in 1988 and served as director of amateur tournaments from 1980 to ’88 before being named executive director in 1989.

During his tenure, programs and initiatives introduced included the Future Links junior golf program, the RCGA Foundation university/college grants program and the creation and expansion of the hall of fame.

Other significant moments in Ross’s career include the RCGA’s sale of Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont., to ClubLink in 1999 and the RCGA’s amalgamation with the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association in 2005.

A respected rules official, Ross served on the Joint Rules Committee and has officiated at several championships including the British Open, Masters and U.S. Open.

He also created the RCGA’s Rules of Golf certification program, introduced the United States Golf Association’s slope handicapping system in Canada and served on the World Golf Hall of Fame election panel.

Ross is now managing partner at Oak Gables Golf Club and Learning Centre near Ancaster, Ont.

“Being inducted into our country’s Golf Hall of Fame is an immeasurable honour considering the past contributions of Canadian legends of the game beforehand,” added Zokol.  “The feeling of gratitude of just being considered is overwhelming.”

Zokol, 52, was a member of Canada’s 1980 World Amateur Team and the following year, he won the Canadian Amateur, as well as helping Brigham win the NCAA team championship.

He also turned professional in 1981 and spent 22 years on the PGA Tour, a career that included two wins, the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open and the 1992 Deposit Guarantee Classic, the latter an unofficial victory.

Zokol represented Canada at the 1992 and ’93 World Cups and was a member of the Dunhill Cup team from 1985-87 and 1992-93.

He has already been inducted into the Brigham Young Hall of Fame and British Columbia Hall of Fame and is an honourary member of Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver. He is also the developer and chairman at Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club in B.C.

Graham Cooke Officially Inducted

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame welcomed its 66th member in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., on Monday when Graham Cooke was inducted for his contributions as a standout amateur player and a renowned golf course architect.

As a player, Cooke has won seven Canadian Mid-Amateur titles and four Canadian Senior championships. His 11 national titles are the most ever won by a Canadian male amateur.

Cooke also won the 1965 Ontario Junior championship, the 1981, 1984, 1993 and 1996 Quebec Amateur titles, as well as the 2006 and 2008 Quebec Senior Amateur championships.

He is also a five-time Duke of Kent champion, a four-time Alexander of Tunis champion and has made 27 Willingdon Cup appearances at the Canadian Men’s Amateur as a member of Quebec’s provincial team.

He also served as a Royal Canadian Golf Association governor in 1990 and played an important role in implementing Golf Quebec’s slope and handicapping system for courses.

Cooke attended Michigan State University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture.

He later apprenticed with Canadian golf course architect Howard Watson before starting his own firm. As a golf course architect, Cooke and his team at Graham Cooke & Associates have worked on more than 100 courses, earning 10 awards for their efforts.

Brent Franklin, whose induction to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame will take place on July 18 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, will mark the final induction of 2010.

Ben Kern, who was inducted in a ceremony on June 10th, was inducted as a builder.

Ben Kern Officially Inducted

The late Ben Kern was officially inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame last Thursday at a ceremony held in Oakville, Ont.

Kern organized the first International Teaching and Coaching Symposium, bringing world-renowned instructors to Canada in 1990. He also served on the board of the Canadian PGA and coordinated completion of its teaching manual.

Kern played on the PGA Tour for six years and went on to coach some of Canada’s best-known players, including Mike Weir and Lorie Kane and had particular interest in the development of players and the introduction of children to the game, designing the curriculum for what is now the CN Future Links program.

He also played a role in the development of the Accuform bunker rake, now in use at many golf courses and PGA Tour stops across North America.

Kern has also been inducted into the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

Other ceremonies this year will see Graham Cooke inducted on June 28 at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorian, Que., and Brent Franklin inducted on July 18 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

What Made Ben Kern The Ideal Mentor

The recent announcement of this years Canadian Golf Hall of Fame inductees brought back some great memories. but for me none were stronger than those of the late Ben Kern.

In life, if you’re lucky, you will meet one or two people who will influence and make an impact on who you are and who you will become, both professionally and personally. For me, Ben was one of those people.

I first met Ben in the winter of 1978-79 when I was 18. Ben and Al Balding, then the director of golf were creating a whole new staff and culture shift at the National Golf Club of Canada.

I had played there, but wasn’t really aware of what the club was all about at the time. However, I applied, had an interview and was hired in the spring.

That was the start of what I consider my life and education as a golf professional.

We accomplished so many things over the years and while I won’t come close to being able to talk about all of them, I think it is important to understand the roots of what we do today within the golf industry. It’s also important to understand what I think are cornerstones of the golf profession.

First, what made The National the No. 1 golf club in Canada, which it still is today, is the culture of excellence created by Ben, Al and the original owner, Gil Blechman.

Gil was behind Ben all the way, which was critical. Right from Day 1, you understood that, as a staff, we were expected to lead, not follow others.

We were constantly being pushed to improve, innovate and, most of all, do what no other golf club, at least in Canada, was doing when it came to member service and overall experience.

When we went south or away in the winter and visited other clubs, Ben would expect us to bring back two or three things or ideas that we saw or experienced at the clubs we visited that we didn’t do at The National.

If they made sense, we worked with the membership or if we needed to tweak them a bit to fit the National and make us better, then we did.

The second important trait I learned was the importance of hiring key staff. When I started at The National, Ben and Al had hired a whole new staff from top to bottom.

I am sure they had spent a lot of time interviewing a number of candidates and they were very clear on the personality and characteristics they wanted in their professionals.

From that point, any hires were all done by the professionals. Ben’s reasoning was that if he hired the key staff right from the beginning, when he needed a new professional, then his staff knew other good candidates that Ben knew we work with so, in the end, we put our own reputations on the line when we recommended somebody.

Perhaps the characteristic I found reflected Ben’s respect for and the Canadian PGA was the responsibility he felt to support and assist his professionals in finding their first head pro jobs.

When you were ready to “leave the nest”, Ben felt it was his obligation to support his staff and if he could assist with helping you through the interview process, if he knew anyone on the board of directors or the selection committee, then he would talk with them on your behalf and his was a great name to have behind you.

On the other hand, if he felt you weren’t qualified or ready for the job, then you would not get his endorsement which he felt protected not only his and The National’s reputation but also that of the Canadian PGA.

He did not want any of his staff assuming a position where they couldn’t be successful and be a positive example of a well-trained Canadian PGA club professional.

As I alluded to earlier, the owner of the National, Gil Blechman, was very clear in his vision of the National and supported Ben at every point in this vision.

It is critical that you get your owner or board of directors to buy in to the vision you wish to create for your club. We have all been hired at clubs where a vision that may be desired is not understood or it’s given a budget that is not realistic.

I was very fortunate that, along with a great owner, I was hired by Ben Kern and worked and played beside someone for 16 years who is now rightfully recognized as one of Canada’s finest golf professionals and a true builder of the game.

Industry Can Start A Hall Of Fame Induction

I haven’t talk to him personally since this year’s Canadian Golf Hall of Fame inductees were announced last week, but by all accounts, Dick Zokol was magnanimous about not being included in the Class of 2010.

Zokol is known to have very strong opinions about the way golf should be run in this country, but having said that, he is also a classy dude with a sense of humour and a strong focus right now on Sagebrush, the new British Columbia course he’s involved with that, by all accounts I’ve heard, is incredible.

Not all were as laid-back as Zokol about him not going in this year. I was worried about the blood pressure of media colleague Robert Thompson who went over the top after the announcement: Read more

Hall of Fame Names Three New Inductees

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame has named Graham Cooke, Ben Kern and Brent Franklin as its 2010 inductees.

“Graham Cooke, Brent Franklin and Ben Kern have each amassed their own unique golf-related legacies and are fine examples of what makes golf such a great sport,” said Hall of Fame chair David Shaw.

“Each of our 2010 inductees made tremendous contributions to the game and it is only fitting that, as such, they are recognized for their accomplishments.”

Cooke, also a renowned course designer, and Franklin will be inducted as players, while Kern goes into the Hall of Fame as a builder.

The following is a quick look at the careers of each of the inductees:

Graham Cooke

• Seven Canadian Mid-Amateur championships.
• Four Canadian Senior championships.
• 1965 Ontario Junior Championship.
• 1981, ’84, ’93. ’96 Quebec Amateur championships.
• 2006, 2008 Quebec Senior amateur championships.
• Five-time Duke of Kent champion.
• Four-time Alexander of Tunis champion.
• 27 Willingdon Cup appearances.
• RCGA governor (1990).
• Contributor to Golf Quebec’s slope and handicapping system.
• Graham Cooke & Associates has worked on over 100 courses.

Brent Franklin

• 1983, ’84 Canadian Junior Boys’ championship.
• 1983, ’84 British Columbia Junior Boys Championship.
• Earned scholarship to Brigham Young.
• Three All-American selections including Honourable Mention (1985), First Team (1986), Second Team (1987).
• 1985 Alberta Amateur championship.
• 1985, ’86, ’87 Canadian Amateur champion.
• Member of Canadian team that won 1986 World Team championship.
• 1988 Canadian PGA champion.
• Canadian Tour rookie of the year (1988).
• Four runner-up finishes on Japan Golf Tour (1989-95).

Ben Kern (to be inducted posthumously)

• Organized first International Teaching and Coaching Symposium.
• Board of directors, Canadian PGA
• Coordinated Canadian PGA teaching manual.
• Played on PGA Tour.
• Worked with RCGA in developing what is now the CN Future Links program.

Hall Of Fame Stays On The Right Course

The King and I are smiling out from a cherished photograph in a beautiful frame that hangs above my computer. It was snapped a few years ago during a discussion I had with Arnold Palmer when the Royal Canadian Golf Association celebrated his win at the 1955 Canadian Open a few years ago.

Like countless others, I recognize the contributions that the King made over his storied career in turning golf into a major league sport if it wasn’t already thanks to his charisma and television presence, not to mention his success.

Having said that, I cringed with a recent rumour that Palmer was about to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Thankfully, saner heads prevailed. Read more

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