Financial Information Is Not Mine To Give Out

There’s been plenty of discussion on this website over the past week or so about the Rounds Played program that the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Canadian PGA are running in partnership.

In reply to the current poll being conducted on the home page, my answer is that if it’s confidential and our name isn’t attached to it, I don’t mind talking about rounds played in the sense that they worded it something like, `We polled 50 courses and here is the average rounds.’

I can estimate reasonably well how many rounds a particular golf course does and people can guess pretty accurately where we are also. People who really know the business can probably peg my rounds to within 10 per cent and I would think that I can peg 80 per cent of golf courses to within 10 per cent.

When people do a report on rounds in the private club sector or the public course sector or the nine-hole sector, they usually don’t say this course had this many rounds and that course had that many rounds. As long as they generalize, I’m okay with that – it’s good for data as long as they’re not putting my name to a number.

When it comes to financials, even though I know it’s going to be confidential, I still couldn’t give up that information.

It may be one in one thousand, but let’s say somebody left to go to another job and they took my numbers with them. It’s illegal, but my ownership at Angus Glen when I was there or my board at Coppinwood would not be happy spreading that information around.

I’m happy to talk to people in general terms. I’m happy to answer a phone call from colleagues, but I can’t give out financials. I think that most people feel that way in respect to financials.

I’ve got no problem talking to a friend in the business or sitting on a roundtable discussing general information, but when it comes to financials, I’ve always felt I don’t own these numbers, so they’re not mine to give out.

I will try to help out the NGCOA and Canadian PGA as I have in the past, but I have a responsibility to others when it comes to financials. If I work for somebody, they’re not my numbers, they’re somebody else’s.

(For more on this subect, click here and see the current GNN Poll on the home page-Editor)

Another Moe Story, Controversial Calls And More …

The Canadian PGA Radio Show streams live via the web on GNN and at www.cpga.com. Co-hosts Jeff Dykeman, director of business development and brand for the Canadian PGA, and Hamilton Spectator golf journalist Garry McKay dive into debates and discussions with a variety of industry insiders, key Canadian PGA members and high profile guests on a variety of subjects.

Season 2 | Show 16 | Aug. 20, 2010

• Ken Tarling: The well-known Canadian PGA member from Ontario joins the show to talk about his latest victory at the Ontario PGA Seniors Championship, playing in the Mr. Lube – Canadian PGA Seniors and he shares his favorite story about the legendary Moe Norman.
• Brent McLaughlin: The director of rules, competitions and amateur status for Golf Canada joins the show to talk about training rules officials and tells us if his American counterparts made the right call on Dustin Johnson at the recent PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

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Would You Divulge Your Numbers?

As discussed in a blog here last week, the main challenge facing the Rounds Played Program being run by the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Canadian PGA in a joint partnership is trust.

The fear of sensitive business information falling into a competitor’s hands as part of this program is a strong one, but as NGCOA executive director Jeff Calderwood pointed out, the numbers collected are only used cumulatively to establish benchmarks through a technology platform without divulging individual golf course numbers.

“It’s a misconception, but yes, it’s a fear, so we have to market our way through that. I don’t see any of these numbers. Nobody’s getting these numbers. It’s totally confidential and they have to buy into that. Once they get in and use it, they realize it, but that’s part of our sales process,” admitted Calderwood. Read more

Vegas Attendance Up. How About Orders?

Here’s an example of the mixed messages we’re getting on the economy.

Reed Exhibitions is reporting a 16 per cent increase in attendance at the PGA Fall Expo, which was held this week in Las Vegas.

The Vegas show moved to the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and was held during “fashion week” in that city and while the release talked about full aisles and appointment books, there was nothing other than anecdotes to suggest that any more business was done.

While there’s something to be said for exposure to more buyers, it was difficult to ignore the current GNN Poll that, at last look, said that 83 per cent of respondents felt their golf facilities were going to hold their spending at last year’s levels, while only 17 per cent expected to spend more. Read more

Bavaird Escapes Pursuers To Win CPGA Women’s Title

On a day when the toughest workout may have been experienced by the volunteers manning the leaderboard, Laura Bavaird of Grosse Ile, Mich., sealed the deal with a four-foot par putt to win the 2010 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike Golf.

Bavaird won by a single shot over close friend Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif., at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont. The first professional victory for the Futures Tour Player earns her a much needed cheque of $12,000 and an exemption into the 2011 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

“It’s been quite a whirlwind kind of a day. I was up and down like a roller-coaster on the front nine, but I played steady golf after the turn and made par on every hole on the back nine,” said Bavaird.

Ferrero made things very interesting for the final hole after she made one of the only birdies of the day on the 17^th hole. The LPGA Tour player made a great par save on the final green to put the pressure on her friend. 

Seema Sadekar of Toronto finished in a tie for third at two-under par for the championship with defending champion Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., who turned professional earlier this week.

Sadekar actually had a share of the lead midway through the round thanks to a hot start that was likely fuelled by the home crowd that was rooting her on.  After birdies on the first and the third holes and Bavaird’s double bogey on the fourth, Sadekar vaulted herself into the lead quicker than she even imagined.

“I started off so strong that I thought today was going to be my day and it was so much fun with the way the crowd was pulling for me,” said Sadekar, who will play in next week’s CN Canadian Women’s Open followed by a European Ladies Tour Event in India.

“I’m going to keep being positive and I struggled a bit with my fairway woods on the back nine, so I’ll work on that before I head to Winnipeg,” said Sadekar.

Shepley had one of the biggest galleries of the day supported by local family and friends and had them buzzing as she made her way around the clubhouse with birdies on 10, 11 and 12 to join Bavaird and Sadekar at four under.

A bogey on the 17^th hole left Shepley with a final round score of three-under 68 and a tie for third.

Kim made a significant splash in her professional debut with a round of two-under 69 on Wednesday, reeling off five birdies and three bogeys. She also made a dramatic par save on the 18^th hole.

Sadekar, Shepley and Kim all took home $4,166.67 for their efforts.

Andree Lapierre of  Toronto Hunt Club, took home the Low Club Professional honours after finishing in a tie for 13^th. 

Augusta James, 17, of Bath, Ont., fired a final round 68 to take home Low Amateur honours. 

Team Canada graduate Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., finished alone in 11^th place and took home $2,000 for her first paycheque as a professional golfer.

The 2011 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship will be held at Bayview Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

Final Scores/Earnings

Canadian PGA Women’s Championship

Burlington Golf and Country Club, Burlington, Ont.

 1              Laura Bavaird, Grosse Ile, Mich.       65-71—136            -6             $12,000

2              Lisa Ferrero, Lodi, Calif.                      68-69—137            -5             $ 7,000.00

3              Jessica Shepley, Oakville, Ont.          72-68—140            -2             $ 4,166.67

                 Sue Kim, Langley, B.C.                           71-69—14              -2             $4,166.67

                 Seema Sadekar, Toronto                     69-71—140            -2             $ 4,166.67                                           

6              Clarissa Childs, Columbia, S.C.          70-71—141 -1        $ 3,000

7              *Augusta James Bath, Ont.               74-68—142            E

8              Kim Williams, Franklin, Tenn.            75-68—143            +1            $ 2,500

                 Sara Brown, Tucson, Ariz.  74-69—143            +1            $ 2,500

                 Christine Cho, Kent, Wash.               71-72—143            +1            $ 2 500

*Denotes Amateur

For a complete list of scores, see the Canadian PGA website here.

Data Program Promises Confidentiality

In this era when even having your e-mail address fall into the wrong hands results in an unwanted barrage of solicitations, there is an understandable reluctance to dish out information, especially with a perception that sensitive business information could fall into competitors’ hands.

That’s the challenge faced by the National Golf Course Owners Association and now the Canadian PGA as they partner to collect data from individual golf courses in order to help those very golf courses use the data to analyze and compare their performances against similar facilities.

The challenge is perception, according to NGCOA executive director Jeff Calderwood, who uses the word misconception to actually describe the fear of divulging classified information as part of this data program. Read more

American Opens Big Lead At CPGA Women’s Championship

On a blustery day at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont., Laura Bavaird of Grosse Ile, Mich., kept her ball under control and leads by three shots over Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif., after a six-under-par 65 in the opening round of the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike Golf.
 
Bavaird is playing in Canada for the first time and did so thanks to the encouragement of friends from the Futures Tour. She didn’t have time to play a practice round, but it didn’t seem to matter recorded five birdies on her first 10 holes and followed up with two more on her final eight holes. Her only bogey came at the par three 11th hole.

“Making that birdie on the final hole in front of the gallery was a pretty sweet way to finish up a great round,” said Bavaird, the 2007 and 2008 Michigan Women’s Amateur Champion. “I heard some great things about the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship from other Futures Tour players and I sure am glad that I listened to them.”

Ferrero posted five birdies on her first seven holes to jump to the top of the leaderboard. The former U.S. junior girls champ cooled on the back nine with bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes to finish at three-under 68.

Seema Sadekar of Toronto is the leading Canadian after a two-under 69 on Tuesday and will play in the final group on Wednesday with Bavaird and Ferrero.

For complete scores and final round tee times, see the Canadian PGA website.

Sherlock, Kim Turning Pro At CPGA

Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., have announced that they will be making their professional debuts at the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship, which begins Tuesday at Burlington Golf and Country Club.

Along with Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., Sherlock made it to the semi-finals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Charlotte, N.C., on the weekend.

The 2007 winner of the Canadian Women’s Amateur title also won a CN Canadian Women’s Tour event in 2008 and compiled eight victories while competing at the University of Denver.

“It’s been a dream of mine to play professional golf for a long time and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Sherlock, who will attend LPGA Tour qualifying school later this year.

“To make my professional debut in a Canadian PGA National Championship is pretty special and I hope to get my professional career off to a great start,” she added.

Kim turns professional after an amateur career that included two victories on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour, two B.C. junior championships and two provincial bantam titles. She was 2008 Player of the Year on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour.

“Stephanie and Sue are two fantastic prospects in Canadian golf and we are excited to see them make their professional debut at our national women’s championship,” said Canadian PGA executive director Gary Bernard.

Sherlock will tee off at 9:10 a.m. on Tuesday with defending champion Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., and 1993 champion Lanie Cahill of Watertown, N.Y.

Kim tees off at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday with Clarissa Childs of Columbia, S.C., and Candace Schepperle of Birmingham, Ala.

The winner of the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship will earn an exemption into the 2011 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

CPGA Joins NGCOA On Rounds Data Program

The National Golf Course Owners Association has joined with the Canadian PGA on its rounds played program, which tracks various operational sources, many of which are managed through pro shops.

The partnership with the Canadian PGA is designed to generate greater participation in the program, which will lead to more comparative data to benefit the industry.

Participating golf course can compare their monthly/yearly performance against similar operations on a regional, provincial and national basis.

“The golf professionals are an integral part of the golf operation and having them as partners will help us grow and further develop this invaluable business tool being offered to golf courses throughout Canada,” said NGCOA executive director Jeff Calderwood.

CPGA Women’s Title Was “Huge” For Defending Champ

Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., will tee off on Tuesday in her defence of the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship she won last year.

Shepley shot 66-69 to win by a single shot over Clarissa Childs of Columbia, S.C. It was Shepley’s first win as a professional, but not her last.

“Winning this national championship last year was absolutely huge for me,” said Shepley, who earned an exemption into the CN Canadian Women’s Open with her victory. “This event seems to get bigger and better every year and I hope to add my name to the trophy again next week.”

Shepley’s momentum carried over into 2010 as she won the first CN Canadian Women’s Tour event of the year at Quilchena Golf and Country Club in Richmond, B.C.

She followed that up with a second-place finish at the final CN tour stop in Gatineau, Que., which left her on top of the Order of Merit and earned her the Jocelyn Bourassa Player of the Year Award.

The Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike gets underway on Monday, with the Simmlands Insurance Pro-Am at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont., before tournament action on Tuesday and Wednesday.

CPGA Women’s Event Catches A Big Break

Four players from this year’s Big Break-Sandals Resort on the Golf Channel will play in next week’s Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike Golf at Burlington Golf and Country Club.

Toronto’s Seema Sadekar, Sara Brown of Tucson, Winnipeg’s Stacey Bieber and Maiya Tanaka of San Diego have confirmed their entries into the event.

The show continues to air with only a couple of shows remaining before a winner is crowned. Brown is still in the running, while Sadekar, Bieber and Tanaka have been eliminated.

“I’m looking forward to shining at our national championship, especially with it being so close to home,” said Sadekar, whose best finishes in the Canadian PGA event are a fourth in 2007 and a 12th in 2008.

“I’ve experienced a lot this year and hope to put on a good show for my family and friends in Ontario,” she added.

For more on this story and tournament information, see the Canadian PGA website here.

CPGA Senior Champ Earns His Open Spot

If the last couple of weeks are any indication, Victoria’s Jim Rutledge may be a nice longshot pick to win the RBC Canadian Open, which gets underway Thursday morning at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

After his record-setting win at the Mr. Lube Canadian PGA Seniors Championship, Rutledge was asked if he thought he should get an exemption into the Open, but he was having none of it, saying it should go instead to a young, developing player.

So, it seemed that Rutledge had played his final Canadian Open, until finishing as runner-up at last week’s Players Cup on the Canadian Tour, a position that earned him an Open exemption through that circuit’s Order of Merit.

“I had to either win or finish second last week and I had a very good week in Winnipeg and here I am,” said Rutledge of earning a position in the Open instead of having it handed to him.

“We got held back with weather for about five-and-a-half hours on Saturday. We had to come back and finish Sunday morning, then turn around and play the last round,” he added.

Rutledge, who has also been playing the Champions Tour, says he’s thriving with a busy schedule, but will likely take a couple of weeks off in August.

“I think the fact of the matter is that I’ve been playing a lot of golf and that’s helped. This is probably my fifth week in a row. That’s what we’re out here for is to keep playing and, if I can keep playing week after week, I’ll keep going,” he said.

Before taking time off, Rutledge has the U.S. Senior Open ahead at Sahalee in Seattle and even though it’s not far from home, he says he has never played that course.

“I just never had the chance,” he said. “It’s similar to what we have on the island in Victoria at Royal Colwood and similar to say, a Capilano, but much flatter – lots of high trees and narrow, narrow fairways.”

For now, his immediate concern is St. George’s.

“It’s a great golf course. There will be a lot of concern with some of the greens that are just a little bit severe in slope that they won’t be able to get them as fast as they’d really like to,” said Rutledge.

“This is a bonus being here. I’ve concentrated my golf on the Champions Tour this year. This is another tournament, much bigger purse and I’m just proud that I get the chance to play.”

Ben’s Back After 16 Years

Ben Boudreau of Longueuil, Que., recalls playing with another relatively unknown player at the time when he first qualified to play in the Canadian Open back in 1994.

“That year, Mike Weir won the CPGA,” said Boudreau. “Wednesday, the day before the event, I was with him at the driving range and we were watching Nick Price hit balls. That year, Nick Price won this tournament.

“Mike told me, `I don’t have exactly what I need to beat those guys.’ After that, I know the rest of the story,” said Boudreau.

The rest of the story is that Weir is the focus of many eyes this week. A Masters victory and eight wins overall on the PGA Tour will do that to a guy.

Boudreau, on the other hand, is attempting to make it to the Champions Tour at the age of 51 and he says the combination of qualifying school experience and his first Canadian Open appearance 16 years ago is good for the task ahead this week at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

“I worked hard for the last four years to be in the position to play better,” said Boudreau, who won the Titleist and FootJoy Canadian PGA Club Professionals Championship in a playoff against Vancouver’s Jeff Buder to earn his ticket into this week’s Open.

He arrived at St. George’s on Sunday and had the course to himself for a practice round. “You’ve got to feel comfortable to be here,” he said.

“If you feel comfortable, you will go out and play a good game. If you’re not, if you think it’s not your place, the mind is different, the mental part’s different. I feel pretty comfortable here,” he said.

He does admit that St. George’s will be a stern test and that his four iron will get more use that it usually does this week.

“It’s not a driver-pitching wedge golf course,” he said, adding that while the greens have been getting a lot of attention, the rough might be the under-rated aspect of St. George’s.

“If you miss the fairway, you’re going to pay for it,” he said.

Tale Of Two Opens

The Canadian PGA Radio Show airs live every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. EST throughout the golf season on TALK 820 AM in Southern Ontario and also streams live via the web at www.cpga.com. Co-hosts Jeff Dykeman, director of business development and brand for the Canadian PGA, and Hamilton Spectator golf journalist Garry McKay dive into debates and discussions with a variety of industry insiders, key Canadian PGA members and high profile guests on a variety of subjects.

Season 2 | Show 14 | July 17, 2010

• Bill Paul: The tournament director for the RBC Canadian Open calls in from St. George’s Golf and Country Club as preparations continue for this week’s national championship.
• Robert Thompson: Canadian golf blogger joins the show to talk about playing St. Andrews and what he expects next week at the RBC Canadian Open.

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Bernard Reflects On His First Six Months

After replacing Steve Carroll, now with Golf Canada, as executive director of the Canadian PGA earlier this year, Gary Bernard hit the ground running, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise to him that his six-month anniversary in the job is already upon him.

It didn’t hurt that Bernard had served as interim executive director after Carroll departed and one of his first missions once he landed the full-time post was one he was familiar with after his years as Canadian PGA director of eduction.

Not only did Glenn Cundari replace Lindon Garron as president of the association at the annual general meeting in March, but also on the agenda in Moncton was a vote by the membership on PACE (Professional Advancement, Career Enhancement), which had been sent back for a retooling the year before. Read more

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