Industry Notes: February 7, 2012

The Ontario Golf Coach Awards is now accepting nominations in recreational/particpation (male and female) and developmental (male and female) categories and for facility builder. Deadline is Friday, Feb. 24. For more informatrion, see the Golf Association of Ontario website here … Sligo apparel is seeking two sales agents, once for Southwestern Ontario and one for Eastern Ontario. Resumes can be forwarded to Glenn Murray at gmurray@sligowear.com … The PGA of British Columbia will hold its Spring Education Seminar at the River Rock Casino Resort, March 5-6. For more information, click here … The PGA of Alberta will also hold its Spring Seminar March 5-6 at the Carriage House Inn, 9030 MacLeod Trail South, Calgary … Alberta consumer golf shows will be held March 10-11 at the Edmonton Expo Centre and March 31-April 1 at Calgary’s BMO Centre. For more information, click here.

GAO Names 2012 Executive

Ian Murray of Oakville, Ont., has been named president of the Golf Association of Ontario.

A member of the Trafalgar Golf and Country Cub, he became the 11th association president at the GAO’s annual general meeting on Jan. 28.

“We have ambitious plans in 2012 to grow our GAO programs, including expansion of our sport development initiatives to help our high performance athletes compete at the highest level, while increasing our push at the grass root level to bring more kids into golf through the Callaway Golf for Kids program,” said Murray.

Originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, Murray has served on the GAO board of directors since 2008 and has chaired the finance committee for the past three years.

Introduced to golf at an early age, Murray became a member at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club as a student.

His career highlight in golf came when he was part of the team that captured the Scottish Universities Championship at Carnoustie.

After qualifying as a chartered accountant with KPMG in 1976, Murray emigrated to Canada in 1978 with his wife, Joan. He joined Trafalgar Golf and Country Club in 1986.

He became a partner at KPMG in 1985 and recently retired after a successful 34 year career.

In retirement, golf plays a huge part in his life as he and Joan divide their time between Canada, Florida and Scotland.

Murray replaces outgoing president Kathy Pilkey.

Filling the role of association vice president in 2012 is Jim King of Waterloo. The following is a complete list of the board of directors for 2012.

President: Ian Murray, Oakville
Vice President: Jim King, Waterloo
Past President: Kathy Pilkey, Claremont
Director: Susan Bell, Toronto
Director: Marilyn Field-Marsham, Toronto
Director: Liz Hoffman, Thornhill
Director: Robert Kilgour, Kettleby
Director: Bill Muzak, Baden
Director: Christian Osborne, Oakville
Director: Ivy Steinberg, Stouffville
Director: Kent Trainor, Toronto
Director: John Turner, Bayfield
Director: Brian Tyers, Milton

Golf Magazine Ends Its 30-Year Run

A magazine that dates back to 1981 has published its final edition.

OG (Ontario Golf) was an official publication of the Golf Association of Ontario and it’s been announced that its fall edition will be its last in a history that saw the publication begin as a newsprint publication entitled Ontario Golf News.

It became a glossy magazine in 2000. Over the years, Ontario Golf News and OG have been owned by a variety of publishers, including Osprey Media at the end.

According to GAO executive director Dave Mills, the association paid for half of distribution to its members and had input into magazine content. He says he wasn’t overly surprised by the decision considering the recent state of golf publishing.

“I think the awareness was out there, not specific to OG, but to the reality that there are a lot of golf magazines that, to some degree, are all competing for the same advertising dollars,” he said

“They seemed to be getting thinner as time went on, or perhaps changing formats. We weren’t aware that OG was at a point of not being financially sustainable in terms of advertising sales,” said Mills, adding that the GAO had a good relationship with OG.

“The agreement was always lived up to — there were no issues there,” he said.

“In an ideal world, you always want to have the focus on what the association’s all about, but we recognize that, in the sort of agreement we had with OG and their need to be financially sustainable, reaching a broader audience than our membership, that all of their stories weren’t going to be about the golf association,” said Mills.

Mills said he will likely know more in a couple of weeks about any future communications vehicle that will be used by the association.

“It turns out next week we have a two-day retreat with our board on strategic planning for the future. This will be one of the things we talk about. I guess, in theory, everything’s on the table,” he said.

“Based on what comes out of that, it could range from do nothing, right up to we try to find another partner like we had with OG. If we think that there’s some possibility with the latter approach, we would probably go with a public process to see who’s interested,” said Mills.

All About Coaching

The Golf Association of Ontario and the Ontario PGA have announced the inaugural Ontario Golf Coaches Summit and the launch of a new GAO coaching website.

The first ever Ontario Golf Coaches Summit will focus on junior development and coaching and will be held at White Oaks Resort and Conference Centre in Niagara Falls, Ont., April 11-12.

“This event will provide coach participants with a toolbox of strategies for coaching the developing junior golfer,” said GAO director of sport development Mike Kelly.

“It will include topics such as long term player development, cognitive science, fitness, biomechanics and mental management and will help coaches become better facilitators of learning,” he added.

Presented in partnership with Golf Canada, the event will give participants the opportunity to interact with speakers including author and golf professional Fred Shoemaker.

Other speakers will include performance consultant Dr. Rick Jensen, junior coach Rudy Duran, biomechanics expert and ZenoLink founder Chris Welch, sport science expert Dr. Greg Wells, and leading coaching and physical activity professional Penny Werthner as well as former national cross country ski coach Jack Sasseville.

Those registering will receive:

• Full access to keynote and breakout sessions with renowned presenters in an interactive environment, including the Royal Niagara Golf Club practice facility and White Oaks’ performance and fitness centre.

 

• Accommodation at the five star White Oaks Resort and Conference Centre.

 

• Access to a number of coaching tools, training aids and presentations from on site exhibitors

·

• Welcome gifts including two books from presenters Rick Jensen and Fred Shoemaker.

 

• Full conference delegate package including USB key with all keynote and breakout presentations.

 

• Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks during both days of the event.

 

• Sunday Masters reception offering the opportunity to eat, drink and relax while you watch the final round of the Masters on the big screen alongside colleagues and presenters.
• Coaches gala banquet featuring presentation of Coach of the Year Awards.

 

• Coaching membership with the GAO, which includes coach’s shirt, hat, access to the GAO coaching website and several other benefits.

 

Full information about the Ontario Golf Coaches Summit can be found on the new GAO Golf Coaches website at http://coaching.gao.ca

This new website will serve as a portal for golf coaches in Ontario and for users seeking information about obtaining a golf coach in the province. T

he first website dedicated exclusively to golf coaches in Ontario, it has been created in partnership with the Coaches Association of Ontario, Golf Canada, the Canadian PGA and all three of its Ontario zones.

Features of the website include a coach locator, apprentice and funding opportunities, parent education, an event calendar, and a host of sport-specific resources for coaches in the province.

A members-only section, set to launch in the spring, will include lesson plans and templates, multimedia resources and coach message board.  

For exhibitor information please contact scott@ontariopga.com

GAO Names 2011 Executive

Kathy Pilkey of Claremont has been named president of the Golf Association of Ontario for 2011. Pilkey becomes the 10^th president of the GAO since the amalgamation of the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association and the Ontario Golf Association.

“We have an aggressive list of goals and objectives for 2011 and I am confident we will continue to grow participation, provide opportunities for our members and set high standard of excellence for the sport of golf in the province of Ontario,” said Pilkey.

Pilkey replaces outgoing president John Swift of Smithville. Ian Murray of Oakville was named 2011 GAO vice president.

Below is the 2011 GAO board of directors with their residences.

• Marilyn Field-Marsham, Toronto
• Jim FurlongWaterloo
• Susan Bell, Toronto
• Gilles Hurtubise, Kingston
• Bill Muzak, Baden
• Liz Hoffman, Thornhill
• Bob McMenemy, Sault Ste. Marie
• Jim King, KitchenerChristian Osborne, Oakville
• John Turner, Bayfield

GAO Unveils New Logo

The Golf Association of Ontario has unveiled a new logo in its objective to encourage consumers and golf courses to get to know the GAO better.

With over 80 years of history, the GAO has existed in its current form since the Ontario Golf Association and Ontario Ladies Golf Association amalgamated in 2001 to form an association that currently includes 115,000 members.

“In the 10 years of being the GAO, we hadn’t sat down and completed a full evaluation of our brand position and its perception in the marketplace, and we didn’t have an in depth understanding of what it meant in the eyes of golfers and golf courses in the province,” said GAO executive director, Dave Mills.

“Once we saw the feedback from the market, we knew that there was a tremendous opportunity to further resonate with our audiences,” he said.

“Ultimately, the studies showed that we’re doing a fairly good job of administering the game in the province and having a strong relationship and association with the national body in making the game better for all in Ontario,” said Mills.

“What stood out for all of us was a relative lack of overall awareness of the GAO itself, especially at the player level and how much demand there was for the products and services we currently bring to the marketplace,” said Mills.

“The research clearly showed a resonance with our active member courses and avid private club members, but a need for more relevance and awareness of what we do for the rest of the province.”

GAO Names Roy Head Coach

Jon Roy has been named the Golf Association of Ontario’s provincial head coach.

Roy joins the GAO after seven years as a teacher at Henry Brunton Golf, where he was responsible for the development and maintenance of all junior golf programs and day-to-day operations of the academy.

The Ontario PGA Teacher of the Year for Juniors has also taught in the degree and diploma Professional Golf Management programs at Georgian College in Barrie, Ont.

With the GAO, Roy’s responsibilities will include the Team Ontario Program of Excellence and Development programs, recruitment systems, scouting programs, camps, seminars and parent education. He will also develop and implement the National Junior High Performance strategy.

Roy will also take the lead in the development of regional provincial coaches while providing mentorship and educational opportunities for new coaches within the GAO’s Coach Development model.

“Jon has experience not only with teaching junior players, but also training other professionals in the field of junior golf coaching and development, which makes him a great fit for this role,” said GAO director of sport development Mike Kelly.

Roy is a native of Beaconsfield, Que., and a graduate of the University of Victoria and the Professional Golf Management Program at Humber College in Toronto.

High Performance Is Lapointe’s Goal

Four-time Canadian Amateur champion Mary Ann Lapointe has joined the Golf Association of Ontario as sport development coordinator for high performance programs.

Lapointe, who became the first Canadian ever to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in 2005, will coordinate the development and implementation of GAO high performance programs and strategies.

Her mandate will cover inter-provincial teams, the Canada and Ontario Summer Games program, GAO junior high performance strategy, athlete ranking and athlete and scholarship seminars.

She will work with coaches throughout North America, as well as other sports organizations on Long Term Player Development (LTPD).

“My goal is to further develop the high performance programs and reach as many golfers as we can,” said Lapointe. “To give them what they need to excel at the sport with the ultimate goal of getting on tour and being the best in the world.”

A member of the Canadian and Ontario Golf Halls of Fame, Lapointe is also a five-time Ontario Amateur champion, who has won that province’s mid-amateur title a record 14 times.

A veteran member of Ontario and Quebec inter-provincial teams, she has represented Canada eight times at the World Amateur Championships and four times at the Commonwealth Matches.

“The addition of Mary Ann Lapointe to our sport development department is a major step forward in the continuing development of GAO high performance player development programs,” said GAO executive director Dave Mills.

“Her accomplishments as a player bring a high level of credibility in knowing what it takes to develop our best young players as she has been through the experience on a personal level,” said Mills.

“Mary Ann has a lot to offer to our young players and will no doubt play a significant role in their continued development.”

Lapointe can be reached at the GAO office, (905) 852-1101 ext. 239, or via e-mail at mlapointe@gao.ca

Youth Is A Benefit for Junior Leader

Mike Kelly reacted with good humour to a good-natured verbal jab about winning a national award at the tender age of 30.

Kelly, the director of Sport Development for the Golf Association of Ontario, was recently named the latest winner of the Canadian PGA’s Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year Award, a prize he will pick up later this year in Florida.

The truth is his age is an advantage for a couple of reasons. First of all, he’ll need the energy for all that Kelly is involved in and, secondly, he’ll need the time he has on his side to push those various programs into high gear. Then, you get the feeling he’ll start more in the 30-plus remaining years of his career. Read more

Ontario Announces Future Hall of Famers

George Clifton and Bill Morland will be inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont., next May.

Clifton served as president of the Ontario PGA from 1956-58 and earned a number of distinctions, including the Canadian PGA Master Professional Award in 1974 and CPGA Life Member Award in 1977.

In 1991, Clifton was a co-winner of the 1991 Canadian PGA Teacher of the Year Award and the following year, took Ontario and Canadian PGA Professional of the Year honours. In 1998, he was recognized for 50 years with the Canadian PGA. He died in 2000.

Born in 1917, Clifton came to Canada from England and began his golf career in 1927 at the Toronto Golf Club where he served as a caddie.

He became a golf professional in 1930 and served as head professional for a number of clubs including Niagara-on-the-Lake, Maple Downs, Meadowbrook and Pine Valley. He was also a teaching pro at Bayview Golf and Country Club, Nottawasaga and Barrie Country Club.

Clifton was renowned for his teaching and inspirational skills and became a pioneer with the use of sequencing photography as a teaching aid, originally using army reconnaissance cameras.
Morland won more than 80 tournaments and played in the Canadian Open five times.

His victories include the 1946 Ontario Juvenile Boys’ title, the 1965 Ontario Champion of Champions and the 1963 Ontario Amateur.

Morland was also named to the Ontario Willingdon Cup team three times and won the Northern Amateur Championship 12 times, the Northern Better Ball title seven times and the Northern Senior Championship seven times.

Away from the golf course, Morland was considered a builder of the game, particularly in Northern Ontario after serving the Northern Golf Association as a director for over 40 years and representing the NGA within the Ontario Golf Association.