Congratulations to Stephen Yanitski of Valley Ridge GC for winning this year’s PGA of Alberta Junior Leader of the Year Award! Click HERE to see Stephen’s reaction to receiving the honour.
Click Read More to see this year’s PGA of Alberta Finalists and Award Recipients.
Education News
Increasing Employment Term at Your Facility
The Assistants Board is excited to present their second webinar on "Increasing Employment Term at Your Facility & Building Brand Recognition". The talented panelists will be sharing their experiences and keys to excelling within the golf industry which will include;
Kevin Chow- Blackhawk GC
Tyler Willner- Lakeside GC
Jae Maegaard- Paradise Canyon GR
Marsha Rogers- The Derrick G&WC
This will be the second of four webinars produced by the assistants board with the intention of providing professional development for all assistants within the industry. This will produce an avenue for networking and relationship building so members can continue to further their careers.
2022 Golf Shows - Early Bird Registration Now Open
EARLY BIRD registration is NOW OPEN for the 2022 Calgary & Edmonton Golf Shows in March! These Shows are a great opportunity for you to promote your facility and programs to over 7,000 passionate golfers throughout the province. Exhibiting at the Shows gives your facility the opportunity to sell green fees and memberships and expose your brand to new demographics in a fun environment. The upcoming Shows are scheduled as follows:
Edmonton Golf Show March 26 & 27, 2022 | Edmonton Expo Centre (Hall A) CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
TOP 100 POINTS - New this year, all PGA members at a facility that exhibits at either Golf Show will receive 5 Top 100 points for the new program year! See standings HERE.
The Early Bird registration deadline is DECEMBER 15thfor both Shows. Be sure to take advantage of these rates and don’t miss out on being a part of the Alberta Golf Shows! If you have any questions about the Shows, please contact Trevor Rioux at [email protected]. Register above (login required).
Association News
Kevin Hunter in Memoriam (1950-2021)
We are deeply saddened to announce the recent passing of former PGA of Alberta President and PGA of Canada member Kevin Vincent Hunter. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario on November 10th at the age of 70.
Kevin joined the PGA of Canada in 1973 and was the President of the PGA of Alberta from 1983 - 1984. As per his request, there will be no funeral. Celebrations of life with Kevin’s friends and family have, and will continue to take place privately. A more public celebration of life will take place in the springtime.
Our thoughts are with Kevin’s family and friends during this difficult time. Click the link below for obituary.
Callaway Golf Canada Named Jack Skellern Patron of the Year
Congratulations to Callaway Golf Canada for being honoured with the 2021 PGA of Alberta Jack Skellern Patron of the Year Award! This Award is presented annually on behalf of the Association to an individual or organization for their support to the PGA of Alberta and the advancement of Professional Golf in the province. Callaway is now a three-time recipient of this Award, winning previously in 2000 and 2009!
Callaway Golf Canada has been a partner of the PGA of Alberta since 1998 and has supported numerous Association initiatives over the years which include the tournament program, education, golf shows, and the annual Buying Show. Their genuine interest and passion for the Association and members has helped forged a strong and meaningful relationship for over twenty years.
CLICK HERE to watch a short video of PGA of Alberta Vice President Matt Johnson presenting the Award to Bruce Carroll, General Manager at Callaway Golf Canada (pictured below).
Callaway Golf Canada General Manager - Bruce Carroll
Association News
Pro Tip Tuesday is Coming Back
Pro Tip Tuesday is a social media initiative created in 2019 that will show off your skills as a Golf Professional and help bring exposure to you and your club. The Association will give golfers a reason to check out the PGA of Alberta Instagram account, including your own! We will start posting Pro Tip Tuesday submissions in December.
How do you become a part of Pro Tip Tuesday? All you need to do is create a quick golf tip video between 30 seconds to 2 minutes and use the specific hash tag #pgaofabprotiptuesday and handle @pgaofalberta and the PGA of Alberta will re-post your video on their Instagram account every Tuesday. One video will be posted per week. We ask you to submit your video using the Dropbox link below in case you do not post on your own account.
Video Tips
Be Professional. You are representing the Association so ensure you look and act the part.
Intro. State your name, club, and position as the intro to your video.
Length. Ensure your video is between 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Rehearse. Practise your video tip a few times before the final "shoot".
Setting. Make sure there’s no noise/visual distractions around you so viewers can focus on you. Your video can be shot indoors or outdoors (weather permitting).
Look at past examples of Pro Tip Tuesday videos below for inspiration:
Top 100 Points Everyone who participates in Pro Tip Tuesday will earn 3 Top 100 points for the new program year. You can only receive 3 points per year. We recommend doing more than one video but a max of 3 points will be rewarded for the Top 100 program.
Deadline Deadline has been EXTENDED to Friday, December 10th for submission.
Interested in Hosting a 2022 PGA of Alberta Tournament?
Interested in supporting the Association and hosting an event for the 2023 Tournament Season at your facility or club? This year we ran approximately 25 different events over the course of the season. Next year we will be looking to operate a similar number of events.
The groundwork is currently being laid for the 2023 season and the Office and Tournament Committee are currently looking for interested parties to express their interest and if known, what type of event and date range is the preference for the facility.
Please contact me at: ([email protected]) to submit your facilities name to our list of prospective 2023 Tournament Venues.
Awards News
Dillon Batsel Wins Player of the Year Award
Congratulations to Dillon Batsel of Desert Blume GC for winning his first PGA of Alberta Player of the Year Award! Dillon had a tremendous tournament season this year which included the following accolades:
Congratulations to Fort McMurray GCfor being named the 2021 PGA of Alberta Retailer of the Year! Click HERE to see Head Professional Kyle Corriveau’s reaction.
The Player of the Year Award will be revealed this afternoon (Nov. 5) at approximately 2pm. Click Read More to see previous winners.
Awards News
Chris Schatzmann Receives Club Professional of the Year Award
Congratulations to Chris Schatzmann of Stewart Creek G&CC for receiving the PGA of Alberta Club Professional of the Year Award! Click HERE to see Chris’ reaction.
The final Awards for the 2021 program year will be revealed in the coming days. Click Read More to see this year’s Finalists and Award Recipients.
Awards News
Rick Lea Named Sales Rep of the Year
Congratulations to Rick Lea of Cobra Puma Golf for winning this year’s PGA of Alberta Sales Rep of the Year Award! Click HERE to see Rick’s reaction to receiving the honour.
Click Read More to see this year’s PGA of Alberta Finalists and Award Recipients.
Awards News
Patrick Coli Receives Executive Professional of the Year Honour
Congratulations to Patrick Coli of Carnmoney GCfor receiving the PGA of Alberta Executive Professional of the Year Award! Click HERE to see Patrick receiving the honour today at his club.
With only a few Awards left to giveaway, make sure to tune in tomorrow for more exciting live reveals. Click Read More to see this year’s PGA of Alberta Finalists and Award Recipients.
Education News
How to Choose Your Career Path
The Assistants Board is excited to present a webinar on "Understanding Differences in Facility Types & How to Choose Your Career Path". This will give knowledge on how to select a successful golf career based on aspirations and environment. The members of the panel will be;
Bob Paley- Kananaskis GC
Murray McCourt- The Ranch G&CC
Tahlon Sweenie- Jasper Park Lodge GC
Shelley Charlton- Pinebrook G&CC
They will be discussing pros and cons of a facility type, public vs private, is there value of having experience in multiple facilities, and many more topics.
The date is set for November 10th, 2021 from 10:00am-11:00am with a question period to follow.
Congratulations to Josh Flemingof GOLFTEC Calgary Beacon Heights for receiving the 2021 Teacher of the Year Award! Click HERE to see his reaction to winning the Award.
The next Award reveal will be tomorrow morning (Nov. 2nd) on the PGA of Alberta Instagramaccount. Click Read More below to see this year’s Finalists and Award Recipients.
Awards News
Jamie Reimer Earns Coach of the Year Award
Congratulations to Jamie Reimerof Golfuture YYC for being named the PGA of Alberta Coach of the Year! Click HERE to see Jamie’s reaction to winning the Award.
Click Read More to see this year’s Finalists and Award Recipients.