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Janelle Istvanffy understands the impact of an event like this. She has experienced it first-hand.

Istvanffy is now an associate professional at Earl Grey Golf Club, proudly playing host this week to the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. It brings back memories from 1999, when the LPGA Tour paid its first visit to the Calgary area.

“I grew up at Priddis Greens and I remember watching the du Maurier Classic in 1999, when I was just a little kid,” Istvanffy said. “I remember Karrie Webb walked off the 18th green after winning and handed me a golf ball. I still have vivid memories of that.

“It’s fun seeing our juniors now have those same experiences. We hosted a junior Ryder Cup on Saturday (prior to tournament week) and as part of it, we got them to all take pictures in front of the trophy before they teed off. And just seeing their smiles, it was like, ‘That was me, back in 1999.’ You can really see that these are memories that they will carry with them forever.”

It’s not just the junior members at Earl Grey that are in pinch-me mode this week as Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko and others dig divots on their home turf.

For the staff of seven PGA of Alberta professionals at this private facility, including three women, this is truly something special. 

“It’s been like the dream come true that I didn’t even know I had,” said associate professional Jennifer MacKinnon, who has witnessed the evolution of Earl Grey through a major redesign (2018), a centennial celebration (2019) and now an event that is drawing international eyeballs. “It’s just an opportunity that I feel like I’m so fortunate to be a part of. I’ve been here for eight years, so I’ve gone through all of the construction and changes and I think it’s amazing that the rest of the world gets to see our little slice of heaven.

“And now, to see all these famous people that I never in my wildest dreams thought that I’d be able to be two feet from, it’s just so cool.”

It’s even cooler when those big-name birdie-seekers are heaping praise on your course, when golf fans around the globe are going to be seeing the highlights on TV or on social media.

Earl Grey’s head professional, Pat Wilmot, has encouraged his staff to “take it in, enjoy every moment and be proud of position you’re in and that you’re a part of what built it.” 

They have done precisely that.   

Associate professional Shannon Raina was thrilled to tee it up in the pro-am, strolling the fairways alongside LPGA Tour regulars Bianca Pagdanganan and Jenny Shin. She called it “a top experience of my life” and “a day I’ll never forget.”  

Apprentice professional Josh Berze has been hauling a bag as a caddie.

Istvanffy was among those who attended the CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, where the speakers included the commissioner of the LPGA Tour and president of the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League. Istvanffy described that event as “a 12 out of 10” and added “it really set the stage for a great week because we talked about how we can champion women’s sports.”

“I’m just trying to be a sponge,” MacKinnon said during the hubbub of CPKC Women’s Open week. “Just taking the opportunity to connect with coaches — whether it be a swing coach or a mental coach or physiotherapist — and just watching their practice routines and stuff that I can then take back into my day-to-day role here and share with our members when I’m coaching them. So just trying to soak up as much as possible.”

The members at Earl Grey, regardless of age or gender, are doing the same. Many are volunteering at the tournament.

“I hope it keeps building the love of the game,” Raina said. “Even for myself, I felt reinvigorated by playing in the pro-am. I was like, ‘Man, I want to practice more. I want to play more.’ I saw a couple of our junior members out there and they were watching Brooke Henderson with wide eyes. Maybe this just makes them love golf even more. 

“You don’t have to be a pro golfer, but if you just keep loving the game … If that is what happens, I think that’s incredible.”

MacKinnon, too, has first-hand experience with that.

When the LPGA Tour played at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton in 2007, she was among the junior participants in the pro-am. She remembers posing for a photo with Alena Sharp, who has been competing in the CPKC Women’s Open for two decades now. 

“So, it’s kind of coming full circle. It’s cool to be a part of it on this side now,” MacKinnon said. “The more that they get the itch after this week, the better. Shannon already has a huge junior program going here.”

Indeed, there are about 200 juniors at Earl Grey. When they hosted a girls-only night in June, the sign-up sheet filled up fast.

What’s especially meaningful is that when the LPGA Tour stars pack up and head off to the next stop at the Olympic Games in Paris, those youngsters will still have three strong role models in Istvanffy, MacKinnon and Raina.

There can’t be many courses in Canada, or anywhere, with this many females on their professional staff.  

“I think the girls here will grow up seeing that as normal,” Istvanffy said. “And that’s really cool.”

“It’s nice to have them as my co-workers as well as my friends,” Raina added. “The golf industry, for females, is not an easy place to be all the time. But it doesn’t feel like that at Earl Grey because it’s almost like there’s more of us than there are men. It’s super cool, and we’re pretty close. I just think having us together navigating this all is really important.”