Golf Ontario Recognizes Outstanding Volunteers at Annual Appreciation Days
Golf Ontario
At this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Days across Ontario, Golf Ontario paid tribute to the incredible efforts of our more than 250 volunteers.
As part of the three celebrations (which took place in September at Craigowan Golf Club, Wooden Sticks Golf Course and Brockville Country Club), we proudly revealed the 2024 recipients of the Volunteer of the Year Award and the Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award.
These prestigious awards honour individuals whose dedication has made a significant and lasting impact on golf in Ontario. Their unwavering support continues to drive Golf Ontario’s mission to ‘Shape Lives Through Golf.’
Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award Recipient: Sally Cirtwill
Sally, a Level 3 National Golf Canada Rules Official, has been a dedicated volunteer with Golf Ontario since 1998. As she considers stepping back from her role, this year may mark her final season as one of our most esteemed referees.
For decades, Sally has generously devoted her time and energy, traveling countless miles to ensure our events run smoothly.
Earlier this season, the parent of a Golf Ontario Junior Player, who is now competing at the amateur and collegiate level, shared a heartfelt message. He mentioned that Sally has talked about retiring for years, but he believes this time she may truly mean it. He expressed deep gratitude for Sally’s kindness and professionalism, stating that she will be greatly missed by his family and many others when she does decide to retire.
Sally’s presence at events is always a highlight, with players, parents, and friends eager to greet her warmly. She embodies the essence of Golf Ontario’s mission—creating meaningful connections and enriching lives through golf.
Her unwavering passion, commitment, and love for the game make Sally a standout choice for the prestigious Golf Ontario Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award.
When she does retire, Sally will no doubt relish more summer days spent at home, enjoying her love of fishing and getting back on the golf course herself.
The Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award is named in honour of Richard H. Grimm, known as “Mr. Canadian Open” for his contributions from 1965 to 1993. The award, first presented in 2005, recognizes individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to amateur golf in Ontario through volunteerism. Recipients demonstrate leadership, integrity, and dedication while embracing Golf Ontario’s mission and values.
Volunteer of the Year Award: John Sharp
John Sharp has been a dedicated volunteer with Golf Ontario since 2011, serving as a Level 3 Rules Official. He exemplifies the spirit of the game and reflects Golf Ontario’s core values. John’s interactions with players are always positive and encouraging, all while maintaining professionalism. He consistently arrives early for his volunteer shifts and stays late to help with any unfinished tasks, demonstrating remarkable dedication and organizational skills during championship preparations.
John is well-connected within the golf community and is warmly greeted by many when he steps onto a course—a testament to the respect and admiration he has earned over the years.
One of John’s standout qualities is his openness and willingness to guide new volunteers, offering advice and support as they begin their journey with Golf Ontario. He extends this same mentorship to the summer interns, even assisting with course markings at events near him, regardless of whether he’s scheduled to volunteer.
John is also a great team player, regularly organizing dinners with fellow officials and volunteers, fostering camaraderie among the team.
Through his actions, John truly embodies Golf Ontario’s mission of shaping lives through positive golf experiences.
Volunteer of the Year Award: Margaret McCornock
Marg has been a dedicated and long-serving volunteer with Golf Ontario since 2012.
Her journey as a volunteer began with Golf Quebec in 2007 as a golf course rater, quickly rising to the position of rating leader by 2010. When many courses transitioned to Golf Ontario in 2012, Marg seamlessly continued her role as a rating leader, bringing her expertise to a new audience.
In addition to her work as a course rater, Marg also served on the Ottawa Valley Golf Association Board of Directors as the Director of Course Rating and Handicaps for a decade, from 2012 to 2022. Even after stepping down from this position, she continues to lead course rating teams for both Golf Ontario and Golf Quebec.
Marg’s leadership and commitment have been exceptional throughout her tenure. Her vast experience and knowledge in course rating have been instrumental in developing a skilled team of over 10 raters in the Ottawa Valley, with many others waiting to learn from her. Drawing from her teaching background, Marg has been an enthusiastic mentor, helping new raters grow into their roles with patience and dedication.
At the start of each rating season, Marg organizes refresher courses for both new and experienced raters, ensuring that the team is up-to-date with the latest information from the Course Rating System Guide and the provincial rating sessions. She also played a key role in the adoption of new technologies, offering on-course training to raters—both seasoned and novice—on how to use tablets to record rating data, while emphasizing the importance of understanding the reasoning behind the data collection.
For her work ethic, leadership, teaching ability, willingness to embrace new technologies, and her commitment to completing challenging course rating assignments—averaging three ratings a month during the summer—Marg is truly deserving of the title Golf Ontario Volunteer of the Year 2024.
Volunteer with Golf Ontario
At the heart of Golf Ontario, our volunteers are the lifeblood in a variety of critical areas, including championships, rules, course rating, and governance on committees and our board of directors. They are the sport’s ambassadors and an essential part of our team, enabling us to deliver exceptional programming and experiences to golfers, partners, and industry stakeholders.
Interested in becoming part of the Golf Ontario volunteer family? Find out more about the opportunities and rewards on our Volunteering Resource page HERE.
Champions Crowned at Ontario Senior Men’s Better Ball Championship
Golf Ontario
The top two ranked senior men’s amateur golfers in the province triumphed Thursday at Brampton Golf Club, capturing the Ontario Senior Men’s Better Ball Championship.
The duo of Dave Bunker (Cherry Hill Club) and Rob Cowan (Westmount Golf and Country Club) emerged victorious after defeating Dan Keogh (Toronto Golf Club) and Nigel Hollidge (Taboo Resort) in a one-hole playoff. Both teams carded a better-ball score of 5-under-par 66 on the day.
Last year’s champions, Bruno Ardito (Brampton Golf Club) and Gary Parker (Brampton Golf Club), secured third place.
A total of 55 teams (110 players) participated in the one-day event. Established in 1982, the Ontario Senior Men’s Better Ball Championship is open to players aged 55 and older as of the tournament date.
This victory marks the second provincial championship win this year for Bunker, following his triumph in the Ontario Senior Men’s Championship earlier this summer. He also claimed the Senior Porter Cup this season. Cowan recently finished in the top 15 at the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship and top 10 at the Ontario Senior Men’s Championship.
After making the winning putt, Luke Smith was crowned the champion, scoring 69 for a total of 213. Hall finished the round with a score of 70.
Close behind in third place was Jager Pain who was two-under-par with scores of 73, 74, and 67 for a total of 214.
Girls’ Division
Team Ontario had two players winning Gold and Silver. Angela Cai of Heron Point Golf Links was the champion of the girl’s division after a strong performance with scores of 74, 71, 72 for a total of 217. Nobelle Park of Rattle Snake Point took home silver with scores of 74, 75, 73 for a total of 222.
Finishing in third place was Kayla Black of Markland Wood Golf Club. Black had scores of 74, 73, and 76 for a total of 223, only one point behind Park.
Brampton Golf Club to Host 2024 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship
Golf Ontario
The Brampton Golf Club will host this year’s Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship on September 26th. The one-day event will feature 56 two-man teams competing for the championship title in a better-ball format.
First held in 1982, the Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship is open to players aged 55 and older as of the tournament date.
QUOTE
“The Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship is a great way to close out the Senior Men’s championship season here in Ontario. This year’s field includes multiple past champions and many of the top-ranked senior players in the province, all eager to reclaim their spot at the top. We’re in for another exciting championship.” — Connor Doyle, Tournament Director
TEAMS TO WATCH
Dave Bunker and Rob Cowan: The No. 1 and No. 2-ranked senior men in this season’s BioSteel Amateur Order of Merit Rankings, with Bunker also being the winner of the 2024 Ontario Senior Men’s Championship.
Bruno Ardito and Gary Parker: Defending champions from the 2023 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship.
Chris Lee and Cam Hreljac: Winners of the 2022 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship.
David Wilson and Eamonn McConnell: Champions of the 2021 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship.
Mark Bennett and Jim Briggs: The 2018 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship winners.
Notable nice playersDan Keogh and Nigel Hollidge.
FAST FACTS
Venue: Brampton Golf Club Date: September 26 Field: 56 two-man teams Format: 18-hole, better-ball Leaderboard: HERE Fun Fact: Past champions include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame members Nick Weslock and Stu Hamilton.
FOLLOW US
@thegolfontario on Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).
The Fifth Annual Ontario Super Camp and Tour Championship Set to Begin at Black Bear Ridge
Golf Ontario
The fifth annual Ontario Super Camp and Tour Championship kicks off this weekend in Belleville at Black Bear Ridge Golf Course and Resort.
More than 60 junior golfers, each earning their invitation based on the Junior Golf Pathway Rankings, will compete for top honors and the prestigious Dave Mills Trophy. The four-day event includes the 54-hole Tour Championship and a one-day Super Camp combine, taking place from September 22 to 25.
“The Super Camp and Junior Tour Championship is an exciting time of the year for junior golf. There’s a lot at stake this week! The top 30 boys and girls in the province face off, showcasing what they’ve been working on all year. We’re extremely excited to see the best of the best compete for the title.” — Mason Cowan, Championship Director.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BOYS:
Luke Smith (The Thornhill Club) – Team Canada NextGen member and 2023 Ontario Junior Boys U19 champion.
Bode Stephen (Cataraqui Golf and Country Club) – Team Ontario athlete and winner of this year’s NextGen Atlantic Championship.
Gabriel Mainella (Summit Golf and Country Club) – Ontario Next Wave member, winner of this year’s Ontario Junior Boys U19 Championship and Junior Players Invitational, and the No. 1-ranked U19 boy on the Junior Golf Pathway rankings.
Jaeger Pain (Station Creek Golf Club) – Defending champion of last year’s Super Camp and Junior Tour Championship.
Joseph Totino (Summit Golf and Country Club) – Winner of this year’s Ontario Junior Boys U15 Championship.
Justin Chu (Meadowbrook Golf Club) – Finished second at this year’s Canadian U15 Championship.
Karson Hurlbert (Camelot Golf and Country Club) – Finished T3 at this year’s Canadian U15 Championship.
Chase Jerome (The Royal Ottawa Golf Club) – Team Ontario member.
GIRLS:
Nobelle Park (RattleSnake Point Golf Club) – Team Ontario member with multiple wins this summer, including the Canadian U15 Championship, Ontario Women’s Amateur, Ontario Bantam U15 Championship, and the Junior Spring Classic.
Avery Nordman (Canadian Golf and Country Club) – Ontario Juvenile Girls U17 champion.
Kaylan Green (Scarboro Golf and Country Club) – Winner of this year’s Ontario Junior Girls U19 Match Play Championship.
Sarah Xing (Players Club-Ottawa) – Winner of this year’s Ontario Peewee Girls U13 Championship.
Angela Cai (Heron Point Golf Links) and Emily McKee (St. George’s Golf and Country Club) – McKee is the recent winner of the Ontario Women’s Four-Ball Championship.
Evelyn Li (Brampton Golf Club) – Finished third at this year’s Canadian U15 Championship.
FAST FACTS
Championship Venue: Black Bear Ridge Golf Course and Resort
Championship Dates: September 22-25
Field: 63 players—33 boys and 30 girls
Format: One-day skills combine followed by a 54-hole stroke play championship.
First awarded in 2021, the Dave Mills Trophy is named in honour of Dave Mills, a past Golf Ontario Executive Director and a passionate advocate for junior golf. Mills presented the first-ever Tour Championship trophy in 2020. The soapstone trophy was carved by Canada’s foremost Ojibway sculptor, Kris Nahrgang, who met with Mills before his passing.
FOLLOW US
@thegolfontario on Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).
World Junior Girls Golf Championship coming to Credit Valley G&CC
Golf Ontario
Golf Canada has set an impressive stretch goal of having 30 professional golfers at the highest levels of the sport by 2032.
The World Junior Girls Golf Championship is a huge part of that target.
Credit Valley Golf and Country Club will host the international tournament from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5, with 24 teams representing 23 nations — Canada gets two squads — competing. Lindsay McGrath, a 17-year-old golfer from Oakville, Ont., said she’s excited to be representing Canada and continue to develop her game.
“I’m really grateful to be here,” said McGrath on Monday after a news conference in Credit Valley’s clubhouse in Mississauga, Ont. “It’s just such an awesome feeling being here and representing our country, wearing all the logos and being on Team Canada.
“I’ve always wanted to play in this tournament, so it’s really special to me.”
McGrath will be joined by Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont., and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., on Team Canada 2. All three earned their places through a qualifying tournament last month.
“I love my teammates so much,” said McGrath. “I know Nobelle and Eileen very well. I’m just so excited to be with them. We have such a great relationship.”
Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng and Clairey Lin make up Team Canada 1. Liu earned her exemption following her win at the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship while Deng earned her exemption as being the low eligible Canadian on the world amateur golf ranking as of Aug. 7.
Deng was No. 175 at the time, she has since improved to No. 171 and is Canada’s lowest-ranked player.
“I think it’s a really great opportunity,” said Liu. “We don’t really get that many opportunities to play with people from across the world, so it’s really great to meet new people and play with them.
“It’s great to see maybe how they play and take parts from their game that we might also implement our own games.”
Golf Canada founded the World Junior Girls Golf Championship in 2014 to fill a void in women’s international competition and help grow its own homegrown talent. The hosts won for the first time last year when Vancouver’s Anna Huang, Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos and Vancouver’s Vanessa Zhang won team gold and Huang earned individual silver.
Medallists who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who was fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural tournament. She was on Canada’s bronze-medal team in 2014 with Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., and Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee.
Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Angel Yin and Megan Khang of the United States, as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines, Sweden’s Linn Grant and Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand.
“It’s not if, it’s when they’re going to be on the LPGA Tour,” said Garrett Ball, Golf Canada’s chief operating officer, of how Canada’s golfers in the World Junior Girls Championship can be part of the organization’s goal to have 30 pros in the LPGA and PGA Tours by 2032.
“Events like this, like the She Plays Golf festival that we launched two years ago, and then the CPKC Women’s Open exemptions that we utilize to bring in our national team athletes and get the experience has been important in that pathway.”
The individual winner of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship will earn a berth in next year’s CPKC Women’s Open at nearby Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.
Both clubs, as well as former RBC Canadian Open host site Glen Abbey Golf Club, were devastated by heavy rains through June and July as the Greater Toronto Area had its wettest summer in recorded history.
Jason Hanna, the chief operating officer of Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, said that he has seen the Credit River flood so badly that it affected the course’s playability a handful of times over his nearly two decades with the club.
Staff and members alike came together to clean up the course after the flooding was over, with hundreds of people coming together to make the club playable again.
“You had to show up, bring your own rake, bring your own shovel, bring your own gloves, and then we’d take them down to the golf course, assign them to areas where they would work, and then we would do a big barbecue down at the halfway house,” said Hanna. “We got guys, like, 80 years old, putting in eight-hour days down there, working away.”
Trophies Captured at the Ontario Women’s & Senior Women’s Four-Ball Championship
Golf Ontario
The 2024 Ontario Women’s & Senior Women’s Four-Ball Championship at the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto saw interesting finishes all around.
The women’s division was won by Team Ontario’s very own Angela Cai + Emily McKee (Heron Point Golf Links, St. George’s Golf and Country Club). The pair finished the round with 5-under-par for a total of 67.
Women’s & Senior Women’s Four-Ball Heads to the Historic Ladies’ GC of Toronto
Golf Ontario
The prestigious Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto will host the Ontario Women’s & Senior Women’s Four-Ball Championship on Monday, celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2024. The event features 44 two-player teams divided into women’s and senior women’s divisions competing in a four-ball format.
Founded in 1924 by the legendary Ada Mackenzie, an Ontario Golf Hall of Fame member, the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto was designed with the assistance of Stanley Thompson on the rolling terrain between Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue in Thornhill.
The one-day championship begins at 1 p.m. on Monday.
QUOTE
We’re excited to be hosting the Ontario Women’s Four-Ball and inaugural Ontario Senior Women’s Four-Ball Championship at The Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto during their 100th anniversary. This championship annually hosts some of the top female amateur golfers in the province, and we look forward to having them compete at this amazing facility.” – Connor Doyle, Tournament Director
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alexandra Taylor of The Cherry Hill Club, 2024 Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur champion.
Golf Ontario Career Opportunity— Director, Human Resources & EDI
Golf Ontario
A new, full-time career opportunity is available at Golf Ontario.
To learn more about the Director, Human Resources & EDI role, CLICK HERE.
The role summary is as follows:
As an experienced Human Resources Leader, the Director, Human Resources (HR) & EDI will have a passion for building culture and collaborating with key stakeholders in delivering an HR strategy to inspire a performance-based team environment that is passionate, respectful, united, accountable and brilliant.
The Director, HR & EDI will collaborate with the leadership team, colleagues and volunteers to develop and lead the HR strategy for Golf Ontario, including employment practices to attract, retain and engage talent, compliance, administration, training, benefits, compensation and health, safety and wellness.
The Director, HR & EDI will drive the strategy for advancing Golf Ontario’s commitment to EDI and Safe Sport, including collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to build an inclusive environment that will shape lives by connecting people to positive golf experiences across Ontario.
Golf Ontario is a Provincial Sports Organization and the governing body for golf in Ontario. With more than 80 years of history and tradition, serving 125,000 members, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. We strive to partner with a connected golf community to inspire the game of golf for all Ontarians, including youth, women and underserved communities.
With our vision of Golf for All, Golf Ontario is committed to creating a diverse and safe environment within our organization and across the sport of golf.
BREAKING NEWS: An Epic Addition to Our Junior Golf Drive Auction!
Golf Ontario
Golf fans, brace yourselves—we’ve got one final auction item, and it’s nothing short of superhero-level cool.
Thanks to our incredible partners at TaylorMade Canada, we’re thrilled to offer a dozen limited-edition, comic book-inspired TP5 PIX golf balls. These collector’s items sold out faster than you can say “Smash! Boom! Pow!”—and now’s your chance to get your hands on them.
What makes these golf balls truly special?
Each ball features bold comic book language like “Smash!” “Boom!” and “Pow!” perfectly aligned to create pix’s ClearPath Alignment for improved visibility.
The outside of the collector’s box? Showcasing four of golf’s greatest superheroes—Rory McIlroy, Brooke Henderson, Collin Morikawa, and Tommy Fleetwood!
But that’s not all: the inside reveals more about their golf super-powers!
And now for the real plot twist… this exclusive box is signed by:
🏆 Brooke Henderson🏆 Collin Morikawa🏆 Tommy Fleetwood🏆 World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler
That’s right—you get signatures from some of the biggest legends in the game, making this item a once-in-a-lifetime collector’s dream!
But time is running out! ⏳
This online-only auction closes this Friday at 5 p.m.—so don’t wait! Place your bids on this super cool, one-of-a-kind treasure before it’s gone for good.
Every dollar raised from this auction directly supports junior golf programming across Ontario. Let’s keep building the future of the game—one superhero golf ball at a time!
