The wait is over—Junior Golf Drive is back, and we’re excited to announce that the online auction is officially LIVE!
This is your chance to bid on ultra-exclusive foursomes at some of Ontario’s top golf courses, unique collectibles, sports tickets, new golf equipment, and much more—all while supporting the future of junior golf.
Why Bid?
Every dollar raised goes directly towards growing Junior Golf programming across Ontario, helping to develop and train tomorrow’s champions. So, be sure to bid early and bid often to make a difference!
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the incredible items up for grabs:
Foursome at The Pulpit Club
Foursome at TPC Toronto – Osprey Valley
Foursome at Mad River Golf Club
Foursome at Wooden Sticks
Threesome at Rosedale Golf Club
TaylorMade Qi10 Driver
Toronto Maple Leaf Tickets
…and so much more!
Help us reach our goal!
All funds raised will support Junior Golf programming across Ontario. Good luck, and thank you for supporting the next generation of golfers!
Auction closes Monday, September 9th at 6 p.m.
Ontario’s own Taylor Pendrith, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes have been named to the International Team’s for the upcoming Presidents Cup in Montreal.
It’s the first time three Canadians have played in the prestigious international event at the same time.
Canadian golf legend and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame member Mike Weir used three of his six captain’s selections on Pendrith, Conners and Hughes. He also picked South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
Pendrith finished the 2024 season on a heater, earning his way into the PGA Tour’s playoffs and finishing the Tour Championship tied for 14th.
Corey Conners
- Country: Canada
- Age: 32
- PGA TOUR Wins: 2
- Presidents Cup: 1 (2022), 0-4-0
2024 Highlights: Has notched three top-10 finishes in 2024 including a season-best, solo-sixth-place effort at the RBC Canadian Open.
Captain Weir on Conners: “Corey is one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA TOUR and his ability to consistently put himself and his playing partner in a position to attack is invaluable in team competition. He has looked towards the 2024 Presidents Cup for two years now, and I know he’s eager to compete in front of his fellow Canadians.”
Mackenzie Hughes
- Country: Canada
- Age: 33
- PGA TOUR Wins: 2
- Presidents Cup: First appearance
2024 Highlights: Has recorded three top-10 finishes including a season-best T3 at the Valspar Championship. Only missed four cuts in 22 starts, marking a career best.
Captain Weir on Hughes: “Canadian golf fans have followed Mackenzie’s career for nearly two decades and it’s incredible to know he’s going to make his Presidents Cup debut in his home country. He is steady and calm under pressure and is without doubt one of the best putters on the PGA TOUR, which is a great combination for our team.”
Taylor Pendrith
- Country: Canada
- Age: 33
- PGA TOUR Wins: 1
- Presidents Cup: 1 (2022), 0-4-0
2024 Highlights: Picked up the first win of his PGA TOUR career at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Recorded five additional top-10 finishes while advancing to the TOUR Championship for the first time.
Captain Weir on Pendrith: “Taylor is in the midst of his best year on the PGA TOUR, and it was great to see him breakthrough for his first win in Dallas and advancing to the TOUR Championship. He has built a reputation as one of the longest hitters in our game, and that length should be advantageous in match play competition at Royal Montreal.”
Weir’s International side will face off against Jim Furyk’s U.S. squad in the match-play competition, Sept. 24-29, at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Pendrith and Conners — close friends — also played for the International Team at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.
That was the first time two Canadians had played at the elite event.
Ultimately, the Internationals lost 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 to the United States.
The International team has only won once in the event’s history, emerging victorious at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1998 when captain Peter Thompson led them to a 20 1/2 – 11 1/2 triumph over Jack Nicklaus’s American squad.
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Golf Ontario, the Provincial Sport Organization for Golf, is currently seeking interested individuals to serve on the Board of Directors for a three-year term commencing February 2025.
If you have a strong passion for the sport of golf and believe that it can contribute to building healthy communities, we would like to hear from you. We are searching for individuals who understand the amateur golf system in Ontario and have solid financial expertise, including knowledge and experience with investments and foundations. We are committed to ensuring that our Board reflects the diversity of golfers in Ontario and would particularly welcome women to apply.
Our Vision is a simple but powerful statement: Golf for All. This Vision is brought to life in our Strategic Plan, through unique participation initiatives such as the Regional Support Strategy. We are committed to building trusting relationships with our facilities and our golf partners so that together we can expand participation opportunities not only for current players but also for those who have never had the opportunity to play the game.
The role of a Golf Ontario Board member is to act as a trustee, always serving the best interests of the organization with integrity and an open mind. The Board’s governance responsibilities are multi-faceted and include upholding our By-Law, determining policy, developing and evaluating strategic priorities, monitoring financial performance, and approving annual budgets.
The Board currently consists of 11 directors serving staggered three-year terms, with an option to extend for a second three-year term. We will welcome 2 new directors in 2025. In-person Board meetings are hosted quarterly (travel and accommodation reimbursement provided), while quarterly Board committee and work group meetings are held virtually.
Expressions of Interest must include the following:
Online application form and
Current CV (Instructions for uploading your documents are included on the application form).
The application deadline for the coming year is October 31, 2024.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY.
With more than 80 years of history and tradition, serving 120,000 members, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. We strive to align with all golf stakeholders through a connected golf community while encouraging both youth and adults to play more golf, more often. Our Mission is to shape lives through golf by connecting people to positive golf experiences.
Golf Ontario is an equal opportunity organization committed to providing accessible practices. We will make all reasonable accommodations for applicants with varying abilities to support their full participation in this process. We thank all individuals for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All Expressions of Interest will be kept in confidence.
Social Handles: Stay connected with us on social media: Instagram, Facebook and X @thegolfontario
The final round of the 55th Ontario Public Amateur Championship presented by Baka Mobile from Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club saw interesting finishes all around.
The men’s Gross and ‘A’ Flight divisions were won by none other than Tangle Creek’s very own Josh Taylor, who had two very impressive rounds of play, shooting 2-under-par-70 yesterday and 4-under-par-68 today.
Taylor finished nine strokes ahead of runner-up, Brett Wira of London and 11 ahead of Toronto’s Paul Sobottka in both ‘A’ Flight and total Gross play. Overall, Taylor shot 138-6-under-par in both competitions while Wira shot 147 and Sobottka 149.
Jenna Power of Hornby Glen Golf Course captured both the women’s Gross and Net titles, shooting 87-par in Net play in the final round to finish two strokes ahead of runner-up, Loren Gabel of Cambridge.
Power shot 85-97 for a two-day total of 182 in gross play and 75-87 for 162 in net competition. Meanwhile, Gabel shot 92-86 for 178 in Net and 95-89 for 184 overall.
In the ‘B’ Flight division, Glencoe’s Jamie Howe took the reigns on the back of an impressive final round, where he shot 68-4-under-par in B Flight Net to finish six strokes ahead of Mike Vieira of Whitby. In Gross play, Howe shot 79 in the final round and both he and Vieira shot a two-day total of 159 in the overall competition.
The ‘C’ Flight division was decided in a playoff, where Joseph Smith of Alliston knocked off Whitby’s Steve Stone. Stone shot 72-even-par in C Flight Net play in the final round, which allowed him to rally from five strokes behind to allow a playoff. In the end, Smith, who shot 75-par in Net competition in the second round, prevailed after a nine-hole grind.
CLICK HERE for all final results.
Social Handles: Stay connected with us on social media: Instagram, Facebook and X @thegolfontario
The 2024 Ontario Public Amateur Championship presented by Baka Mobile heads to Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club August 29 – 30.
The event will see 109 public golfers, the most in Ontario Public Amateur Championship history, compete in four sperate flighted divisions.
The men will play in three flighted divisions—the ‘A’ flight division will compete in Gross competition, while flights ‘B’ and ‘C’ play in net competition with the option for ‘B’ flight golfers to compete in the overall championship. The women will compete in their own division, with both gross and net competitions.
Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club is no stranger to hosting Golf Ontario championships, having previously hosted events such as the 2019 Ontario Junior Boys Championship and last year’s Ontario Men’s & Senior Men’s Match Play Championship.
First played in 1958, the Ontario Public Amateur Championship has provided great opportunities for public players of either the Golf Ontario Public Player Program and of semi-private golf courses to compete in a competitive tournament with gross and net flights. This allows high-handicap players to compete with players in their handicap grouping.
Past champions include Ontario Golf Hall of Famer Dave Bunker (2009, 2010), Robert Mclean (2021), Arnold Johnson (2011, 2015), Peter Willis (2014), Gail Pimm (2015) and Nobelle Park (2022).
Both rounds will see morning tee-offs between 8-9:30 a.m. and afternoon times between 12:30-2 p.m., each on first and 10th tees.
CLICK HERE for all first-round pairings and start times.
PLAYERS
Notable players include:
Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club’s own, Bradley Greenside, who won the 2023 Ontario Men’s Champion of Champions.
Defending men’s Ontario Public Amateur champion, Paul Sobottka.
Michael Naus, who won the 2022 Ontario Men’s Public Amateur Championship.
QUOTES
Rob Watson, Tournament Director: “The Ontario Public Amateur Championship has served as a great opportunity for public players across the province to play in a competitive field. With about 110 players making up the field, as well as a course that brings plenty of hole-by-hole challenges in Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club, competition at this year’s event promises to be fierce.”
Richard Edmonds, General Manager – Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club: “It’s an honor and pleasure to be able to host such a prestigious event at our club. Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that the experience this week will be world class. The course is in immaculate shape and will test all golfers’ abilities. I would like to thank Golf Ontario and all the Volunteers that have dedicated their time to organizing this event.”
FAST FACTS
Championship Venue: Tangle Creek Golf & Club
Championship Dates: August 29 – 30
Field: 107 players (‘A’ Flight: 42, ‘B’ Flight: 36, ‘C’ Flight: 27 Women’s Overall: 2)
Format: 36-hole, stroke play
Leaderboard Link: 24′ Ontario Public Amateur Championship Event :: Tournament Results (golfgenius.com)
Fun Fact: Mill Run Golf Club in Uxbridge has hosted the Ontario Public Amateur Championship nine times, a tournament record.
Social Handles: @thegolfontario on Instagram, Facebook and X
Golf Ontario is launching an exciting new raffle that every golfer will want to be a part of.
For a donation of just $20 to the 1000 Ball Challenge, you can enter for a chance to win 1,000 TaylorMade TP5/X golf balls—a prize valued at $7,000! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to stock up on top-quality golf balls while supporting a great cause.
What is the 1000 Ball Challenge?
The 1000 Ball Challenge is Golf Ontario’s bold fundraising initiative designed to drive golf participation across the province. This unique challenge inspires golfers to rally their friends and family, hit 1,000 golf balls in a single day, and raise much-needed funds to support the growth of the game. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just getting started, this is your chance to make a meaningful impact while having fun. Learn more and get involved at 1000 Ball Challenge.
How to Enter:
Supporting the 1000 Ball Challenge is easy and rewarding! For every $20 donation, you’ll receive one entry into the raffle for the grand prize of 1000 TaylorMade TP5/X golf balls.
You can donate directly to a team or individual taking part in the challenge or contribute to the overall campaign at www.1000ball.ca/raffle.
Remember, the more you donate, the better your chances of winning.
The lucky winner will be announced after at season’s end.
Don’t wait—make your donation today and take your shot at winning 1,000 TaylorMade TP5/X golf balls!
Mikey “Rocco” DiRaddo, a Special Olympian golfer, is making waves by launching Golf Fore All Abilities earlier this year—a vision he’s held for a long time.
Golf Fore All Abilities aims to bring golf opportunities to youth in schools across the Niagara region, with plans to continue expanding for weeks and months to come.
Now, Rocco is taking the next step to support Golf Fore All Abilities by launching a fundraising initiative through the 1000 Ball Challenge and the Golf For All Fund.
His goal is to raise $5,000 by the end of the golf season to help kickstart golf programming in the Niagara area.
“Reaching this goal would mean a lot to me and to the nonprofit organization I’ve started,” Rocco shared. “It would help us get the ball rolling for future events and allow us to positively impact others through sport. It would also support both my program and Golf Ontario’s work in adaptive golf.”
The 1000 Ball Challenge invites individuals or teams to support the expansion of golf opportunities in Ontario while testing their endurance by hitting as many golf balls as possible. Meanwhile, the Golf For All Fund focuses on increasing access to golf and introducing the game to a wider audience, with funding allocated for programs supporting Girls and Women, Indigenous communities, Adaptive Golf, and Junior Performance.
“My idea for this challenge came from my experiences as a Special Olympic golfer in Ontario,” Rocco explained. “In June, I had the opportunity to play in a tournament in Uxbridge, where I met incredible people with various disabilities. That experience inspired me to do more.”
Proceeds from the 1000 Ball Challenge will be split equally, with 50% going to the Golf For All Fund and the other 50% supporting summer programming for Golf Fore All Abilities in the Niagara Region.
“Golf Fore All Abilities will use these funds to continue running our adaptive golf program and reach more people with various disabilities,” Rocco added.
Rocco will be taking on the 1000 Ball Challenge at Lookout Point Country Club on Saturday, October 12. You can support his efforts by visiting Mikey Rocco’s Golf Fore All Abilities 1000 Ball Challenge page to make a donation.
For any questions or assistance with creating or joining teams, please reach out to Raphael Root at rroot@gao.ca.
The 2024 Ontario Juvenile (U17) Boys and Girls Championship concluded in thrilling fashion at Hollinger Golf Club.
Boys’ Division
In an unforgettable comeback, Dawson Lew of Team Ontario and Wyndance Golf Club claimed the prestigious Mike Weir Trophy.
Entering the final round nine strokes behind the leader, Lew delivered a stunning performance, carding a 7-under-par 65 to tie the Hollinger Golf Club course record. His remarkable round allowed him to finish one stroke ahead of Station Creek Golf Club‘s Jager Pain.
Pain, who led going into the final round, finished with a total score of 216 (even-par), securing second place. Hawk Ridge Golf Club’s Spencer Shropshire rounded out the top three with a final score of 220.
Lew’s final tally of 1-under-par 215 included seven birdies, with four consecutive birdies between holes five and eight.
His extraordinary finish adds to Team Ontario’s success this season, joining RattleSnake Point Golf Club’s Nobelle Park, who has won multiple championships, including the Ontario Junior Girls Spring Classic, and the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship.
Girls’ Division
In the girls’ division, the competition was intense as Avery Nordman of the Canadian Golf & Country Club and Alexis Card of Galt Country Club battled throughout the day.
Both players entered the final round tied for the lead. Although Card appeared to be pulling away on the back nine, Nordman staged a fierce comeback to ultimately claim the Sandra Post Trophy. Nordman finished four strokes ahead of Card and six strokes ahead of Narisse Daye from Sarnia Golf & Country Club.
After a challenging start with rounds of 77 and 76, Nordman rebounded with an impressive 71 in the final round, bringing her total score to 224.
Just 21 days after finishing as a finalist in the Ontario Junior Girls Match Play Championship, Nordman can now proudly call herself the Ontario Juvenile Girls Champion.
For all final results, CLICK HERE.
Social Handles: Stay connected with us on social media: Instagram, Facebook and X @thegolfontario
The 2024 Ontario Juvenile (U17) Boys and Girls Championship heads to Hollinger Golf Club in Timmins August 19 – 21.
The top 60 boys and 30 girls aged 17-and-under compete in 54-hole stroke play for the Mike Weir and Sandra Post trophies.
Notable past winners of the Ontario Juvenile Girls Championship include Alena Sharp (1996), Jessica Shepley (1998), Stephanie Sherlock (2003) and Rebecca Lee-Bentham (2006 & 2008).
Notable past Ontario Juvenile Boys Champions include Gary Cowan (1954), Bob Panasiuk (1956 & 1957), Brandon Ng (2007 & 2009) and current Team Canada NextGen member, Matthew Javier (2022 & 2023)
All three rounds will see morning tee-offs starting at 8 a.m. from the first and 10th tees.
For first round pairings and start times, CLICK HERE.
FIELD NOTES
Team Ontario:
Chase Jerome (Royal Ottawa Golf Club), Bode Stephen (Cataraqui Golf & Country Club)and Dawson Lew represent Team Ontario in the Juvenile Boys division.
Next Waive:
Five of the Next Waive program’s 11 male athletes compete: Matthew Simpson (Lambton Golf & Country Club), Michael Vivone (Royal Ottawa Golf Club), Tristian Zhang (Summit Golf & Country Club), Josh Ye (Summit Golf & Country Club) and Bo Dong.
Also in the field are three of the Next Waive program’s four female athletes: Sierra Kowlayshyn (Sawmill Golf Course), Ava Gilbert (Summit Golf & Country Club) and Kirsten Lee (Brampton Golf Club).
Top Junior Golf Pathway Rankings (Girls):
Avery Nordman, No. 2, U17; Alexis Card, No. 4, U17; Amelia McFarlane, No. 7, U17.
Top Junior Golf Pathway Rankings (Boys):
Bode Stephen, No. 2, U17; Dawson Lew, No. 3, U17; Jager Pain, No. 4, U17.
PLAYER NOTES
Notable players in the Juvenile Boys division include:
The 2024 Ontario NextGen Champion, Jager Pain (Station Creek Golf Club), who also finished top five in the recent Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Bode Stephen (Cataraqui Golf & Country Club), who won the 2024 Golf Canada NextGen Atlantic Championship.
Dawson Lew (Team Ontario), who finished tied for second in the 2024 Ontario NextGen Championship and fourth in the 2024 Ontario Junior Boys Championship.
Spencer Shropshire (Hawk Ridge Golf Club), who comes in fresh off finishing third in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Notable players in the Juvenile Girls division include:
Avery Nordman (Canadian Golf & Country Club), who was a finalist at the recent Ontario Junior Girls Match Play Championship.
Ava Gilbart (Summit Golf & Country Club), who finished tied for 2nd at the Golf Canada NextGen Atlantic Championship.
Alexis Card (Galt Country Club), who finished top ten in this year’s Ontario Junior Girls Championship.
Winner of last year’s Ontario Peewee Girls Championship, Evelyn Ma (National Pines Golf Club).
QUOTES
Connor Doyle, Tournament Director: “The Ontario Juvenile U17 Championship has always had a very competitive field. The field for this year’s championships is no different as it features multiple Team Ontario, Next Waive athletes, and many top ranked players from the 2024 Junior Golf Pathway rankings. Hollinger Golf Club will be a great test for the players with its tight treelined holes and angulating greens. We look forward to another excellent championship in the north.”
Taylor Dupuis, General Manager – Hollinger Golf Club: “Hollinger Golf Club is excited to not only welcome the top Juvenile players in the province, but to also showcase our beautiful Northern Ontario landscape, hospitality and championship calibre course. This is the first time a provincial championship has made its way to Timmins, and we look forward to setting a standard for years to come. This is a great opportunity for junior golfers and parents of our area to come by and experience an environment and of course golf of this calibre and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
FAST FACTS
Championship Venue: Hollinger Golf Club
Championship Dates: August 19 – 21
Field: 90 players (60 boys, 30 girls)
Format: 54-hole, stroke play, (36 Hole Cut – Low 60 & Ties)
Leaderboard Link: 24′ Ontario Juvenile (U17) Boys’ & Girls Championship Event :: Tournament Results (golfgenius.com)
Fun Fact: Hollinger Golf Club is named after its previous owners, the Hollinger Mine of Timmins. The course was renamed from Timmins Golf Club after the Hollinger Mine closed and sold the club in 1974.
Social Handles: @thegolfontario on Instagram, Facebook and X
The third annual Indigenous Ontario Championship concluded Wednesday afternoon with exciting finishes in the final round at MontHill Golf & Country Club.
This year’s championship saw more than 110 players from more than 60 First Nations compete from across Canada as well as the U.S.
Taking the reigns on the men’s side for the second consecutive year was Ky Horn of the Mohawks of Kahnawake, who put together an outstanding final round performance to rally back from a seven-stroke deficit.
Horn shot 4-under-par-68 in the final round to finish two strokes ahead of both Lower Mohawk, John Monture and Lucas Rogers of Kettle Point First Nation.
Despite a rocky start to his Indigenous Ontario Championship, Horn shot a total par of 219 overall, which included a 70 in the second round and his final round 68.
Cheryl Mitchell of Walpole Island First Nation captured the women’s title for the third straight year.
Mitchell came into the final round with a two-stroke lead over Melanie Burgess of Matachewan First Nation, but quickly took control in the final round, shooting a 35 on the front nine and ended with a total of 73 in the final round and 226 overall.
For the third consecutive edition of the Indigenous Ontario Championship, Burgess finishes in second place, shooting 236 overall, while Savana Smith of the Delaware Nation shot a total of 239 to finish third.
The following 16 players have qualified to represent Team Indigenous Ontario in the Indigenous Challenge Cup in Bear Mountain Golf Club in Victoria, BC:
MEN:
Ky Horn – Mohawks of Kahnawake
John Monture – Lower Mohawk
Lucas Rogers – Kettle Point First Nation
Colin Sobey – Red Rock Indian Brand
Andrew Hill – Lower Mohawk
Lorne Smith – Walpole Island
Brent Sault – Mississaugas of the Credit
Earl Hill – Mohawk
WOMEN:
Cheryl Mitchell – Walpole Island First Nation
Melanie Burgess – Matachewan First Nation
Savana Smith – Delaware Nation
Loraine Elijah – Oneida Nation of the Thanes
Alisha Jacobs – Delaware Nation Moravian of the Thames
Roxanne General – Upper Cayuga
Courtney Riley – Chippewas of the Thames
Julie Hill – Mohawk
For all final results, CLICK HERE.
Social Handles: @thegolfontario on Instagram, Facebook and X
