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A very Happy Easter to you and your families. We hope you get to celebrate in some way to see your loved ones and the Easter Bunny leaves colorful chocolate eggs or colored golf balls somewhere for you to find.

Great News!!!  We have planned a 9 Hole Day league for the Edmonton ladies on Wednesday mornings. This is a nice option for those that do not have the whole day for a game of golf.

There are benefits to playing 9 holes for all of us. Let’s face it we live in a very busy world with work and family commitments and it is tough to find some time for ourselves. It is important to get a well-deserved break every now and then but going out and playing 18 holes of golf isn’t always easy due to time, cost, and physical limitations.

• Playing 9 holes should take just under 2 ½ hrs
• 9 holes rates are less than 18 hole rates – as we try to get the best bang for our buck these days
• Playing nine holes allows you to get great exercise without overdoing it if you face health restraints

Come out and play holes – no more excuses!!!

It is really hard to plan when you don’t know what is around the corner, however always optimistic.  By now we would have been hitting balls for 4 weeks and played some virtual golf.  The north and south domes  have not been open and I am not sure if the south dome will be available due to the collapse after that heavy snow fall.  Once things get open we will communicate the plans for practice this winter. We are hopeful and look forward to seeing everyone, I think we are all missing socializing and to quote CJ “getting sick of our own company”.  We won’t plan a virual golf league on a regular basis but hope to provide  a couple of separate events.

Looking forward to welcoming back the members we refunded last year due to Covid and looking forward to meeting the new members. Registration opens up on the website  February 1.

We are so excited to have Lisa Longball (Vlooswyk) as a guest at this years Orientation & Social in Calgary. I promise you will be captivated by her energy and passion and so invigorated when you leave.  What a fabulous way to kick off the season. Stay tuned for more detail but for now you need to mark your calendars with May 1  5:30pm Sirocco Golf Club,  so you don’t miss this dynamic lady.

Lisa Longball “Believing strongly in women’s golf, she started the Lisa Longball Golf school for Women which has been wildly successful both in Canada and the USA.”

She is Eight-time Canadian Long Drive Champion went from being a high-handicap recreational golfer to a professional player who hits farther than most men.  She currently holds the Canadian Women’s Long Drive record at 350 yards 2 feet 2 inches. She is a busy mom, golf journalist and a successful Keynote Peak Performance Speaker.

 

 

Edmonton Orientation/Social will be held April 27 at The Ranch Golf Course and we do hope to have something fun for you ladies as well, stay tuned for more details.

It is going to be a great year, because we are celebrating 20 years of Golfaround and we have some great things planned.  All events and details can be found on the website by selecting the events tab. //golfaround.ca/golfaround-events/

Registration for Events

Mark your calendars so you don’t miss out.  You can’t  sign up and pay on line but you will have an opportunity to do this at the Orientation/Socials.  In the past the tournaments and get-a-ways have filled up quite quickly so don’t be disappointed.  If you are a single and need a roomie we can help with this, let us know when you register. Once people have signed up  and the details have been sorted out, a  50%  non refundable deposit is required to hold the spot. Payment options are sent out, a refund is possible if the spot is filled.

The first  outing to look  forward to is the Mystery Bus trip planned on a Monday in June, it is  favorite and always a blast.  We have visited some awesome golf courses over the years, where will we go this year?  east, west, south, north,  we’ll never tell. You arrive early in the morning and get on a bus and don’t know where you are going until you get there.  All levels of golfers are welcome.  In July we are going back to Fernie because they treat us so well and it is a beautiful spot for golf and a  little exploring.  There is an option to play Crowsnest Pass golf course on Friday, a hidden gem on the way down to Fernie.  We play the beautiful Fernie Golf course on Saturday, enjoy a sit down gourmet dinner, and Sunday  play 9 holes at Sparwood…a tricky track and a load of fun!!! All events are open to the Edmonton ladies and we do hope to provide a day trip and Wind Up for you. We finish up with our trip to Italy in September, I am sure will be another fabulous destination for the group. //golfaround.ca/golfaround-events/tournaments-travel/

Orientation/Socials

The season starts with the Orientation/Socials, Calgary’s is at Cottonwood  Golf & CC May 6 //golfaround.ca/golfaround-events/calgary-golf-events/ and Edmonton’s is at The Links at Spruce Grove April 25.  //golfaround.ca/golfaround-events/edmonton-events/ New members come for 6:00pm with the existing members joining them at 7:00pm.  New members are given some history about Golfaround and we review how the league and lessons work. The existing membership joins us for the social part of the evening where we enjoy some wine and cheese  and camaraderie. We will also have merchandise to try on and order.

Beginner Golf Course Orientation

Planned for the afternoons May 15 at Heritage Pointe in Calgary //golfaround.ca/golfaround-events/calgary-golf-events/ and Dragon’s Head in Edmonton //golfaround.ca/golfaround-events/edmonton-events/. As a new golfer you may feel nervous and  intimidated and we want to boost your confidence before you head out on to the golf course.  A mentor will take new golfers out and give you some advise and helpful hints. We have never forgotten what it felt like to be a beginner and we want you to love the game as much as we do.

Join Golfaround’s Adopt-A-Hole Team at the Canadian Women’s Open Aug 22 – 28, 2016 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.  As a group we will be marshalling a specific hole for this championship and I promise it will provide a very memorable experience.  Many of us are very inspired by the LPGA playing field, and this is a great way to get up close to the ladies. “I think that if you love golf it’s awesome to be able to be inside the ropes to see these magnificent players.” Donna Gray

Many of us participated in 2009 and it was a fun and incredible experience, so exciting to watch and very motivating. “The experience made me appreciate how hard these women work to become world class players and to appreciate the dedication of the volunteers.” Donna Gray  It was  also a great way to get know some of the Golfaround members better. “I thoroughly enjoyed participating in Golfaround’s Adopt-a-Hole program at the CP Women’s Open in Priddis in 2009 because it gave me an opportunity to see some of the best female golfers in the world up close, to meet some wonderful Golfaround ladies and it took my enjoyment of the game to a new level.” Keitha Baer

Marshalls are responsible for the safety and well being of players, spectators, media and officials during and after play each day. “Our duties were not onerous, the tournament coordinators explained fully what we needed to do and we could pick and choose the times and dates we were available.” Keitha Baer   It is a great opportunity for all that would like to participate even though some of you may be questioning your knowledge/experience.  There are a number of roles to be played on the hole and there is a spot for the experienced and not so experienced. “a Beginner golfer will enjoy the experience.  We were given sufficient instruction to be confident of our respective jobs“ Sylvia Madder

Who knows you might come away with a momento or two and meet some new people “one of the young pros gave me a golf ball, which was a thrill” Sylvia Madder “enjoyed the camaraderie with the Golfaround  “girls” as well as meeting women from other groups and clubs” Sylvia Madder

Contact Kristy or Dianne Hutton to join the team 403 253-2689 or golf4u@golfaround.ca

Another 2 sisters within the dirty dozen are Merina DeCosta and Lorie Caron, our good friends that Kristy played ball with, and our friendship goes way back. Both were awesome ball players and do I dare say a tad competitive. Their strong desire and dedication to improving and a ton of practice have made them the golfers they are today. Not too long ago Grant Cook, who taught both of them I believe, witnessed their swings today. Grant said “It was so rewarding to see someone you taught so long ago to have come so far.”

They always warm up before a game and not just at the driving range. They remember the adage drive for show putt for dough. Practice brings a funny story to mind. At one of the Fernie Weekend Get-a-Ways we laughed as a skit played out at the banquet of Merina & Alison picking balls off the driving range because they had hit all of their buckets.

Merina I swear has a photographic memory we could always rely on her to remember one of those points the Pro’s reinforced when we were first learning the game. If I was having a problem she wouldn’t say anything until I asked “What am I doing wrong?” We can always count on Lorie for an interesting game to play or an idea to incorporate at an event. One of our personal favourites is The Sock game, not Gail Lagasse’s favourite. Lorie even talked her husband Vaughn into being a mulligan man at one of our charity tournaments. I don’t think there was much convincing he loved it.

I think both Lorie and Merina were behind a surprise golf and dinner following our very 1st season where Donna Woodman offered her home. It was a start of many Wind Up’s to come. They are awesome mentors, very supportive, and the greatest friends. We learned this game together and continue to grow together.

 

Approximately 10,000 avid golfers attend these two golf shows every spring, which features an indoor driving range, merchandise clearance centre, new equipment promotion, free golf tips and lessons as well as a wide range of information on local golf courses as well as golf resorts and destinations.

Edmonton – March 5 & 6, 2016 – Edmonton Expo Centre, Hall H

Saturday: Saturday: 9am – 5pm, Sunday: 10am – 4pm

Calgary – March 19 & 20, 2016 – BMO Centre, Hall B

Saturday: Saturday: 9am – 5pm, Sunday: 10am – 4pm

TICKET PRICES

General Admission (13 & Up): $10.00 Seniors (65+): $8.00 Children (12 & Under): FREE

Our weekly practice at the Eaglequest Golf  Dome at Fox Hollow Golf Course has once again been a huge success in November, there have been 16 – 30 people out each week. Almost 20 years ago we went to Andy McCowan’s Golf Dome on 50th Ave SW to hit balls and it was more about the dirty dozen staying connected after the golf season. I wonder what ever happen to Andy,  he is probably enjoying life on an island somewhere, I hope so for him.  Now it is about the practice and the socialization that follows, and yes we still enjoy the beverage and a meal afterwards.

Some practice with a purpose with a little friendly competition to makes things interesting. For some it is hitting that little white ball and the camraderie that follows, that helps leave the busy stressful day behind. It has been great to see new people join us and always nice to see the people who have doing this for 20 years. We will be back at it  starting January 7, 2016 and look forward to seeing everyone.