06 GOLF GUIDE 2016 Manitoba
LET THE GAMES BEGIN BY AVI SAPER
IT’S ONE THING TO GO TO THE GOLF COURSE WITH SOME FRIENDS ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON AND SHOOT A LOW SCORE. BUT DOING IT UNDER TOURNAMENT PRESSURE — AS WE WITNESSED ONCE AGAIN AT THIS YEAR’S MASTERS — IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT GAME. L earning to deal with that mental aspect of the game is one of the many benefits young players hope to gain from being part of Golf Manitoba’s long-term player development program. Garth Goodbrandson, Golf Manitoba’s director of player development, says the program was revamped in 2012 leading up to that year’s Manitoba Summer Games, and is back for this year’s Games, to be held Aug. 7 to 13 in Steinbach. “What we’ve done is for boys 15-and-under and girls 17-and-under we’ve hired golf pros as coaches in each region, and we’ll form a training squad that will get together in May and June and have a qualifying event for each team,” Goodbrandson says. “It was fantastic in 2012. We had a great group of coaches, and we had 72
kids involved. When you talk to the kids now, they have great memories. Even those that didn’t make the team had a great time.” Each of the eight regions will send up to four boys and four girls to the Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club for the Games. Prior to the 36-hole regional qualifying tournaments, each player will receive at least 20 hours of coaching. While the players are expected to have a reasonable level of golfing skill to participate, Goodbrandson says many of them will be new to playing in tournament conditions. “Kids might go into the program this year at 11, and are not superstars by any means,” he says. “But they’re getting experience, and they’re still eligible at 15 (for the next Games).” The best way to learn from a disappointing performance on the golf course is for players to ask themselves how they would handle a similar situation if faced with it again in the future, Goodbrandson says. “They will get in that situation again,” he says. “It’s funny how often that happens.” Goodbrandson says some of the most important lessons that players learn are about
preparation and off-course activities rather than putting or bunker shots. “You see kids coming to the tee five minutes before their tee time, not getting enough sleep the night before, not having rain gear, or not eating lunch before their round,” he says. “If you keep doing the right things over the long haul, you’ll be successful.” In addition to the Manitoba Summer Games, the provincial development program is hard at work preparing for next summer’s Canada Games, which will be hosted by Winnipeg. A group of players began down the road to that event last year by first shooting for the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games in Alberta. All players who were eligible for that program are in the running for the 2017 event, which will be held at Southwood Golf and Country Club. “Based on the results from the previous year, we selected a training squad,” says Goodbrandson, who is also the coach of the Canada Games team. “Those kids had lots of practice at the Golf Dome over the winter, and will play in (local leagues) against top players this summer.”
Next year, the top three boys and girls will be selected in a marathon qualifying tournament of 12 rounds, with the top nine scores counting. Alumni from past Canada Games have gone on compete for the University of Manitoba’s national championship men’s team as well as many other universities and colleges on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. “It’s a fantastic experience for them,” Goodbrandson says. “For sure playing in the tournament at the Games is great, but being at the Games is something they will remember for the rest of their lives. We want them to play their best and also have a fantastic experience during the week.” The chance to compete in their home province is just one more reason for training squad members to fight for a spot on the team. “They’ll get that much more attention with friends and family watching them,” Goodbrandson says. “Winnipeg will do it up really well.”
Manitoba’s First Golf Course to feature the Visage Mobile Golf System “A Fabulous golf course, a thoroughly engaging layout with a terrific variety of holes.” - GOLF CANADA
Our electronic golf cart features the Visage Mobile Golf Information System
Twilight Golf & Cart Special (3 - 5 pm Daily) $ 40. 00
Spring Special Golf with Cart Monday - Sunday $ 40. 00 Expires May 20, 2016
Afternoon Golf & Cart Special (1 pm - 3 pm Daily) $ 50. 00
Super Twilight Golf & Cart Special (After 5 pm Daily) $ 30. 00
To reserve tee times call 204-753-2294 or online at www.pinawaclub.mb.ca
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