Golf Guide | 2025

Golf Guide M A N I T O B A SUMMER 2025

2025 Manitoba Open – WON’T BE A BREEZE

FIND GREAT PLACES TO TEE OFF THIS SUMMER THE RETURN OF THE VERSATILE 7-WOOD

VIEW ONLINE AT winnipegfreepress.com/fp-features Inquiries: 204-697-7390

JOHN KEEFER LINES UP A PUTT AT SOUTHWOOD GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB EN ROUTE TO MAKING THE 2024 MANITOBA OPEN HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL WIN. PHOTO BY NIC ADAM/FREE PRESS

02 GOLF GUIDE 2025 M A N I T O B A

Summer 2025

PGA TOUR’S RISING STARS COMING TO BREEZY BEND IN AUGUST

2024 CHAMPION JOHN KEEFER.

W BY TODD LEWYS

PHOTO BY JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS

hen the 2025 Manitoba Open tees off at Breezy Bend Country Club on August 21, the new venue will create a different experience for players and fans alike, says tournament director Brendan Baldwin. “With Southwood, the

“The course is going to be set up with sev- eral patron/hospitality areas right next to the action,” Baldwin says. “And ropes will also be set next to greens, with none in fairway areas. That will allow people to get up close and hear players and caddies talk over strategy for all kinds of different shots.” Drawing from the RBC Canadian Open, one of the par threes will be outfitted to produce a hockey rink-style atmosphere. “That will be the seventh hole,” he notes. “It’s going to make for a great viewing experience with the rink atmosphere and a green with more undulation that allows players to spin their tee shots back to the front from a corner of the green. It’s going to be an exciting hole.” He adds that the overall level of play is also going to generate plenty of excitement. “With the PGA Tour University creating a pathway to the PGA Tour, the caliber of play

on the PGA Tour Americas has gone up exponentially. Fans are going to get an up- close look at how all these talented young

into the fight because you won’t be able to overpower the golf course. That should make for some cool internal battles. Players to watch include Hunter Wolcott, Davis Lamb and J.M. Butler.” The Manitoba Open is not just about golf – it also has raised significant amounts for the True North Foundation, and it looks to continue that success in 2025. You can also volunteer and get inside the ropes while supporting the event and its efforts to raise money for the True North Foundation. Or, choose to play in the Official Pro-Am alongside one of the PGA Tour Americas’ talented players.

players play a golf course.” That talent is undeniable.

Last year’s winner, John Keefer (who has graduated to the Korn Ferry Tour), shot a second round 61 on his way to winning the tournament with a score of 26-under-par. In fact, the last three winners – Keefer, Hayden Springer and Parker Coody all beat the magical 20-under mark, Springer recording a score of 21-under, while Coody blistered Southwood with an aggregate score of 27-under. Both Springer and Coody are currently playing on the PGA Tour. “The tournament should be super exciting with the way Breezy will be laid out,” says Baldwin. “More players should be brought

course was more open and out in front of the players, which probably favoured longer hitters,” he says. “Breezy Bend is more mature and tree-lined with small, fast greens, so it’s going to be a more strategic course.” That should make for an extremely exciting event, with a wider range of players – even shorter hitters – in contention for the top prize on Sunday. Best of all, spectators will be in for a more intimate, interactive viewing experience.

To get more information or buy tickets for the event – it will run from August 21-24 – visit www.manitobaopen.com

03 GOLF GUIDE 2025 M A N I T O B A

Summer 2025

ith Canadians – or in this case, Manitobans – refraining from vacationing down south due to Donald Trump’s onerous tariffs, many people are looking for alternatives within Canada. If you happen to be a golfer – and are on a tight budget and can’t afford to venture out to Alberta or British Columbia to camp and golf – the reality is there are plenty of TAKE YOUR GOLF VACATION RIGHT HERE IN MANITOBA BY TODD LEWYS W great options right here in Manitoba. Really, it’s just a matter of which direction you want to go in. Head east, and you can plan a fabulous, budget-friendly golf getaway that starts with playing Quarry Oaks in Steinbach. With three nine-hole courses – desert, Oaks and Quarry – you can start the trip off with a leisurely nine holes or choose two of the nines to curate a challenging and memorable time on the links. If time allows, Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club is also a good choice. Always in great condition and featuring a forgiving design, it has a good mix of challenging and scoreable holes. From there, you can breeze down the Trans-Canada Highway to Falcon Lake Golf Course, where camping and great golf await. The golf course – whose signature hole is a long, challenging 600-yard par-five – is always in great shape, with camping, beaches, restaurants, shopping and services nearby in and around the charming town site. Next stop on the eastern tour would be Pinawa G.C. With its tree-lined fairways, rocky outcroppings and beautiful water views, the course is scenic and challeng- ing, providing enough shot making challenges for better players, while offering enough room for casual players to spray the odd shot. Finally, there’s Granite Hills in Lac du Bonnet with its rugged beauty, stunning lake vistas and demanding but fair layout.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLF CANADA

SANDY HOOK FEATURES A NICE MIX OF HOLES AND IS FUN TO PLAY.

Play from the tips, and you get all the challenge you want; play from the mid or forward tees, and the course becomes more manageable, and enjoyable. There’s also plenty of great golf and campsites north of the city in the Interlake. The good news is if you have the time, there are lots of excellent golf courses to play. For starters, there’s Netley Creek Golf Course and Sandy Hook Golf Course. Netley Creek, with its tight fairways, puts a premium on ac- curacy and patience, while Sandy Hook is a fun course to play. Not overly long but tight, there’s potential to shoot a low score if you keep it in play and chip and putt well. However, you can’t be too casual as there are enough trees in play to keep you honest. Two other courses – both run by the Lakeland Group, which also runs Falcon Lake – Grand Pines and Links at the Lake – are also fabulous places to play. Always in great shape with wide, well-manicured fairways and pristine greens, both courses are fair tests that are scenic, lush and playable. Play the proper tees, and you’re guaranteed to enjoy your round. The final stop on this northern golf tour must be Hecla Golf Course. You can choose to camp, or you can stay at the Hecla Lakeview

Most holes are separated from each other by stands of thick trees, while breezy condi- tions combine with moist lakeside air to make it hard to pick the right club on approach shots. The good news is that while the course usually plays longer than the listed yardage and has its fair share of trouble, the fairways are wide and there are places to bail out on approaches, making for a course that’s enjoy- able to play. To find out more about all the great golf and opportunities for stay-at-home golf vacations in Manitoba – there’s plenty of good golf to be found out west and south too – a good resource is Travel Manitoba at www.travelmanitoba.com.

Resort, which offers clean, reasonably priced rooms – plus a great restaurant – right next to the golf course. Scenic, beautifully conditioned and more challenging than it looks at first glance, the golf course is a genuine gem.

Golf season awaits. Come play with us.

225 4th Ave SW, Carman (204) 745-2366 dean@carmangolfandcurlingclub.com carmangolfandcurlingclub.com

A TRUE GEM, FALCON LAKE IS UNDER TWO HOURS FROM THE CITY, AND IS ALWAYS IN GREAT SHAPE.

PHOTO BY TODD LEWYS

04 GOLF GUIDE 2025 M A N I T O B A

Summer 2025

BREWSTER MAKING THE MOST OF HIS OPPORTUNITY JUNIOR PROFILE:

BREWSTER SAID HE LEARNED A LOT LAST YEAR, AND HOPES TO PUT THOSE LESSONS TO GOOD USE IN 2025.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DENNIS BREWSTER

05 GOLF GUIDE 2025 M A N I T O B A

Summer 2025

BY JIM TIMLICK

THE 16-YEAR-OLD LEFT-HANDER ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A PLAYER TO WATCH IN 2025.

he 2024 golf season was a memorable one for Ty Brewster, one in which the young Steinbach golfer enjoyed considerable success on the links. That included finishing second in the boys 15- and-16 years age group

engaged in practice. He shows up on time all the time,” he says. Murray says Ty is showing good maturity for his age. “One of the things we try to teach a lot of the kids through our program is about reflection and building a plan about where they think they need to get a little better and getting them to really think about stuff like ‘I missed a couple of shots today. How can I incorporate that into my practice and build off that?’ Ty’s done well at that.” Brewster, who one day hopes to land a golf scholarship to a U.S. college, is hardly a newcomer to the sport of golf. He started chipping balls with his dad, Dennis, in the family’s backyard at the age of two and a year later had his own set of clubs. At the age of six he qualified for the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship at the prestigious Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. The tournament brings together kids between the ages of five and 12 and provides a stage for the next generation of stars to shine. Brewster finished as one of the top Canadians at the tourney and calls it an experience he will never forget. “It was an unreal experience playing on a PGA course like that and with that level of competition. It was the first experience I had playing on that good of a course and with such good players. It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” says Brewster, who ended up being featured on the cover of Maclean’s magazine because of his participation in the tournament. It’s going to be a busy summer for Brewster. In addition to training with Team Manitoba, he’ll be competing in tournaments like the Manitoba Junior, the NextGen Western Championship and the Manitoba Amateur. He also has a legitimate shot at earning a spot on the Manitoba team that will compete at the Canada Summer Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador in August. Despite such a hectic schedule, Brewster hasn’t lost sight of the fact the game needs to remain fun. “I try and keep at least a day or two a week just kind of for fun, playing with my friends or with my dad, to keep myself in check and make sure that I’m still enjoying it and having fun playing,” he says.

at the provincial junior championship; a fourth-place performance at the Manitoba Summer Games where he helped Team South finish third; and shooting the second-best individual score at the provincial high school golf championship. However, no experience was more memorable for the 16-year-old lefty than playing and practicing with the provincial junior team for the first time. “I think the main thing was just playing with that high caliber of players,” says Brewster, who golfs out of Quarry Oaks Golf Course in Steinbach. “I’d never been with a group like that, a team like that, that pushes you that much.” He adds that his coach, Sean Murray, also had a huge influence on him. “He really taught us a lot. It’s a crazy big step and a big advantage that you would have over someone who doesn’t have a tight group like that and a coach like that.” That’s why Brewster is excited to rejoin the provincial junior program for a second consecutive year. The team began indoor training at the Sport for Life Centre in January and headed outdoors in late April where it will continue to train on a weekly basis for most of the summer. Brewster hopes to build on the lessons he learned with his fellow juniors last summer. “I think last year I was just learning a lot. This year, I kind of get to be freer in a way,” he says. “I don’t feel as nervous about playing in front of these guys and talking with my coach about stuff. I’m excited to have another year under my belt with Team Manitoba and hopefully I’ll play even better.” Murray, who is also director of player development for Golf Manitoba, has been impressed with the development he’s seen from Brewster in the time he’s worked with him. “He’s grown a bunch. He’s really gained a lot of distance. He’s also really matured as a golfer as far as better course management, and he’s really

PRIMARY LOGO

ICON/MERCH LO

FULL LOGO

PRIMARY LOGO

FULL LOGO

EATS, DRINKS, ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL PRIMARY LOGO PRIMARY LOGO PRIMARY LOGO PRIMARY LOGO

ICON/MERCH LOGO

FULL LOGO

ICON/MERCH LOGO

COLOUR PALETTE Located 5 km west of Brandon on the Trans-Canada Highway shanksbrandon.ca 431-432-GOLF (4653) info@shanksbrandon.ca | shanks.golf.brandon FULL LOGO ICON/MERCH LOGO ICON/MERCH LOGO COLOUR PALETTE FONTS STEM BOLD ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz FULL LOGO TRACER RED PANTONE: 1788 C BLACK FULL LOGO FULL LOGO ICON/MERCH LOGO

WHITE

ESPORTICA REGULAR ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()

1234567890 !@#$%^&*()

COLOUR PALETTE

FULL LOGO

COLOUR PALETTE

06 GOLF GUIDE 2025 M A N I T O B A

Summer 2025

PHOTO BY TODD LEWYS

DARRIN KEATS, OWNER OF THE CADDY SHED, SAYS GOLFERS OF ALL SKILLS LEVELS WOULD BENEFIT FROM ADDING A VERSATILE 7-WOOD TO THEIR BAG.

BY TODD LEWYS T

here’s a fascinating trend happening on pro tours around the world: an increasing number of players on both the PGA and LPGA Tour are choosing to put lofted woods – in many cases a 7-wood – in their bag. Clear evidence of this came to light on the PGA Tour at the recent

of players. “When people come in and say they’re struggling to hit their long irons, even their hybrids, I tell them one thing – that loft is your friend.” There’s a reason why a more lofted club is more user-friendly, says Keats. “Not only does it help get the ball up in the air, but the extra spin created by the greater loft also helps you hit the ball straighter. The shaft in a lofted fairway wood might also be a little longer than on a long iron, which could help generate a little more distance.” He says there’s a reason why today’s lofted fairway woods are so much better than they were a few years ago. “The manufacturing process is so exact that the weight is put down in a spot that optimizes both ball flight and forgiveness. That makes them a better choice than a hybrid because they’re designed to help you hit it high and straight. The extra spin they generate also makes it easier to hold greens on longer approaches.” At the same time, lofted fairway woods also yield another advantage. “They’re great all-around club that can be used off the tee or out of the rough,” says Keats. “They can get you out of trouble and help you find the fairway more often when accuracy is at a premium.” As for affordability, it’s a matter of what you can afford to spend. “We can get you into older used 7-woods for between $99 and $150 or so. New woods range in price from about $279 and $299 for Cleveland and Tour Edge, and $450 and up for top-name brands. We can help you find the one that fits your budget and game the best. “ So, what’s the moral of the story here? “Ditch your 5-iron and add a 7-wood and maybe even a 9-wood,” he says. “A lofted wood will help you play better and enjoy playing more. That’s what the game is all about.”

PGA Championship. That’s where world number one Scottie Scheffler used a 7-wood to hit high, lofted approaches to dominate the par-fives on his way to a five-shot victory. A couple of weeks earlier, Sepp Straka used his 7-wood in the same manner to win the Truist Championship. Derek Ingram, men’s golf coach for Golf Canada, says elite players have come to realize that a 7-wood – which roughly approximates the loft of a 5-iron – gives them an advantage on long approach shots. “Tons of PGA Tour players have started to add lofted fairway woods to their bags in the last year or so,” he says, noting that two of his players, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith, have added a 6-wood, and 7-wood, respectively. “They’re much easier to hit than long irons, and even more versatile than hybrids. Plus, they are better out of the rough and fairway bunkers.” He adds that today’s new lofted fairway woods – which are far superior to models that came out even five years ago – come with a big built-in advantage. “They go higher but not too high and will land softer. PGA Tour players and low handicaps like the fact they land soft with less spin than earlier version and even hybrids. Most golfers like the flight and greater stopping power. Give them a try, they are way easier to hit and are more forgiving.” Darrin Keats of the Caddy Shed says he’s noticed this trend and is recommending lofted fairway woods to increasing numbers

RETURN OF THE 7-WOOD

WITH WEIGHT SET DOWN LOW, A 7-WOOD IS EASIER TO HIT - AND MORE VERSATILE - THAN A 5-IRON.

07 GOLF GUIDE 2025 M A N I T O B A

Summer 2025

PLAY YOUR WAY TO THE RBC CANADIAN OPEN WITH THE NATIONAL GOLF LEAGUE!

CALLING ALL LOCAL GOLFERS! THE BDO NATIONAL GOLF LEAGUE (NGL), GOLF CANADA’S NATION-WIDE LEAGUE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLF MANITOBA, HAS OFFICIALLY ARRIVED TO ADD A WHOLE LOT MORE AWESOME TO THE SPORT OF GOLF.

If you’re a recreational player in Manitoba or Northwest- ern Ontario – league regular or weekend warrior – the NGL is a chance to join the fun, no matter your skill! The BDO NGL regular season is a net Stableford points competition that’s built seamlessly into the recreational golfers’ experience.

Golfers can play up to six qualifying rounds of 9-holes of which the best four scores will count. This is the pathway to the Provincial Championship held in late September. If that isn’t already enough, the winning pair from the 2025 BDO National Golf League Championship receives an all expenses paid trip to compete in the R&A 9-Hole Challenge! The 2025 R&A 9-Hole Challenge will be contested on the eve of the 153rd Open in July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. In addition to enhancing the recreational golfing experience, participation in the BDO National Golf League supports the First Tee - Prairies, a youth development program administered by Golf Canada that strives to bring accessible and inclusive pathways to golf participation at schools, community centres, and golf courses across the country.

TO PARTICIPATE, simply be a Golf Manitoba/Golf Canada member (easy to join if not already a member!) and pay a $30 entry fee for the season. Golfers will continue to play normal

Only 30 mins from Winnipeg - our 18-hole golf course is fun for all skill levels! Teulon Golf & Country Club 204-886-4653 www.teulongc.com

weekend rounds at any Golf Manitoba/Canada member club on the following dates:

June 7-8 & 21-22 July 5-6 & 19-20 August 9-10 & 23-24

08 GOLF GUIDE 2025 M A N I T O B A

Summer 2025

THE MISSION OF THE FIRST TEE - PRAIRIES, IS TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE BY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT BUILD CHARACTER, PROMOTE LIFE- ENHANCING VALUES AND HEALTHY CHOICES THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF. In collaboration with the PGA of Canada, First Tee – Prairies instills character development as a fundamental element of Golf Canada’s junior golf program. Learn more about the First Tee at firstteeprairies.ca. Register today for the National Golf League at golfmb.ca and punch your ticket to a golf experience of a lifetime!

Become a Golf Manitoba/Canada member and get access to everything you need to ENJOY our great game. IMPROVE your game, PROTECT your gear & have more FUN! Track your game with a Golf Canada Handicap Index Up to $1,500 in Incident Protection coverage for equipment loss, golf cart and window damage Real-time course GPS, stat and health tracking

features with the Golf Canada App Compete in the National Golf League National and Regional Member-exclusive discounts Help Support and Preserve OUR Game!

Join today for $59.95 for 12-months of membership

Scan to join or visit golfmb.ca

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8