Every spring golfers wait in great anticipation for another new season of golf.
We look forward to new challenges, playing with our new clubs, and even playing new courses that have been on our ‘bucket list’ for years.
We will reacquaint ourselves with old friends and make many new friends playing golf this summer.
This season should be a long one if the weather cooperates, and it promises to have plenty of excitement with all the new events that will be taking place in the world of golf.
The Masters will be the first major of the year and is scheduled to be played this weekend at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia. Jordan Speith will be defending his 2015 Masters green jacket against a field that will feature 99 of the best golfers in the world.
The Masters is the official start of the golf season for most Canadians. We look forward to this week-long event which features the beautifully manicured Augusta course, cut into the pines and surrounded by beautiful flowering azaleas. We enjoy hearing the voices of Jim Nance and Nick Faldo, who both share their knowledge and clever insight into the tournament. The par 3 contest which takes place on the Wednesday before the tournament is always fun to watch. It gives the competitors an opportunity to play golf with their families on the executive course at Augusta and mingle with the spectators.
We also look forward to the annual first tee ceremony that takes place before the first player’s tee off on Thursday morning. Eighty-seven year old Arnold Palmer will not be joining his good friends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player on Thursday morning. ‘The King’ has officially retired from active golf due to a variety of health issues.
This season, golf will be played in a number of new venues and formats in countries all around the world. Every month new tournaments, competitions, and events will be played that we can all enjoy from the comforts of our own living rooms. The following are some of the biggest events in golf that you may want to put on your calendar for 2016.
April– The Masters (April 6-10) Augusta National Golf Course – Augusta, Georgia
May – The Players Championship (May 9 -15) TPC Sawgrass – Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
June – The U.S. Open (June 16 -19) Oakmont Country Club – Oakmont, Pennsylvania
July – The Open Championship (July 14-17) Royal Troon Golf Club – Ayrshire, Scotland
The Canadian Open Championship (July 21-24) Glen Abbey Golf Club – Oakville, Ontario
August –The Olympic Games (August 11-20) Olympic Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Men’s Olympic Golf (August 11-14), Women’s Olympic Golf (August 17-20)
September – The Tour Championship (September 22- 25) East Lake Golf Club – Atlanta, Georgia
The LPGA will also be playing 34 tournaments in 2016. For a full list of tournaments and dates visit their website at www.lpga.com.
2016 should be an exciting year for the game of golf. So get out there and play, watch and enjoy one of the greatest games in the world!
Next Week: Spring Training
Cameron Burechails (Teaching Professional), The Georgian Bay Golf Academy @Meaford Golf Club (705) 441-0865 baygolfacademy@bell.net www.meafordgolf.com
