No kidding here, it's time to hit the course
By CHRIS STEVENSON, Ottawa Sun
There aren't too many sporting opportunities where you can legitimately compete 1-on-1 with your kid. Golf is one of them.
Of course, once some of us get to a certain age, we have to deal with our kids actually beating us, straight up.
It's an experience -- I'm speaking here from first-hand knowledge -- that is a mixture of emotions. If you're competitive, you don't want to lose to anybody, especially to somebody who's been telling you for a couple of years the day is coming when they are going to do it.
On the other hand, the pride you feel in your kid's accomplishment, seeing them take an interest in something, to care, to agonize, to want to improve, to see them celebrate when they do something right (even if it's at your expense, like the cart fee) ... there aren't enough of those moments.
Spending hours on the golf course with your kids is a connection you cherish. The National Golf Course Owners Association will make it easier to share those moments next week. Take a Kid to the Course Week (July 5-11) will see many area courses offer a free round of golf to juniors under the age of 16 accompanied by an adult. That's the minimum. Free rental clubs, deals on food, junior clinics, free range balls and even reduced adult green fees could also be part of the deal.
There's also the chance to win prizes like nine sets of clubs and bags from Top-Flite Canada (the parents score an Odyssey putter and bag, courtesy of Callaway Golf) or a grand prize of a trip for four to the Taboo resort in the Muskokas (including airfare). That's courtesy of the RBC Mike Weir Visa Card.
A list of participating courses is available at www.golfmax.com.
JUNIOR ROUNDUP: The titles and honours just keep rolling in for Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls. She registered another impressive win at the BMO Financial Group Future Links Championship in Grand-Mere, Que. Henderson won the bantam girls' division by a whopping 15 strokes after rounds of 79, 85 and 78. She has also been named to the Canadian Junior Golf Association's team that will travel to Callaway Junior World Golf Championships July 13-16 in San Diego ... Hugo Chamberland-Lauzon of St-Jerome, Que., won the junior boys' title at Future Links with a 217 total. Top local was Ottawa's Mark Coldham in a tie for 11th at 229. Other local results: Jordan Bracken from Manotick (241, T34); Adam Henderson from Manotick (245, T42); Corey Ryan from Ottawa (251, T47); Thomas Westfall from Gatineau (260, T52); and Philip Westfall from Gatineau (261, T53) ... At the OVGA's Junior Field Day at Rivermead on Tuesday, Tanner Bortolotti of Kanata topped the field with a 74, two shots better than Wendall Touhey of the Hunt Club. Ben Hunter of the Hunt had a 77. Rounding out the top 10 were: Kyle Tobin of Rideauview (79), Bowie Abbis-Mills, Mississippi; Brett Perkins, Rideau Glen and Patrick Sears the Hunt, all at 80; and Tyler Cloutier of Pembroke, Mathew Cooney of Glengarry, Sean O'Malley of Pembroke, Jamie Puddicombe of Brockville, Ryan Sevigny of Rideau View and Jonathan Sigouin of Vieux Moulins all were at 81. Tim Krenk of Champlain and Simon Prud'homme of Kingsway topped the net field with 67s. Sevigny was named to Team Canada for the Mizuno North America Cup July 6-9 in Hilton Head, S.C. It's a Ryder Cup-style event.
HEAR AND THERE: Ian Johnson of the Oaks of Cobden, Paul Spare of Rideau View and Willy Walker of Outaouais all earned themselves spots in the Alexander of Tunis tournament next weekend at the Hunt Club. They all had 71s Monday at a qualifier at Tecumseh to grab the three spots available ... Rene Pinard of Tecumseh won the OVGA's Class B Field Day on Wednesday at Arnprior with a 74, one shot better than the host club's Ray Kulchyski. Brad Mayhew of Nationview and Dave Girard of Arnprior were at 76. Low gross winners were: In the 9-11 handicap division, Yvon Laflamme of Rideau Glen, Bryan Andrew of Outaouais and Jim Reynolds of Outaouais all had 77s; 12-14 division, Ken Trumbley of Edgewood with a 78 and in over-15 Division, Maurice Cutler of Royal Ottawa with a 79.
HOLE-IN-ONE CLUB: Hip replacement surgery just doesn't sound like a fun thing, but getting a hole-in-one seems to be one of the side effects. Last week, we reported an ace made by Jean-Louis Le Blanc six months after the surgery. Brian Joynt had his dream shot June 18 at The Heritage, when he canned his 9-iron shot on the 130-yard 17th hole. Witnessing the ace were Tim O'Hara and Peter Bangs. Joynt had hip replacement surgery exactly 51 weeks before his ace. Just a coincidence? ... Steve Lalonde scored a hole-in-one on the eighth hole at Riverbend's short course yesterday. He used a five-iron for the 150-yard hole with Bonnie Lalonde, Gord Canham and Bob Doherty as witnesses.
chris.stevenson@ott.sunpub.com
