Glendale Golfs – Winnipeg

Once seen as interlopers and tag-alongs, the members of the University of Manitoba Bisons golf team are in a different place now.

They’re bringing results — how about three wins in the U.S. last season, and one more to start this fall’s campaign — and recognition. They’re finding acceptance and credibility.

It wasn’t that way in 1999, when local pros Derek Ingram and Garth Goodbrandson founded the team and funded it on their own. The U of M’s take back then was: “We haven’t got anything for you but go right ahead.”

Ingram, now the head coach of the Canadian national men’s amateur team, gave up his Bisons duties a few years ago. Goodbrandson, the long-time Golf Manitoba director of player development, continues on as head coach.

“Derek and I, well, it was pretty frustrating for a time but one day we just sat and decided it (total funding and support) was just not going to happen, so we can look at it two ways,” Goodbrandson recalled this week. “We can keep being critical and frustrated, or we can just keep on going.

“You know Derek, we just kept going.”

Just back from the team’s first tournament of the year, a first-place finish at last week’s Concordia Invitational in Moorhead, Minn., Goodbrandson was in a reflective mood about the team’s first 13 seasons.

“It’s been very positive, we’ve stayed positive and to give the the U of M credit, over time, things are different,” he said. “Way back, people around (U of M) wouldn’t even know we had a golf team, even people involved in sports.

“Now, the golf team has way more respect and is way more accepted and known. I know our players feel it.”

The golf team was even invited to participate in last week’s school pep rally.

Today, the golf team under the guidance of Goodbrandson and assistant Ed Boge is still mostly self-funded, along with some grant help from Golf Canada.

But now, any funding the team funnels back to scholarships to help players, the university will match.

It’s proving to be a worthy endeavour.

Highlights from the first week included the Concordia individual title to Charlie Boyechko, who shot 67 (the tournament’s best round) and 74 for a four-shot win. Boyechko, you’ll recall, lost in a four-man playoff in this year’s Manitoba Amateur.

The 11-man team will play the second of its seven fall tournaments (six are in the U.S.) this weekend in Bemidji.

“Our playing schedule over the years, it’s much better than people think,” Goodbrandson said. “And I’d say that last year was probably our best showing ever, three wins, another second.”

Why now?

Goodbrandson said that has to do with developing players and developing people.

“On the golf course, a lot of our top players like Charlie and Josh Wytinck and Bobby Wiebe, they’ve all been second-team players before, come through the ranks,” he said. “Now, I think they’re just comfortable shooting lower.”

With good relationships and a good reputation with coaches from Division II and III schools in the U.S., the Bison coaches have been able to offer improving schedules for the players over the years.

“The one thing that’s always stood out right from the start is that we’ve always heard from other teams how impressed they’ve been with the kind of people our players are,” Goodbrandson said. “If a team hosted a tournament, generally they liked to put their team with our team (in the pairings). And not because we were outstanding players or anything.

“They just wanted to show their team how to act on the golf course.”

Of course Goodbrandson has his eye on more results this fall.

He’s eager to restore a women’s team to the program. It has lapsed due to lack of players in the last year or so but he’s not easily deterred.

This fall, the Bisons had three players lined up but for a variety of reasons all were unavailable for a fall tournament schedule.

Goodbrandson said he’s hopeful that at least two of those three will be on board next season, and sees some possible candidates soon to graduate from junior golf.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/golf/bison-golf-team-gains-respect-gets-results-169078356.html

http://www.glendalegolfs.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MS0ZtJi_YA

http://www.puertomoreloscooks.com/

Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce that Golf Canada has approved a $5400 grant from the Women’s Fund to support women’s initiatives and programs that have a significant impact on women’s golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario. To qualify for the grant Golf Manitoba’s player development program focused on the long term development and player competitive experience with fourteen junior women commencing in December 2010 and culminating with National and Western Canada Games competition in August 2011. These young ladies comprised the association’s Nassau Team and Western Canada Games Training squad.

Midtown Ford Winnipeg Facebook
Eagle Ridge GM BC
www.glendalegolfs.com

Derek Ingram, Team Canada’s head coach reflects on his recent induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame

Earlier this week I was honored to be inducted into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame. It was very humbling to be recognized alongside of the three other inductees—Gary Kullman, Judi Lidstone and Walter Perchaylo.

The Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame committee and Golf Manitoba did an unbelievable job and I was just overwhelmed how beautiful the night was from start to finish. The event, sponsored by Manitoba Lotteries, was held at the wonderful McPhillips Station Casino and I think all 200-plus people in attendance were treated to a truly delightful time.

Obviously over the years I’ve been very fortunate to have benefited from a great number of relationships with people in golf and it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in position I’m in right now.

People like Jim Doyle (1968 Canadian Amateur Champion) from the Sandy Hook Golf Course who has been my first mentor and really like a second father to me. Jim and the entire Doyle family really treated me like a son and brother over the years and if it wasn’t for them there’s no chance I’d even be a golfer these days.

More recently, Garth Goodbrandson, Golf Manitoba’s Director of Player Development, has really been a great mentor and friend to me. In fact, all the good people and staff at Golf Manitoba have been amazing and have afforded me numerous opportunities over the years.

I certainly have to say that the PGA of Canada has had a big impact on my coaching and teaching career too with the great opportunities for education and access to resources. One of those great resources is the unbelievable PGA of Canada professionals that I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with over the years. It’s been a real treating being able to listen to, prod and poke, and steal great ideas from you.

Fellow coaches and PGA of Canada professionals Henry Brunton, Robert Ratcliffe, Ralph Bauer and Doug Roxburgh, Golf Canada’s Director of High Performance have also been great friends and mentors. These gentlemen have had a tremendous impact on my career.

And there is just no way I can thank the people closest to me enough. It was great to have my mom, dad, and especially my wife Kim and family there with me. It’s special and important that they were able to be at my side on that remarkable night.

It’s been a great run so far, and I’m only 41-years-old, so I didn’t think I was old enough to go into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, but I do honestly feel like there’s a lot more I want to accomplish in the next 10-15 years. So really, this is just the beginning.

Until next time,

Derek.

http://www.golfcanada.ca/blogs/checking-in/article6563.ece

Edmonton 3 Financing Madza3 Alberta
Edmonton Dealerships
Edmonton Auto Payment Calculator On-line
www.glendalegolfs.com

The Golf dome and Golf Manitoba have once again agreed to a partnership that will see the Western Canada Games Training Squad use the facility as their official training site in preparation for the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games to be held in Kamloops, British Columbia in August.

The current Western Canada Games Training Squad is comprised of eleven girls and eleven boys, all of whom will be under seventeen years old on August 14th, 2011, the last day of the Western Canada Games competition. This group of young athletes is receiving extensive training which includes mental game preparation, physical fitness assessments and plans, dietary consultation, golf specific coaching, as well as equipment fitting and testing. Four girls and four boys will be chosen this summer from the Western Canada Games Training Squad to represent Manitoba in Kamloops and it is Golf Manitoba’s goal to prepare the potential members of the squad as much as possible.

“Golf Manitoba is extremely proud of the success we had at the 2009 Canada Summer Games and we are building on that model to prepare our athletes for the Western Canada Games later this year. We are able to train a group of young athletes on a long term basis in preparation for the competitive event. We are hopeful that this will not only benefit the eight members who qualify to represent Manitoba at the Games but also the others who are going through the training. The experiences they are getting will benefit their golf careers for life and the partnership with The Golf Dome allows us to conduct this extensive training year round”, said Garth Goodbrandson, Golf Manitoba’s Director of Player Development.

“The Golf Dome has been Winnipeg’s premier indoor golf facility since 1991 and we are proud to be associated with the Golf Manitoba as the official training site of the Western Canada Games Training Squad. The utilization of The Golf Dome’s indoor driving range will allow the team to train in a superior environment and will help assure success of the Golf Manitoba Program,” said Curtis Gray, President of The Golf Dome.

http://www.golfmanitoba.mb.ca/PDF/GolfDomePartnershipAnnouncement.pdf

Power Winnipeg
Eagle Ridge GM MOBI Smartphone
Coqutlam Auto Repair Shop
www.glendalegolfs.com