Canadian Professional Golf Tour adds local stop, Great Waterway Classic set to take place at Smuggler's Glen

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Lorraine Payette

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EMC News - Stand back, hockey, football and curling! The most popular sport in Canada is bringing its tour to Smuggler's Glen near Gananoque from Sept. 3-9, 2012.

The golf pros will gather, the fans are expected to pour in, and the Great Waterway Classic will begin its four-year initiative to bring high level professional golf to Eastern Ontario as part of the Canadian Tour.

"This is an exciting opportunity for The Great Waterway," said Richard Johnston, Board Chairman for the Regional Tourism Organization 9 (aka the Great Waterway Region). "Highlighting the golf assets we have in the region over the next four years will help local businesses grow and attract new visitors to The Great Waterway."

Golf in Canada is played by more than three million people, contributing about $1.9 billion per year to the economy. In the search for high quality courses, golfers of every level travel great distances, stay in local hotels and eat in restaurants in the towns they visit. They shop in the stores, and improve business for everyone.

David Dargie (Director of Tournament Development for Evolution Golf and Event Management Inc.) and Martin Noe (CEO of Evolution Golf and Event Management Inc.) announced that the projected net benefit to the community will be approximately $1.2 million each year. This has been based on the Sport Tourism Economic Model which takes into account the spending of the people involved in the event during the course of the week.

According to Evolution Golf & Management, 156 players and 20 tournament officials will be participating in the event, as well as 300 volunteers whose services will be required to make everything run properly. In addition, they project an attendance of 7,500 spectators over the course of the week, well up from the Canadian Tour average of 3,100.

Dargie believes they have the marketing skills to make this into one of the most popular and successful events on the Canadian Tour.

Between them Dargie and Noe have wide experience with sporting events, including but not limited to the 2010 Canada 55+ Games that brought some 2,000 participants to Brockville with an estimated economic impact of $3.5 million, as well as F1 Racing and FIFA Women's Soccer World Cup.

Each year, a different community in the region will host the event. Over the first four years, hostings will be in Eastern Ontario at Smuggler's Glen near Gananoque this September 3-9, 2012, Upper Canada GC in Morrisburg in 2013, Loyalist Country Club in Bath in 2014, and Black Bear Ridge GC in Belleville in 2015.

LOOKING FORWARD

Brad Revell, Kingston native and a second year Canadian Tour member, has played often at Smuggler's.

"I'm really looking forward to it. I'm pretty pumped that it's so close to home and I can stay with my family and still be part of the tour. It's going to be awesome. I love Smuggler's Glen - it's always a great course to play. And I thank the committee for all their hard work - these events don't happen without it."

Derek Gillespie of Oshawa, Ontario, was also delighted. Still recovering from an accident, he knows he'll be ready when the tournament comes in September.

"It's pretty incredible. Thanks to everyone for getting the job done. I haven't played golf in this area at all, but I am looking forward to it and to a really good time. I've been a (Canadian Tour) member since 2001, and I hope you come out and support the tournament."

"The players on this tour are amazing," said Dargie. "You can come up and talk to them, unlike at most other tournaments.

"Come out and bring your friends and families."

"The Canadian Tour is thrilled to be coming to the Great Waterway Region for the next four years," said Rick Janes, Canadian Tour Commissioner & CEO. "The Great Waterway Classic will provide significant national and international exposure for the Great Waterway and Eastern Ontario communities on the whole."

The tour is also sponsoring two university hospitals as its charities.

"Our goal is to raise $50,000 for the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation that they can then apply to targeted training for their nursing staff who work in Mental Health care," said Noe. "We are excited to be bringing the Canadian Tour to the Great Waterway Region and helping out our designated charity in the area of mental health care."

PROPOSED SCHEDULE

The proposed schedule for the upcoming event at Smuggler's Glen is:

Monday - September 3, 2012

7:30 am- Monday Qualifier (Brockville CC) Practice Rounds for all Canadian Tour Professionals

1:30 pm Sponsors' Pro-Am

3:30 pm Junior Clinics (BCC and Other Sites TBD)

7:30 pm Charity Pro-Am "Draw Party"

Tuesday - September 4, 2012

7:20 am Ceremonial Tee Shots @ 1st Hole

7:30 am & 1:30 pm- University Hospitals Kingston Foundation Charity Pro-Am

4 pm- Open Clinic / Canadian Tour Practice Round

6:30pm - Pro-Am Reception, Dinner, Silent Auction, Cheque Presentation

Wednesday - September 5, 2012

8am - Canadian Tour Practice Rounds

2 pm - 55+ Putting Tournament - Smuggler's Glen

4pm - Junior Putting Tournament - Smuggler's Glen

Thursday - September 6, 2012 - Armed Services & Veterans ' Day

7am - Piping of golfers and officials to 1st and 10th tees /First Round of The Great Waterway Classic

6pm - V.I.P. Event - Eagle Point Winery

Friday - September 7, 2012 - First Responders' Day

7am - Second Round of The Great Waterway Classic

7:30pm - Cut Party (Location TBD)

Saturday - September 8, 2012 - Family Weekend

8am - Third Round of The Great Waterway Classic

"Honor Guard" for Canadian Flags at 9th & 18th greens

7pm -Volunteer Appreciation Event (Location TBD)

Sunday - September 9, 2012 - Family Weekend

8am - Final Round of The Great Waterway Classic

"Honor Guard" for Canadian Flags at 9th & 18th greens

5pm - Trophy Presentation and Cheque Presentation

For more on this event, please go to www.greatwaterwayclassic.ca.




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