As the New Year continues to roll on, Alberta Golf is proud to announce the following items of change or renewed focus for 2025.

Women’s Competition Growth

In 2025, the Alberta Open will undergo a substantial change with the addition of a Women’s Division, which will be open to both female amateurs and professionals. This change will increase the field size from 120 to 140, with 40 spots reserved for the top female golfers in the province. These 40 spots will be reviewed each year based on feedback and demand. Invitations will be sent out to the top players in March, and registration will open for the remaining spots on April 1^st. Players hoping to register for this division will require a Golf Canada membership and a Handicap Index of 10.0 or lower. For any questions about this initiative, please email John Deneer, john@albertagolf.org.

In addition, Alberta Golf is committed to growing participation in the Women’s Amateur Championship and additional events around the province. We’ll be contacting golf clubs in the province to inquire about their Women’s Club Champions and will be inviting them to register for the Women’s Amateur for 2025. We’re also working on creating a page on our website to promote additional competitive events for women around the province.

 U17, U15, & U13 Championship

After careful consideration and feedback, the U17, U15, & U13 Championships are undergoing a major split. The U17’s will now have a stand-alone championship which will be three-days and WAGR ranked. This better aligns with long term player development and helps add another event for younger players to showcase their skills for college recruiting. The event will be held August 18-20 at Alberta Springs Golf Resort.

 The U15 & U13 Championship will stay as a two-day event and will help bridge the gap between the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour and provincial championships. This again aligns with long term player development and helps remove some of the fear younger players may have surrounding a provincial championship. The host club and dates for this event are yet to be announced but will be held in late August.

 New Website

With an increased focus on communication in the digital age, Alberta Golf is proud to announce the launching of a new website in 2025. The website will mirror that of Golf Canada and other provincial bodies. While no official launch date is set, the new website grants new allowances and will ease navigation for users.

 McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Experiences

With a focus of improving player experiences across the board, there are some changes to the AJT that will help improve experiences on the tour and help cement it as the #1 competitive onboarding junior tour in Alberta. A variety of merchandise items will be given away at events as prizes.

 To help promote rules education on the tour, a Level 1 Rules incentive program has been created.  Players who complete the Level 1 Certification process will receive limited edition McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour merchandise. This will help prepare players for their time on the course with rules knowledge and help prepare any of them for the jump to other tours and provincial championships.

Searching for Partnerships

Alberta Golf has identified two programs that are actively looking for partners.

• Alberta Open Championship: The focus of having a sponsor to help build the player experience.
• High-Performance Program: The goal of having a partner to have elevate our offering to our players within the program to achieve their goals in sport

 Long Range Scheduling

Alberta Golf has placed an increased focus on securing host venues for the 2026 season and beyond. While this move might not be felt immediately, players can look forward to having host venues lined up for coming years. This will help players plan their schedules in advance and ease demand on golf courses.

 Golf Development Pathways

Golf is the #1 recreational activity in the country and due to the pandemic, the sport saw major growth over the last three years. Alberta Golf is committed to working on continuing this trend and retaining our position in the sport. As part of this plan, we’re updating our long-term player development guide for juniors, our competitive roadmap to include new organizations and initiatives, and creating a LTPD for adults to help introduce them to the great game of golf.

 Work on all these initiatives has already begun. Keep an eye on our website to stay up to date on these initiatives and more!