Written by Gord Montgomery

Golf Fore the Cure

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

Golf in the truest sense is an individualistic sport. But when it comes to raising money on the golf course for worthwhile causes, teamwork comes into play in a very big way.

Golf Fore The Cure is an annual event that sees thousands of participants team up for a day on golf courses all across the country in order to raise funds for much needed research into helping to cure breast cancer. Alberta is annually one of the top fund raising provinces in the Canada in support of this program.

Golf Fore The Cure’s national coordinator, Whitney Gorges of Golf Canada, explains the rationale for creating the platform. “The purpose initially was to get more women involved in golf, both as participants and by adding a fund raising component in support of breast cancer research,” said Gorges.

“Over the course of 13 years we’ve had well over 100,000 women participate in the program,” Gorges continued, describing the largest grassroots program of its kind in the nation. “I get calls all the time from women who aren’t necessarily golfers, but who are really invested in the cause and who want to participate.”

As for the growth in the game this particular day has helped generate, Gorges said, “I don’t have a specific number but I do know that a large number of women who participate are new to golf. That’s how they got introduced to the sport and now many of them have stayed involved in golf.”

In Alberta, as many as 24 clubs have held this event in a single year with RedTail Landing GC in Edmonton showing great returns on its time and energy. In 2014, RedTail Landing led the nation in Golf Fore The Cure fundraising with over $22,000, and then followed that up by being fourth overall in 2015, despite the downturn in the Alberta economy.

Joshua Davison, the head professional at RedTail said his course has seen the event grow substantially over the past seven years to the point where there is now always a field of 120 players of more in attendance.

“The women do all kinds of amazing things,” Davison continued, ranging from decorating the power carts to dressing up in costume. “This began out of our ladies’ league and it’s hosted every year on the last Tuesday in July.”

Nationally, Golf Fore The Cure takes place at anywhere from 150 to 200 golf courses across the country. Gorges proudly boasted, “We usually get between 10,000 – 15,000 women involved in the program.”

The research dollars raised by the ladies come through a variety of means, including not only full 18-hole events, but nine-hole competitions, mini-putt tournaments, and driving range swing clinics. “It can be anything involved with golf as long as it involves swinging a club.” Gorges claimed.

The Golf Fore The Cure event is a very special day at RedTail Landing. Davison pointed out that the course does as much as possible to aid in the fund raising activities.

“The entry fee here for this event is the least expensive we offer all year for a tournament,” claimed Davison, “We want to make it affordable for the ladies, but also so we can raise the most money possible for the charity. It’s really not about making money for the club that day. We are really committed to making this an important event for a great charity.”

One big part of the day’s activities at RedTail Landing is the involvement of the tournament organizer, PGA Class A Professional, Matt Truong. He noted that while the event started simply, it has grown immensely in popularity.

“This event is something that allows us to give back to the community,” said Truong. “The first few years were a learning process for us, trying to come up with new ideas, but once we got things going, we have raised much more money than we ever have.”

One of those money making ideas, explained Truong, is to “Pink The Day,” including having pink flags on the greens and Truong going “all-in” for the cause by dressing up in a bright pink unitard for what’s called the “Pink Man Fund.”

“I’m in a pink body suit and nothing else,” Truong explained, not having to add that his attire is greeted with great enthusiasm by the ladies. “It’s just having fun and helps make the day more successful at the same time. The ladies appreciate it, even though it’s not the most flattering thing to see!”

“I think the event itself does help grow the game, too,” said Truong. “We offer it to our ladies club members first and they can invite friends. It is such a good cause.”

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2015, the Golf Fore The Cure website recognized both RedTail Landing GC and Alberta Springs GC in Red Deer for their fundraising by naming national breast cancer impact funds in the courses’ honour.

Golf Canada partners with both the Canadian Cancer Society and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation to ensure that all the money raised stays within the country. A total of more than $5.4 million has been raised since the program’s inception thirteen years ago.

The women who participate all share a common goal of defeating breast cancer. Their hard work and dedication has had a tremendous impact on the scientific world and on the lives of thousands of Canadian women, their families, friends and caregivers in communities across the country. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients now stands at 88 per cent, a significant improvement over the 70 per cent survival rate from the 1980s.

And that’s largely thanks to teamwork in what is normally viewed as an individualistic sport.