Just east of Calgary, lies the stunning Chestermere Lake and the town of Chestermere. The lake draws plenty of visitors every year for a variety of summer activities including waterskiing, kayaking, and paddleboarding. This August however, the last weekend before school starts will have a new focus, the Alberta U13 & U15 Championship, hosted by Lakeside Golf Club.
The U13 & U15 Championship, previously part of the U17, U15, & U13 Championship, is for the youngest generation of golfers in the province looking to compete. Open to both male and female players, the championship is open to players who will be under the age of either 13 or 15 by August 1, 2025. This championship is the first choice for most players to experience golf at the provincial level. The separation of this age group from the U17’s allows for a less pressure filled environment for the kids, a more appropriate yardage range to play, and a clearer path for the younger generation to try their hand in competitive golf as they graduate from club programming and the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour. This move will help build community amongst these young aspiring juniors as they continue to age through the system and begin playing outside tournaments together. In 2024, Camilla Ruesga-Rojas and Sela Ogada won the female U13 and U15 divisions, and Oscar Gosgnach and Bennett Love won the male U13 and U15 divisions.
Lakeside Golf Club is familiar territory for Alberta Golf, last hosting the 2020 Women’s Amateur won by Yeji Kwon, with a multitude of young Albertans finishing just behind her. The course sets up impeccably well to a variety of golfers with large greens, stunning yet difficult water features, and eight different options to tee off from, making it the perfect place to host the young but hungry juniors. The course’s full pro shop will boast plenty of options for the kids to spend their winnings and its proximity to the lake will surely offer a great post-round escape for the youth to enjoy before heading back to school on Monday.
We are excited to be hosting the new U13 & U15 Championship for 2025. We know of one of our junior members for sure will be playing in the event. I’m sure we will have a few more play, but it will depend on the cut off for their date of births. We feel like the U13 and U15’s are going to have a lot of fun playing Lakeside, and we feel that the golf course sets up well, so we are expecting some great scores. The eventual winners will probably have to have a good couple of days with the putter and over the course of two days will have to limit the amount of penalty strokes, as the water penalty areas can come into play quite often at Lakeside, especially on holes 9 & 18.
Tyler Willner, Head Professional
While August is still months away, the youngsters are surely anxious for the snow to melt to get back on the course, to the lake, and out of school. All juniors are welcome to register for this championship, with registration opening on April 1 at 9am. For players looking to try competitive golf before this event, the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour offers one day events throughout the province offering a stress-free environment focused on education and fun for the kids, with top players getting an invite to compete in the newly minted Alberta U13 & U15 Championship.