The Mail sat down with Tom Zariski who was recently elected Vice President of the Alberta Golf Association (AGA) for 2016 at their Annual General Meeting held at Pinebrook Golf and Country Club.
TDM: Explain the benefits membership in the AGA offers to the average golfer?
TZ: Alberta Golf is an association that has been running for over 100 years. It is designated the provincial sport organization for Alberta by the provincial government and organizes amateur golf in Alberta. It provides golf courses with a handicap and scoring system, which is necessary in golf, if you are going to be a fairly good golfer you need a handicap. Alberta golf does all of the junior programs in Alberta and runs many championships and tournaments. It contributes through the Alberta Golf Foundation to scholarships for young people, over $50,000 in scholarships last year. It also provides turf grass research, so when a golfer in Alberta is playing on a nice green, you can partially thank Alberta Golf who has been doing research over the last 50 or 60 years.
TDM: How did you become involved in the AGA?
TZ: I first became involved in Alberta Golf by becoming a rules official. If you have a hockey game, you have a referee, if you have a baseball game, you have an umpire. When you get into some of the more difficult and higher quality golf events, you have rules officials. We are out there on the golf course making sure everybody plays by the rules and helping people follow the rules. I became interested in this, Alberta Golf does all the rules officiating for all the tournaments, and I worked my way up as an official and gradually got on to some of the work committees, and eventually was asked to sit on the standing committees for governance. Eventually I was nominated for the Board of Directors.
TDM: Explain some of the newer trends in golf and some of the problems the business is facing?
TZ: As everyone knows, technology can buy you a golf game and of course, the AGA, in conjunction with the Canadian Golf Association, the American Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Association determines the equipment. This includes the golf ball, and clubs. There are always new trends in golf equipment that are being analyzed and decided on whether they are suitable or too extreme for golf.
One of the most interesting things that Alberta Golf and Golf Canada is working on is trying to get the Canadian Open Championship to Calgary. You may have heard of the Mickelson National Golf Course being built just west of Springbank. In a few years, this is probably going to host the Canadian Men’s Open Championship. Of course, we have had the Canadian Woman’s Open Championship in Edmonton and Calgary in the last few years.
TDM: Tell us a little bit about last year’s Alberta Amateur winner and his connection to Drumheller.
TZ: One of the best golfers in Alberta over the last number of years, was born in Drumheller. Brett Hogan, 21, son of Jodi Porter, is one of the best golfers in Western Canada and is nationally ranked. He won the amateur championship last year at the Petroleum Club in Edmonton and he will be defending the championship this year in Innisfail, I will probably will be officiating that. Interestingly enough, in my other life as a teacher, I taught Brett’s mother Jodi in school.
TDM: The local golf Club, Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club has been a member of the Alberta Golf for over 50 years, and last year celebrated 50 years at their present location. What are the benefits of membership?
TZ: One of the benefits of being a member of a golf course that is a member of the Alberta Golf is that you do get a certified handicap. I know a number of members here, who have gotten their handicaps, have been able to go into a provincial championship. We hosted a provincial championship here a few years ago, it was very popular, people cursed about the back nine because everybody does that, but we had a number of local golfers participate in that championship, and they have gone on to other championships. Whenever we have a tournament in Drumheller, it brings people to town, it puts Drumheller on the map. The golf course is very good for bringing people to the community and having them come back.
TDM: Have there been other golfers from Drumheller who have been involved with Alberta golf?
TZ: Drumheller has a bit of history with Alberta Golf, and we have had a number of local people who have been in the organization. Most recently Jack Samuels, a local businessman and avid golfer, was a director a few years ago. Glenn Grey spent many years in Drumheller and was one of the best golfers in the province for many years, and was inducted into the AGA Hall of Fame (2008). He was President of the Alberta Golf Association (1968) as well as being a top golfer.
TDM: How can families get their children involved in golfing?
TZ: Family golf is a joy, I brought my kids up on the golf course. The simplest way is get an old club and a couple of balls and hit them around, don’t feel there is any need for playing by the rules. When my kids were young, we had them tee the ball up on the fairway all the time, it just makes it more fun. Our golf course is very good at encouraging young people to come out. Our current pro Phil McCluskey is very good at running junior programs and junior clinics. We have kids from the schools coming out and using the driving range and golf course. It can be a very fun experience for young golfer to play 9 holes or hit the ball on the driving range. If a player wants to pursue the game, they can take lessons and progress through that route.
TDM: Current LPGA member Brooke Henderson has risen up through the ranks of junior golf and hopefully she will be competing in the Olympics. Can you explain some of the opportunities junior golf brings to young people?
TZ: Golf is a sport that takes time and commitment to become very good at. Golf is also one of those sports you can play for life. Whether a person becomes a top-notch player or plays recreationally, it can be a lot of fun. For those players who do achieve excellence, such as Brooke Henderson, who has a legitimate shot at an Olympic Medal, it can be very satisfying and there are many scholarships out there. There is probably a better chance for a young person to get a golf scholarship than a hockey scholarship. It can be very worthwhile going to post secondary education on a golf scholarship.