(TORONTO) – Golf Town – Canada’s largest golf retailer with unequaled selection and competitive prices at 46 locations coast to coast – announces the creation of the Golf Town National Amateur Series, the country’s first nationwide tour for everyday players in which participants will compete for the chance to represent their region in the Golf Town National Club Championship.
Debuting in 2010 as an 18-event series with one-day tournaments in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, this groundbreaking venture was developed in partnership with the Great Lakes Tour. Open to golfers at all playing levels who maintain an official RCGA handicap, the series will expand to include 50 tour stops by 2012.
Notwithstanding, Amateurs in Ontario will also still enjoy the regional Amateur Tour managed by the Great Lakes Tour, the Series will become the Golf Town Provincial Tour and host 10 local events at top courses as an extension of the National Amateur Series Events (6 of the 18 will be hosted in Ontario).
Event entry fees will range from $125 to $150 and tournaments will feature several flights according to skill, as well as seniors, ladies and juniors divisions, allowing golfers to compete against their peers for a variety of prizes. Winners and a percentage of each flight will also qualify for the tour’s marquee tournament, the Golf Town National Club Championship. The two-day, 36-hole competition will be promoted throughout the country and the winner will be crowned the Golf Town National Amateur Champion.
“In addition to providing superior service and selection, we pride ourselves on developing a deep and lasting connection with our customers,” says Bebis, Golf Town President & CEO. “The new National Amateur Series will help drive golfers to courses nationwide and allows us to offer our customers the opportunity to experience the excitement, camaraderie and friendly competition of tournament golf."
As a partner in the Golf Town National Amateur Series, the Great Lakes Tour will organize all on-site facets of the events.
"For several years, we’ve offered professionals a premier playing experience, and we’re proud to introduce the excitement and competition of a national tour to amateurs," says Dennis Hendershot, co-founder and co-operator of the Great Lakes Tour. "As part of our partnership, Golf Town has also agreed to become the presenting sponsor of the Great Lakes Professional Tour next season, lending further equity and credibility to what is already the pre-eminent circuit in Canada."
Additional information about the Golf Town National Amateur Series, including sponsorship opportunities, tournament locations, prize descriptions and entry details will be released in the coming months.
To find out more about the tour, or about potentially hosting a local event at your facility, please contact National Tournament Director, Kara Kelly at
kara@greatlakestour.com.
More Details will be available soon.
Golf Town offers an unbeatable selection of clubs, bags, balls, apparel, footwear, accessories, gifts, logo merchandise, promotional services and more. This includes the world's leading golf brands, such as Adams, Ashworth, Bridgestone, Callaway Golf, Cleveland Golf, Cobra, Dunning, ECCO, FootJoy, Founders Club, Gordon Cooper, Greg Norman, Honma, Hugo Boss, LaCoste, Liz Claiborne, LIJA, Mizuno, Never Compromise, Nike Golf, Odyssey, Ogio, Paradise, Ping, Srixon, Sun Mountain, TaylorMade adidas Golf, Titleist and Wilson.
For more information, please visit www.golftown.com.
About Golf Town
Canada's largest golf retailer, Golf Town was founded in 1999 and has grown from one location in Scarborough, ON, to 46 superstores coast to coast. At an average size of nearly 18,000 square feet, these retail centres feature all the major name-brand products at the best price, ensuring customers find what they want, when they want it.
A centre of the Canadian golf community for individuals and organizations, Golf Town locations serve as sanctuaries where players of all ages and abilities try, buy, learn about and improve their games. The largest employer of CPGA professionals, Golf Town offers on-site lessons tailored to an individual's needs through its In-Store Academy.
The retailer has also established Canada's leading customer advantage initiative via its Leaderboard Membership Privileges Program. Benefits of this free membership include the chance to win a $500 gift card in a national monthly drawing; timely e-newsletters; members-only special offers on equipment, accessories, golf lessons, in-store events; and more.
Golf Town was acquired by OMERS Private Equity, the entity responsible for private equity investments of the OMERS pension fund, in September 2007. For more information: www.omerscapital.com.
Already a leader in logo products for golf events and other programs, Golf Town purchased Accolade Reaction Promotion Group, Inc., in May 2008 and has created a one-stop-shop for the promotional needs of businesses, meeting planners, sales and marketing executives, and human resource professionals. Named a 2008 Top 40 Distributor by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), ARPG is the first Canadian corporate merchandise services firm to achieve ASI Top 40 Status. For more information: www.arpg.ca.
About The Great Lakes Tour
The Great Lakes Tour is Canada’s premiere developmental golf tour. The Great Lakes Tour was established in 2000 and created to give Canadian players an opportunity to hone their skills and to act as a springboard to take players to the next level. Young or old, amateur, or professional players are encouraged to test their game against the country’s best and gain valuable professional tournament experience.
For more information on the Great Lakes Tour, please visit
www.greatlakestour.com.
