Meet the Team Heading to the RBC PGA Scramble National Finals

September 22, 2023 Marketing
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Blog, Golf, Golf Tournaments

Congratulations to the Royal Ashburn Golf Club team on their recent GTA RBC PGA Scramble Regional Final victory!
We can’t wait to watch you compete as part of Canada’s top amateur golf talent.  

 

ABOUT THE RBC PGA SCRAMBLE

The RBC PGA Scramble is a national series of team events that take place at more than 150 golf facilities in Canada. Each team is made up of four amateur golfers and one PGA of Canada professional. This exciting and fun series provides Canadian golfers a competitive but fun playing experience at the country’s top courses.

 

ROAD TO THE FINALS

The Local Qualifier was held at the Royal Ashburn on July 3rd, where four RAGC teams emerged victorious, qualifying for the Regional Finals. The Regionals were held at the Nest at Friday Harbour in Innisfil, ON, on August 3rd.  Royal Ashburn had two teams on the verge of qualifying for the National Championships. One team was led by Jon Blomme, RAGC’s Director of Instruction, and the other by Justin Hawe, RAGC’s Head Professional.

Justin’s team ended up tied for 1st place in the Gross Division. Unfortunately, they ultimately lost in a tiebreak.
Jon’s team won the net version of the Regional Finals, securing them a spot in the National Finals this October.

 

THE TEAM

The team members representing the Royal Ashburn at the National Championship are:

  • Nicholas Blakney
  • Erica Merkle
  • Giorgio Mikos
  • Nate Porter
  • Jon Blomme

 

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Source: golf.com

The 2023 RBC PGA Scramble Championship Final takes place at Cabot Links in Cabot Cape Breton, NS, from October 8th-10th. This final round is an elimination scramble format. Golfers will play the 54-hole championship at this stunning world-famous course. 

Please join us in wishing our RAGC team the best of luck in October. We are all so proud of you!

 

If you have a good luck message or well wishes you would like to send the team,
please leave a comment below!

 

via GIPHY

 

 

**It’s never too early to start dreaming about next year’s RBC PGA Scramble. Entry details are coming in Spring 2024 for your chance at entering a team and taking your shot at being the next Royal Ashburn finalists!  Sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss out 😉**

 

 

 

 

The Future of Golf

February 19, 2021 Marketing
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Golf, Golf - Play Your Best Golf Now!, Golf Equipment, Golf Lessons, Golf Tournaments, Tool Box

GOLF, WHAT NOW?

What are golf courses and business owners thinking now? Well firstly, we are astonished that it took a pandemic to bring the opportunities and benefits of this amazing game to fruition. The overwhelming response to tee time bookings, membership enrolment, returning players, newcomers and lesson inquiries has been extraordinary. This is all considering it has been years, since many clubs have seen this type of action and engagement.


SO WORTH IT!

When the green light was given by government authorities that golf courses would open for the 2020 season, it was imperative that new policies and procedures be implemented in order to ensure a safe and positive experience for employees, golfers and guests. We’d like to take a moment to commend all industry staff on adhering to safety policies, while working tirelessly to constantly sanitize, disinfect, check-in guests, serve guests, perform their employee duties and provide the utmost outstanding customer service. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it! It was an honour to help give our communities an outlet to enjoy the game we all love so much and provide a safe way for people to come together during these unprecedented times.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF GOLF!

The pandemic has definitely played a major role in the resurrection of the golf industry. There’s no denying that 2020 was an amazing year for golf, but can we expect the same for 2021? Most golfers will tell you, once you’ve acquired a taste of an amazing golf experience, there’s really no removing yourself from this game. It becomes a lifestyle and part of who you are. It’s the only game where you can have a completely unsalvageable hole, but drop a massive 40 foot putt for a quadruple bogey and celebrate like you holed it from the tee deck.

With that being said, we are most definitely preparing ourselves for another year like 2020! We are gearing up to create more amazing memories for our golfers and we believe we are not alone in our thought process.

 

Royal Ashburn Golf Club designed unique memberships that give golfers the flexibility of pay as you play with the Royal Ashburn Member experience. There’s so much golf to be played, we want you to have the opportunity to experience it all!

(VIP MEMBERSHIP & ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP)

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SO WHAT NOW?

Where do we go from here? Now we continue to grow the game of golf like we’ve always planned. We welcome the newcomers, we stay grateful to our loyal and returning members, customers and guests and we find ways to improve our teachings so that those who love this game can continue to play it as long as possible.

At Royal Ashburn Golf Club, we are continuously discovering new ways for golfers to enjoy the game of golf. We are evolving with the game and designing new lesson programs that utilize the most innovative technology. Our goal is to continue to help golfers grow their game potential and provide a safe and comfortable environment for those interested in beginning their golf journey. We have no doubt that you will fall in love with the game of golf but at Royal Ashburn Golf Club, we want you to fall in love with the entire experience that golf brings with it. We are looking forward to an amazing 2021 and can’t wait to see you out on the course.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLIVE BARBER

 

CONTACT US

 

More about Royal Ashburn Golf Club and our Golf Services can be found on our website. We’d be happy to answer any questions regarding this post or any questions or concerns you may have in regards to golf operations during the pandemic. Take care!

 

How To Organize A Charity Golf Tournament

April 9, 2019 Royal Ashburn
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Blog, Golf Tournaments

We all like to support our favourite charity. And we all love golf. If you want to combine the two, all you need to do is learn how to organize a charity golf tournament.

Whether its a charity event, for business purposes or just a friendly challenge, running a golf tournament takes time and planning. But the following tips will help make your charity golf event a rousing success on all fronts.

Tips for Organizing a Charity Tournament

The most important part of planning your tournament is to give yourself enough time to do so properly. There will always be complications, but you’ll be better prepared for them with time on your side.

  1. Set Up a Planning Committee – Start by appointing a tournament director responsible for overall tournament coordination. Then, depending on the size and scope of your tourney, you may need to put individuals in charge of one or more of the responsibilities listed below.
  2. Pick Date and a Golf Course – These two go hand in hand because you can’t pick one without knowing that the other is possible. To give yourself the time advantage mentioned above, the tournament should be scheduled at least six months in advance. Look for golf clubs that are well located for your anticipated participants, like our Durham Region golf course which is convenient for everyone in the GTA!  The course should also offer help with planning your tournament, organizing tee times, reserving golf carts, arranging for food and beverage services and the “day of” logistics of your golf outing.
  3. Determine a Budget – You can plan the greatest tournament ever, but if the costs erode the amount you raise for your charity, it defeats the purpose. You may need a budget for promoting the tournament, greens fees and trophies among other elements of your event.
  4. Find Sponsors – Not only are you and your attendees interested in supporting a worthy cause, but many businesses like to have their name connected with charity events too. You can look for straight forward financial support, but also companies who want to donate prizes or gift certificates.
  5. Decide on a Tournament Format – You want to get as many golfers involved as possible, playing in a format that suits their abilities. The regular shotgun format, where each group of golfers starts their round on a different hole, is popular for tournaments. But it can be unfair if you have a significant number of inexperienced golfers. In that case, a Scramble of Best Ball tournament can level the playing field and make the event more enjoyable for everyone.
  6. Have Separate Contests Throughout the Day – Extra contests beyond just winning the tournament adds yet another level of enjoyment to the event. On the course, closest-to-the-hole and longest drive competitions are popular. But even before and after the round of golf, events like silent auctions and raffle tickets. And don’t forget an awards ceremony to cap off the day.
  7. Promote Your Event – With all the other elements in place, you’re ready to promote your event. If the charity you support maintains an email list, that can be a good, inexpensive place to start. Social media (#YourEvent) can also help spread the word for little or no cost.
  8. Get Ready for the Day of the Tournament – No amount of planning will help if you’re not fully prepared to run the tournament when it actually takes place. Again, your host golf course should help you with this and it wouldn’t hurt to assign this responsibility to someone on your committee.

If you enjoyed this post, check out our recent article on what is match play in golf.

Small Group Bookings A Big Golf Tournament Feel

July 13, 2018 Royal Ashburn
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Blog, Golf Tournaments

You might have done small group bookings or set up a ‘mini’ golf tournament before. But it probably just meant reserving some consecutive tee times and a table or two in the restaurant afterward.

But any small group of three foursomes or more can enjoy many of the perks that you thought only come with larger corporate golf tournaments.

Who Can Take Advantage of Small Group Bookings?

Any group of 12 to 56 golfers can set up a small group booking or mini tournament here at Royal Ashburn.

Small Businesses

If your staff loves golf, but you don’t have enough for a full-on tourney, you can still set-up a special golf event for your company.

Team Building

Large tournaments are great, but now you can reward your team, office or division with their very own golf tournament.

Private Leagues

It’s always fun to meet new people in league play, but it’s nice to set-up and run a regular league among your close friends, family or work colleagues too.

Charity Events

Everyone is in a giving mood at a charity golf event and now you can have one for groups of almost any size.

What do You Get with a Small Group Reservation?

You’ll be surprised at what’s included in our small golf event packages.

Dedicated Event Manager

A staff member is assigned to your event and will be available to you from the moment you book your golf event to when your event concludes.

Valet Bag Drop-off

We told you it’ll have lots of big-tourney perks!

Your Own Registration Space

You can let your guest know where to meet and register.

On-Course Contests Available

If you want to add a little extra competition, try adding a ‘Closest to the Pin’ or ‘Long Drive’ contest.

Access to Our Locker & Shower Facilities

Have a place to leave your valuables while out on the course and clean up before going to socialize after your round.

Customizable Meal options at Butler’s Pub & Grill

Set up a nice meal for after your group has finished your rounds. We have many meal options so everyone can find something they enjoy.

Custom Scoring and Scorecards

Keep track of how you played and adapt to every game style with custom scoring and scorecards.

So all you have to do is find a group of golfers and/or a reason for the tournament. After that, just Contact Us here at Royal Ashburn Golf Club.

Golf Club Membership is More Than Joining a Club

March 16, 2018 Royal Ashburn
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Blog, Golf Tournaments, Pro Shop - The Golf Experience, Tips, Tool Box

If you’ve been considering a golf club membership as the next stage of your enjoyment of the game, your thoughts have probably revolved weighing the costs versus what you get from membership.

Of course, membership fees are a very important consideration. Golf club memberships aren’t like joining the local gym. Maintaining a golf course and facilities means an ongoing investment. Needless-to-say, you wouldn’t want to be a member at a course that didn’t make that investment.

But the importance of membership fees as part of your overall consideration of joining a club means you owe it to yourself to also consider everything that you’ll get from your investment. Without thinking about all of the benefits that come from membership, you may be robbing yourself of a level of participation and enjoyment of the game you love so much.

The Benefits of Golf Club Membership

When thinking about joining a club, many golfers consider the savings they get on greens fees and other golf club privileges against the cost of their golf club membership.

As important as they are, savings on greens fees and other club features are just the start of the benefits membership can bring. Here are just some of the other benefits, privileges and advantages of becoming a member here at the Royal Ashburn Golf Club:

Choose Your Membership Option

Different golfers may want different things from their golf club membership. At Royal Ashburn, we have recognized this by offering a broad range of membership options based on how much you want to play, when you want to play, and even membership packages for youth and seniors.

Take Advantage of Pro Shop Discounts

Every membership includes a 20% discount of all regularly-priced soft goods at the Royal Ashburn Pro Shop. The Shop is open year-round (so you can start using your discount right away) and carries a wide variety of top-quality equipment and apparel as well as specializing in tournament and corporate gifting.

Get Into Tournaments and Leagues

All our members are welcome to play in the Monday League and they don’t have to pay the entry fee for the annual Club Championship (excluding Monday and Summer members). Most golfers have enjoyed tournament play at some point in time. But club tournaments and leagues take that enjoyment to a new level of friendly rivalries and competition.

Become a Member of Golf Ontario

Indulging in your favourite pastime means more than just getting on the course. Your membership at Royal Ashburn includes membership in Golf Ontario. With a history dating back over 80 years, Golf Ontario helps build and promote the game of golf across the province and, in partnership with other provincial golf associations, across Canada.

Bring Your Family & Friends

As a member of Royal Ashburn you will make many new connections with people who also love the game. But that doesn’t mean you can’t include your family and friends.
First, every member is welcome to host family and friends at the Club any day of the week after 4:37 p.m. for discounted greens fee of $33 + hst. Second, every member receives three guest passes that allows them to play the course any time for the VIP member rate.

From advanced tee-time bookings that gives members access to tee-times before the public, to other golf-related and social events throughout the year, there are many more advantages to membership at Royal Ashburn. If you are considering joining our Club, you owe it to yourself to learn more about everything that membership brings. Please contact us we will be happy to answer your questions and even show you around.

Start Planning Your 2018 Golf Calendar

December 12, 2017 Royal Ashburn
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Blog, Golf Tournaments

First and foremost, we hope that all our members, guests, staff, and colleagues enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year 2018.

Even though it seems like summer didn’t arrive until late August in Durham Region, 2017 was a fantastic year here at Royal Ashburn. From when we opened the course this year on April 12th, right though Halloween (we squeezed out every day possible!), it was a memorable year on and off the course.

Here are just a few of the highlights:

1. The Rock & Royal Invitational Tournament presented by 94.9 The Rock

We were happy to work with the great people at 94.9 The Rock, including morning show hosts Craig Venn and Lucky, on this year’s The Rock & Royal Invitational that was played on June 20th.

2. 2017 CCAA National Golf Championships

We were proud to be the host course for the 2017 PING Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Golf National Championships on October 17 to Oct. 20th. It was a great weekend of golf and we really enjoyed working with all the good people associated with the Championship, including the host school Durham College and the Durham Lords team.

3. Justin’s First Hole-In-One

Just because you’re a golf pro, it doesn’t mean that holes-in-one come easily. Royal Ashburn’s head golf pro, Justin Hawe shot his first-ever hole-in-one on the 164-yard 7th hole on October 26th.

4. Personal Celebrations

We pride ourselves on being a great host and venue for any event, large or small. 2017 was as busy a year as any of our catering staff and venue managers. While the events were too many to mention, we enjoyed hosting Braydon’s 7th birthday party, Carol’s retirement party and Rishi and Dimple’s wedding.

We wish we could relive all the great memories we enjoyed in 2017, but we just don’t have the bandwidth!!

But looking back on 2017 filled us full of anticipation for 2018. And then we realized, even as the holiday season and New Year’s celebrations are upon us, maybe all the other golfers out there who are chomping at the bit too.

If you’re one of them, there’s no time like the present to start planning your golf calendar for 2018. While we’re still finalizing events and dates for 2018, there are golf-related activities that you can start thinking about and planning to make your 2018 golfing season the best ever.

Again, there are too many things you can do get more enjoyment from golf to list here, but these should get the ideas flowing.

1. A Different Golf Vacation Destination

Of course, visiting the southern U.S. during the winter for a golf vacation is always a good idea. But have you ever thought of taking it up a notch?

While you might not want to be on their links in the middle of January, you can golf on some courses year-round in the UK. It’s a great place to get a jump on the season because their courses are usually in full swing by March.

If you like the warmer southern destinations, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa are all becoming increasingly popular golf destinations.

Once summer rolls around, you shouldn’t forget the great Canadian golf destinations we have, including Vancouver Island, the Rockies, the Laurentians, PEI and Cape Breton – and right here in Southern Ontario!

2. Plan Your Own Tournament

Again, it’s great to golf a round with your friends and colleagues, even have a bigger group teeing off one after the other. But it’s much easier and less expensive than you think to host your very own tournament. Whether you just want to get every golfer you know in one place for an enjoyable day on the Links, or you have a favourite cause that you would like to support, not only will your own tournament help you get there, it’ll create a cherished golf memory that you and all your guests will never forget.

3. Keep Your Game in Tune

If you’re wondering hat we mean, we didn’t want to say ‘golf lessons’ because we know they are not always top of the list of things to do for experienced golfers. But every golfer, from Dustin Johnson on down, can improve their game and keep it in top form with regular lessons.

If you’re thinking of doing more golf-related activities in 2018, now’s the time to start planning your golf calendar. Give a call here at Royal Ashburn, we’ll be glad to help.

11 Tips for Planning a Successful Corporate Golf Tournament

August 8, 2017 Royal Ashburn
2 Comments
Blog, Golf Tournaments, Tips

Following our last post about the benefits of golf for business networking, we thought we’d highlight one of the best ways for your company to network and promote itself on the course, which is by hosting your own golf tournament.

While that might sound like a huge undertaking, especially if your company has never hosted a golfing event before, with the right planning and help, you can have a successful tournament and a great new way to promote your business.

How to Plan and Execute a Successful Corporate Golf Tournament

1. Set up a Committee

Planning and running a golf tournament can be a full-time job for even experienced tournament planners. It’s best to make someone the tournament director, and put together a team to help make it all happen. While the members and responsibilities of the planning committee will be up to your particular resources and requirements, think about putting someone in charge of some of the particular points below

2. Pick a Date

This is the date all of your other planning revolves around. Make sure it’s far enough in the future – at least six months – so those you invite have time to make arrangements to be there. It will also help if you pick and arrange for a rain date.

3. Find a Course

It’s important to find and contract a course as early as possible in your planning process. The best golf clubs for corporate tournaments will also be one of your best resources for help with many other parts of your planning. In addition to the course and other golf-related amenities, the club will usually also help with food and beverage services before, during and after the tournament; registrations, and organizing post-tournament awards ceremonies.

4. Choose a Theme

Having a theme helps set your tournament apart from all the others. You can choose a theme on a format, celebrity guest or corporate event, like a product launch. Think about supporting a favorite charity or local community organization and making that the theme for the tournament.

5. Set a Budget

Like everything else you do in business, setting and adhering to a budget will help guide your planning. In addition to any promotional budget you have, you may also have any fees you decide to charge for playing in the tournament, and any sponsorship funds. Costs can include everything from the basics, like greens fees and cart rentals, to whether you want to invest in the insurance to include high-profile, big-jackpot hole-in-one competitions. Most tournaments include a post-round meal in the clubhouse that includes drinks and food.

6. Get Some Sponsorship Help

The more companies and organizations you find to help sponsor the tournament, whether through donating services or products you need, or by supplying prizes, or by hosting side-competitions, the more appealing the tournament will be and the less costly it might be for your company.

7. Choose a Format

The golfing format you choose for the tournament will go a long way to determining how much your invitees will enjoy the outing. If you’ll have lots of experienced golfers, then a shotgun tournament, where your participants each start from a different hole on the course and play their rounds simultaneously, will ensure you have a maximum number of golfers playing in the shortest amount of time. If you’ll have participants of varying degrees of golfing ability, a popular choice is the Scramble, or Best Ball format, where all golfers tee off and take their subsequent shots from the point where the best previous shot landed.

8. Decide on Contests &/or Events

There are a number of contests and events, both on the course and off, that can make your tournament more fun and engaging for everyone. From ‘closest-to-the-hole’ competitions to selling mulligans and silent auctions to raise money for charities, there are lots of great ways to make things more interesting.

9. Set an Invitation List

The numbers of people you can include in your tournament might depend on the tournament format. A shotgun tournament where there is only one tee-off time means you can invite 72 golfers (one foursome on each of 18 holes).

10. Have a Marketing/Communications Plan

In addition to sending out invitations, you may want to keep in touch with attendees through email or regular mail. You can pump-up interest in the tournament by announcing new prizes, sponsorships, events, etc., as they happen.

11. Plan the Logistics for the Day

From registrations in the mornings to planning prize tables, featured speakers and awards ceremonies, later on, you will most likely need to make at least one person responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly on tournament day.

As we said, the course you choose can make a big difference in all the planning that needs to happen for your tournament to run smoothly and be enjoyable for your guests. We’ve been hosting corporate and charity golf tournaments for over 50 years here at the Royal Ashburn Golf Club. Just give us a call and let our professional tournament staff show you just how we can help you make your tournament the best it can be.

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