Issue link: http://pgaofcanada.uberflip.com/i/182277
GOLF AS A SPORT IN CANADA The Royal Montreal Golf Club, founded in 1873, was Canada's first golf club. Currently, the country boasts more than 2,000 courses and almost 500 off-course practice facilities, many of which are recognized as the best in North America and around the world. According to the 2009 Economic Impact Study, Canada currently has the highest participation rate in the world with nearly 21% of its citizens playing golf. Internationally, Canada has a long history of amateur and professional players winning some of the most prestigious championships around the world. This has been the driving force of the development of the Long Term Player Development Guide for Golf in Canada (LTPD) and the Competition Stream within the PGA of Canada's National Coaching Certification Program. Since the addition of golf into the Sport Canada family, assistance with player development programs and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) plays an important role in the development of coaches and instructors. Additionally, the LTPD Guide is an important first step towards reaching the goal of placing Canada among the top golfing nations in the world. 4 To achieve this goal we need: • Systematic coaching development and support at all levels • An athlete development framework from the grassroots to elite levels • Training programs tailored specifically to an athlete's developmental stage • Systematic talent identification • Partnership and cooperation among the various national, provincial and zone associations • Long-term strategies rather than a shortterm focus In developing the LTPD Guide, best practices and the latest scientific was incorporated from a number of sport organizations in Canada. During the development of LTPD a number of gaps in the Canadian golf system were identified. These gaps can be found on page 15 of the LTPD Guide. Much of the recent shared programming between Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada is a direct response to these indentified gaps. Programs such as Golf in Schools, CN Future Links Learn to Play and this Career Coach Guide —Building a Career in Coaching Golf are outcomes of the LTPD process.