Global recognition of the World Golf Teachers Federation has assisted many Canadian members in seeking out the warmer climates for work during Canada’s winter season. Between the months of November – April, CGTF members can be found across the globe. From the Caribbean to South America and over to the Mediterranean, CGTF members are enjoying the many perks to their membership with the WGTF.

CGTF MEMBERS IN ALBERTA

Once again this summer, CGTF members living in the province of Alberta will be holding a few tournaments to promote the game and camaraderie among members. If you have never golfed in the Canadian Rockies, this is a great opportunity to come out and play and meet members in the area. Tournaments this summer will be planned for June, August, and September. Please visit our website at www.cgtf.com for more details.

This photo was taken at the Kananaskis Country Golf Club. The regional directors in the province of Alberta, Tim Crough and Fred Cowley, organized this event for CGTF members in the Canadian Rockies.

IN MEMORIAM

We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mr. Dave Findlay a member of the CGTF and owner/operator of the Airport Golf Academy & Driving Range in Petawawa, Ontario. Many of you may remember meeting Dave at the most recent Canadian Golf Teachers Cup. He will be missed by many of our members and friends. Our thoughts go out to Dave’s family.

ONBOARD WITH CGTF

This year we are pleased to offer additional benefits for CGTF members with Tour Edge and Nancy Lopez products. For details on these benefits, please visit the member benefit page on our  website www.cgtf.com.

CANADIAN GOLF TEACHERS CUP®

We are excited to be returning to Crosswinds Golf & Country Club for the annual Canadian Golf Teachers Cup this year. This two day event will be held August 23-24 at this beautiful course nestled in the Niagara Escarpment in north Burlington, Ontario. Be sure to register early for this event, as registration will close on July 31, 2009.

The Mexican Golf Teachers Federation is gaining strength every year. More Mexican nationals are finding employment in the golf teaching industry. The MGTF has a new, even more attractive website, in which we emphasize the fun of teaching golf and the joy of playing it.

As part of our growing image, we are also starting a campaign of branding some of the most prominent, professional golf tournament players by having them wear shirts with the MGTF logo. We are also very active in advertising in all of our national golfing publications, touting the benefits of being certified in the MGTF.

Finally, we at the MGTF want to thank Geoff Bryant for his support and valuable advice. We really appreciate his always-wise recommendations.

They say it is it all doom and gloom, with the world financial crisis still having an effect on most industries worldwide. Not so, according to those involved in the golf industry in Australia. In times of recession, its clear that people turn to golf as a way to switch off and forget about other areas of their life that are not going well. After all, golf memberships are pre-paid, and the game itself is very therapeutic.

Some of our AGTF members are, in fact, the busiest they have ever been. One of our AGTF members who works for Golftec (www.golftec.com.au) is known as one of the busiest golf teaching pros in the country, and is doing around 50 lessons  per week. Other AGTF members are now assisting him to take some of the workload.

Most of our other golf teaching pros are reporting that it’s business as usual. Tiger Woods will visit Melbourne in November for the Australian Masters, and we Aussies can’t wait to see the great man himself in the flesh. Reportedly, it should boost the Victorian state economy by $19 million. Obviously, this must be part of our government’s financial stimulus package, as they are footing half of Tigers $3 million fee.

The Australian dollar is low in comparison to most other currencies, and it’s the perfect time to visit Australia for a golf holiday. With our close proximity to Asian countries, we believe that the amount of international golfers visiting our shores will increase dramatically as airfares are lower in real terms than they have been for many years. And, as an added bonus, accommodation deals are the best they have ever been.

Any international members are welcome to make inquiry to visit our shores for a golf holiday of their lifetime, and with a new AGTF academy in the Gold Coast region, we are able to assist you on your dream holiday.

The SAGTF conducted our most recent WGTF Level III certification course during March at Akasia Golf Club in Pretoria. Among the eight attendees, just to give you the idea of our diverse membership, were Adrian de Villiers, a youngster who recently received a scholarship to study in the United States; William van Vuren, who recently returned from Darfur, where he did some security work; Retief Keeve, who is a successful farmer and property speculator, and Jaco du Plessis, who works at the driving range at Akasia Golf Club.

Rounding out the group were Donovan Durand, who owns a music studio; Collin Macmillan, an entrepreneur who came all the way from Zimbabwe; Sang-Rae Joh, a Korean living in Johannesburg and is a project manager, and Sharl Olckers, who is a sales rep.

This group of students gelled well, and seven out of the eight passed their practical teaching examination. All the students worked very hard and tried their best. The course was conducted by yours truly, who in February became a dad with the birth of Gwen’s and my little boy Sebastien. We trust that all WGTF members and staff are well, and we look forward to seeing everybody at the World Cup this year.

Bastiaan Pos was considered the most outstanding student of the week, also shooting a 78 in the playing ability test from the back tees. We also welcome as new members Mark Koot, Hans Geurtsen, Bram van der Werf, Ralph van Onlangs, Jerik van Nuenen, Jerry Arens, Jan van Lubeek, Albert Visser, Dennis Deegen, Michel Hink, Peter Vluggen, and Peter van der Deen. Vila Sol will be a splendid location for the celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the DGTF in 2010, and we would like to invite all of our GTF friends in the fall of 2010 to be a part of it.

Many of our members should be on hand for our first tournament of the season at the Scherpenbergh Golf Club in Lieren, Holland, where Mr. Joost Poppe will host the event.

We are expecting to bring a strong contingent to this year’s World Golf Teachers Cup, and perhaps giving the traditional powers a run for their money in the team competition. We always enjoy meeting the various competitors from around the globe and to renew our business acquaintances.

Greetings from the IGTF to all WGTF members. We take this opportunity to invite members of the golfing community to visit the scenic and challenging golf courses of India. With the addition of new courses, golfers can choose any season and location in which to play. In the summer months of May-July, Bangalore-Mysore- Wellington-Coorg will provide a beautiful golfing experience. In the colder months of September through January, northern parts will be ideal to play in, such as Delhi-Jaipur-Agra.

The golf scene in India is looking up as never before, with a number of Indian golfers surging on the international circuits. This surge has prompted more youngsters, both boys and girls, to take up golf at an early age, especially in the metros of Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai. Chandigarh and Pune are also sending large numbers to the amateur circuits.

Fueling the new crop of golfers is the bigger prize money on the pro circuits. Recession has certainly hit the sponsorship of these events, but the overall prize money has increased, compared to earlier years. To complement this growth, the IGTF shall be organizing the Level III and IV course during the week of May 11-17, 2009 in Bangalore.

The only golf teaching pros event in the country with a cash prize, the IGTF Cup, is scheduled for October 5-6, 2009, at the Golden Green Golf Resort, Gurgaon (New Delhi). All of you are welcome.

We saw overwhelming response to our first USGTF certification course in Shanghai, China, last October. Through our modern, scientific, and systematic teaching method we utilized with our China candidates, these USGTF members are well received by their students. The feedback indicates that, not only have our members upgraded their teaching standard, but also the reputation of their golf careers.

The enquiries for our certification course are so great that we are encouraged to hold our second course in Shanghai in the middle of April this year, which will have already taken place by the time you read this. To fulfill the demand, we are planning to hold two more courses in July and October in Shanghai this year, trying to give more opportunity to those who are not certifiedteaching pros. They can upgrade themselves by becoming a certified teacher under the umbrella of the USGTF.

I wish everybody a good year in 2009.