HAMILTON | It’s no longer an open secret. The big boss of Golf Canada predicted this in July 2017, estimating that courses outside the greater Toronto area had little chance of hosting the men’s national championship. Seven years later, the odds have fallen to zero.
So Canadians from coast to coast, from Victoria to Halifax, with the exception of Toronto, can forget the idea of seeing the best golfers in the world in their neck of the woods.
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And this, even though British Columbia is the second province that spends the most on golf, according to a study by the National Alliance of Golf Associations (ANAG) on the economic impact of golf in Canada published last week. With capital expenditures amounting to $3.5 billion in 2023, Quebec ranks third among the six Canadian regions studied.
Logistics and costs
Golf Canada lists several arguments to explain its roots in the greater Toronto area since 2015: the presence of its major sponsors, its corporate partners, the head offices of the Queen City, the expenses of moving a tournament resembling a mammoth across the country and the importance of pumping in revenue for the various programs of the national body.
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The last time the Canadian Open left Toronto was in 2014 when it was played in Montreal. The event covered losses of more than $1.5 million.
The next destinations are already almost set in stone. In 2025, the tournament will be held at the TPC Toronto Osprey Valley in Caledon. Not only does it enter Golf Canada’s rotation, but it would host numerous editions in the next decade. It is tipped to become the new “Glen Abbey” which has hosted 30 omniums in history since 1904. The Hamilton Golf and Country Club and St George’s also feature in the rotation plans for courses capable of hosting such a big event .
Financial indicators
Since the two editions canceled due to the pandemic, Golf Canada has been doing great business with its men’s national championship after the pandemic returned. Once again this year, all indicators, including sales, are green. The organization is on track to collect record revenues with nearly 135,000 spectators passing through the turnstiles, which would be the new mark to beat. And this, even if the course was closed to spectators for two days at the start of the week.
As a good politician, Applebaum says he understands the feeling of Canadians outside Toronto who would like to receive the elite. However, for financial reasons, Golf Canada will remain around the most populous city in the country since the National Open represents the bread and butter of the organization.
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And this, even if the main sponsor, the Royal Bank of Canada, decided not to renew its agreement with it. RBC also puts its name on the Heritage Classic in South Carolina after Masters week. In the new structure of the PGA Tour, there is talk behind the scenes that the bank is considering its strategy. Extended for a single year in 2023, the contract with the Canadian Open expired at the end of the final round in Hamilton.
Applebaum said he continues to talk with his biggest financial partner.
As for a return to Quebec, it does not close the door for the Women’s Open one of these days. For the moment, the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club where the 1994, 2008, 2017 and 2022 editions were contested is expected. Close to the provincial border, it attracts the Quebec public.
