Canadian PGA and NGCOA Canada Launch

Get Golf Ready in 5 Days

Ottawa, ON - Following the success in the United States of Get Golf Ready in 5 Days, an adult golf instruction program, the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) and the Canadian PGA are jointly launching the program north of the border for the 2010 golf season.

Get Golf Ready in 5 Days is designed to teach adults in five short lessons everything they will need to know to step onto a golf course and play with confidence. The program, priced at $99 plus tax per person, is designed to be fun, fast and affordable with an on-course component in each session.

“So many people have a spouse, friend or coworker that already plays the game and going out for the first time with them can be very intimidating”, stated Jeff Calderwood, CEO NGCOA Canada. “It is our intention to get these individuals out on the golf course with confidence and show them that the game of golf is about more than just rules and scorekeeping - it’s about having fun with friends, and enjoying the fresh air and exercise”.

The statistics from its inception year in the United States prove that the program works. Of the 17,000 trackable participants, 94% said they would recommend the program to a friend, 89% said they would continue playing and 76% had played an average of eight rounds following the five sessions.

“These stats proved to us that the program is well designed to welcome new golfers to the game”, stated Gary Bernard, Executive Director of the Canadian PGA. “We are very excited about our partnership with the NGCOA Canada as I feel we are the two associations best suited to offer this program in Canada,” he continued. “NGCOA Canada members provide access to the golf courses and our certified golf professionals are well positioned to execute the curriculum”.

NGCOA Canada and the Canadian PGA certified courses across the country will be offering the program this coming golf season. A dedicated website www.getgolfready.ca will be launched in the coming weeks so that golfers will be able to locate certified courses where they can participate.

The NGCOA Canada and the Canadian PGA are looking forward to working together on this initiative and to creating new recreational golfers that will enjoy this great game for years to come.

About the NGCOA Canada
The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada is a not-for-profit trade association representing over 1300 golf facilities in Canada.

About the Canadian PGA
Established in 1911, the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association is a non-profit association comprised of approximately 3,600 golf professionals across the country with a mandate to promote and advance the game of golf, serving the needs of both its membership and the golf public through professional and junior golf development programs and high-calibre competitive events. The National Office is located in Acton, Ontario with nine Zone Offices across the country. For more information, visit http://www.cpga.com/