Top collegiate golfers to clash in PEI
Another fall has arrived as has another Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association National Golf Championships. This year the event is hosted by the Holland Hurricanes of Prince Edward Island at the Fox Meadow Golf & Country Club in nearby Stratford.
In recent weeks, the five conferences that comprise the CCAA have been determining their representatives through provincial and regional championships. After stiff competition at the conference level, we now know who have qualified from the PACWEST, ACAC, RSEQ, ACAA, and more recently the OCAA. These qualifiers make up the field of 108 players. Broken down further, this number represents 15 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams as well as several individual entries.
2016 will mark the third time the Holland Hurricanes have hosted this National Championship. The first time the ‘Canes hosted was in 2008, which was the first National event they had ever hosted in any sport. Furthermore, the 2008 edition of this Championship was also hosted at this year’s host course – the Fox Meadow Golf & Country Club. The champions that year were the Humber College Hawks (Women) and Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack (Men).
The Hurricanes have also hosted this tournament in 2011 (Brudenell River Golf Course), which saw the championship go to the Durham College Lords (Women) and Humber College Hawks (Men).
In recent years, the Hurricanes have become known as a premier host in the CCAA after also hosting Women’s Soccer (2011), Men’s Volleyball (2014), Women’s Volleyball (2015) and in March, they will host Men’s Basketball for the first time; Holland College is the only dual-host in the CCAA in 2016-17 (Golf/Men’s Basketball).
National success for the Hurricanes has grown in recent years as the school has celebrated 10 years of membership in the CCAA in 2016.
The Men’s Golf Hurricanes have had the most success at Nationals for Holland, compiling three medals including a National Championship in 2014. The victory is the only national gold the Hurricanes have ever obtained. Other medals are a silver in 2011 while in 2006 the ‘Canes earned a national bronze.
The Women’s Golf Hurricanes have also had national success. In 2007, the Hurricanes took home their first National silver before repeating the accomplishment in 2012, when they fell short of winning gold by a single shot.
Other Hurricanes team’s that have had success nationally are Men’s Basketball (2013 silver, 2016 bronze), Women’s Basketball (2015 bronze, 2016 silver) and Men’s Soccer (2011 silver).
The host-course, the Fox Meadow Golf & Country Club, is a championship layout just five minutes from downtown Charlottetown. The par-72 Robert Heaslip design will test the competitors at this year’s Championship from tee-to-green.
From the tee players will need to contend with lengthy fescue grass lining the fairways as competitors attempt to put themselves in the ideal position prior to hitting their approach shots. The most difficult part of Fox Meadow? The greens.
Most greens will give players fits if they find themselves above the hole; the majority of the putting surfaces slope drastically from back-to-front. Positioning your approach shots below the hole is imperative if players hope to be aggressive with the flat-stick.
Lastly, look for players to have difficulties with the elements that come along with playing October golf in Atlantic Canada. Temperatures can typically be found anywhere between zero and 15 degrees Celsius with a wind-chill. High winds can also cause fits as players attempt to make accurate club selections. To make matters worse, Fox Meadow has very few sheltered areas that protect your ball during shots. The players that succeed this week will be the ones that best play the wind during the 54-hole event.
2016 also marks a historic first for the CCAA, as the Hurricanes will be live-streaming the PING CCAA Golf National Championships for the first time ever.
With the help of Bell TV1 and Universum Media viewers will be able to access live video coverage of the championship from Wednesday’s first tee shots through Friday’s closing ceremonies.
Holes available for viewing include 1, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 18 as well highlights from around the course and interviews throughout each day of the event.
2016 PING CCAA Golf National Championship field
-Courtesy of Daniel Cudmore, Holland College