The search is on for left-handed golfers to come out and participate in the Left-Handed Can-Am Golf Tournament at the Birchbank Golf Course in Trail next month.
Birchbank Golf Course V.P., Tom Milne, has played in Lefties tournaments for close to three decades. The Warfield resident just returned from Truckee, Calif. where he competed in the 84th National Association of Left-Handed Golfers (NALG) National Championship, and was tasked with organizing the Can-Am in Canada this year.
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The tournament welcomes all handicaps, with few restrictions.
“It’s open to every left-hander; age does not matter, women too,” said Milne. “It is open to anyone who is a left-handed golfer.”
The tournament brings together Lefty Teams from both sides of the border, with Team Canada going head-to-head against Team USA. Registration prior to the tournament is required so teams can be set and foursomes and pairings made according to handicap.
“I’d like to get 20 and 20 (players per team), but if we get more that’s fine,” says Milne. “The more, the better.”
So far, the tournament has U.S. players signed up from Nevada, Texas, St. Louis, Alabama, and Washington State and more to come. The Canadian side, however, is still looking for players.
The tournament follows the same guidelines as the popular Rider Cup, with three days of Match Play golf.
“The format is a best ball foursome, so you take the best of the two, then a scramble, then medal play, where you’re playing one-on-one.”
Milne says the primary goal is to enjoy the event and celebrate the two nation’s common bond of lefty golf. It’s also good for local economies as many players come early or stay after the tournament to enjoy a variety of activities including fishing, berry picking, hiking, mountain biking, boating, shopping and other pursuits.
“We have a lot of fun.” says Milne.
The World Left-Handed Golf Association Championship was held in Willingen, Germany May 20-24, and has a membership of 27 countries around the world. Rossland-Trail Country Club and the Castlegar Golf Club hosted the 60th National Left-Handed Golfers Championships in 1995 with over 200 lefty-golfers competing.
The Left-Handed Can-Am Tournament goes Aug. 9-11 at the Birchbank Golf Course. Entry fee is $275 and includes three green fees with cart, daily range balls, daily KP prizes, a welcome reception, dinner, and awards luncheon.
Registration deadline is July 29.
Contact Tom Milne by email at tmilne@telus.net for more info or to register.
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