This summer, Creemore will play host to one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the country: the 2023 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.
Mad River Golf Club hosts this year’s tournament where up to 156 competitors will tee off at one of the best golf courses in Canada from July 24-27. The championship gets underway with an official practice round, followed by three championship rounds in this 54-hole stroke play competition.
2023 marks the first year the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will be its own standalone event. In previous iterations, they held it in conjunction with the Women’s Senior or Women’s Amateur Championships.
Any female aged 25-and-over as of July 25, 2023, with an official handicap index of 12.0 or less, is eligible to register.
“We’re extremely excited to be holding it at one of the top courses in Ontario, even in the country, being Mad River Golf Club,” said Adam Cinel, Senior Manager of Amateur Championships and Rules at Golf Canada.
“For this championship, we’ll be recruiting as many eligible competitors as we can this year, both in Canada and internationally.”
B.C. native and defending champion Shelly Stouffer will join the field of Canadian and international players vying for the coveted Mid-Amateur title.
2023 marks the first time Mad River will host a national championship. They’ve been ground zero for provincial championships in the past, but general manager Gary Ward believes hosting a National Championship is the next logical step for Mad River.
“Mad River is a well-regarded club and one of the things we really wanted to do was showcase it to some of Canada’s top players,” Ward said. “One of the best methods for doing that is to host a Golf Canada championship; the pinnacle of amateur golf championships in Canada.”
The course is playable for all skill levels of golfers, but approach shots and short game will be crucial to scoring well through all 54 holes of this championship. Mad River offers a wide variety of holes, from links-style holes on the front nine, to parkland winding through the Niagara Escarpment on the back nine.
Not only does a great deal of pride come with capturing the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, taking top spot earns exemptions into the Canadian Women’s Amateur and US Women’s Mid-Amateur tournaments.
It all sets up for a great week of golf in the Creemore area later this July. Golf Canada expects representation from around the world and a strong field of Canadian women golfers at the championship.
Situated in Simcoe County just south of Collingwood and close to Barrie, Mad River is a bit of a secret to some players in the neighbouring Greater Toronto Area. By hosting this prestigious tournament, they aim to raise the profile of this championship-level course to players all across Canada.
“We’re really hoping that they have a great time when they come up here when they play,” Ward said. “It’s a bit of a hidden gem; so many people don’t know much about Mad River. We really hope they’re going to have a great golf experience.”
Whether it’s the recent success of Canadian PGA Tour players like Brooke Henderson or Corey Conners, golf is gaining in popularity across the country. Golf Canada hopes this year’s Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship features excellent competition from across Canada.
“I think it’s the start of a long history for what this championship will become,” Cinel said. “You’re seeing golf and the way it’s trending, more and more Canadians on the PGA and LPGA tour. It’s one of the championships that has a long history ahead of itself and we’re just writing the first chapter of it.”
The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, takes place at Mad River Golf Club in Creemore, Ontario, July 24 to 27. To find out more about the tournament or to register, visit the Championship Info Page.