By Dwayne Tingley
Junior players are being recruited by the Fraser Edmundston Golf Club to help stage the 89th playing of the RBC Dominion Securities NB Men’s Amateur Championship.
“We want to show what a great golf club we have in Edmundston and how the members are working together to making sure others know how proud we are,” club president Henri Allain said with enthusiasm.
“One of the ways we are bringing the club back to a high level is to include the juniors and we want to show them what we can do as one of the best courses in New Brunswick,” Allain added.
Fraser Edmundston was selected to host the Amateur in mid-June after the original host, the Westfield Golf and Country Club, had to withdraw its bid because of significant winter damage. Allain said it was the ideal opportunity for Fraser Edmundston to step forward.
“It’s an exciting time for our club because we are working hard to promote golf in our area,” he said. “We’ve had a big increase in the size of our membership and we continue to promote it.
“The course is a gem and it’s in great shape and we have a long list of volunteers are helping out so this is a great win-win for us and for Golf New Brunswick.”
Fresh off his 2019 MCT Insurance Nova Scotia Amateur Championship, Fredericton’s Calvin Ross headlines a quality field that includes five past RBC Dominion Securities Champions. The Kingswood Golf, JH Sports and Texas State Bobcat product will be looking to hold 2010 & 2017 NB Men’s Amateur Champion, Darren Roach of The Riverside Country Club, as well as the Fredericton Golf Club’s Mike Landry who has finished inside the top 3 of the past four RBC Dominion Securities NB Men’s Amateur Championships, which includes a victory in 2016 to go with his first Men’s Amateur title in 2002. Greg Jones (1999) of the Country Meadows Golf Club, Kevin Farmer (1998) of the Herring Cove Provincial Park Golf Course and Ed Reevey (1993) of Riverside round out the list of past champions.
The top three finishers will qualify for the Canadian men’s amateur championship Aug. 5-8 at the Glen Arbour Golf Club in Hammonds Plains, N.S. The top three mid-amateurs will advance to the Canadian championship tournament Aug. 20-23 at the Summit Country Club in Toronto.
“Our club survived the winter in very good shape and it’s going to be in top, championship shape for the Amateur,” Allain said. “Another plus is that the Amateur can be played in the mornings and our members will still be able to play in the afternoon.”
He expects two or three Edmundston players to be in the 60-player field. The 6,650-yard, par 73 track is an old-style course that will offer New Brunswick’s top players a significant challenge.
“You have to stay in the fairway and be prepared for difficult shots all the way from tee to green because there are so many side hills,” Allain said.
“Holes 9, 10 and 11 are all par fives and they are birdie holes, but nothing will come easy,” he continued. “The players will love it. They will also love the friendliness of our people and the natural beauty of our city. I’m sure the players who come here will be coming back for many years in the future.”
The 93-year-old course has also hosted the Canadian men’s amateur championship twice – in 1956 and 2002.
This year’s NB Men’s Amateur Championship also marks the 13th anniversary of sponsorship by RBC Dominion Securities.
Spokesman Tom Gribbons, of Saint John, said collaborating with Golf New Brunswick to stage the Amateur matches up well with the company’s work with the golf community. RBC also sponsors the Canadian Open and the Heritage Classic on the PGA Tour.
“Many of our clients are golfers and these events are worthy community endeavors that we enjoy being part of,” said Gribbons, vice-president and branch manager of the Saint John office.
For more information on the 2019 RBC Dominion Securities NB Men’s Amateur Championship, including results and tee times, please CLICK HERE.
- For more information on the Fraser Edmundston Golf Club please visit: CLICK HERE.
- For more information on RBC Dominion Securities please visit: www.rbcds.com.
The title sponsor of the 2018 NB Men’s Amateur Championship is once again RBC Dominion Securities. RBC Dominion Securities was introduced as the title sponsor for the NB Amateur Championship in 2007. RBC Dominion Securities has been Canada’s premier provider of Investment Advice since 1901. With offices in Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John and Sussex, RBC Dominion Securities offers New Brunswick investors and businesses superior access to the most comprehensive wealth management services in the province.
Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB), a not for profit organization founded in 1934, is the official governing body for amateur golf in New Brunswick. In January of 2006, the New Brunswick Golf Association (NBGA) officially merged with the New Brunswick Ladies Golf Association (NBLGA), resulting in one united governing body for amateur golf in the province. Programs offered by Golf NB to its 8,000 members include: 12 provincial events, rules of golf education, course rating and handicap services, junior golf development programs and member club marketing initiatives.
