Canada 55+ Games: A Friendly Competition in a Tournament Environment Thanks to Golf Québec
More than 130 golfers will participate in the golf event at the Canada 55+ Games in Quebec City, which will take place at the Mont Tourbillon Golf Club from August 28 to 30.
Thanks to the partnership with Golf Québec, golfers will compete in a tournament setting while maintaining the friendly spirit of the Canada 55+ Games.
“Our mission is to promote golf, make it accessible to everyone, and govern the sport. When Réseau FADOQ asked us, it was an obvious choice to help organize this event,” says Sandrine Bigras, Director of Competitions at Golf Québec.
Golf Québec will have two staff members on-site during the practice round and the two official rounds. Additionally, four referees will be on the course to ensure the smooth running of the competition and adherence to the rules.
Although Golf Québec will provide oversight similar to a national competition, Ms. Bigras emphasizes that athletes should not be intimidated. She notes that the role of the referees is to assist golfers, not to penalize them. Meetings will be held before the rounds to explain the day’s proceedings and outline the applicable rules.
Three scoring formats will be used for the results: gross score (total of all strokes), net score (total of all strokes adjusted with the index/handicap), and modified Callaway system.
For Callaway-Modified system, based on the golfer’s score, a certain number of holes will be deducted from their gross score to determine an “index”. The holes used for this deduction will be pre-determined prior to the start of the round, but golfers will only be informed of these holes at the end of the competition.
Golf Québec staff will be responsible for tallying the scores. In case of a tie, the retrogression method will be applied. A golfer cannot win both the net score and the gross score categories. Net score winners must have a verifiable Golf Canada index/handicap, which is not required for the Callaway system or gross score. Full golf regulations can be reviewed by clicking here..
“It’s fantastic because every participant will find their place with the different formats of play,” says Sandrine Bigras, who reminds us that age is irrelevant in golf.
The starts will be in a “shotgun” format, meaning that all groups will start at the same time from different holes. Furthermore, players from the same province or territory will not be in the same group. Groups will consist of either men or women, but will not be mixed.
An Interesting Challenge
Athletes will play their rounds at Mont Tourbillon, a golf course located in Lac-Beauport just north of Quebec City. The 18-hole course is a par 70.
“It’s a challenging hilly course. There is many slopes on the greens and they are tricky to read, making accurate placement on the greens crucial,” explains Xavier Pageau, Director of Golf Operations at Mont Tourbillon.
The signature hole of the course is the first hole with a view of Lake Beauport to the left. Mr. Pageau notes that holes 12, 13, and 14 are among the most challenging on the course, particularly due to blind shots on the 13th and 14th.
“We are really happy to host the Canada 55+ Games. Our course deserves to be known. With the late August colors, the views will be breathtaking,” he adds.
More About the Canada 55+ Games
Organized by Réseau FADOQ, the Canada 55+ Games will take place from August 27 to 30 at various locations throughout the City of Quebec.
More than 2,200 athletes and 600 supporters will participate in the Games, which will be held for the first time in Quebec. Twenty disciplines will be featured in these games, which are focused on participation and fun.
To make sure you don’t miss anything from the Canada 55+ Games, follow the event’s Facebook page.
Also, keep an eye on FADOQ’s social media, where we’ll be sharing texts, photos, and videos about the Quebec delegation and behind-the-scenes of the organization.
