Golf is better with friends!

2022 will be our ninth season and we are proud of our growing community of golfing women have a lot of fun playing and learning together. Our members range from beginners to experienced. Whether you are a beginner or competing in National Championships we want to hear from you. Our own PGA of Canada professional is an experienced teacher who can elevate your game at any level.

Learn more about our club by reviewing our information session here: Metro Ladies Golf Inc Info session presentation 2022

Or join us for a Zoom session on Monday Jan. 31st at 7:30pm

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77909677314?pwd=8_SIKOi8xIkJnS-xLLZ_JYHnWxXRmh.1

Meeting ID: 779 0967 7314
Passcode: golf2022

New to the Game? Not sure what you should or shouldn’t do on the golf course?

Check out my Golf Etiquette list to make you feel more comfortable on the greens

Happy Golfing!

Golf Etiquette 101

• Start with a few jumping jacks
• Leg swings front to back and side to side
• Shoulder/arm rotations starts small getting larger (think airplane wings)
• Neck circles
• Ankle circles
• Lunge twists to move the hips
• Jump in place (think power from ground up)

On the Range

• 5 minutes:  60% speed with 7 or 8 iron

• 8 minutes: full swing with 6,7,8 irons

• 15 minutes: start with half swings and work to full swings

• 12 minutes: hybrids, fairway woods and drivers

Be your own Golf Coach

• Focus on balance and stop if things start to hurt. You are just waking up your golf muscles

• Is the ball flying left or right all the time?
• Use a rangefinder or estimate how far balls are flying

Check out my video where I share my tips on how to build your own backyard bunker for $120. The project took a weekend to complete.

Sara Wilson, Owner

Why Do I Play Golf?

Golf was introduced to me as a teenager. My parents and brother played. We were a golfing family, members at the Idylwylde Golf Club, a private club in Sudbury, Ontario.

We played golf together on Sundays and my brother and I took part in junior clinics at the club throughout the week and evenings. I think having my brother with me sparked my competitive spirit and I worked hard on my game to beat him…which I never did. We would play mini games around the clubhouse, putting green and driving range always making a bet before executing a swing. My friends were all at the club, not many girls, but I spent most of my days at the club from sunup to sundown with my brother and his friends. We ate all our meals there…that made my parents upset. They had the best steamed hot dogs at the halfway hut we needed a couple each day and a Shirley temple to wash it down. We tried to reason with our parents that they never had to buy groceries in the summer.

I was lucky to have a female golf professional at the club who taught me at weekly clinics, and I was drawn to her positivity and patience. I often wonder if I would have stuck with it if she was not around? I started to play competitive golf in towns across Northern Ontario and started to take it seriously around the age of 17. Playing golf and trying to get better was my focus. My last year as a junior I won the Girls Club Champion trophy!

Family at Cabot

Golf gave me the independence I craved. Golf taught me about following rules, social etiquette and respect. Golf gave me control. I could work alone and achieve something based on the work I put into it. Golf does not dependent on anybody else. It is just you and the course. Golf taught me how to organize and ignore thoughts in my head.

My first job was in golf. The first summer of University I returned to my club to work on the grounds crew. I cut the holes every day. I grew to love the early mornings, dewy grass, the grass smell and sunrises. The second summer I worked at Ashburn Golf Club, a private club in Halifax where I started as the driving range attendant and worked through the ranks to Class A Associate Golf Professional over the next 14 years. This is where I met my husband, a future golf professional too. I loved being at the club. On my days off I was there practicing and playing. I turned professional in 1999.

My friends are at the golf course. My most enduring friendships are with people I golf with. We can still tell the same stories. Our memory seems to change year after year, but we still laugh as though it was the first time, we have heard it.

In 2013 after a short hiatus to raise my family and work a government job with regular hours I launched my own business Metro Ladies Golf Inc. to encourage and support women in Halifax to take up the game. I missed the game and the people! I worked harder than ever to grow my business, but it never felt like work. Now I teach golf for a living. I am just so thankful that this game in all its beauty and long hours can support myself and family. I get to do what I genuinely Love. I also enjoy my role at Oakfield Golf & Country Club where I am the Director of Instruction. My three children started to golf around the age of 3 and I support them the way my first golf teacher did with patience and positivity. Time will tell if they get the golf bug but no matter how long or hard my day is when they call me to play golf after work, I play. Last summer we enjoyed a bucket list trip to Cabot and now I have golf partners for life.

Six years ago, I made the decision to play all the beautiful courses in Atlantic Canada. I have organized trips to PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and I am truly thankful that the sea gets to be the backdrop for all of it.

In these troubling times when there is so much uncertainty, I felt it was more important than ever to connect to my why. It is so easy to start to doubt the industry, the job and start the search for a career that will keep me working during another pandemic. My friends and family are in golf. My heart is in golf. And now more than ever I am more committed to creating great golf experiences for my clients, family, and myself.

So I will ask you, Why do you golf?

Sara

Nutrition Plan for Golfers

What changes will you make to ensure your body is ready to perform? Some small changes like reducing sugar, alcohol, caffeine and hotdogs can make a big difference.

Golf works all parts of the body and requires cardiovascular, strength and flexibility. A typical golf game, including walking and carrying clubs, can burn 330 calories on average per hour. Nutrition is an important aspect of your golf game, as it supports your body’s needs while playing the sport, but outside of your game or practice it’s important to maintain a balanced diet. Proper hydration, and a variety of nutritious foods can help you perform well on the course.

Hydration

Water is essential to the human body, as it support cells in transporting nutrients, eliminating waste and regulating and maintaining body temperature. If you feel thirsty, you body is already heading toward dehydration, so it is important to drink water before you ever sense thirst. During practice or in a round of golf, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 3 to 8 fluid ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes.

Eating Before you Play

The Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition group recommends fueling your body before you start a game or practice. This includes a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal to fill up muscle stores. Protein is also important to build and repair muscle while helping reduce post-exercise soreness. A pregame meal or snack could include a meat sandwich on whole-grain bread, an apple with peanut butter or cottage cheese with grapes. Don’t choose foods in your meal or snack that are hard to digest such as high-fibre or fatty foods.

Fueling During Play

During your golf game or practice, you need to replenish the fluids and energy you have used. Take advantage of a breaks to re-hydrate and eat a snack. Eating replenishes your carbohydrate stores to help you maintain concentration and the accuracy of your shots. Try easy-to-digest carbohydrate foods such as a piece of fruit, a sports or cereal bar or a sports beverage that provides quick sugar and fluids.

Recovering From Golf

Recovery nutrition helps your body restore fluids, electrolytes and muscle glycogen and also repairs and stimulates muscle growth. For your body to recover it is recommended by the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition group to have a snack or a meal that includes fluids, protein and carbohydrates within 15 to 30 minutes after your round of golf or practice. Easy carbohydrate and protein snacks include chocolate milk, dairy-based fruit smoothies or a balanced meal with lean meat, whole-grains, and fruits or vegetables.

Source: Lindsay Stern is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist who has been working in community and clinical nutrition since 2006. Currently she specializes in wellness and prevention and has been a certified Health and Wellness Coach since 2012. Stern holds Master of Public Health nutrition from the University of Minnesota.

September 2018 I was lucky enough to take a trip to Cabot in Inverness Nova Scotia with a group of members from Oakfield Golf & Country Club. I was embarrassed to say it was my first trip to either course. Working around golf courses I had heard the stories and watched people’s eyes light up when they recounted their experiences. I didn’t think I was a fan of links style courses where you are blown over from the forces blowing off the Atlantic Ocean. People told me how cold it was, but that never seemed to bother them. How could that be? Playing in windy conditions is annoying, grinding it out on every shot is very tiring and I have never been a fan of cold temperatures,drizzle and whatever else mother nature could throw at you.

From the moment you pull up to the property you know you are going to experience something very special. The wood, stone and glass on the buildings seem to have always been part of the landscape and just blends seamlessly into the links. The staff on and off the course were very welcoming and friendly and did everything to make your stay first class. When I arrived, I stood at the back of 18 green watching a group finishing up with their caddies and a bright blue sky in the background and it looked like something out of a Hollywood movie. At that moment I knew this trip would be special.

After being offered a homemade cookie before your first tee shot on the Links that afternoon I was mesmerized by the views. The ocean has a way of calming you and making your golf swing seem effortless. At the very least it reminds you there are more important things in life than your golf score. Breathe it in! Every hole was picture perfect with a view to the ocean. And the weather…I couldn’t tell you what it was like. All I knew was the course demanded my full attention. After the round we shared storied over dinner, drinks and live music at the Public House. Accommodations were first class with an amazing view of the ocean.

Day 2 we teed it up at The Cliffs. I didn’t think Cabot could get any better and then you play the Cliffs! The views were spectacular, and every hole offered up risk and reward. I never wanted the round to end. We sat on the signature white couches high above the cliffs on the back of the 18^th green to watch our playing partners finish up. Nobody wanted the day to end. Driving home I was planning my second visit to this golfer’s paradise.

In late October, three girlfriends and I returned for the day to play the Links. The flags were sideways, temperatures dipped to -3 with the windchill but we smiled and laughed. It was a great day!

If this course isn’t on your bucket list it needs to be. Grab some good friends pack all your outerwear and do it! You may just find what you are looking for – a gem in our own backyard. I am looking forward to returning in 2019 but might just plan a summer trip!

Donna Bonner – 2018 Club Champion

Introducing our 2019 Handicappers League!

In 2017 Metro Ladies launched the “Competitive League” for those ladies looking to learn and play by the rules of golf. The group meets weekly and posts scores for the various league events. We have also hosted club championships and fun scrambles that mirror activities at traditional golf clubs. In 2018 the members of the league wanted to be more inclusive and invite other ladies to join their Tuesday night golf game and social and they felt “competitive” was not a term that would describe the atmosphere of comradery and fun. The Handicappers League is a way to track your progress over the season and have fun learning and playing by the rules.

Welcoming….fun…friendships…supportive…….fireball…happy….inclusive….informative….sambuca….friendly….educational…..sociable……entertaining…. enjoyable…laughs…encouraging…..so much fun!!…peach schnapps….challenging……fun….. the most non-competitive “competitive” league I have been in. Ladies Competitive League ladies use to describe the league.    The ladies decided, with Sara Wilson’s blessing, to change the name of the League.   So, the League was given a new name, the Handicappers.  We feel the name is more representative of who we are.

Now on to the “golf” part of the League.  I hope you are thinking; what is the League all about?  Should I join? 

There is one commitment you must make to be a member of the League: to establish and maintain a handicap.   This does mean following the rules, keeping accurate scores and entering in the Golf Canada website.  No worries, you will be supported throughout the season starting with a rules session with Sara.  It is all a learning process and we learn the rules together.
Your Metro Ladies fees include:

• the cost of being a member of Golf Canada
• Rules session and rule book
• Access to all regular Metro Ladies games offered
• One swing clinic and One short game clinic

Since its inception in 2017, about 16 ladies play 9 holes every Tuesday night mostly at the Grandview Golf Club.  Ten of the games are included in the Handicappers 10 week tournament.  Scores are kept and tabulated for gross and net scores.  There are awards for various categories at the end of the season.  Last year we introduced a fun scramble at the end of our season. 

Throughout the season, we have a blast while playing golf.  Photos are taken and posted, support given for both great and disappointing shots all while we eat and drink to golf and friendships after each game.  We hope you will consider joining us for the 2019 season.

 Tina Webber –League Captain

Kelly Cahill, manager of a health-care company in Halifax, isn’t a total sports newbie – for years she has been a runner and hit softball diamonds. Her foray into golf started because she wanted to play alongside her husband, a long-time golf enthusiast, so she joined PGA of Canada pro Sara Wilson’s Metro Ladies Golf Inc. club four years ago to brush up on the game.

“I’ve since dropped the husband and kept up golf,” says Cahill, 41, the mother of a 10-year-old son.

The first few times on the links were “terrifying” because she was new to a sport that’s male-oriented, but she has since gained many friends and opened herself to other athletic and social adventures. She even plans to take up curling this fall after experiencing an event put together by Metro Ladies Golf.

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