Holiday wishes for the Canadian golf business

G4G Xmas wishes – my thoughts on appropriate gifts for the Canadian golf industry:

Mike Weir: A year where he’s healthy, so we can see if it is his body or his head that’s caused his decline. Oh, and English-to-[insert language here] dictionaries for those trips to European Tour stops.

Graham DeLaet: A strong back that allows him to play 25 events this year.

Adam Hadwin: The perspective to understand what he’s accomplished in a short period of time so he doesn’t go storming past the media at next year’s Q School.

Golfcanada.com: The ability to actually allow people to interact with the website and build a community around golf. Blogs with no comments are not blogs at all. Oh, and fewer AP articles.

RBC Canadian Open: Some respect for the reputable tournament it has once again become.

Canada’s newspapers: A new golf writer or two – they are splitting a couple among them at the moment.

Tarandowah Golfers Club: A year in which no one says it is going broke. It looks like the club is here to stay – but some don’t want to accept that.

Vancouver GC: A strong Canadian Women’s Open to make people forget about the mess that the tournament experienced in 2011.

Ian Andrew: The completion to his course in Laval co-designed with Weir. Lots of people will be watching this one given Ian’s outspoken ideas on golf design.

Cabot Links: A year in which the hype subsides and people recognize it for what it is – a great modern links.

Mike Keiser: For the co-owner of Cabot Links and proprietor of Bandon Dunes – the guts to build a second course on Cape Breton with Bill Coore. Canadian golf could use another great course.

Golfnewsnow.ca: A trip to Bandon Dunes – since they don’t offer free fams – to experience the best public golf on offer and gain a better understanding of Cabot Links in the process.

Highlands Links: The completion of its restoration so people can see this jewel fully shine again.

Sagebrush Sporting Club: A solid summer, new members and real estate sales so people stop worrying about the future of this super cool club.

Doug Carrick and Thomas McBroom: A couple of new courses for these once-busy designers.

Canadian golf course owners: A spring without tons of rain and a long, dry fall.

Izzy Beisiegel: The ability to forget playing with men, recognize she isn’t Michelle Wie, and concentrate on developing a career in women’s golf.

Rick Janes, Commissioner, Canadian Tour: A CFO to keep careful track of the Canadian Tour’s newfound PGA Tour dollars and avoid the struggles of 2011.

GMs of Canadian private clubs: Job stability. In the past month the GMs of the National, Brampton G&CC, Thornhill and Mississaugua have all lost their gigs.

Sean Foley: The patience not to get into pissing matches with his critics and demonstrate that he’s actually above the fray. He says it doesn’t bother him, so let’s see that through his actions.

Foley’s critics (me included): the ability to praise Foley if Tiger’s comeback is for real and not suggest all of the success was through Woods’ abilities.

Scott Simmons, Executive director, Golf Canada: A solid RBC Canadian Open in Ontario with big crowds and no rain. Oh, and 50,000 new public players for his stalled public golf initiative.

Brad Fritsch: A veteran mini-tour player who is on the Nationwide Tour this year, it would be neat to see Fritsch, who is smart and outspoken, end up on PGA Tour.

Rod Spittle: Continued great play from the nicest man in Canadian golf.

And for me…. Here’s hoping my cut doesn’t become a wipey fade, and that I can get my weight on my left side. My kingdom for a draw that doesn’t hook…

Have a happy holiday!