Grey Bruce Golf News

Ontario's Hottest New Golf Destination

Clear the track - here comes Grey-Bruce

Eddie Shack, left, and Walter Gretzky at the Grey-Bruce Golf booth at the Toronto Golf and Travel Show

Coming off a year of unprecedented publicity and with the recent success of a free golf promotion at the Toronto Golf and Travel Show, Grey-Bruce is well positioned to take advantage of growing interest in the area as a golf destination. The opening of Cobble Beach Golf Links last year and its subsequent best new course awards (first in Ontario, third in Canada and top-10 in the world) brought plenty of attention to the area. And last June's Telus World Skins Game at the Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay near Thornbury brought thousands to the area and put Grey-Bruce in the national spotlight. The area received additional media attention late last season when London Free Press golf writer John Herbert rated BlackHorse Golf and Country Resort east of Kincardine as the best public course in southwestern Ontario. Topping off the honours for area golf courses was the Raven's selection as the fifth best new golf course in Canada. The awards gave a tremendous boost to a marketing campaign launched last year to bring golfers to the area. The campaign involved a revamped website (www.greybrucegolf.com), a 20-page golf guide, a free golf giveaway at the London and Toronto golf shows, new stay and play packages and a series of promotional newsletters emailed to about 2,000 Ontario golfers. Last year's golf giveaway brought close to 600 golfers to the area and generated almost $45,000 in golf-related business. This year, 1,625 rounds of golf worth more than $80,000 were given away at the Toronto show and free golf recipients received a golf guide featuring stay and play packages from each of the participating courses. Clubs involved in this year's campaign are Cobble Beach, BlackHorse, Owen Sound Golf and Country Club, Stone Tree Golf and Fitness Club, Saugeen Golf Club, The Links at Piper's Glen, Northern Dunes Golf Club, Sauble Golf & Country Club, Ainsdale Golf Course, Somerhill Golf Club, Homestead Golf and Winter Resort, Cornerstone Golf Club and Talisman Resort Village. The Regional Tourism Marketing Partnership, representing the City of Owen Sound and Grey and Bruce counties, has been assisting the golf courses ever since marketing efforts began in 2006. This year's campaign got an extra boost from the appearance of NHL fan favourite Eddie Shack at the Grey-Bruce Golf booth during the Toronto golf show. While golfers lined up to spin a customized crown and anchor wheel for their free round of golf, Shack signed autographs and entertained them with hockey stories and jokes. His appearance, arranged by long-time friend Gary Menaul, owner of the Durham-area Homestead Resort, coincided with the appearance of Walter Gretzky at the nearby Georgian Bay Club booth. The two celebrities engaged in some light-hearted banter, much to the delight of the large crowd which had gathered. "There was quite a buzz around the booth," said Saugeen general manager Dave Cowan, who was working at the booth when the two celebrities arrived. "Eddie's kibitzing with Walter was a lot of fun." Gretzky, father of NHL great Wayne Gretzky, was at the show to promote the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic, a Nationwide Tour event that will raise funds for his sons charity foundation. The event is scheduled for June 23-26 at the Raven and the Georgian Bay Club. With live coverage by the Golf Channel, the star-studded event will put the area in the spotlight once again. And with a three-year commitment for the event, it's a real marketing windfall that promises to bolster Grey-Bruce's image as an emerging golf destination. There were plenty of positive signs at the recent golf show that the region is headed in the right direction, Cowan said. He was particularly impressed with the number of golfers who were aware of Grey-Bruce and the value it offers in affordable green fees. "Many of them know about the area and they all know about Cobble Beach," he said. He believes the free golf concept has really helped create interest in the area. "We are accomplishing exactly what we want - bringing golfers to the Grey-Bruce region." And with newcomers spreading the word about the great golf courses and tremendous value, he believes Grey-Bruce will continue to grow as a golf destination. "The concept is working and we're starting to be on the golf map."