You are invited to Canada Night at the PGA Show in Orlando, FL
WE'RE BACK! Join fellow PGA of Canada professionals and guests from across the industry at the PGA of Canada Night reception presented by Cabot on Wednesday, January 24 in Orlando, Florida. It will be the BIGGEST party of the 2024 PGA Merchandise Show and the perfect opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, meet international suppliers, and enjoy the PGA of Canada National Awards and Hall of Fame inductions supported by ECCO Golf. Doors for the event open at 5 PM and the awards will get underway at 6:00 PM ET sharp.
BE THE NORTH – DOWN SOUTH.
PGA of Canada Night Wednesday, January 24, 2024 5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Doors: 5 P.M. Room W109A – Orange County Convention Center, West Concourse Orlando, Florida Please CLICK HERE to RSVP if you are a PGA of Canada member. All other RSVPs and questions about Canada Night can be directed to Brendan Stasiewich at Brendan@PGAofCanada.com Visit Our Partners at the PGA Show: Company - Booth Number Callaway - 1543 Adidas - 7563 Titleist - 729 ORORO - 3559 Ecco - 2361 Lightspeed - 3929 Golf League Genius - 2915 SkyTrak - 1413 Caddy Time - 1505 Dormie Workshops - 6943 GolfForever - 2181
Wayne Vollmer and Joe Noble to be inducted into the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame
The PGA of Canada Hall of Fame will add two new members at Canada Night presented by Cabot on Wednesday, January 24.
Wayne Vollmer A PGA of Canada member since 1967, Wayne Vollmer has been working his entire career to better the game of golf in Canada, especially close to his home in British Columbia where he spent most of his time running operations at Morgan Creek Golf Club - which he did from the time the club opened in 1995 to his retirement in 2021. A tremendous player, Vollmer won the Canadian Junior Boys Championship in 1962, attended Arizona State University on a golf scholarship and turned pro after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.He played the PGA TOUR for four years starting in 1969 and, as per a Brad Ziemer article in BC Golf, will never forget his first tournament as an official tour member. “It was the third round of the Los Angeles Open and I was paired with a young man called Arnold Palmer,” Vollmer says. “So that was quite an introduction. “I had never played in front of so many people in my life. The first hole was lined several deep from the tee to the green and he was such a fantastic person. Right away, he tried to make the two of us playing with him feel very comfortable. He was very friendly to both of us, so that started the tour off pretty well.” In addition to his time on the PGA TOUR, Vollmer won the 1968 Alberta Open, where he beat Moe Norman and Bob Wiley in a playoff. Another notable win for Vollmer was the 1971 B.C. Open at Marine Drive Golf Club. Vollmer's efforts to grow the game of golf amongst juniors at Morgan Creek is noteworthy; his tremendous efforts remains noticable and will be for a long time to come.
Joe Noble (1910-2006) Joe Noble, known by his friends as “Joe the Pro” was the complete Club Professional. He was an accomplished player, noted instructor and an ardent promoter of the game to players of all skills and ages. In addition, he was a mentor to young golfers at his club and helped to forge the career paths of many through his wisdom and advice.A diminutive man who cast a long shadow, Joe, probably better known as a Teacher, was a skilled player in his own right. He participated in 20 Canadian Open Championships and made 13 cuts with his best finish being in 1941 when he tied for 21st. In addition, he had a 3rd place finish in the 1946 PGA of Canada Championship.
Joe’s reputation as “Gentleman Joe” was forged in the 1960 Miller Match Play Championship. During the final match, Joe’s opponent (Hall of Fame Member) Al Balding became violently ill, and Joe insisted that they take a break to enable him to continue the match. After a lengthy delay, play was resumed and Balding ultimately won the match and the championship. An act of true sportsmanship.
As a teacher, Joe was ahead of his time. He was among the first to utilize audio tapes to provide feedback to his students on many topics including technique, strategy and even psychology. Joe was noted for his work with Juniors and for many years he conducted free weekly Saturday morning clinics at Thornhill for children of members and their friends.
His passion for Junior golfers extended beyond his club. He was an integral member of the team that began the Junior Camps conducted by the GAO, the pre-cursor to the Elite program of today and he was the guiding force behind the GAO Junior Best Ball Championship which was first played in 1946 and continues to this day.
Joe’s philanthropic side was always on display. He was the guiding force behind the establishment of the Hulbert Memorial Fund in 1946 which was ultimately gifted to the PGA of Ontario Benevolent Fund in 2021 as well as the Joe Noble Trust Fund that was established by the Thornhill Club in his honour, to help young Thornhill members based on accomplishment or need.
Joe served as Vice Captain and other roles within the PGA of Ontario including President. Joe served in the Navy in World War II and in his early years, during the off-season, he was the Badminton Professional at the Granite Club in Toronto, a role he enjoyed for 17 years.