Antigonish Golf Club is Named First Tee Program Location of the Year – National Facility Awards for Junior Golf
First Tee Program Location of the Year
Awarded to a First Tee – Canada Program Location that demonstrates excellent enrolment in First Tee – Canada programming and makes a significant impact on growing participation among new juniors within its community.
WINNER: Antigonish Golf Club (Antigonish, N.S.)
Antigonish Golf Club has fully embraced First Tee in their second season offering programming. By developing meaningful relationships within their community, and creating unique fundraising opportunities, they were able to increase participation from 12 juniors in their first season, to 120 in 2025 – an increase of 900 percent. They offered six, six-hour First Tee programs at maximum capacity, and an additional six-hour, all girls session in the fall. Antigonish Golf Club’s dedication to accessibility and fostering a safe environment has created life-enhancing golf experiences for youth from all backgrounds in Atlantic Canada.
Full Golf Canada Article – Mike Masaro
WE ARE HIRING: Summer Intern
Title: Summer Intern
Reports To: Tournament and Marketing Director, and Technical Director
OVERVIEW
The successful candidate(s) will assist with the organization, delivery and execution of Provincial Championships and in-season programming. The Summer Intern(s) will meet and interact with many people, including association members, member clubs, golf facility staff, various volunteers, other Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs), Sport NS staff etc. Golf often provides networking opportunities and is an excellent way to meet people and create career-enhancing relationships.
Travel distances between championships and initiatives will vary depending on the season’s schedule. All staff will spend a great deal of time together striving to achieve common objectives, and must be willing to work in a team atmosphere and learn how to effectively solve problems and difficult situations.
Please submit all applications to accounting@nsga.ns.ca
Antigonish Golf & Country Club named 2025 First Tee Program Location of the Year
ANTIGONISH, N.S. — First Tee – Atlantic’s Antigonish Golf & Country Club has been named the 2025 First Tee Program Location of the Year, one of Golf Canada’s National Facility Awards for Junior Golf, recognizing its commitment to growing the game among youth in its community.
The National Facility Awards for Junior Golf program recognizes the critical role facilities play in developing young Canadian golfers. The First Tee Program Location of the Year honour is awarded to a facility that demonstrates strong enrolment and meaningful impact by introducing new juniors through First Tee programming.
Golf NS News Volume 4, Edition 4 – April
Golf NS Announces New Partnership with W28 Sports
Golf Nova Scotia is pleased to announce the Official Training and Coaching Development partnership with W28 Sports. Commencing this spring with the Junior Development team, W28 Sports will work with the high performance athletes and coaches to organize, structure, and deliver development plans for each player. Based out of Halifax, the company was selected for the partnership given their unique coaching system and market position, as well as the connection with long-standing Nova Scotian and former Provincial Champion Dave Williamson.
“30 years ago when I began playing golf competitively, I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have a path. I had a lot of energy and wanted to hit a lot of golf balls, but that wasn’t the best formula for success” says Dave. “Every athlete has a goal – we now take that goal and work backwards from it. What are those things that the athlete needs to do every day in order to achieve their goal? Now that’s possible – working with Golf Nova Scotia and the W28 System, we’re able to structure a process of success for every one of our athletes”.
Founded by former PGA Tour Canada pro Dave Williamson and Montreal Expos pitcher Trevor Wamback, the W28 System mapped perfectly to the needs of Golf Nova Scotia – in particular, the mission and vision of the Junior Development Team under Technical Director Shaun Margeson.
“We have a lot of great juniors here – a lot of juniors who are hungry to get better. We want to see them succeed, not just at the provincial level but at the national level as well” said Shaun. “When it comes to W28, it offers (the players) more structure and gives them clarity with what they are working towards. It gives the coaches more opportunity as well, to present their expectations, hold them accountable, and track all the data – everything that we need to make sure they are trending in the right direction.”
Throughout the summer and competitive season, Golf NS will be sharing developments from the junior team’s progressions made possible via the partnership – insights into the practise habits, performance, and accomplishments for each athlete en route to their individual successes. This knowledge will help structure future on-season and off-season training schedules with the Junior Development Team to ensure the athletes stay connected to their teammates, coaches, and goals.
“When I was a junior golfer, I had some great resources – but nothing like W28” says Shaun Margeson. “We’re going to apply the system in a way that doesn’t just serve the athletes right now, but in the future as well. We’re really looking forward to that, and introducing W28 not just to our team here but the whole Golf Nova Scotia community”.
Click the button below to learn more about the partnership, and how you can also join W28 Sports to begin your path for improvement.
About W28 Sports
W28 Sports offers professional coaching and digital accountability to help athletes and coaches build progression plans for improvement. Focusing where traditional instruction models have failed, the W28 System offers programming for accountable athletic development and disciplined sporting habits between coaching sessions. Now, players are assigned daily drills, insights and actions to progress in their sporting journeys, while coaches can easily monitor and adjust actions assigned to their teams and players.
Website link:
About The Golf Nova Scotia Junior Development Team
The 2025-2026 Junior Development Team Nova Scotia brings together some of the province’s most promising young golfers for monthly training sessions focused on every aspect of the game. Throughout the off-season, team members work on improving their swing, mental performance, nutrition, and strength and conditioning, all while learning from experienced PGA of Canada Golf Professionals. This program is designed to help athletes elevate their skills, build confidence, and prepare for success in competitive golf and beyond.
Website link:
Canadian Online Golf Expo – NOW LIVE
Golf NS News Volume 4, Edition 3 – March
Understanding Your Handicap – Video
Community Golf Coach Training for Staff and Volunteers
We’re proud to see three Nova Scotia facilities recognized nationally as finalists in the Golf Canada Junior Golf Facility Awards!
Congratulations to the following clubs for their incredible commitment to growing the game and supporting junior golfers across the province:
Paragon Golf & Country Club
Grassroots Junior Program of the Year – Finalist
Cabot Cape Breton
Youth on Course Program Location of the Year – Finalist
Antigonish Golf Club
First Tee Program Location of the Year – Finalist
These recognitions highlight the outstanding work being done in Nova Scotia to create opportunities for young golfers to learn, play, and grow in the game. Well done to all involved!
Understanding Your Handicap
Golf NS News Volume 4, Edition 2 – February
