Kaydem Al-Samawi has a new role with Golf Nova Scotia as Tournament & Marketing Director. Kaydem started with the association in 2021 as a summer intern and due to some staffing changes, quickly took on a leadership role. In 2022, Kaydem became the Marketing & Communications Coordinator and has excelled at raising the profile of the association’s website and social media channels.
Born in Alberta, Kaydem moved to Moncton, NB in 2007. Kaydem entered Dalhousie University in 2018 and graduated in the fall of 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and a major in Marketing Management. His love for sports is evident and grew up playing hockey, baseball, lacrosse, and golf.
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“We are lucky to have Kaydem.”, said Jason Lohnes, Executive Director of Golf Nova Scotia. “He took on a bigger role in 2021 than what was expected and rose to that challenge. We aim to elevate the delivery of our provincial championships and provide a consistent high-level product; to do that we need dedicated leadership in that space and I am confident of Kaydem’s ability.”
Kaydem officially began his new role on January 1, 2024, and while he will lead tournament delivery, he will also lead our marketing efforts with our website, social media channels, and email database.
“I was grateful to get an opportunity with Golf Nova Scotia as an intern in 2021 and was thrilled to hear that Jason and the association would have me back as a full-time employee.”, remarks Kaydem. “During my time with Golf NS, I have learned the intricacies of running a Provincial Championship and how important golf is to our membership. My goal is to continue to make our events a competitive, fun, and welcoming environment for all players to enjoy while making improvements each year. Thank you to Golf Nova Scotia for this incredible opportunity, I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the Championships this upcoming season.”
Kaydem can be reached by phone at (902) 468-8844 or by email at tournamentdirector@nsga.ns.ca.
OPPORTUNITY:
Title: Coordinator, First Tee – Atlantic
Reports to: Development Officer, First Tee – Atlantic
Location: Remote within New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island
Status: One Year Contract
Ideal Start Date: March 25, 2024
OVERVIEW:
Golf Canada Foundation is looking for a motivated, mission driven individual with excellent organizational and communication skills to assist with the implementation of the First Tee program in Atlantic Canada.The Coordinator, First Tee – Atlantic will report directly to the Development Officer, First Tee –Atlantic and will assist with the administration and execution of the First Tee – Atlantic fundraising efforts while supporting programming growth in the region.
Full Job Posting
Our association is rich in incredible history dating back to 1930; it is our mission to celebrate that history…and we are looking for your help.
We know that many members and member clubs have pictures, videos, news articles, etc. that others would enjoy. Please send us anything Golf NS (NSGA) related that we may be able to make available for others to see.
Please note that a clear digital copy is preferred and if it is a large file, we can help with the transfer. If you have something in hard copy form and you are not able to digitize it, we can likely help here too.
We cannot promise that everything we receive will be used and if the response to this request is large…and we hope it is…it may take us some time to reply to you.
You may drop off your contribution at 5516 Spring Garden Rd. (4th floor) or send your email to Golf NS Marketing & Tournament Director, Kaydem Al-Samawi (tournamentdirector@nsga.ns.ca).
Thank you in advance for your help!
by Jordan Parker, Sport Quarterly contributor
When the Nova Scotia Golf Association looked at the accessibility of the sport in the area, they soon realized there was a gap to fill.
There were plenty of intermediate tournaments, but beginners to the game just didn’t have the same support.
“We saw that, and we assessed ways to get a competitive base in junior golf. There just wasn’t much for entry-level competition,” said Jason Lohnes, executive director of the NSGA.
“We saw junior invitationals disappear due to the pandemic, and we saw a way to rejuvenate these things. We went back to clubs who used to do it and asked them to bring them back.”
That was how the Junior Invitational Tour began this year, which saw 170 players aged 11-19 participating in 12 events province-wide.
“We were just really happy to have something people could get involved in. We saw some clubs who had continued junior invitationals, and they were well-oiled machines. They didn’t need much help from us,” he said.
“Then there were others who’d never done it. They needed guidance, a bit of a budget, some marketing juice and our sponsorship connections to see results.”
The Invitational comes from the Nova Scotia Golf Association’s mission to provide “a low-cost, one-day competition” for Nova Scotia junior golfers, regardless of level or age. It allowed younger golfers to play on courses all over the province, and during 2023 there were more than 500 participants.
“This has just been a fabulous thing for the sport, the area and the younger golfers getting involved. It really just grew from the energy of the kids and parents,” she said.
Lohnes says it’s amazing to see people come together and rally around sports, and the low-cost entries make things easier.
“The community aspect really fuels the fire here. We get to see friendship and community develop just like it does in other sports. We understand the need for the social aspect in sport, and it’s nice to bring something that’s been missing,” he said.
There were nine events in 2023 and 17 events are planned for an expanded 2024.
“We have all but three dates confirmed and it’ll help families plan their vacations. We want to build the pieces up, look at the survey from this year that we distributed, and see what we can do,” said Wilson.
The association is excited to see the tournament become a bigger event and for it to serve even more people.
“There’s a walk-before-you-run approach at play here, and we want this to be a success. We don’t want to disrupt what’s already going on, but are more than willing to add and support where we can. We know this concept can just become bigger and better.”
