Six Nations, ON – Monthill Golf & Country Club welcomes all to the Inaugural Indigenous Ontario Championship September 18-20 in the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. This event marks the first Open Provincial Championship in Canada for Indigenous golfers and will feature participants from across North America representing 41 Indigenous communities.
Located at 4925 Hwy 6 in Caledonia, Ontario, Monthill Golf & Country Club was selected as the host site of this important new Championship event due to its strong ties to the community via original owners Jerry Montour and the late Ken Hill. The pair of Six Nations business tycoons acquired the original Sundrim Golf Course in 2014 and renamed it Monthill. Following considerable investment in the facility, in 2021, Monthill transitioned to a fully private golf club, now regarded as one of the premier golf destinations in Southern Ontario.
“Having this event at MontHill Golf & Country Club is very special to us being 100% Indigenous owned. It was our late owner’s goal to host events of this nature, and I feel he will be smiling down at the 41 different nations coming from all over gathering to play for a provincial championship at MontHill,” mentioned Brendan Painter, Director of Golf Operations at Monthill. “The support our community has shown in helping fundraise and put on a first-class event for all competitors is amazing, and I can’t thank them all enough. We look forward to making this an annual event.”
Entry into the 36-hole tournament is open to Indigenous community members (First Nations, Métis & Inuit). Two days of stroke play will contain various divisions, including Men’s and Women’s Gross, Men’s and Women’s Net Stableford, and also recognizing the top junior and senior players.
“For too long, Onkwehonwe have been underrepresented and lacked opportunity in the golf world. This event will showcase and identify great Indigenous golfers, but more importantly, our hope is that it leads to opportunity, access, and growth of the game in our First Nation communities,” added Jesse Smith, Championship Co-Chair.
Sunday the 18th features a kid’s golf clinic, opening ceremonies and dinner for participants of the event, as well as key representatives from the Host Association Golf Ontario, members of the local Indigenous community, and distinguished guests representing the Provincial Government.
“With our strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion that is embedded throughout our strategic plan that will lead us through the next four years, the significance of this important championship is not lost on any of us.,” expressed Mike Kelly, CEO of Golf Ontario. “From our Board of Directors through our leadership team and across all of our staff, we are grateful that our friends from the Indigenous community have welcomed this partnership and the opportunity to host the inaugural Indigenous Ontario Golf Championship together.”
Round one gets underway Monday the 19th, with tee times beginning at 8:30 am off the first and tenth tees. Please visit our Golf genius page here for more information on the tournament.
About the Indigenous Ontario Championship:
The Indigenous Ontario Championship will be played and hosted at MontHill Golf & Country Club, located in Six Nations, Ontario. This Championship, open to men and women of all ages, is a 36-hole competition featuring a Gross division and a Net Stableford division and recognizes the top junior and senior players: Golf Ontario has worked closely with Indigenous leaders to ensure this event provides players and spectators with a memorable provincial championship experience. The championship will bring awareness to the growth of the game of golf and the impact it could have on the communities.
About Golf Ontario
Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to Shaping Lives Through Golf.
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For more information, please contact:
John Lawrence, Director, Competitions and Performance, Golf Ontario
JLawrence@gao.ca
Peter MacKellar, Manager, Marketing and Communications, Golf Ontario;
PMacKellar@gao.ca
