Golf Ontario held one of its most cherished events recently: the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame ceremony.
Two new inductees were welcomed into the Hall of Fame, while a longtime journalist was presented with a distinguished award at the ceremony that saw more than 150 in attendance at Wooden Sticks Golf Club.
Inducted in the Builder Category was the late Anne Edgar Dodds-Hebron, whose husband, Rick, accepted the award in her honour. Dodds-Hebron was a dedicated figure with decades of amazing achievements in the Ontario golf community. Her commitment and passion for sharing her knowledge of the game led her to teaching the rules of golf for the respective Golf Management programs at both Niagara Falls Community College and Toronto’s Humber College. She is also a certified rules referee for the Golf Association of Ontario, Golf Canada, and other members of the golf community.
Ashley Chinner was the inductee in the Player Category. Chinner had a phenomenal career as both an amateur and professional golfer, whilst giving back to the sport. He turned pro in 1989 when he joined the Canadian Tour and would go on to compete in tournaments in over 25 countries. During his playing days in the 1990s on the Korn Ferry Tour, Chinner won the PGA Championship of Canada in 1996 and finished tied for 13th at the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open in 1998.
The recipient of the 2024 Lorne Rubenstein Media Award, presented by Lorne Rubenstein himself, was Robert Thompson, an award-winning reporter and an influential marketer and journalist for almost three decades. Thompson has won numerous Golf Journalism of Canada Awards (GJAC) for his work of covering the sport and is a three-time winner of the Kenneth R. Wilson award for magazine writing. His writing has appeared in well-known papers and magazines such as the National Post, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Listed magazine and so many more. Thompson is also the author of seven books and has interviewed a wide range of prime ministers, sports legends, pop stars and economists.
“On behalf of Golf Ontario, I would like to extend our congratulations to Anne, Ashley, and Robert. Their unwavering dedication and remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark on the sport in our province,” says Golf Ontario CEO Kyle McFarlane. “This year’s induction ceremony was filled with emotion as we honoured their extraordinary achievements and celebrated their passion for the game alongside family, friends and industry colleagues.”
Of those 150 strong in attendance, 10 are current Ontario Golf Hall of Fame members. Marlene Stewart Streit, Stu Hamilton, Cathy Sherk, Mary Ann Hayward, Lorne Rubenstein, Sandra Post, Patty Howard, Judith Kyrinis, Bob Beauchemin and Gary McKay were all in attendance.
Esteemed Canadian sportscaster and presenter, Rod Black, guided the ceremony for a second straight year as Master of Ceremonies. The evening started with an emotional tribute to recently passed Ontario Golf Hall of Famers: Sam Young, Bob Panasik and Ken Tarling.
The Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of extraordinary contributions and accomplishment in the game of golf in Ontario. Founded in 2000 by the Ontario Golf Association and the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association, the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is housed at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.
