LAC LA BICHE - The Portage College golf team is getting ready to hit the links for the 2024 season.
Jim Knight, manager of athletics and recreation for Portage College, stated that tryouts start on Aug. 28 and this year’s roster will be chosen over two days. The tryouts will be held at the Lac La Biche Golf and Country Club.
According to Knight, there are 12 students trying out for a spot on the roster. The maximum the team can carry is eight men and four women. In past years, he added, there have been around six men and one to two women.
All the team’s practices, he explained, are at the Lac La Biche course with 30-45 minutes of hitting balls on the range, which will be followed by playing a round of golf.
The Portage College golf team plays within the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC).
“We have been contacting the students who have expressed interest to try out for the team,” he told Lakeland This Week. “Coach Lorin Tkachuk is ready to lead our group again in the ACAC.”
Last year, the men’s team finished in fifth place overall, while the highest men’s individual golfer was in 20th place. The sole woman golfer - Lyric Lewis - took home bronze at the ACAC championships and finished 15th at the 2023 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Golf National Championships, which took place in Quebec City from Oct. 16-20.
As of right now, Knight said, there is only one returning player from last year.
Knight said the ACAC has three events scheduled for this season. From Sept. 8-9, the team will be at Coal Creek in Ryley for a tournament hosted by NAIT. The following week, there is a tournament in Lac La Biche being hosted by Portage College.
The ACAC Championship is set to take place at the Alberta Springs Golf Course in Red Deer from Sept. 14-15 while the CCAA Golf Nationals, which are being hosted by Humber College, will be in Toronto from Oct. 14-18.
To help members of the golf team train for competitions, the college has invested in two flight scope simulators to help students know how far they are hitting the ball with specific clubs, so that they can pick the right clubs on the course.
“We also purchase hitting matts and nets so if needed we can train inside the gym at the college,” he said.
