I would like to introduce a new blog mini series that I am compiling.  I will be sharing my thoughts and experiences this season with my time on the Great Lakes Tour as both employee and player.  It has been a great start to the season with some strange weather conditions, but nonetheless the golf has been great.  We have contested 4 official events and the season is shaping up to be a fun and competitive battle. Yet there are some insights to be shared.... 
I believe the Great Lakes Tour is a very underestimated Tour and should be recognized as THE developmental Tour in Canadian Golf.  I just finished watching the HP Byron Nelson Championship, where 16 year old Jordan Spieth made the cut.  This is a great accomplishment, and I do believe it's important to test your game against higher levels.  However, not every young player has the ability to qualify for a PGA Tour event.  Will they at some point... maybe... but where do they develop that kind of talent?

With that said, the Great Lakes Tour has a strong base of competitive players whom are champions as professionals and amateurs.  We have some of the top playing and club professionals out there this season.  Some players have even started out playing on the Great Lakes Tour and in two or three seasons have found themselves playing on a major PGA associated tour.   Some players that come to mind are:  David Hearn, Chris Baryla, Bryan Decorso, Brad Fritsch, Rod Spittle, Adam Short, Alan McLean, and others have gone on to play Canadian Tour and overseas.  There are also players whom have competed on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Canadian Tour who now make the Great Lakes Tour their summer home.  Those players include:  Brian McCann (our all time money winner, Nationwide Tour, Canadian Tour), Ben Ferguson (PGA Tour, winner on the Canadian Tour), Dave Levesque (Canadian Tour), Eddie Maunder (Canadian Tour), Ian Doig (Canadian Tour, Asian Tour),  and Martin Price (Canadian Tour winner).  And finally, some players split time between the Great Lakes Tour and the Canadian Tour.  Victor Ciesielski, Ryan Kings, Mike Gligic, and Will Mitchell.

I could keep going with names and playing ability, but the bottom line is that this tour is as good a training ground as any mini tour in the world.  If you are a young aspiring player dreaming of one day playing on the PGA Tour, it might be worth your time to invest in a few events and see  where your game stands against some of the best professionals in the province of Ontario.  When I was Jordan Spieth's age, I only wish I had the opportunity to play in an atmosphere such as the Great Lakes Tour.

For more information on the Great Lakes Tour please visit
www.greatlakestour.com         

Stay tuned for further posts on my time with the GLT and also some comments from future winners of the events.
 


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