Osprey earns PGA honour

Written By JAKE COURTEPATTE

The trifecta of courses at Osprey Valley has hit a prestige level yet unseen in Canadian golf circles.

The 54-hole facility in Caledon was on Monday named the first Canadian location to the PGA Tour's prestigious list of TPC facilities, the thirty-third overall property in the TPC network.

“We're extremely proud of this new partnership and the bright future that lies ahead for Osprey Valley,” said Osprey Valley President Chris Humeniuk. “The TPC brand is known around the world for its network of premier facilities and the quality experience that the PGA TOUR brand promises to every player.

“As we look to the future, we believe that this alignment will help usher in a new and exciting era at Osprey Valley.”

The announcement comes on the heels of July's Osprey Valley Open, which went off without a hitch as the first and only Mackenzie Tour stop in the Greater Toronto Area in the 2018 season.

The club signed a long-term agreement to keep the yearly tournament running for years to come shortly after.

TPC, short for Tournament Players Club, represents a chain of private and public courses across the United States owned by the PGA Tour, and the site of many of the tour's stops. For current Osprey Valley members, the TPC affiliation will represent a link to all TPC courses across North America to access at preferred rates, including top golf destinations like TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Humeniuk also said the newly-minted TPC moniker also opens up the possibility for the course as a future RBC Canadian Open site, the PGA Tour's only stop in Canada.

Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday said in a statement on Monday that the tour was “absolutely thrilled” with the inaugural Osprey Valley Open and they “look forward to returning for many years to come.”

“The players were delighted to compete at such an outstanding facility, and we look forward to working with the Osprey Valley team to grow the tournament's profile and impact in the Greater Toronto Area in the future,” said Monday.

Formerly renamed TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, the facility's “Toot” course will also experience a change in moniker: the site of the 2018 Osprey Valley Open will be renamed the North course, will Hoot and Heathlands will retain their names.

More than a year in the making for Humeniuk and his family, who have owned the club for more than a quarter century, Humeniuk says the ten-year partnership means that the PGA “sees potential in Canadian golf.”

“That's positive affirmation for all of us. They are the top golf organization in the world.”

The deal reached for the Osprey Valley Open to continue as a Mackenzie Tour stop was signed for five years. Two new clubhouses are already in the approval stage for the facility to coincide with its new title, with more changes to be announced in the near future.