Hockey season may be over, but that doesn’t mean that even at a golf tournament Canadians aren’t going to be thinking about their national pasttime.
That includes this week’s LPGA stop north of the border in Calgary, Alberta, home of the Earl Grey Golf Club and the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open, Canada’s national championship.
For the tournament, organizers turned the par-3 17th into The Rink, the hockey-themed party hole and fans who upgrade their tickets can sit near the tee box in the “Penalty Box.”
The marshals are dressed up like referees, the tee box markers are mini goalie helmets and everyone up and down both sides of the hole bangs on the boards after the players tees off.
“It’s very cool. It’s very loud and a lot of energy there. Makes it really fun for us players, and I think the fans enjoy it as well,” said Canadian Brooke Henderson, who is drawing the biggest galleries this week at Earl Grey.
Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, admitted she’d don a Calgary Flames sweater on the hole on Sunday.
“I don’t want to get booed.”
