Up and coming golf players hit the links in Simcoe County

A young high school student plays in the Georgian College High School Showcase on Fri. May 26, 2023 (Steve Mansbridge/CTV News Barrie)

Some of the province's best young golfers were hitting the links in Simcoe County for a tournament organizers hope to be held annually for decades.

The Georgian College High School Showcase returned to Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club on Friday. The event was held in 2018 and 2019 before going on hiatus throughout the pandemic.

Students play in teams of two in a best-ball format.

"It's very encouraging to see these golf swings and to see the scores that are coming in," said Tim Zado, the coordinator of Georgian College's Golf Industry Management Program, the organizer of Friday's event. "The future of the game is bright…I wouldn't be surprised if we've got some pretty good red numbers on the scoreboard later on today."

Zado says industry experts have observed an upswing in interest in the sport since the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged many to take up outdoor activities.

Approximately 80 students and about 20 of their high school coaches participated in the event. The tournament exposes young golfers to Georgian College's two-year golf industry management program.

"It's designed for students who are interested obviously in the game of golf, working on a golf course or the overall golf industry as a whole; it's a huge industry, 18-billion dollars across the country, so there's lots of opportunities, lots of careers within golf," said Zado.

Zado hopes that this tournament will be held annually.