Learning to golf like a pro

Golfers at Kingswood Golf Club in Kipling were delighted to take lessons from Amanda Minchin, head professional and general manager at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club in Estevan.  

Jason Balogh, along with the board committee, arranged for Minchin to come spend the day teaching the basics of the game to newcomers of the sport. 

After getting into the game just for fun, Minchin improved dramatically around the time she turned 16. It was then that she started to play competitively and discover the places the game could take her. She won multiple Saskatchewan Junior Girls titles and twice finished second in the Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur.  

She wound up on provincial teams and competed nationally for the first time at the 1998 Canadian Junior Girls at Toronto’s York Downs Golf and Country Club. 

She became a PGA of Canada member and joined Woodlawn as assistant professional. She became head professional in 2016 and head professional/GM in 2018. Through the years the accolades have piled up: PGA of Saskatchewan Assistant of the Year in 2012; PGA of Saskatchewan Teacher of the Year in 2015; PGA of Saskatchewan Junior Promoter of the Year in 2013 and 2016; and the PGA of Canada’s Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year in 2016. 

“We’re very busy in Estevan, especially this past year due to COVID,” explains Minchin and adds “golf is exploding.” 

“We have 40 kids signed up for lessons this weekend in Estevan. There’s a big demand for new people taking up the sport.” 

It’s a great idea that kids be introduced to golf.  

Minchin brought along an assistant, Jace Carlisle, who plays college golf, to meet the kids and let him see what it’s all about to teach lessons.  

Carlisle works in the golf shop at the Estevan golf course and was a junior there. He’s been out in the golf cart since he was three years old.  

“He plays college golf and he’s actually a Saskatchewan junior champion. He plays a lot of competitive golf and just a great kid all around,” explains Minchin. 

While in Kipling, Minchin worked with a group of young golfers and gave adult lessons to four who were eager to learn the game. 

“There was a great group of kids I worked with in Kipling and the adults were great,” says Minchin. 

“Jason spearheaded the event and reached out to me,” said Minchin. “You can tell he puts a lot of time into what they’re trying to build there (Kipling).”  

“That’s what you need…great volunteers,” says Minchin. “Not every club is fortunate to have people like that.”