Coming soon to a city near you!
By Brent Long

It's time to think about booking your first tee time of the New Year. If you're not lucky enough to be heading somewhere warm like South Carolina or perhaps the Caribbean, then you'll want to tee it up with at least one of three golf shows across Ontario in February and March.

Early-season duffers looking for the latest in new equipment or some last minute travel destination info will want to drop by the London Golf Show on February 20-21 at the Western Fair. GTA golfers should mark March 5-7 for the 21st Annual Toronto Star Golf & Travel Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and just as the snow is hopefully melting away, the Ottawa Gatineau Golf Expo is slated for March 27-28 at the Ottawa Athletic Club.

The Ontario-based golf travel web site, www.TravelingGolfer.net, will once again be setting up its popular booth featuring the "Winning Tee Promotion" that hands out thousands of dollars in prizes at each of the shows. The booth has quickly become one of the favourite show stoppers at each venue, and particularly in Toronto thanks to the great smiles from the fabulous Hooter Girls. Visitors at each of the shows receive a golf tee that they drop by the Traveling Golfer booth, fill out a form and receive a prize depending on the colour of the tee. "It's a terrifically popular program, and each year we give away some really great golf merchandise and prizes," said organizer Claudio DeMarchi. Visitors to the Traveling Golfer booth this year will have the opportunity to enter not one but two Grand Prize trip draws Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Both trips are courtesy of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. The first trip is for five days and four nights - including airfare and car rental - for four people. The other is a special promotion; Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is launching a contest through its web portal www.torontotomyrtle.com where one lucky entrant will win golf for a year. This package includes four days and four nights in Myrtle Beach including golf, airfare and accommodations each month, for a year or the days can be combined for longer stays. As the Toronto show approaches, you can expect to hear more about TravelingGolfer.net and Myrtle Beach through multiple promotions on a variety of top radio stations including; FAN590, Q-107, FM 93 and B101.

The Traveling Golfer Booth A lucky Winning Tee recipient Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach

"With over 100 golf courses to choose from, South Carolina's Myrtle Beach is one of the most popular golf destinations for Canadians, and we just want to get the word out that it's more accessible and affordable than ever with Porter Airlines announcing NEW non-stop service to beginning February 28th. It is a terrific spot for a golf or family holiday in 2010," DeMarchi says.

The Toronto Show - a granddaddy of North American golf shows - is now one of the largest consumer golf shows in North America with about 300 booths to wander by. It's three days of golf heaven for avid players in the GTA, including a sparkling line-up of local courses and great golf destinations, demonstrations by leading golf pros, golf equipment demonstrations and much, much more.

Themed days are new this year at the show. Friday is "History and Traditions Day", so I guess we will all be wearing our knickers! Saturday is "Family Day" meaning Mr. Knickers will be real busy entertaining the kids in their special KidZone, and Sunday may be the best day of all – "Ladies Day" features a special guest appearance by LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez.

The London Show, which attracted over 7,500 visitors last year, will feature a kids' zone with putting contest and driving range for junior golfers to take a few swings, plus a long-drive competition for women at the Golf Without Limits simulator area. Bridgestone is a new exhibitor this year, and they'll be going through a ball fitting which will highlight the company's newest products. Bob Martin's is expanding its retail space to including a greater selection of apparel and equipment. Equipment manufacturers confirmed to date include: Ping, Nike and Adams. One lucky visitor to the London Show will win a trip to Mississippi compliments of the State of Mississippi and Ultimate Golf Vacations.

Several local golf courses will also be on hand including; Tarandowah Golfers Club, Otter Creek GC, Forest City National, Caradoc Sands and others. Tarandowah, selected No. 9 in the Top-50 public courses in Ontario by Ontario Golf magazine, "Best Value in the London Area" by the London Free Press and "Best Value" in Ontario by SCOREGolf will once again be selling green fee passes for $30 at both the London and Toronto shows.

Tarandowah Golfers Club

The Ottawa Show, which attracts 8,500 people, had over 100 exhibitors in 2009 and they're hoping to grow again, says Shawn Hunter who coordinates the show for the National Golf Course Owners Association. All paying customers receive a sleeve of golf balls upon entry and they will be continuing with a popular twilight 2-for-1 rate on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon for a second year in a row. Hunter says they've reworked the floor plan to give the show, which attracts most of the major equipment manufacturers, a fresh look. Each equipment manufacturer has its own booth and individual hitting cage where visitors can test out the equipment. The "Play Golf Ontario Pavilion" is sold out once again with a nice mix of local course, while the "La Grande Allée de Quebec" features some of that province's top public and resort courses.

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