{"id":382034,"date":"2026-01-01T19:27:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T19:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/382034\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T19:27:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T19:27:09","slug":"30-things-id-like-to-see-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/382034\/","title":{"rendered":"30 things\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0like to see in 2026\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy New Year and cheers\u00a0to\u00a02026.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Without further ado,\u00a0and\u00a0in no\u00a0particular order,\u00a0here\u00a0is my annual list of 30 things\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0like to see\/experience\u00a0during this year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Parks Canada\u00a0retain\u00a0a golf course design consultant(s)\u00a0to conduct\u00a0regular\u00a0audits\u00a0on courses under the federal agency\u2019s\u00a0jurisdiction.\u00a0A round at nine-hole Fundy National\u00a0last summer only confirmed and punctuated\u00a0Parks Canada\u2019s need for help\u00a0to properly\u00a0maintain\u00a0these courses for future generations to enjoy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Tiger Woods play two or three Champions Tour majors among 8 to10 events in\u00a02026. Woods\u2019s presence\u00a0will\u00a0be a windfall for the over-50 circuit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Some\u00a0transparency on the future of PGA Tour Americas\u2019 Canadian events.\u00a0The developmental tour\u2019s annual\u00a0schedule\u00a0was\u00a0comprised\u00a0of 10 Canadian-based events from 2022 to 2024\u00a0(and 12 pre-COVID)\u00a0before being reduced to nine in 2025 and\u00a0now\u00a0just six\u00a0for\u00a0this\u00a0upcoming\u00a0season<\/a>.\u00a0While higher title sponsorship fees (in U.S. dollars)\u00a0in a\u00a0still\u00a0somewhat\u00a0shaky\u00a0economy\u00a0remains\u00a0a\u00a0deterrent\u00a0for current and any potential future sponsors,\u00a0it\u00a0seems\u00a0to me\u00a0the PGA Tour\u00a0now\u00a0sees its\u00a0Canadian events on PGA Tour Americas\u00a0as\u00a0more liability than asset.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. Rory McIlroy<\/a>\u00a0win\u00a0a second straight Masters\u00a0to\u00a0become\u00a0the tournament\u2019s first back-to-back champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. Brooke Henderson\u00a0capture\u00a0another LPGA Tour major.\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. More golfers download\u00a0and use the Golf Canada mobile app.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

7. Golfers in the market to buy a new driver, irons\u00a0or anything else equipment\u00a0or apparel\u00a0wise\u00a0this season\u00a0do so sooner than later.\u00a0U.S. imposed tariffs on materials and\u00a0component\u00a0parts from China, Vietnam and Taiwan could\u00a0see\u00a0retail pricing\u00a0on gear\u00a0go up anywhere\u00a0from 10 to 25 per cent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

8. A reversal of the White House\u2019s decision to\u00a0terminate\u00a0The National Links Trust\u2019s\u00a0(NLT) lease to\u00a0operate\u00a0Washington, D.C.-area municipal\u00a0courses\u00a0East Potomac, Rock\u00a0Creek\u00a0and Langston Golf Course<\/a>. The NLT had\u00a0deals in place with Tom Doak, Gil Hanse and Beau Welling respectively for future renovation work.\u00a0U.S. President Donald Trump\u00a0has an alternative plan. Trump took over the courses from the NLT\u00a0and\u00a0apparently wants\u00a0to turn\u00a0East Potomac into a high-end venue\u00a0for\u00a0PGA Tour events, a\u00a0Presidents Cup\u00a0or\u00a0Ryder Cup.\u00a0Tom Fazio is to oversee\u00a0the East Potomac renovation\u00a0for Trump.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

9. Anyone who\u00a0struggles out of bunkers\u00a0give\u00a0PING\u2019s\u00a0BunkR\u00a0sand wedge a try.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0tested\u00a0several\u00a0wider\u00a0sole, cavity\u00a0back\u00a0sand wedges\u00a0over the\u00a0years,\u00a0but this one\u00a0is\u00a0the mountain top.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

10. Brooks Koepka extended\u00a0an\u00a0olive branch and welcomed back to the PGA Tour\u00a0without\u00a0penalty,\u00a0fine or restrictions.<\/p>\n

\"\"Could Brooks Koepka be back on the PGA Tour soon? (Doug DeFelice\/LIV Golf via AP)<\/p>\n

11. John Rahm\u00a0and\u00a0Bryson DeChambeau join Koepka and return to the PGA Tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

12. More\u00a0recreational golfers\u00a0consider adding\u00a0a\u00a0seven- and\/or\u00a0nine-wood\u00a0to their bag.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

13. Riley Johns\u2019s new third nine at Winnipeg\u2019s St. Charles Golf and Country Club.\u00a0Having walked the holes in July, this project has a chance to be equal to and\u00a0perhaps an\u00a0even better member experience than the club\u2019s\u00a0renovated\u00a0MacKenzie\u00a0and\u00a0Ross nines<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

14. PGA Tour CEO Brian\u00a0Rollap\u00a0and LPGA Tour\u00a0commissioner Craig Kessler\u00a0begin\u00a0formal discussions on turning the Presidents Cup into a jointly run biennial men\u2019s and women\u2019s event with 16-player teams\u00a0by 2030.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

15. A live TGL event at So-Fi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., so I can experience this\u00a0second-year\u00a0golf entertainment league for myself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

16. More golfers\u00a0give Zero Torque putters a try. If\u00a0you have a straight back, straight\u00a0through stroke or struggle with face rotation consistency,\u00a0these putters can\u00a0be beneficial.\u00a0That\u00a0said\u00a0I encourage you to\u00a0try before you buy.\u00a0Zero Torque is\u00a0NOT\u00a0for everybody.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

17. Golf course architect Jay Blasi become\u00a0better acquainted with\u00a0golfers and course architecture enthusiasts. I played two Blasi renovations\u00a0in California last month\u00a0\u2014 Poppy Ridge\u00a0(with Jay)\u00a0and Golden Gate Park\u00a0\u2014 and\u00a0was\u00a0blown away by\u00a0his vision and design acumen.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

18. PGA Tour Qualifying School medallist A.J. Ewart<\/a>\u00a0keep up the momentum the Canadian built\u00a0during the 2025 PGA Tour Americas season\u00a0and\u00a0get off to a great start in the big leagues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

19. How Angela Moser plans to\u00a0renovate\u00a0Burlington Golf and Country<\/a>.\u00a0The\u00a01922\u00a0Stanley Thompson\u00a0parkland\u00a0design\u00a0will be\u00a0Moser\u2019s first\u00a0Canadian assignment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

20. More golfers fix\u00a0their ball\u00a0mark\u00a0plus one more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

21. Manufacturers\u00a0and fitting specialists\u00a0increase awareness and emphasis on proper wedge fitting. Sole bounce on a wedge\u00a0remains\u00a0the least understood aspect of golf equipment for consumers.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

22. Tiger Woods\u2019s two municipal golf course projects \u2014 the\u00a0Patch\u00a0in Augusta,\u00a0Ga.,\u00a0and Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia.\u00a0A\u00a0product of the\u00a0Southern California\u2019s municipal golf system,\u00a0Woods\u00a0could\u00a0be hugely\u00a0influential\u00a0as an\u00a0advocate\u00a0for municipal and public golf\u00a0worldwide.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

23. Canadian golf courses Victoria Golf Club,\u00a0Grand Mere,\u00a0Memphremagog,\u00a0Mount Bruno,\u00a0Blackhawk,\u00a0Mickelson National,\u00a0Riverside\u00a0(Saskatchewan),\u00a0Essex Golf and Country Club, Ottawa Hunt,\u00a0Muskoka Lakes,\u00a0Humber Valley\u00a0(Newfoundland),\u00a0Ashburn,\u00a0Truro Golf Club.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Blackhawk GC near Edmonton was designed by Rod Whitman.<\/p>\n

24. Alan\u00a0Shipnuck\u2019s\u00a0new book,\u00a0RORY.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

25. The\u00a0library\u00a0at Golf Canada\u2019s new\u00a0headquarters\u00a0at TPC Toronto\u00a0named\u00a0the Robert Stanley Weir Memorial Library\u00a0to\u00a0honour\u00a0Canada\u2019s first\u00a0major\u00a0golf writer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

26. The\u00a0trend of\u00a0reducing bunker\u00a0size and\/or contracting bunkers\u00a0that are rarely if ever in play continue.\u00a0As a line-item on a course\u2019s annual budget,\u00a0bunker maintenance\u00a0is a big, big\u00a0number.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

27. Tom Doak\u2019s\u00a0Old Petty, the second course\u00a0at Cabot Highlands in Scotland<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

28. More golfers\u00a0look into a golf ball fitting. Similar to wedges and putters, I believe a high percentage of golfers are playing with\u00a0a ball that is not best suited\u00a0for\u00a0their abilities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

29. My late father one more time to\u00a0hug and\u00a0thank him for being the most important influence\u00a0on my\u00a0golf\u00a0life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

30. You\u00a0have an amazing 2026 golf season\u00a0and\u00a0enjoy the game with family and friends. Happy New Year\u00a0from\u00a0all of us here at\u00a0SCOREGolf.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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