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By LNN Staff

June 25-27, 2025

The Amateur’s return to Paradise

Jun 10, 2025 | 2:04 PM

Officials with Paradise Canyon Golf Club in Lethbridge are putting a call out for volunteers for the Alberta Men’s Amateur Golf Championships June 25-27.

Organizers need 23 volunteers on Wednesday June 25, 23 volunteers for Thursday June 26, and 13 volunteers on Friday June 27.

Volunteers will be needed for registration, scoring, starters, and spotting. Morning and afternoon shifts are available and multiple days are allowed.

Volunteers can pick their preferred day, and organizers will accommodate as best they can.

Those wishing to volunteer for the event can provide their name, phone number, email, and shirt size to the Pro Shop by calling 403-381-4653. Instructions will be given from Alberta Golf.

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This year’s event will be the 113th playing of this prestigious event, with the ‘Amateur’ seeing it’s return to Paradise Canyon Golf Resort for the first time since 1993.

“We’re excited to be back on the schedule, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what the top amateurs can do down here” remarks Matt Barkway, Executive Golf Professional at Paradise Canyon Country Club. “We’re looking forward to seeing what the top amateurs can do in the same conditions.”

Officials say the course hasn’t undergone many significant changes since the last time the Men’s Amateur was held at Paradise, with the only major change coming with a lengthening of hole #9 in the early 2000’s mentions Barkway.

Club officials note the course has stood the test of time and has proven its ability to test the top players of any level. The course hosted the 2008 Canadian Men’s Amateur with future PGA Tour players Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, and Corey Conners all playing in the field. Paradise also hosted the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open for two years which was an Alberta tour stop on the PGA Tour Canada.

“The last one (industry event) would have been the PGA Tour Canada event in 2018 and 2019,” adds Barkway. “That event really showed the difference between the top level amateur and borderline professionals. The 2008 Canadian Men’s Amateur was here, and the winner may have been -10 and then the PGA Tour guys shot low 60’s every day. So, the quality of golf was vastly different”.

Barkway has been at Paradise Canyon Country Club for a long time, first as a member of the back shop, then as an Assistant/Associate professional for seven years, and now as executive golf professional. With his course experience, he knows what it will take to succeed at the course.

“There are challenges throughout the golf course, in the end of June it should be warm and it should be nice, but if the wind gets going that will be the #1 issue players will face. If you’ve ever faced southern Alberta winds in the springtime, you’ll understand”

With beautiful views provided by the coulees surrounding the course and the Old Man River, Barkway stresses that while they’re in the city of Lethbridge it doesn’t feel that way when you drive down the hill into the course. In 1993, only one year after its opening, Paradise Canyon Country Club provided this same feeling to the best players in Alberta.

In 2025 the same will be said for the current crop of top amateurs in Alberta as they begin their preparations for the 113th Men’s Amateur Championship when it kicks off June 25.

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