ACTA golf tournament a hole-in-one

The weather was perfect for a bounce game among friends, but members of the Royal Ontario Golf Course in Milton, ON were not likely prepared for the invasion that took place during ACTA’s 27th annual golf tournament on July 8.

The event, whose sponsors included Air Canada and the Greater Toronto Airport Authority, welcomed approximately 200 professionals from all corners of the travel trade, and served as an opportunity for key industry leaders to catch up and network – while enjoying a round of 18 holes.

“This is one of the only days when competitors in this industry get together to play in [a friendly environment],” Duncan Bureau, vice-president, global sales for Air Canada told PAX. “Tomorrow we’ll go back to competing with each other, but for today, it’s just about maintaining relationships and enjoying a round of golf.”

Foursomes consisting of friends and new acquaintances drove throughout the course in carts branded with the Air Canada logo, and more often than not, those that weren’t joking loudly through a play could be found taking selfies on the green, or donning costumes for a photo opp.

Snack and beverage tents hosted by the event’s various other sponsors (which included big name suppliers as well as tourism boards), saw players through the day until the arrival of cocktail hour, when golf shirts and cleats were traded for jackets and heels, and those who couldn’t slip away from the office arrived to join in on the festivities.

A prime rib dinner preceded a rousing bout of prize giveaways, where those who didn’t place in the golf competition still had a chance to win at a seemingly endless number of charity raffles.

“We want everyone to have fun,” David McCaig, president of ACTA, told PAX when explaining the motivation behind the annual event, “but we also know that the conversations - the individual meetings and little tidbits of business that are said to each other - turn out to be very important for establishing and renewing relationships, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Winners of the tournament competition are as follows:

Chipping Contest -  Sponsored by Blue Cross (Blue Cross raised $960 for the Children’s Wish Foundation)

-Meg Murgatroyd, Carlson Wagonlit Travel

Ladies’ Closest to the Pin - Sponsored by Manulife

-Kim Clarke, Globus Family, Lauren Harris, ACTA

Men’s Longest Drive - Sponsored By Sunwing

-Ashmit Patel, Airliners

Air Canada’s Chipping Contest - Sponsored by Air Canada

-J.C. Girard, SoftVoyage; Steve Goodfellow, Air Canada

Ladies’ Straightest Drive - Sponsored by Air Canada

-Kourtney Penfound, Continental Currency Exchange; Steve Goodfellow, Air Canada

Men’s Closest to the Pin - Sponsored by Cornerstone Insurance Brokers Ltd.

-Peter Baker, Travelzoo Canada Inc.; Lynne Ray, Cornerstone Insurance Brokers Ltd.

Ladies’ Longest Drive - Sponsored By Softvoyage

-Barb Dirnberger, Discover the World; Dan Langevin, Softvoyage

Men’s Straightest Drive - Sponsored by WestJet

-Steve O’Brien, One King West; Mike Miguel, WestJet

Putting Contest - Sponsored by Hertz Canada Inc.

-Courtney Samuels, Marlin Travel; Mandy Alberga, Hertz Canada Inc.

Most Honest Golf Team

-Terri Brophy, Terri’s Travel; Donna Glover, Transat Distribution; Kate Stratford, Marlin Travel; Rita Polegri, Transat Distribution

7th Place

-Kiran Budhdev, Huntington Travel; Michael Degrace, Air Canada; Les Kovacs, Singapore Airlines; Francois Choquette, Air Canada

6th Place

-Lynne Ray, Cornerstone Insurance Brokers Ltd.; Cathy Baleck, Cornerstone Insurance Brokers Ltd.; Jeff Aube, Cornerstone Insurance Brokers Ltd.

5th Place

-Jim Morrison, Goway; Don McWilliam, Emirates; Phil Sproul, Driven To Grow; David Chorley, South African Airways

4th Place

- Of TravelBrands: David DeMarinis, Joseph DeMarinis, Al Budhwani &  Brad Miron

3rd Place (score of -10)

-Ashmit Patel, Airliners; Mike Fine, Leyland Sampayo; Emirates, Mit Patel, Airliners

2nd Place (score of -11)

-John Kirk; Dan Langevin, Softvoyage; Ian Patterson, J.C. Girard, Softvoyage

1st Place - Winning Team (score of -12)

-Patrick Doyle, American Express; Rob Monckton, American Express; Mike Thompson, ISB Canada; Don McPhail, Enterprise; David McCaig, ACTA

Grand Prize Winner - Air Canada

-Al Budhwani, TravelBrands

Hole in One Contest – Sponsored by Transat Holidays – no winner

-Golfers got the chance to Beat the Pro and Transat raised $708 for SOS Children’s Village Fund