Canadian Team Golf Play Kitchener/Waterloo Advances to GOLFZON Tour Final in Los Angeles

Canada's Team Golf Play Kitchener/Waterloo is set to compete in the GOLFZON Tour final this Saturday in Los Angeles, California.

 

The team, comprising PGA of Canada professionals Natalie Gleadall, Luke Moser, David French, and Victor Ciesielski, will face off against Detroit's Tee Times Rochester Hills.

 

The championship match offers a substantial prize of $300,000 USD to the winning squad.

 

The final will be live-streamed on GOLFZON’s YouTube Channel at 6 p.m. EST.

 

“It's been an amazing experience. I never, ever, would have thought an opportunity like this would come up five years after I quit playing professionally,” said Gleadall, a former Epson Tour player who now teaches at Golf Play.

 

“Now, we're playing for an insane amount of money indoors. It's very exciting, and all of us are grateful for the opportunity.”

 

During the inaugural season of the GOLFZON Tour, Team Golf Play Kitchener/Waterloo went undefeated through the round-robin matches before narrowly losing in the quarter-finals.

 

This year, they secured their spot in the final by defeating New York’s Jackson’s Golf on the second playoff hole of their quarter-final match and then overcoming Mexico's Mulligan’s Monterrey in the semi-finals.

 

“This is as legit as nerves can get,” Gleadall remarked.

 

“We had to grind in that quarter-final. We really came together as a team to get it done in sudden death, and that carried over to the semis.”

 

“Tee Times lost in the final last year. They're a strong team and a great bunch of guys. We got to meet them in Chicago. It's going to be fun. We're all looking forward to the challenge.”

 

GOLFZON, a leading golf simulator brand, established a professional golf simulator league in South Korea over a decade ago.

 

The North American tour, launched in 2024, has seen rapid growth, doubling in key metrics this year.

 

The tour began with qualifying rounds in June and July at participating GOLFZON locations.

 

Two players with the lowest scores from each month formed four-person teams.

 

The competition narrowed the field to 24 teams in a round-robin format, determining the top eight teams that advanced to the playoffs.

 

GOLFZON’s Network play connects facilities internationally, allowing players to compete in real-time from their local indoor simulator locations without the need for travel.

 

GOLFZON covered travel and accommodation expenses for both championship-match teams to Los Angeles and for all four teams in the semi-finals.

 

Seventy-two facilities in five countries and 27 U.S. states participated this season.

 

Canada was represented by several teams, including Alberta’s Gimme Virtual Golf (Edmonton), Manitoba’s Ace Golfzone (Winnipeg), and Ontario’s Golf Play Kitchener/Waterloo.

 

“A lot of people who don't play think golf is slow, boring, really hard, expensive, but the indoor space is making it cool,” Gleadall added.

 

“TGL and some of the content creators out there now are making an impact. I would not be surprised to see a lot more indoor tours in the years ahead. We've only just broken the surface of this.”

 

Indoor golf has seen significant growth recently.

 

According to Golf Canada, 19% of Canadians used golf simulators in 2021, a figure that rose dramatically to 43% in 2024.

 

Golf Play’s Waterloo location boasts 20 simulators, with over 500 participants in its weekly men's league and 150 in its women's league.

 

“That's in the fall, and fall isn't usually as busy as it is during the winter,” Gleadall noted.

 

Traditional golf facilities across Canada are adapting by incorporating indoor golf options during the winter months, enhancing membership value by offering year-round play.

 

Major stakeholders are also embracing this trend.

 

Golf Canada recently announced Just Swing, a comprehensive off-course golf strategy that promotes various forms of indoor golf and encourages Canadians to experience the game year-round.

 

In partnership with provincial golf associations, they are launching a new facility membership designed specifically for off-course operators.

 

“It's pretty cool for people to have this indoor entertainment space to learn the game of golf or play it for the first time,” said Gleadall.

 

“For the sport, I think this is a huge game-changer. I see it all the time at Golf Play. The number of people coming in who have never had a golf lesson before and choosing to do that in a simulator or playing their first round in one has been amazing. An indoor controlled environment can be so much less intimidating yet be so exciting for new golfers to experience.”

 

Regardless of Saturday's outcome, Team Golf Play Kitchener/Waterloo's participation in the GOLFZON Tour finals will further highlight Canada's expanding indoor golf scene.