Shootout at the Meadows
The Shaw Charity Classic has firmly established its roots in Calgary at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club with world-class fields, record-setting charitable donations and by uniting the community in the lead up to the event each summer with its public relations and promotional initiatives.
In addition to giving each of the Champions Tour players a traditional Calgary welcome with custom white hats upon arrival at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, other unique opportunities that set the Shaw Charity Classic apart from other tournaments was a visit by the stars of Hockey Canada. NHL players invited to Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp stopped by the course on tournament week to meet with golf’s stars, PGA TOUR Champions players visited hospitals and youth-based charities, Billy Andrade took a Calgary child back-to-school shopping and 2016 champion Carlos Franco made his return to Calgary on the Olympic bobsleigh track.
One of the season public relations highlights each year to launch ticket sales and announce confirmed players, is when Chris brings together celebrities, media personalities, tournament sponsors, and children from each of the partner charities of the Shaw Charity Classic for an old fashioned “Shootout At The Meadows” – where the winner of the head-to-head match play shootout not only takes home bragging rights and a famous Calgary white Stetson, but also makes a donation to the children’s charity they were partnered with.
Chris switched up the event to celebrate the tournament’s fifth anniversary – taking the annual Shootout at the Meadows under the stars.
Setting the tee box up with a night lounge setting with music, drinks and hors d’oeuvres on the menu, Olympians, Paralympians, NHL and CFL alumni competed in a head-to-head closest-to-the-pin glow in the dark par-3 contest.
The result of these creative promotional activities in the City – the Shaw Charity Classic has broken attendance records in each of its first five years, has donated more than $22.1 million to 180 youth-based charities in southern Alberta, and has received the President’s Award three times as the top event on the PGA TOUR Champions.