The four recipients will be celebrated later this summer for their outstanding contributions to Canadian golf.

Four accomplished contributors to Canadian golf will be acknowledged for their dedicated efforts in and around the game as the 2024 recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

Long-time Golf Canada volunteer Duncan Mills of Edmonton, Alta., industry leaders Tiffany Gordon of Calgary, Alta. And the late Denzil Palmer of Montréal, Que. along with former golf publisher Kim Locke of Toronto, Ont. will be acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to Canadian golf.

“Golf Canada is proud to honour the long-time contributions of Duncan Mills, Tiffany Gordon, the late Denzil Palmer and Kim Locke, as our 2024 Distinguished Service Award recipients,” said Golf Canada President David McCarthy. “The effort and collective dedication of this year’s honourees has been influential and impactful to the game in their communities as well as the provincial and national level. We are proud to recognize and honour each for the indelible mark they have had on golf in Canada.”

Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been presented annually since 1993 to recognize individuals who have had an outstanding impact on Canadian golf either nationally or within their community.

The announcement of the 2024 Distinguished Service Award honourees coincides with Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting, conducted virtually on Thursday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

The presentation of the Distinguished Service Award to this year’s honourees as well as the Palmer family will be celebrated later this season at event locations to be determined.

Golf Canada 2024 Distinguished Service Award Honourees:

Duncan (Dunc) Mills (Volunteer) – Edmonton, Alta.

Dunc Mills’ contributions to the growth of golf in Alberta have been exceptional as a volunteer and administrator, and in the media space as the creator and lead contributor for the Alberta Golfer Magazine. Dunc began volunteering at Alberta Golf events in 1991 and for more than 25 years, has been the driving force behind the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour where he began serving as the Tour’s Executive Director in 1996. Over the years, he has spent time on the Alberta Golf Executive Committee, volunteered at many Alberta Golf and Golf Canada events as well as other professional tours when they visited Alberta. His impact on junior golf in the province through the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour has been incredible, having been a part of more than 600 events through its history. Dunc Mills’ outstanding contributions to the sport earned him nomination to the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame in 2023.

Denzil Palmer (Industry / Posthumous) – Montréal, Que.

The late Denzil Palmer is synonymous with excellence in Canadian golf club management. He spent more than 40 years as a leading figure in Canadian golf club management including nearly 30 years as General Manager and Secretary of The Royal Montreal Golf Club. He was a great supporter of Golf Canada as well as the RBC Canadian Open during his tenure when the club hosted Canada’s National Open Championship. Denzil also played a major role in the success of the 2007 President’s Cup at Royal Montreal, helping to solidify Royal Montreal’s historic standing as a signature hosting venue in Canada. Prior to his passing in 2022, Denzil was long-renowned as one of the premier club managers in Canada, having earned the highest honours of the Club Management Association of Canada (CMAC) including the President’s Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Excellence in Club Management Award Program. He was named an honorary member of both Royal Montreal and CMAC prior to his passing.

Tiffany Gordon (Industry) – Calgary, Alta.

Tiffany Gordon is a 30+ year member of the PGA of Canada and has contributed greatly to the advancement of the game as a Head Professional, General Manager, Director of Clubhouse Operations, and ambassador for golf in Alberta and at a national level. A past president and board member with the PGA of Alberta, Tiffany has also supported the game as a past member of both the NGCOA Canada and the Canadian Golf Superintendent’s Association. Tiffany has also been recognized as a past winner of the Alberta PGA Club Professional of the Year and the PGA of Canada Professional of the Year. A great support of Golf Canada championships including junior events and the (former) Canadian Women’s Tour, Tiffany has also served on the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Now working as Director of Clubhouse Operations and Membership Ambassador with Carnmoney Golf Club, Tiffany also serves as Secretary and Incoming Vice-President on the PGA of Canada National Board.

Kim Locke (Media) – Toronto, Ont.

As the former longtime owner and publisher of SCOREGolf, Kim Locke was a major driving force for the growth of SCOREGolf media properties into a trusted voice for Canadian golf. Prior to selling the SCOREGolf brand to a partnership between Torstar Inc. and Golf Town, Kim was a strong supporter for the game of the golf and created a path for numerous writers, editors, and contributors to chronicle Canadian golf, both through SCOREGolf Magazine and other print properties including Golf Canada magazine. Those editorial contributions also impacted Golf Canada’s National Open Championships along with other professional golf properties through souvenir programs and other partner storytelling engagements across SCOREGolf print, digital and broadcast channels. The annual SCOREGolf Awards became an annual recognition of Canadian golf excellence among amateur players, professionals, and industry contributors nationwide. The argument can be made that without Kim Locke as the financial and editorial driving force for SCOREGolf, there would not have been a platform for respected voices such as Bob Weeks, Jason Logan, John Gordon, Lorne Rubenstein, Rick Young, and others to become such trusted voices in Canadian golf. SCOREGolf was honoured by the PGA of Canada as the 2019 recipient of the George Cumming Distinguished Service Award and Kim’s contributions to Canadian golf were also recognized by the Canadian Golf Journalists Association as a past recipient of their Dick Grimm Award.