Lorne Rubenstein to receive George Cumming Distinguished Service Award

Rubenstein will be honoured with the PGA’s most prestigious award Jan., 25th at Canada Night, which runs as part of the 2013 PGA Merchandise Show. The PGA of Canada will also recognize its 2012 National Award winners as part of the evening’s festivities. PGA of Canada Members, Canadian and international golf journalists, and PGA Merchandise Show exhibitors are encouraged to attend the event.

“On behalf of the PGA of Canada’s National Board of Directors’ and the Association’s 3,800 members, I’d like to congratulate Lorne Rubenstein on being named the 2012 recipient of our most prestigious award, the George Cumming Distinguished Service Award,” says PGA of Canada President, Gregg Schubert. “For more than 35 years, Lorne has contributed to the game of golf through his passion as a historian, journalist and author,” adding, “he’s also been a very strong PGA of Canada supporter over that time as well, with his wonderful stories about the likes of Moe Norman, George Knudson, Ben Kern and countless others.” 

Born in Toronto in 1948, Rubenstein was curator for the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s museum and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame from 1976-1982 before become the first editor of SCOREGolf magazine from 1981-1983. He has also written a golf column for The Globe and Mail since 1980. He has won four first-place awards from the Golf Writers Association of America, one National Magazine Award in Canada, and, most recently, he won the award for the best feature in 2009 from the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.

His 12 books include The Natural Golf Swing, with George Knudson (1988); Links: An Insider’s Tour Through the World of Golf (1990); The Swing, with Nick Price (1997); The Fundamentals of Hogan, with David Leadbetter (2000); A Season in Dornoch: Golf and Life in the Scottish Highlands (2001); Mike Weir: The Road to the Masters (2003); A Disorderly Compendium of Golf, with Jeff Neuman (2006); This Round’s on Me (2009); and the latest Moe & Me: Encounters with Moe Norman, Golf’s Mysterious Genius (2012). 

Rubenstein is also a member of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and was honoured with the Canadian Sports Media Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

“Being honoured with the George Cumming Distinguished Service Award certainly comes as a surprise,” Rubenstein admits. “But I’m certainly humbled and honoured to be recognized by the PGA of Canada.” 

Rubenstein says he’s respected and admired PGA of Canada Professionals from around the country since the time he was a young boy learning about the game.

“I could go on and on about all the wonderful PGA of Canada golf professionals who have been a part of my life, but the one commonality between them all was how important it was for each of them to be identified not just as a golf professional, but as a Canadian golf professional.” 

Considered the “Dean of Canadian Professional Golfers,” George Cumming’s teachings as proprietor of the Toronto Golf Club’s golf shop launched the career of many of Canada’s most revered golfers.

The Distinguished Service Award is designed to recognize outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf.

Dick Grimm was presented with the inaugural George Cumming Distinguished Service Award last December and Rubenstein says he’s proud to be following in his friend’s footsteps.

“Dick and I are quite close and we probably see each other over coffee at least once a week,” Rubenstein says. “So to follow him in receiving this award is really something.”

For more information about the PGA of Canada, visit http://www.pgaofcanada.com