There is no doubt that hockey is Canada’s game, but when warm weather hits, golf outpaces all others. In fact, golf remains the country’s most popular sport when it comes to participation.
NHL referee and Canadian Amateur golfer Garrett Rank is no stranger to either sport, having played both from a young age.
“I grew up with skates on my feet as early as possible,” said Rank. “And then in the summer it was convenient for my parents to send me out to the golf course in Elmira and hang out with my buddies there. We would spend all day out there.”
With hockey season over, Rank now spends most of his summer days golfing. Just last month Rank played in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and will play in the RBC Canadian Open later this month for the fourth time. Not bad for a man who spends much of the year assessing penalties on some of the NHL’s biggest stars.
Rank, who battled testicular cancer while at university, grew up as a hockey player before switching to officiating. In 2017 he worked his way into a regular spot in the NHL, while continuing to play golf in top amateur events in the summer.
Golf and hockey are very complimentary of each other, involving many of the same movements and abilities. Rank says that the similarities between the two sports are likely why we see so many Canadians playing both.
“Hockey and golf are nice because you can play hockey in the winter and golf in the summer, and they are alike in a lot of ways,” said Rank. “I think the slapshot is pretty similar to the golf swing, especially with the hand-eye coordination involved. And that’s probably why we’re notorious in Canada for having left-handed golfers—people just transfer their left-handed hockey shot to their golf swing.”
The similarities are why we see so many hockey greats turn to golf at the end of their careers. Players like Mario Lemieux, Marc Savard, and Jeremy Roenick all carry low single-digit handicaps.
While he continues to pursue his officiating career, Rank’s love of golf shines through. He is ranked in the top 100 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and third among Canadian males.