Ottawa Valley Golf Association
Hall of Fame
Diane Dolan
Inducted: 2021
Category: Player (Amateur)
Born: 1955
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec
Golf Club Affiliation(s):
Tecumseh, Kingsway Park, Casselview, Hylands
Canadian Championships:
2017 - Canadian Super Senior Ladies' Amateur
Provincial Championships:
1971 - Quebec Games Juvenile Champion
1974 - Quebec Junior Girls
1974 - Quebec Junior team
1982 - Quebec Father (Richard) & Daughter
2010, 2011, 2015 - Quebec Suzanne Beauregard
2015 - Quebec Women's Players Cup
Four-Time Quebec Senior Team Member
Three- time Ada Mackenzie Ontario Team Matches
Local Championships:
1979, 1990, 2013, 2015 - OVGA City & District Women
2007, 2012, 2013, 2016 - OVGA Senior Women
2003 - Ottawa Citizen
2002, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 - OVGA Ladies Four Ball - Better Ball
2013, 2020 - OVGA Tournament of Club Champions - Womens Senior
2013 OVGA Mixed Championship with Joe Gamble
Awards:
2014 - Athlete of Year 50 years & over - Loisir Sport Outaouais
2017 - Ottawa Sports Award - Golf
Four- time Quebec Nancy Walker Senior Sportsmanship Award
Joe McLean, Flagstick Golf Magazine 2020 photo
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Diane Dolan is still active on the golf course playing in OVGA, Golf Quebec and Golf Canada Events and Championships in 2021.
Diane was introduced to the game of golf at the age of 12 while caddying for her father Richard at the Tecumseh Golf Club. “After a few holes caddying, I told my dad I did not want to caddy. I wanted to play.” said Diane as she thought back on the day out with her dad. “He gave me a ball and a golf club and I finished the round with him playing in the rough for the remaining six holes.” She can’t remember her score but she does remember the bonding experience with her father. By the age of 16, Diane had worked hard enough on her game to play to a handicap of 6 and had mastered the ability to stop being upset with the bad shots in her game. “I learned to put the bad shots behind me and to look ahead to the next shot,” says Diane.
Diane’s first big win was in 1974 when she was crowned the Junior Provincial Girls Champion in Quebec. Along with her club championships at Tecumseh, Kingsway Park and Hylands golf clubs, Diane has also won the Ottawa Valley Golf Association City & District four times, the OVGA Senior Championship four times and the Four Ball Championship on eight occasions. Diane has also won the OVGA Tournament of Club Champions twice in the senior women's category. Overall, Diane is most proud of her 2017 Golf Canada Super Senior Ladies' Amateur Championship win.
Diane credits a few people for her development through the years. Her mother Dolores and father Richard were always supportive in all of her sporting and life adventures. Her sister Carole also played but found the game a little too frustrating unlike her brother Yvan who is a golf professional. Her daughter Aida doesn’t play golf but has helped Diane stay grounded in keeping the game in perspective. Diane also speaks highly of Ottawa PGA professional Marc Peterson at the Ottawa Athletic Club. She also credits then Hylands Head Golf Professional Rob Lindsay who was “generous with his time” and who helped her with her swing. “His athletic approach to the golf swing and his very positive and image based approach really worked with me,” says Diane.
“Improving my game skills,” was the answer when Diane was asked about her future in golf.
Diane Dolan profile information from 2013 Winter Edition of Flagstick Golf Magazine