The Red Deer Golf and Country Club is set to play host to Alberta's top female amateur golfers.

The Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship is starting this morning, with 43 of the top players in the province competing to put their name on that illustrious trophy.

One of those players, who placed 2nd in last year’s Alberta Ladies Amateur, is Kat Kennedy, who has been playing competitive golf since she was 13.

Kennedy, a University of British Columbia Thunderbird, captures the 2017 Canadian University/College Championship by an impressive 15 shot margin earlier this spring.

She says golf has taught her some valuable life lessons.

“Being patient, is definitely one of them. And just, keep pushing, keep grinding, keep improving, keep wanting more is definitely what I learned throughout the process of trying to be a better golfer, and a better individual.”

Head Rules Official for the Tournament and Volunteer with Alberta Golf Les Swelin says the course had to act fast after the big wind storm three weeks ago, to make sure the course was in a playable condition.

“They’ve done an awful lot of work. The golf course is in very good condition, the greens are beautiful, the fairways are near perfect. So it’s just the odd little spot where the wind did some damage to some trees.”

The top three finishers at the end of the tournament will form the team Alberta Interprovincial Squad for the Canadian Women's Amateur Championship, which will be played in Guelph, Ontario on July 25th.