• How Your Handicap Is Calculated Under Golf’s New World Handicap System

    Click HERE see the video by Golf Canada on how your handicap will be calculated by the World Handicap System starting in Canada from January 8th, 2020.

    Watch more RULES AND HANDICAPPING on Golf Canada TV

    Courtesy Golf Canada

    The World Handicap System will ensure handicaps are calculated consistently around the world.

    Click here for more information.

  • British Columbia Golf Mourns The Passing Of Former Board Member And Contributor Dick Lyle

    British Columbia Golf is sad to report the passing of a longtime friend and contributor as former Board member and staff employee, Dick Lyle, passed away on December 29th.

    As a tribute and in memory of Dick we present here the official obituary as published online at the vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca

  • British Columbia Golf Joins In Mourning The Passing Of Marion Andrews

    British Columbia Golf was saddened to have learned over the Christmas break of the passing of Victoria's Marion Andrews on December 16th at the age of 95.

    We wish to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Marion and share the following memoriam as per the Times Colonist Newspaper and Zone 5 Secretary Barb Rainey.

  • Pacific Northwest Golf Community Saddened By Loss Of Dr. Jack Lamey

    Dr. Jack Lamey Was a PNGA Representative From 2004-2019, And Also Served As PNGA President In 2010-2012

    British Columbia Golf wishes to join the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and indeed the entire golf community in expressing our sadness upon the loss of Dr. Jack Lamey over the Christmas Holidays. Dr. Lamey was a very thoughtful and passionate giver to the game of golf and he will be missed by his family, all his friends and acquaintences in and around golf as well as all who knew him. 

    We share with you here an announcement put out through the PNGA by its Executive Director, Troy Andrew. 

  • Welcome To Golf Handicaps For Dummies: Why Having A Handicap Is Not A Handicap

    By John Gordon/Golf Canada

    Welcome to Golf Handicaps for Dummies: Why having a handicap is not a handicap.

    No, I’m not calling you a dummy, but if you’re a golfer of any ability who doesn’t maintain an accurate and consistent handicap, you’re not taking advantage of one of the fundamentals that makes golf the most democratic of sports. And that’s just dumb.

    With all due respect, you can’t go one-on-one with a pro basketball player or hope to score on an NHL goalie. They’re not going to let you shoot at a basket that’s lower than regulation or a net that’s 10 feet wide and six feet high.

    But golf’s handicap system allows you to compete on an equitable basis with players who are more or less accomplished than you are. Maintaining a handicap also allows you to monitor your progress every time you play. It’s an integral part of your golf experience.

    And, starting Jan. 8, the new World Handicap System makes that scenario even more attractive. More user-friendly, in other words.

  • To The Next Level, New BC Golf Performance Program

    British Columbia Performance Coach Colin Lavers Is Excited About The New Program's Focus And Goals For BC's Best Going Forward - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    A new program designed to provide some of this province’s top junior golfers with the resources to help them take their games to the next level is a key initiative for British Columbia Golf in 2020.

    The British Columbia Golf Performance Program is being rolled out in January, when eight athletes will be selected as the program’s first participants.

    The goal, quite simply, is to help more British Columbia junior golfers play their way onto Golf Canada’s national teams. “This is a major enhancement to our existing programs and services,” says Debbie Pyne, Managing Director of Player Development for British Columbia Golf.

  • The R&A And The USGA Announce Modifications To World Amateur Golf Ranking ® (WAGR ®)

    Image Courtesy WAGR®

    (20 November 2019, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, N.J., USA): The R&A and the USGA today announced the World Amateur Golf Ranking ® (WAGR ®) will be determined by a new system called the Power Method beginning with the first update in January 2020.

    The Power Method aims to better reflect the current performance of golfers by placing greater emphasis on current form and results by improving the algorithms used to determine the WAGR.

    In the new structure, every event in the world will earn a Power based on the strength of its starting field which will then determine the total number of ranking points on offer to the field. This will extend to a maximum of 1000 for amateur events with players also able to gain ranking points from playing in professional tournaments.

  • Pacific Northwest Golf Association Selects 2019 Players of the Year

    Bellevue, WA's Ian Siebers Was Named PNGA Junior Boy's POY For The 2nd Straight Year - Image Courtesy PNGA

    For Immediate Release

    Federal Way, Wash. – The Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) has announced the 2019 Players of the Year for the region. Those honored include Men's Player of the Year, Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, Wash.; Women’s, Ellie Slama of Salem, Ore.; Men's Mid-Amateur, Reid Hatley of Hayden Lake, Idaho; Women's Mid-Amateur, Gretchen Johnson of Portland, Ore.; Senior Men's, Pat O’Donnell of Happy Valley, Ore.; Senior Women's, Lara Tennant of Portland, Ore.; Junior Boys', Ian Siebers of Bellevue, Wash.; and Junior Girls', Gihoe Seo of Mercer Island, Wash.

    Click here for a list of playing accomplishments of this year’s recipients, and here for a complete history of all past PNGA Player of the Year recipients. 

  • World Handicap System To Roll Out In 2020

    For Immediate Release

    (4 November 2019, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, N.J., USA): The World Handicap System (WHS) is ready to be launched from January 2020 and will provide golfers with a unified and more inclusive handicapping system for the first time.

    Though many countries are planning to adopt the new system in January, the system will go live in other parts of the world throughout the year to accommodate different implementation plans and variations in the golfing calendar.

  • British Columbia Golf Announces 2019 PNGA Players Of The Year Nominations

    (Delta, BC) – British Columbia Golf has announced their 2019 PNGA Player of the Year nominees. These are the players nominated for their respective categories for the PNGA annual awards this fall. 

    The category nominees are as follows: Men’s, Chris Crisologo of Richmond; Women's, Mary Parsons of Delta; Men's Mid-Amateur, Mike Aizawa of Richmond; Women's Mid-Amateur, Nonie Marler of Vancouver; Senior Men's, Doug Roxburgh of Vancouver; Senior Women's, Jackie Little of Procter; Junior Boys', Jace Minni of Delta ; and Junior Girls', Michelle Liu of Vancouver .

  • Folsom Wins PNGA Senior Women’s Amateur; BC's Horwood Repeats At Super Senior

    PNGA Senior Women's Champion Leslie Folsom (L) And Super Senior Champion Holly Horwood (R) - PNGA Photo

    Via Press Release

    Spokane, Wash. – Leslie Folsom of Tukwila, Wash. shot rounds of 73-76 to win the 33rd Pacific Northwest Senior Women’s Amateur; while Holly Horwood of Vancouver, B.C. successfully defended her title by winning the 8th Super Senior Women’s Amateur, her third consecutive title in this championship.

    Both 36-hole championships were held concurrently this week at Kalispel Golf and Country Club in Spokane, Wash., and were conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).

    Visit thepnga.org for complete final scoring of both championships.

  • Economic Survey On Golf In Canada Continues - Please Take Part

    RBC Canadian Open (Marcus Oleniuk/ Golf Canada)

    Whether you’re a club member, an avid public player or a new enthusiast to the game, spending on the sport of golf drives massive benefit to communities across Canada.

    The impact of golf on the Canadian economy is enormous—an economic impact in excess of $14B is only part of the story. Golf courses and the industry at large account for hundreds of thousands of jobs. Canadians and international visitors plan golf vacations to communities that market themselves as golf destinations and resorts offer golf packages that result in millions of tourism dollars.

  • Women In Golf Charter Update

    British Columbia Golf CEO Kris Jonasson And Board President Michelle Collens Were Two Of The First Signatories On Board From A Provincial Association In Canada For The Women In Golf Charter - BC Golf Photo

    Courtesy R & A/ British Columbia Golf

    (Friday, 27 September, 2019) - To date, 153 organizations have given their commitment to the Women in Golf Charter, pledging to build on current initiatives and develop new projects to increase the number of women, girls and families playing golf and becoming members of clubs, as well as giving women wider opportunities to enjoy careers and volunteering in the sport.

  • Recognize Greatness In The #ThanksBCcoach Contest

    National Coaches Week provides coaches with the recognition they deserve for the time they devote to ensuring Canadians live an active, healthy lifestyle. From September 21 - 29, 2019, encourage yourself to say thanks to the coaches who call B.C. home.

    To celebrate National Coaches Week, viaSport is giving away $1000 through our Coaches Week Contest! See below for more details.

  • The BC Games Coach Mentorship Program Is Back

     Courtesy viaSport

    August 27, 2019 - It's no secret that coaches are a crucial source of support, encouragement and inspiration to sport participants at every stage of the game. While they're often used to building into others, coaches too can always benefit from a bit of motivation and leadership.

    The BC Games Coach Mentorship Program is a partnership between viaSport and the BC Games Society designed to support the development of key mentors within sports, thereby increasing the current capacity of sport leaders in BC.

    The program supports Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) in targeted coach development, through mentorship; builds capacity in coaching leaders in the province and introduces a basic mentorship model in sport that can be used to develop a variety of roles.

  • BC Provincial Titleist Jr Boys Performance Camp Coming To Westwood Plateau G&CC

    A BC Provincial Titleist Jr. Boys Performance Camp will be taking place in early October at the Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club for junior aged males who are members in good standing with BC Golf/Golf Canada. 

    The details of this camp can be found below along with a link to registration and further information. 

  • Ashley & Dave Zibrik Managed To Marry Their Two True Loves...Golf And Each Other

    Ashley & Dave Zibrik Have Risen To The Top Of Their Profession While Forging A Life Together At The Same Time - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Before they fell in love with each other, Dave Zibrik and Ashley Hogg had already fallen in love with golf. It was the summer of 2005 when they met -- at a golf course, naturally.

    Ashley had come home for the summer after completing her junior year at Boise State University, where she played collegiate golf, and had landed a summer job at Swaneset Bay in Pitt Meadows. Dave had just turned pro, was also working at Swaneset and was in the midst of completing the golf management program at Camosun College. Both were 21 and soon they were in love with more than just golf.

  • BC Golf Fantasy Golf Challenge Bear Mountain Grand Prize Winner Drawn

    Following a free 6 event Fantasy Golf series contest which included The Players Championship, The Masters, The PGA Championship, the RBC Canadian Open, U.S. Open and the Open (British) Championship, the top 10% of finishers in each event was entered into a random draw to determine who would win the Grand Prize of a 2-day trip for two to Bear Mountain Resort (see details below).

    The original plan was to have all qualifiers compete in a Fantasy Golf Challenge during the TOUR Championship at East Lake this past weekend but due to unforseen technical difficulties with the content providers for Fantasy Golf Inc., we were unable to hold that final contest.

    As a result it was determined that the fairest way to select a winner was to have a random draw from all the series qualifiers. Each contestant was assigned a number in the order in which each had qualifed throughout the 6 events and the winner was drawn Sunday night.

  • Rossland’s Xander Bankes, Langley's Erin Lee Come From Behind To Win B.C. Bantam Championships

    Langley's Erin Lee (L) And Rossland's Xander Bankes (R) Are The 2019 B.C. Bantam Girls' And Boys' Champions - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    They both shot 68 and, not surprisingly, they both won. Xander Bankes of Rossland and Erin Lee of Langley played clutch final rounds in less than ideal conditions Wednesday afternoon to win the B.C. Bantam Boys and Girls Championships at Belmont Golf Course in Langley.

    The two 14-year-olds both overcame three-shot deficits heading into the final round to win the 36-hole competition. Lee’s win achieved a rather lofty goal she set for herself earlier this summer. “This year I really wanted to win at least one provincial championship,” Lee said. “I didn’t play my best at Juveniles, so I am happy I played well today.”

  • BC Golf Fantasy Golf Challenge Grand Prize Final To Be Awarded By Random Draw

    All six qualifying events of the British Columbia Golf Fantasy Golf Tour Challenge contest have been held and we have our list of qualifiers for the Grand Prize Final Draw to award the Bear Mountain Resort Grand Experience 2-day Resort Vaction for two.

    We regret that the winner of our contest will not be arrived at through the Fantasy Golf Challenge process of picking players for the TOUR Championship as was originally planned, due to technical circumstances beyond our control with the content providers for our supplier Fantasy Golf Tour Challenge Inc., we will not have the necessary programs in place to run a Fantasy Golf event for the TOUR Championship.

    Meanwhile, we still have a Grand Prize to give out and as we stated throughout the contest, the top 10% finishers from each event have qualified and will now be put into a random draw to receive the terrific Golf & Stay Package from Bear Mountain Resort

    The draw will take place this weekend and the winner will be announced on Monday, August 26th