• Kerr And Nathu To Represent BC In Mexican Amateur

    Scott Kerr (L) And Ziggy Nathu (R) Are Headed To Mexico To Represent British Columbia In The 2018 Mexican International Amateur - Images BC Golf/VGT

    British Columbia Golf has announced that Vancouver's Scott Kerr and Zaahidali (Ziggy) Nathu of Richmond will be BC's representative team at this year's prestigious Mexican Amateur taking place this week, June 7-10th in Mexico City at the Club de golf México.

    The event is a 72 hole stroke play championship with a cut after 36 holes. It draws an international field from North, South and Central America.

  • Adopt A School Week Is Underway

    Adopt a School Week is a Golf Canada junior initiative to drive interest and fundraising efforts to support the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program.

    Key points about the program:

    • Provides golf curriculum and equipment to grades 1-12
    • Your donation can be directed to the school of your choice
    • The program reaches 420,000 students annually coast-to-coast
    • Since inception in 2009, 50% of the 3,500 registered schools were adopted
    • In 2017, 266 new schools were adopted

    You can contribute to the continued growth of the program and help us reach the remaining 85% of schools yet to be a registered as a Golf in Schools site. Invest in the health of our sport by adopting a school in your community!

    Donate now as the first 30 adoptions will be matched with a second school of your choice!

    Please visit golfcanada.ca/adoptaschool to donate or learn more about Future Links Golf in Schools.

  • The R&A Unveils New 'Women In Golf' Charter

    Speakers Chyloe Kurdas (Golf Australia), Hazel Irvine (BBC), Sarah Stirk (Sky Sports), Nick Pink (England Golf), Liz Dimmock (Moving Ahead) and Martin Slumbers (The R&A) At The Launch Of The Women In Golf Charter Staged At The View From The Shard, London - Image Courtesy R&A/Twitter

    The R&A today unveiled a new Women in Golf Charter as part of the organization’s drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf and to encourage more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry.

    The Women in Golf Charter aims to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture within golf around the world and to enable more women and girls to flourish and maximise their potential at all levels of the sport.

  • Getting Into The ‘Swing’ Of Things On Parliament Hill

    Representatives Of Golf Associations From Across Canada Including BC Golf President Patrick Kelly (7th from left) And Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum (8th from right) Participate In “National Golf Day” On The Front Lawn Of Parliament Hill - Image Credit Kris Jonasson/BC Golf

    (OTTAWA), May 29, 2018 – Today, to mark Canada’s first annual National Golf Day, Canadians are invited to take a swing on Parliament Hill with a number of We Are Golf interactive golf activities.

    As well, PGA of Canada professionals will be on hand to provide golf tips and share their enthusiasm for the game with golfers and Ottawa-area school students.

    The event is aimed at raising awareness among the public and government decision-makers on the many positive health, economic, social, environmental and charitable impacts of the golf industry across Canada.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: UFV Cascades Pumped About Home-Course Advantage; Svensson Finishes Top 5 In Nashville; BC Threepeats

    Team BC Poses With The North Pacific Junior Ladies Team Matches Trophy For The Third Straight Year - Image Courtesy Jennifer Greggain/Instagram

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Coach Chris Bertram is not about to discount the home course advantage his University of the Fraser Valley Cascades will enjoy at this week’s Canadian University/College Championship at Chilliwack Golf Club.

    The Cascades know the Chilliwack layout inside and out, having regularly practised at the course for many years. “We have called that our home course for 12 or 13 years and it is always going to be an advantage playing at a place that you are familiar with,” says Bertram. “We get to play there regularly so there aren’t too many shots out there that we haven’t seen.

    “But Chilliwack isn’t the kind of place that has a lot of blind tee shots or tricky green complexes. The course is out in front of you and players can figure the course out fairly quickly, I would say. But I don’t discount the fact that being out there every day the last few weeks is a big advantage for us.”

  • Too Soon For Swanson's Swan Song

    Now Reinstated As An Amateur, The Future Is So Bright For Surrey's Dan Swanson, He Has To Wear Shades - Image Credit Mike West/Vancouver Golf Tour (VGT)

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Old golf pros don’t fade away. Some of them get reinstated as amateurs, where they can further stoke their competitive fires. Actually, Dan Swanson isn’t old. He’s only 39 and thinks he has lots of good golf left in him. Just not at the professional level.

    So Swanson, who turned pro in 2003 after a successful collegiate career at the University of Texas-El Paso, has had himself reinstated as an amateur. “For me personally, I just wanted to be able to compete in big events just because I love competing and I love the game,” Swanson said in an interview.

    Swanson, a Surrey native who now lives in Langley, tried life as a touring pro. He spent three years on the Canadian Tour and played in one Canadian Open. He also worked as a club pro. Swanson was head professional for a time at Guildford Golf & Country Club in Surrey, where he and his buddies still gather for men’s night every Tuesday.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Taylor’s Game Shows Signs Of Life; UBC Women Head To Nationals With High Hopes; Svensson Snaps Streak

    Abbotsford's Nick Taylor Is Shown Here Playing In A Vancouver Golf Tour Event At The University Of The Fraser Valley In His Hometown - Image Courtesy VGT

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Nick Taylor shot four rounds in the 60s at the AT&T Byron Nelson tourney in Dallas and showed some positive signs that he is snapping out of a mid-season funk on the PGA TOUR.

    Rounds of 69, 68, 69 and 69 left Taylor at nine-under par and tied for 32nd place. For Taylor, it’s as good as he has felt on the golf course in a long while. The Abbotsford native recently endured six straight missed cuts and admitted in a telephone interview Sunday night that he has been frustrated by his play.

    “I was very frustrated and it was hard to stay positive,” Taylor said. “It went on long enough that doubt starts to creep into your mind and you start playing to almost make cuts. It gets in your mind when you get off to a tough start in a round and you’re like, here we go again. So I feel like it is behind me and I feel like this week I took a big step in the right direction.”

  • Canadian Golf Industry Launches “National Golf Day”

    For Immediate Release

     

    To Celebrate The Occasion Of National Golf Day On May 29th, British Columbia Golf Will Be Closing Their Office At 12 Noon So That The Staff Can Go Play Golf! 

    "We would encourage all our members to do something similar" - Kris Jonasson/CEO British Columbia Golf

     

    (OTTAWA), May 3, 2018 – Today, Canada’s national golf industry associations announced the first annual National Golf Day, May 29, an event aimed at raising awareness to the public and government decision makers on the many positive impacts of the golf industry.

    “More Canadians play golf than any other participation sport and our industry is #1 in driving economic impact, employment and charity fundraising,” said Jeff Calderwood, National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) and We Are Golf Chair. “Combined with golf’s diversity, healthy fitness benefits and environmental stewardship, we really do have such a positive message to communicate.”

    National Golf Day provides the opportunity for Canada’s golf industry leaders to discuss these wide-reaching benefits of the sport directly with MPs, Senators and policy advisors at Parliament Hill. A May 28 evening reception will also be held in Centre Block, and NAGA will be hosting a day of interactive golf activities on the front lawn where MPs and visitors will be able to participate. This day of outdoor golf activities will include a focus on junior golf.

  • BC's Kevin Li One Of Three Brown Student-Athletes Named to Academic All-District At-Large Teams

    Vancouver, BC's Kevin Li, A Senior On The Men's Golf Team At Brown University In Providence, R.I., Has Been Recognized By The College Sports Information Directors Of America Being Named To The 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Team - Images Courtesy Brown Athletics

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown seniors Kevin Li (Vancouver, B.C.) and Peter Tarwid (Lake Forest, Ill.) and junior Amy Tarczynski (Oakland, Calif.) were named to their respective 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Teams on Thursday as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

    The Academic All-District Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom, as only student-athletes who maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 and are significant contributors to their team's success are eligible for nomination.

  • Adopt A School Week Set To Return On May 28

    By John Gordon/Golf Canada

    SO WHY HAVEN’T YOU?
    Adopted a school, that is.

    As a prospective adopter of a school, you may think you need to be a corporate giant like Golf Town, which has adopted almost 100 schools, or the formidable twosome of Golf Lab founder Liam Mucklow, a well-known champion of junior golf, who along with auto sales magnate Edward Wong has done the same for almost 20.

    Or maybe, as a facility or a PGA of Canada professional, you are overawed by Manitoba’s Golf Mentor Academy, the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura, Facility of the Year. Thanks to the dedication of PGA of Canada professionals Glen Sirkis and Adam Boge, they welcomed more than 2,000 juniors to their facility last year.

    Well-deserved kudos to all of them and the other companies and facilities who have supported the Adopt a School program, part of Golf Canada’s comprehensive Golf in Schools initiative over the past decade.

  • Bear Mountain Set For Future Links, Driven By Acura Pacific Championship

    The Picturesque Bear Mountain Golf Resort Will Host The 2018  Future Links, Driven By Acura Pacific Championship This Week - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

    VICTORIA, B.C. – Golf Canada’s first regional junior golf championship of 2018 is set to take place this week as the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship gets underway at Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria, B.C., from May 11-13.

    With support from British Columbia Golf, the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship is the first of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament begins with a practice round on May 10 before the tournament gets underway with round one action on May 11.

  • A Good Sign For Golf

    Sign and Image Credit: The Links at Brunello/Nova Scotia

    Those who play, watch, follow, volunteer in, administrate or are somehow involved with golf will be the first to attest that there are very unique elements to the game that fascinate and contribute to it being such a passion-inducing pursuit.

    One particular editor we know has come to respond to the question of 'What is it that you like most about golf?' with the simple observation that, "It's where you get to be..." as in, outside on a golf course, with friends and/or others who share your love of being in that environment for all the right reasons.

  • Ziemer's BC Golf Notes: Big Sky For Sale; Wheeldon Survives Q-School; Hadwin Works Another Weekend

    Big Sky Golf Club In Pemberton, BC Is Up For Sale - Image Courtesy Big Sky GC

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Big Sky Golf Club, the Pemberton layout that has long been regarded as one of British Columbia’s best courses, has been put up for sale by its original owners. Designed by Bob Cupp, Big Sky opened in 1993 and sits in the shadow of Mount Currie. It is owned by the Belkorp Group of Companies, controlled by Vancouver’s Belkin family.

    The course, which sits on 179.4 acres, includes a pro shop, golf academy, double-ended grass-tee driving range, five-hole practice facility and a maintenance building. It has been listed for sale at $8.9 million by commercial real estate company Cushman & Wakefield.

    “Essentially, the owners are looking to pass the torch after nearly 25 years of ownership,” said Cushman & Wakefield vice-president Brad Newman-Bennett, who happens to be a former (1999) B.C. Amateur champion. “Hopefully we can find someone as passionate about golf as they are.”

  • Victoria's Pete Jawl Doesn’t Play Like A Rookie In His PNGA Cup Debut

    Pete Jawl From The Victoria Golf Club Won Two Of His Three Matches At Seattle Golf Club As B.C. Finished Second In The 13th Annual PNGA Cup - Image Credit PNGA

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    SHORELINE, Wash. -- As a PNGA Cup rookie, Pete Jawl acknowledged battling some butterflies as he walked the first few fairways of historic Seattle Golf Club. Then Jawl remembered he had more than a solid golf game to rely on. He also had an experienced player and good friend by his side in partner Craig Doell. 

    To say Doell is a PNGA Cup veteran would be an understatement. While Jawl was playing in his first PNGA Cup, a Ryder Cup-style competition featuring top players from the British Columbia, Washington, Idaho and Oregon golf associations, Doell was playing in his 12th. Doell has missed only one PNGA Cup since the annual competition began in 2006.

  • Jung And Manion Join British Columbia Golf’s Coaching And Sport Development Team

    British Columbia Golf Is Pleased To Announce The Addition Of Brian Jung (L) & Lindsay Manion (R) To Their Staff Of Coaches

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    British Columbia has a rich history of producing terrific junior golf talent and Debbie Pyne wants to make sure that continues.

    Pyne, managing director of player development with British Columbia Golf, has made two additions to the organization’s staff that she thinks will further aid in the development of the province’s elite junior players.

    Brian Jung has been appointed a regional coach and Lindsay Manion has been brought on board as a strength and conditioning specialist. They will be working with head provincial coaches Jennifer Greggain and Colin Lavers. Both bring a wealth of experience to their new roles.

  • 13th Annual PNGA Cup Set To Begin At Seattle Golf Club

    Federal Way, Wash. – The 2018 Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s (PNGA) championship season kicks off this week as 48 of the top amateur golfers in the region prepare to square off in the 13th PNGA Cup, to be held May 3-4 at Seattle Golf Club.

    The PNGA Cup was created in 2006 by past PNGA President Dr. Jack Lamey as a way of continuing the friendship and partnership of the region’s allied associations under the PNGA umbrella – British Columbia Golf, Idaho Golf Association, Oregon Golf Association and Washington State Golf Association.

  • BC Summer Games Zone Qualifiers Kick Off In Squamish Valley This Weekend

    The 2018 BC Summer Games are being held in the beautiful Cowichan Valley this year from July 19 - 22nd. As part of the BC Summer Games lead-up, the golf competition holds zone qualifying events and the first one is set to get underway this weekend, on Sunday April 29th at the Squamish Valley Golf & Country Club.

  • Women Of Color Golf At Innisbrook, “A Valspar Championship Week To Remember”

    All Images Courtesy African American Golfer's Digest

     

    As We Move Closer To International Women’s Day, Here's A Great Example Of A Group Demonstrating How To Get More Women And Diversity Into The Game - (British Columbia Golf)

     

     

    By James R. Beatty  (African American Golfer's Digest - reprinted with permission)

    If you are even thinking about taking up the game of golf— and have found reason after reason to keep putting it off— then, you must read this story.

    YOU ARE NOT ALONE

    Many have either delayed or totally put off the one decision which can and will change your life. Read here about Clemmie Perry, founder and CEO of Women Of Color Golf (WOCG) and how she has helped to impact the lives of women in Tampa, Florida, forever by introducing them to all of the benefits that come with participating and enjoying the game.

    Pay particular attention to the reflections of one of these women, who put it in perspective in her own words.

  • Growing Golf Through Inclusion And Diversity

    Golf Canada President Leslie Dunning Headed An Industry-Wide Working Group That Established A Ground-Breaking Initiative, The “Equity, Diversity And Inclusion Policy.” - Image Credit Golf Canada

    By John Gordon/Golf Canada

    Kris Jonasson is many things. All of them good, although I can’t speak to his golf game. 

    Blunt is one of those admirable qualities.

    When asked about the push for inclusivity in golf, he summarized it thusly: “Golf has bucked a bad reputation forever. Some of it is justified. We need to be a game for all of the people, not just rich white men.”

    Since 1996, Jonasson has run British Columbia Golf, that province’s amateur association. In 2004, he led the successful movement to meld the separate men’s and women’s amateur associations into one entity.

  • British Columbia Golf And VGT Partner With Maui Jim Canada

    For Immediate Release – Vancouver, BC (April 18th, 2018)

    Maui Jim Canada Elevating BC Women's Golf In 2018

    British Columbia Golf along with the Vancouver Golf Tour welcomes MAUI JIM CANADA as a Major Partner in developing BC Women’s Golf. Through the partnership British Columbia Golf has with the VGT, Maui Jim Canada has elevated their sponsorship to include a Presenting Sponsorship Role in all 7 of British Columbia Golf’s Women’s Championships in 2018.

    The BC Golf Women's Championship events begin June 18th with the Women's Senior, Super-Senior and Net-Stableford Championship and conclude with the Juvenile Girls Championship August 23rd. At the same time the VGT will launch the MAUI JIM WOMEN’S SERIES.