University Of Victoria Vikes' Lawren Rowe Is The Embodiement Of Much Of What Is So Great About The Canadian University/College Championship - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- This is his collegiate golf swansong and Lawren Rowe insists he has no regrets. The University of Victoria senior knows he made the right decision four years ago when he chose to play his collegiate golf close to home.

“I was always curious about that in the beginning,” Rowe said Thursday before he played the third round of the Canadian University/College Championship at Chilliwack Golf Club.

“I thought that maybe I would regret not having gone down to the States, but I am definitely thrilled to be out at UVic and thankful for the opportunities I have had. It is so great to be close to home and be able to play in tournaments like these. It was definitely the right choice.”

Averaging over 2,000 hours of sun every year, Kelowna offers one of the longest, driest golf seasons in Canada. Vineyards, orchards, semi-desert terrain, rolling hills, and expansive lakes make the golf courses in the area some of the most picturesque in the country.

That’s not all: many clubhouses also offer amazing dining experiences that range from casual to gourmet. With 19 courses that range from easy-going to ego-shattering, there is something in Kelowna for every skill level.

Kelowna is the proud home of the Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada taking place at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club June 11 – 17th.

The University Of The Fraser Valley, Led By Zach Olson, Leads The Men’s Division By 12 Shots At The Halfway Point Of The 2018 Canadian University/College Championships At Chilliwack GC - Image Courtesy Dan Kinvig (UFV)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- The University of the Fraser Valley men’s golf team does not look like it is going to come back to the rest of the field at the Canadian University/College Championship at Chilliwack Golf Club.

Someone is going to have to catch the Cascades and it doesn’t figure to be easy. The Cascades went deep Wednesday for the second straight day, posting a second-round score of 11-under par to finish 36 holes at 21-under par. They lead second-place University of B.C. by 12 shots. The Cascades, who have never finished better than fourth at this event, are halfway to history.

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.

UBC Freshman Kelly Hellman Helped Lead The Thunderbirds To A First-round Lead At The Canadian University/College Championships In Chilliwack - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- Compared to most of the young women competing at this week’s Canadian University/College Championship, Kelly Hellman started golf late. It wasn’t until the summer of her Grade 9 year that Hellman swung her first golf club. Her grandfather could no longer play and she inherited his clubs. Her mom took her for a golf lesson and that was it. Hellman was hooked.

“I was a bit skeptical (about golf) but after the first lesson I just absolutely fell in love with the sport and every day I was out at the course,” the 19-year-old Hellman said after she opened with an even-par 72 that helped her UBC Thunderbirds grab the women’s team division lead at Chilliwack Golf Club.

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.

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.

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.”

Mission Native Kevin Stinson Has A Spot In The Season-Opening Mackenzie Tour Event At Point Grey, But Is No Longer Chasing The PGA TOUR Dream - Image Credit Mike West/VGT

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Much is made of the considerable success the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit has had in developing players and helping them move on to the Web.com and PGA TOURs.

We hear less about the many others who don’t make it to golf’s promised land. Mission’s Kevin Stinson is one of those and he’s okay with that.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. – Canada’s top student-athlete golfers will descend on Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, B.C., from May 29 – June 1 for the 2018 Canadian University/College Championship.

2018 marks the 16th playing of the event, which was established in 2003 by Golf Canada to give the country’s best college and university golfers a chance to compete at a national championship. The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades will host the event this year on the magnificent tree lined fairways of Chilliwack Golf Club.

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.

You can help Mackenzie Tour PGA TOUR Canada and the Freedom 55 Financial Open raise money for the very worthwhile Canucks For Kids Fund.

And if you're a fisherperson you're going to like this opportunity.

Merely bid on a trip for TWO to West Coast Resorts “The Lodge at Hippa Island!! The value of the two trips is $10,390 and is all-inclusive except gratuities, drinks at the bar and massage.

Image courtesy GolfBC/Arbutus Ridge GC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cobble Hill, B.C., (May 23rd, 2018) – Arbutus Ridge Golf Club is launching a revolutionary golf program for people who love golf but don’t have the time to play…it’s called the FAST FIVE!

“Arbutus Ridge Golf Club is committed to growing the game of golf by eliminating the barriers preventing people from playing,” says General Manager Richard Ingle.

“The Fast Five program offers golf for a significantly discounted price to those that don’t have 4 hours to play a full round and is the only 5-hole rate available on Vancouver Island,” he continued. The Fast Five is a discounted rate of only $15 to play the first five holes at Arbutus Ridge Golf Club; the 5th green is closely located to the clubhouse, making the perfect short loop for time restricted golfers.

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.”

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.

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.

Adam Hadwin. People know his name because he’s one of the top players on the PGA TOUR. His TOURJECTORY was the Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada. He was launched in 2012.

The Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada is proudly launching the PGA TOUR’s next generation of great players.

You can see the next Adam Hadwin on their BC Golf Swing - May 28 - June 17th in Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna. Read on to see how you can enter to win VIP tickets and golf. 

Distance Has Become A Major Topic Of Discussion In Golf Over The Recent Years, Not Only As It Affects The Pros, But At All Levels Of The Sport - Image Credit Sue Sapp (Labelled For Reuse)

For Immediate Release

(15 May 2018, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, NJ, USA): The R&A and the USGA have launched a comprehensive project to analyse distance in golf and gather perspectives from the worldwide golf community.

The Distance Insights project will examine distance through a multi-pronged approach that includes global stakeholder engagement, third-party data review and primary research. Focus groups and discussion forums will play an important role in the project, to secure a broad range of perspectives throughout golf.

Beginning today, anyone interested in the topic can provide feedback by visiting randa.org/distanceinsights or usga.org/distanceinsights or by emailing either organisation directly.

Future Links, Driven By Acura Pacific Championship Winners Cole Wilson And Monet Chun - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

VICTORIA, B.C. – Team Canada Development Squad member Monet Chun held on to her second-round lead, while Cole Wilson made a hard-fought comeback to earn medallist honours in their respective divisions at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific championship at Bear Mountain Golf Resort.

Sixteen-year-old Chun, who led going into the final round, carded a 3-under on the front nine. The Richmond Hill, Ont., product ended the day scoring a 2-over-par 74 to secure her place in the 2018 Junior Girls Championship being held from July 31-Aug. 3 at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

“It’s my first tournament winning in B.C.,” said Chun of her third Future Links Championship win. “I think just being able to win a tournament in Quebec, Ontario and the Pacific just shows I have been improving a lot over the last few years, so I am happy.”

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.