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.

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.

Victoria, BC's  Anna Wu Is Part Of A Canadian Trio Advancing To 2020 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship At Augusta - Image courtesy YouTube

Written by Golf Canada

Three Canadian juniors will be among the 80 competitors in the sixth annual Drive, Chip and Putt championship at Augusta National on April 5, 2020. In the Girls 7-9 division, Canada will be represented by the duo of Alexis Card (Cambridge, Ont.) and Anna Wu (Victoria, B.C.).

Card punched her ticket to Augusta with a score of 107 at the Oakmont Country Club qualifier while Wu posted a total of 122 at Chambers Bay Golf Course. The Canadians are rounded out by Cole Roberts of Oshawa, Ont., who qualified at TPC River Highlands with a score of 107.  (scoring is based on a 25-point-per-shot basis, explained below - ed.)

Cabot Cliffs GC - Image Courtesy Facility

The PGA of Canada Top 100 presented by Golf Talk Canada is the first ever Top 100 course list compiled exclusively by the PGA Professionals of Canada. The list includes 28 from B.C.

Find out if your favorite course made it to the list!

As Part Of The Best Community, Charity Engagement And Best Sponsor Activation Program, $2.2 million Was Presented From The CP Women's Open Fundraising To The SickKids Foundation - Golf Canada Image

By Terry Lenyk/Golf Canada

NAPLES, FLA. (Golf Canada) – ​The success of the 2019 CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., was recently recognized as the Tournament Partners of the LPGA presented Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) with two Gold Driver Awards for delivering best-in-class elements among all LPGA Tour events.

The annual Gold Driver Awards were hosted in conjunction with the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. The Tournament Partners of the LPGA (formally Tournament Owners Association) have a long standing tradition of recognizing best in class tournaments with Gold Driver Awards at the season ending event on the LPGA Tour calendar.

At the formal ceremony, the CP Women’s Open received Gold Driver Awards for Best Community and Charity Engagement and Best Sponsor Activation.

VANCOUVER (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), are pleased to announce that tickets are now available for the 2020 CP Women’s Open, taking place August 31 to September 6 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CP Women’s Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience Canada’s lone stop on the LPGA Tour.

Cheer on Canadian sensation and CP Ambassador Brooke Henderson as she leads the stars of the LPGA Tour back to Vancouver alongside defending champion and world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, past champions Ariya Jutanugarn, Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu and rising stars Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Danielle Kang and Minjee Lee.

TORONTO, Ontario / PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (November 21)—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced today that Mackenzie Tour players voted the Bayview Place DCBank Open as the 2019 Tournament of the Year.

Officials handed out the inaugural award on November 20 during the PGA TOUR’s annual Tournament Meetings in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The Players Choice award was voted on exclusively by Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada members and included a number of criteria, including personal experience, tournament volunteers, hospitality, community support and attendance and the golf course among other considerations.

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.

Morningstar GC's 10th And Pro Shop. The Course And Club Are Working Hard To Get Back On Track - Image Courtesy Facility

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

There was a time, not all that long ago, when Morningstar Golf Course was a must-play stop for golfers visiting central Vancouver Island. But Morningstar, beset with ownership and financial problems that took a heavy toll on course conditioning, fell out of favour with golfers in recent years. Happily, it seems the Parksville layout is on the road to re-establishing its once lofty reputation.

“Morningstar had a great reputation and it certainly got tarnished, but not obliterated, and so we hope to get a lot of that back and have people put Morningstar on their play list again,” says Barrie McWha, a familiar and highly respected name in British Columbia golf circles.

Image Courtesy Golf Canada

For Immediate Release

OAKVILLE, ONT. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of the 18 athletes, male and female, who have been selected to represent Team Canada as part of the 2020 National Amateur and Junior Squads.

Nine athletes will compete for Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, consisting of five players on the men’s squad and four on the women’s squad.

Team Canada’s 2020 Squad members have competed and achieved impressive results at regional, national and international competitions, including medals at the Pan-Am Games, NCAA Tournament wins and victories at prestigious amateur competitions.

‘Outstanding Volunteer Service’ Award Given To 2019 National Golf Day Community Service Project Recognizing The Contribution Of The Golf Industry As A Whole To Communities And The Environment

For Immediate Release

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – A coalition of golf’s leading associations and industry partners will be presented the group award for “Outstanding Volunteer Service” for their April service project, which achieved in just one day the equivalent of 800 hours of work and four months of labor from one National Park Service (NPS) employee.

On April 30, the golf industry came together for the third-annual Community Service Project, which was part of the 12th annual National Golf Day.

Geoffrey Cornish Was A Disciple Of Stanely Thompson And Helped Build The Capilano Golf Club In West Vancouver. He Was Also A Major In The Canadian Army, Serving In Europe From 1940-45 - Golf Canada Image

By Terry Lenyk/Golf Canada

They are some of Canada’s most renowned golf legends, a list amassed of professional and amateur players, course architects and administrators. They have all contributed to the growth of the game of golf in this country. However, their contributions to golf pale in comparison to their contributions to the fabric of our nation.

November 11th is Remembrance Day. A day we remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. What better day to remember Canadian golfers of the past who helped our nation during its greatest times of need.

Adam Hadwin Was Made One Of The International Team's Captain's Pick By Ernie Els - File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Adam Hadwin has the second chance he so desperately wanted and is determined to make the most of the opportunity afforded him by Ernie Els. Ever since dropping his Sunday singles match 2&1 to Phil Mickelson at the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, Hadwin has been yearning for a return engagement to the biennial matches.

The 32-year-old Abbotsford product got his wish when Els, the International captain for next month’s matches in Melbourne, Australia, made him one of four captain’s picks.

As the 2019 golf season begins to wind down in BC, many courses are already planning for next year. You can help the 3 terrific municipal layouts in Vancouver (Fraserview, McCleery and Langara) as they look for input to better serve the golfing public going forward. 

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.

The Venerable Victoria Golf Club Is Also The Home Of Victoria's Most Famous Ghost - Image Courtesy VGC

Courtesy Golf Canada Archives

With its long history and vast geography, Canada boasts many strange and spooky tales. There are haunted coal mines in Cape Breton, poltergeists in Calgary and even a pair of haunted boots in St. Vincent’s Newfoundland.

It is no wonder, therefore, that golf courses across the country are rumoured to be home to some extraordinary spirits.

Six university coaches will be arriving at Zone Golf Academy, located in Richmond, BC, on November 30 and December 1. Two Division 1 NCAA schools, Yale University and UC Irvineand two Division III Universities including Whitman College in Washington and Earlham College in Indiana.

Locally, Burnaby's Simon Fraser University and  Ontario's U of Guelph round out the six universities attending.

“This is our 8th annual winter golf ID camp, open to all and any golfers from the ages of 10-18. We are excited to host a total of 6 universities this year,” said the Director of Golf, TJ Atley.

(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 .

Fairmont Chateau Whistler's Signature Hole - All Images Courtesy Facility

BANFF, Alberta — GOLF Magazine, one of the world’s leading golf media companies, named three Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in Canada’s Western Mountain Region — Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, and Fairmont Banff Springs — to its list of the Top 100 Resorts in North America for 2019/2020.

Selections were made by GOLF Magazine editors based upon feedback from GOLF Magazine readers, course ranking panelists and personal experience. All three properties were recognized in the all-around excellence category, with Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club taking the #3 ranking.

Point Grey Golf & Country Club Head Professional Dave Zibrik Was Presented With The PGA Of BC's 2019 Dick Munn Golf Professional Of The Year Award. Zibrik's Honour Was One Of Many Handed Out At The PGA Of BC Awards Celebration Presented By Replay Golf Supplies & Tribal, Held At The River Rock Casino Resort - PGA of BC Photo

OCTOBER 16, 2019 - RICHMOND, BC (PGA of British Columbia) - The PGA of BC proudly named the provincial recipients of its annual honours for 2019 during the Association's Awards Celebration presented by Replay Golf Supplies & Tribal on Wednesday evening at the River Rock Casino Resort.