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.

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.

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.

Representing some 319,000 members from coast-to-coast, Golf Canada actively conducts championships, programs and services to help shape the present and future of golf in Canada.

High performance athlete development, National Golf in Schools, Golf Fore the Cure, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and Future Links, driven by Acura, Canada’s national junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association delivers in conjunction with the provincial and other national golf associations.

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.

From $6,000 in Incident Protection to the ability to track an Official Golf Canada Handicap Factor®, Golf Canada Goldhas something for everyone.

PLUS even more golfer benefits!

• Discounts on merchandise and event tickets
• Free or discounted access to online rules education
• Golf benefits with RBC Home Insurance
• Discounts on Golf Canada merchandise
• Discounts on event tickets to the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open

You may be good on bentgrass, but not with bent clubs.

• Golf Canada Incident Protection provides up to $2,500 reimbursement for damaged, lost or stolen equipment

Bad shots are now pane free.

• The only thing worse than an errant shot is one followed by a loud crash. Golf Canada Incident Protection provides relief in the event your ball damages a window on or near the course

Your drives rock, but your driving not so much?

• Golf Canada Incident Protection covers you in the event of an unfortunate, and potentially costly, golf cart accident

What’s your number?

• You hear it on the first tee of almost every round. Your Golf Canada Handicap Factor® is as much a part of the game as your putter

West Vancouver's Matt Matheson (L) And Langley's Khan Lee (R) Were Your Top Two Qualfiers At The RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier Held At Ledgeview GC In Abbotsford, BC - Image Credit Brad Ziemer

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

ABBOTSFORD -- Matt Matheson tries to make sure he has fun every time he plays golf. Some days are easier than others. Take Tuesday, for example, when the 24-year-old West Vancouver amateur rolled in a 40-foot putt for eagle on the 18th green to shoot a five-under 65 and top the field at the RBC Canadian Open regional qualifier being held at Ledgeview Golf Course in Abbotsford.

Monday, mind you, wasn’t quite as much fun. Matheson travelled to the Seattle area and played in a U.S. Open local qualifier and shot a six-over 78. So he won’t be teeing it up this summer at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

But thanks to Tuesday’s round, Glen Abbey Golf Club remains a distinct possibility. The top six players and ties from Ledgeview’s 39-man field earned a spot in the Monday qualifier for this summer’s RBC Canadian Open.

Announcement Means Slight 2018 Schedule Adjustment

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced today that its newly created Osprey Valley Open, the first Greater Toronto Area-based tournament in Mackenzie Tour history, will be played July 19-22 at Osprey Valley Golf Course in Caledon, Ontario.

In conjunction with the addition of this tournament to the 2018 schedule, the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval is moving to a previously open date on the schedule, September 6-9, at Elm Ridge Country Club in L'Île-Bizard, Quebec.

Osprey Valley is a 54-hole facility, featuring three courses all designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect Doug Carrick — the Hoot, the Heathlands and the Toot courses. The Osprey Valley Open will be held at the Toot Course, a parkland-style layout that features rolling fairways, large landing areas and undulating greens.

Attention all golfers who'd like the opportunity to test out and be fitted for Titleist golf clubs. Titleist will be holding complimentary fittings at two different BC locations.  Over the next 7 Thursdays at Northview Golf & Country Club in Surrey as well as 4 of the next 5 Thursdays at the Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna.

Check the schedule below, then go to the Titleist website for more information and to book online.

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.

Vaisakhi (Punjabi: ਵਿਸਾਖੀ, IAST: visākhī), also known as Baisakhi, Vaishakhi, or Vasakhi is a historical and religious festival in Sikhism and Hinduism.... Vaisakhi marks the Sikh new year and commemorates the formation of Khalsa panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

A celebration including the annual Vaisakhi parade is planned for Saturday, April 21st in the city of Surrey beginning around 9 a.m. at Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar at 12885 85th Ave. Organizers expect more then 300,000 to attend the festival which would make it one of the largest Vaisakhi celebrations held outside of India

Traditionally, Vaisakhi (also known as Baisakhi) festival is celebrated in punjab region and is especially important for the Sikh community as it marks the establishment of the Khalsa. More recently, this festival is also celebrated around the world by the Sikh diaspora. Vaisakhi is a harvest festival of punjab, or according to punjabi calendar it is the New Year for punjabi people.

This day is also observed as the thanksgiving day by the farmers whereby the farmers pay their tribute, thanking God for the abundant harvest and also praying for future prosperity.

Vaisakhi is one of the three festivals chosen by Guru Amar Das Ji to be celebrated by Sikhs. 

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.

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.

For many of us trying to squeeze in the last few rounds of the season, or for those planning on heading south during the winter, it’s important to note the “active season” in the region, province or country you’re playing in.

Golf Canada’s Handicap System stipulates every player is responsible for returning all acceptable scores into one’s scoring record from rounds played on courses observing their active season, which is part of the golf season when courses have acceptable playing conditions.

Canada's Brooke Henderson Picked Up LPGA Career Win Number 6 In Hawaii Over The Weekend - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf

Courtesy Golf Canada

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – For the final two days of the Lotte Championship, it was pretty clear that the only player who could beat Brooke Henderson was Brooke Henderson.

She wasn’t about to let it happen Saturday at windy Ko Olina Golf Club, where she won by four shots. The Smiths Falls, Ont., native was too talented, and she had some very important people to play for, dedicating her victory to the people involved in the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team bus crash in Saskatchewan.

Richmond, BC's Chris Crisologo Has A Bright Future In Front Of Him - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

By Steve Ewen Province Sports Reporter

Chris Crisologo gets it.

There aren’t many people in this country more skilled with a golf club in their hands and a golf ball at their feet than Crisologo.

The SFU Clan senior star knows that it’s going to give him opportunities, like when he took part in the South American Amateur in Buenos Aires, Argentina, back in January.

Crisologo won the tournament. He also found the time to get out, to see the sights, to have an experience. The way he can plunk a golf ball down exactly where he wants from 220 yards away with the wind whipping and assorted foliage encroaching will take him places he may not normally visit. He wants to take advantage of that.

To read complete story by Steve Ewen please CLICK HERE

Recently, Kelowna's Gail Graham was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame along with renowned course architect A.V. Macan. (See story by Brad Ziemer HERE).

The two will be formally introduced to the hall during the RBC Canadian Open week at Glen Abbey in July.

Prior to that date Graham has announced the inaugural Gail Graham & Friends Hall of Fame Pro-Am taking place Sunday, June 3 and Monday, June 4, 2018 at the Kelowna Golf & Country Club where her brother Rob Anderson is the Head Golf Professional. 

LPGA ‘Legends’ currently committed to the event are: Gail Graham, Lorie Kane, Elaine Crosby, Michelle McGann, Nancy Scranton and Patty Sheehan.

It is the intention of the Gail Graham & Friends Hall of Fame Pro-Am to direct ALL net proceeds to charity.