The new Golf Canada app sets the stage for a greatly enhanced digital experience

Written by Brent Long/Courtesy Golf Canada

Canada’s largest golf community is about to become more connected with the launch of the new Golf Canada app.

The user-friendly app launched August 5 is now available to all golfers nationwide to record and track their scores, trace where they have played and provide detailed game statistics as a game improvement tool. The app is free to download and can be used by golfers at any level of skill.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Commissioner Michael Whan likes to refer to the LPGA Tour as family, one that has grown with the addition of three British Columbia chapters to the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.

Whan was part of a recent conference call welcoming British Columbia to the association, an organization that aims to connect women who play the game. “Whether you play the game professionally, whether you teach it, whether you are helping young girls learn it, or whether you just play with your friends on a nine and dine, we all want to be engaged in this together,” Whan said.

Teaching Professional And BC Golf Hall Of Fame Member Phil Jonas Has Had To Become Resourceful In His Methods Dealing With Students During Covid-19 - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia

Golf courses have never been busier, but the same cannot be said for those who teach the game. COVID-19 has most certainly had an impact on the golf pros who derive a significant portion of their income from lessons. Demand for lessons has slowed and our new social distancing world creates additional challenges for teaching professionals.

Group lessons, at least for now, are not happening. And those one-on-one sessions figure to be far less up close and personal. In other words, less hands-on. “When I get a new student and especially someone that is new to golf, that is hard,” says Phil Jonas, who along with his wife Patty, runs a golf academy at Hazelmere Golf Club in Surrey.

No Word If These Bears Had An Official Tee Time At Whistler GC, But They Are Okay For Social Distance Rules As They're From The Same Family -   Image Courtesy TripAdvisor.com/Traveller photo submitted by Navigator664564 (Aug. 2016)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbia golf resorts that rely heavily on tourist traffic are hoping the provincial government will soon give the all-clear for non-essential travel.

“The golf course is in great shape, the bears are running around like crazy,” says Alan Kristmanson, the longtime general manager and director of golf at Whistler Golf Club. “Everybody who is playing here is having a great time. We’re ready, for sure.”

TO: All Member Clubs; All Member Club’s Handicap Committees

Posting of Scores during COVID-19 Lockdowns

The information below provides guidance in response to questions received from golf course owners, administrators, tournament organizers and golfers. It is not the intended purpose of the below guidance to either encourage or discourage anyone from playing the game, but rather, in our role as administrators, to help golf course operators, committees and golfers better understand how the Rules of Golf and Rules of Handicapping apply to the various questions we have received.

British Columbia Golf will present World Handicap Certification seminars across the province, details and registration links are below.

Cost $25.00 (taxes in) Lunch included

January 1, 2020 Golf Associations around the world started moving to a single handicap system introduced and administered jointly by the R&A and the USGA. This seminar is a detailed look at WHS and is appropriate for staff and volunteers who will be involved in handicapping at the club level.

Sport BC has announced the finalists to be celebrated at the upcoming 54th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards taking place on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the Vancouver Convention Centre East.

The event, to be hosted by CBC’s Scott Russell, recognizes the province’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, teams, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport over the 2019 season.

All Images Courtesy Golf Canada Unless Otherwise Noted

Written by Golf Canada

As the decade drew to a close, 2019 marked yet another significant year for Canadian golf milestones on and off the course and around the world. These are just some of the headlines. Details on these stories and many others are available under News on the Golf Canada website.

World Handicap System

The USGA and the R&A have made major changes to the fabric of our handicap system. Beginning in early 2020, Golf Canada and other world governing bodies implemented the new World Handicap System. 

The World Handicap System includes the Rules of Handicapping and the Course Rating System. Its purpose is to make the game of golf enjoyable and to give as many golfers as possible the opportunity to obtain and maintain a Handicap Index, use their Handicap Index on any golf course around the world, and compete, or play a casual round, with anyone else on a fair and equal basis. 

You can click HERE for details on the WHS and how it has come about. Also, below are the components of the WHS along with accompanying videos to help explain how it will work. 

• World Handicap System Timeline
• Highlights of The World Handicap System
• FAQ
• A Collaborative Process

9 Things You Need to Know

1. Rules of Handicapping 

Handicapping has been compressed into 7 rules that cover the fundamentals, determining appropriate scores to post, handicap computation and administration. This way the Rules of Handicapping simulates the Rules of Golf. 

2. Handicap Factor is changing to Handicap Index

Long time ago Canada parted ways with the U.S. in using Handicap Factorinstead of Index. But now we’re sort of going back home and WHS will use Handicap Index. 

3. Your Handicap Index may change 

Handicap Index will average your eight best scores out of your most recent 20 (currently, it’s 10 out of 20 with a .96 multiplier). In most cases for golfers in Canada, it will change less than one stroke and most likely downward. 

4. You need to know your Course Handicap 

Course Handicap will be the number of strokes needed to play to par. This will result in greater variance in that number and presents a change, as historically it has represented the number of strokes needed to play to the Course Rating. It is important that an accurate par be established for each hole on a golf course for both men and women. British Columbia Golf will be the final adjudicator of par. 

5. Net Double Bogey 

The maximum hole score (currently Equitable Stroke Control or ESC) for each player will be a Net Double Bogey. Net Double Bogey is Par + 2 + any handicap strokes the player receives. 

6. Safeguards in the new system 

The new system will limit extreme upward movement of a Handicap Index. WHS introduces two new concepts, Soft Cap and Hard Cap to take effect only once a player has at least 20 

acceptable scores in their scoring record. There is no such cap on the amount by which a player’s Handicap Index can decrease. There will also be an automatic adjustment to the Handicap Index when an exceptional score of at least 7 strokes better is posted. The exceptional score reduction will be applied whether the score is a tournament or regular play. 

7. Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) 

PCC determines whether playing conditions on the day differed from normal conditions to the extent that an adjustment is needed to compensate. It is a daily statistical procedure that compares the scores submitted by players on the day against expected scoring patterns. PCC accounts for abnormal course or weather conditions to ensure that scores reflect when a course plays significantly different than its established Course Rating and Slope Rating. 

If a PCC adjustment is necessary, an adjustment of -1.0, 0.0, +1.0, +2.0 or +3.0 may be applied to score differentials for that day. 

8. Maximum Handicap Index 

The maximum Handicap Index that can be issued to a player is 54.0(currently it is 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women). But the Committee in charge of a competition may set a maximum limit for entry into a competition. 

9. Stroke Index Allocation 

There is a new procedure to calculate the order of holes at which handicap strokes are to be given or received. Stroke index allocation are to be applied over 18-holes, split into six triads with each hole ranked on its playing difficulty relative to par. The difficulty of each hole can be determined objectively using hole-by-hole data provided from the Course Rating. 

In the past, Course Rating has had no bearing on stroke index allocation. 

1. Basis of Calculation of Handicap Index
2. Frequency of Revisions
3. Handicap Formula
4. Course Handicap Calculation
5. Playing Handicap
6. Net Double Bogey
7. Maximum Handicap Index
8. Minimum Scores to Obtain a Handicap Index
9. Acceptable Scores
10. Treatment of Nine-Hole Scores
11. Playing Conditions Calculation
12. Exceptional Score Reduction
13. Handicap Index Caps
14. Handicap Review
15. Course Rating System

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1. Basis of Calculation of Handicap Index
The 8 best of most recent 20 score differentials, which includes a Playing Conditions Calculation to account for any abnormal course or weather conditions.

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2. Frequency of Revisions
A player’s Handicap Index will update daily, provided the player submitted a score the day before. Otherwise, no update will take place.

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3. Handicap Formula
A general overview of the philosophy of and elements contributing to the Handicap Formula.

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4. Course Handicap Calculation
Determining the number of strokes a player receives in relation the Par of the tees being played, including a Course Rating minus Par element. This is the number that is used to determine the maximum holes score for handicap purposes.

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5. Playing Handicap
The handicap used that maximizes equity when competing by applying a handicap allowance for a specific format.

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6. Net Double Bogey
The maximum hole score for handicap purposes. This maximum is double bogey plus any handicap strokes a player receives based on their Course Handicap.

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7. Maximum Handicap Index
The maximum Handicap Index for all golfers is 54.0, regardless of gender.

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8. Minimum Scores to Obtain a Handicap Index
The minimum is 54 holes worth of scores, most often via three 18-hole scores (including nine-hole scores that are combined into 18-hole scores).

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9. Acceptable Scores
Determining which scores are acceptable for handicap purposes, focusing on playing by the Rules of Golf and playing one’s own ball.

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10. Treatment of Nine-Hole Scores
Nine-holes scores are combined in the order that they are submitted and then used to produce an 18-hole Score Differential.

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11. Playing Conditions Calculation
When abnormal course or weather conditions cause scores to be unusually high or low on a given day, a “Playing Conditions Calculation” will adjust Score Differentials to better reflect a player’s actual performance.

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12. Exceptional Score Reduction
A score that produces a Score Differential of 7.0 strokes or more below the Handicap Index will result in an Exceptional Score Reduction that changes the Handicap Index. This reduction is in addition to the normal 8 of 20 calculation and depends on how much better the Score Differential is in comparison to the Handicap Index used during the round.

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13. Handicap Index Caps
A Soft Cap and Hard Cap will be included in the calculation to limit the extreme upward movement of a Handicap Index within a 12-month period. These caps are in relation to the player’s “Low Handicap Index.”

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14. Handicap Review
An audit-like procedure by a Handicap Committee reviewing the Handicap Index of member(s) of a club to assure that the Handicap Index is reflective of demonstrated ability and scoring potential.

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15. Course Rating System
The basis for the World Handicap System. It is also an indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player under normal course and weather conditions.

(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 .

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.

The stars of the LPGA are heading back West to Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in 2020 for the CP Women’s Open – August 31st through September 6th.

Each year over 1,200 people contribute their time and energy to volunteer at the CP Women’s Open. We are so thankful and fortunate to work with such a hardworking group of people each and every year. Registration fills up quickly, so be sure to get your volunteer registration in early.

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. 

Procter, BC's Jackie Little Holds The Trophy Alongside Two Of Canada's Finest After She Successfully Defended Her Canadian Women's Super-Senior Title On Home Turf - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

OSOYOOS -- Jackie Little didn’t exactly race across the finish line, but she got there first. The British Columbia Golf Hall of Famer successfully defended her Canadian Women’s Super-Senior Championship on Tuesday at Osoyoos Golf Club.

Little closed with an eight-over par 81 that left her at 11-over par for the 54-hole event. That was good for a five-shot win over Ivy Steinberg of Stouffville, Ont. and Ruth Maxwell of Reno, Nev. “That is the hardest I have had to work for an 81 in a long time,” Little said with a laugh after her round.

At age 61, Little knows every win now is something of a bonus. “I have been complaining about how I have been hitting it and my husband says, 'well, remember, you are 61 now,'” she said.

The 2019 B.C. Senior & Super-Senior Champion, Doug Roxburgh - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VERNON -- This can’t last forever, but in a way it seems like it already has. Doug Roxburgh keeps adding to his incredible amateur record that began way back in 1969, when he won both the B.C. Amateur and B.C. Junior Boys Championships as a 17-year-old.

A half-century later, the Marine Drive Golf Club legend is still winning provincial championships. On Thursday evening at Vernon Golf & Country Club, the 67-year-old Roxburgh captured his fifth B.C. Senior Men’s title. Roxburgh closed with an even-par 72 to finish the 54-hole event at five-under par, two shots better than Jim Shaw of Sooke.

 Jackson Rothwell Of Victoria Holds The B.C. Amateur Championship Trophy Aloft After His Win At Big Sky GC In Pemberton - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PEMBERTON -- A nightmarish start to his round ended with a dream finish for Jackson Rothwell, who won the B.C. Amateur Championship the hard way Friday at Big Sky Golf Club.

The 18-year-old Victoria resident hit a wayward drive off the first tee, made double-bogey and lost the lead he had enjoyed since the first round. Rather than bow his head and surrender to the butterflies that were in full flight in his stomach, Rothwell showed plenty of resolve the rest of the way as he battled with Isaac Lee of Pitt Meadows in the 117th playing of the championship.

Thanks to some clutch play on the back nine, Rothwell emerged with a one-shot win that no one really saw coming. Especially Rothwell.  This wasn’t exactly a Cinderella story out of nowhere, but it was close.

16-Year Old Angel Lin Holds The Champion's Trophy After Winning The 2019 B.C. Women's Amateur At Nanaimo Golf Club - Images Credit Kris Jonasson/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Angel Lin is the new B.C. Women’s Amateur champion, even though she is having a little trouble believing it. “Honestly, I don’t really have the words for it,” the 16-year-old from Surrey said. “It is amazing, it is an honour, it is mind-blowing. I think it will sink in on the ferry ride home. I still don’t really believe it yet.”

Lin shot the best round of the day, a one-under 71, at Nanaimo Golf Club on Friday and beat Richmond’s Alisha Lau by two shots for the biggest win of her young golfing life. Lin, who is heading into Grade 12 at Elgin Park Secondary in Surrey, finished the 72-hole event at one-over par. She played the final 36 holes in five-under.

By Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

Take a Kid to the Course Week is a National Golf Course Owners Association Canada initiative that is successful in large part due to the strong support it receives from members of the PGA of Canada.

“The NGCOA and the PGA of Canada and their chapters work closely together, not just on this project, but anything golf-related,” says Donald Miyazaki, executive director of the PGA of British Columbia. “The owners at the end of the day employ our members, so that relationship is very key for us.”

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

It is a grow-the-game initiative that just keeps growing.

The 17th annual Take a Kid to the Course Week runs July 2-9 and once again the list of participating courses is growing and so is the number of kids taking advantage of the free golf offer.

The promotion, which allows a child under the age of 16 a free round of golf with an adult who pays a green fee, is sponsored by the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada.

“It is absolutely one of our most important grow-the-game initiatives,” says Erica Beck, regional director of NGCOA Canada’s British Columbia and Alberta chapters.

“We have been doing it for 17 years and every year it just keeps growing and growing. And there has been a huge uptick in sponsorship for the program the last few years, so it is something we are definitely hoping to keep going for many years to come.”

Patty & Phil Jonas Have The Unique Honour Of Being Inducted Into The BC Golf Hall Of Fame As Husband & Wife, Simultaneously And On Their Own Separate Merit - Image Courtesy Phil & Patty Jonas

Lynda Palahniuk, Bill Hobbis And Babs Davies Also Being Honoured In Ceremony On Oct. 23rd

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

They met on a driving range and 36 years later that is still a place that feels like home for Phil and Patty Jonas. 

Phil Jonas and Patty Grant were both playing collegiate golf for Lamar University in Beaumont, Tex., when the game brought them together. They had a driving range at Lamar and we just happened to both be practising on a Saturday,” Phil says. After a six-year courtship, they married 30 years ago and settled in the Vancouver area.

Their significant accomplishments as players has the husband-and-wife team heading into the British Columbia Golf Hall of Fame together. The Jonas’s, along with Lynda Palahniuk, Bill Hobbis and Babs Davies, will be formally welcomed into the Hall of Fame at an Oct. 23 ceremony at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.