Courtesy R&A via Golf Canada

St Andrews, Scotland & Oakville, Ont. (September 25, 2024)  – The R&A announced new participation figures that show an increase of more than three million adult golfers playing the sport.  

According to new research undertaken for the governing body, there are now 42.7 million on-course golfers (9 and 18-hole) in R&A affiliated markets (outside the USA and Mexico).

The research figures for 2023 indicate a growth of 3.1 million on-course golfers since 2022. The growth trend began before the onset of Covid-19 and is now accelerating faster than the 2020-2022 pandemic period when there was an average of 2.5 million new on-course golfers per annum. The sport continues to increase in popularity, now up 44% from 29.6 million on-course players in 2016.

The new data is provided by national federations in The R&A’s affiliated markets in Asia, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania.

The First Study To Assess Spectator Physical Activity While Watching Golf Shows Fans Averaged Nearly 12,000 Steps Per Day, With 82.9% Achieving Their Recommended Daily Step-Count - Image Credit (LET/Tristan Jones -ladieseuropeantour.com)

(ST. ANDREWS, SCO) – The University of Edinburgh in conjunction with the Golf & Health Project released new research about the health benefits of golf spectating, showing those who attend golf events could potentially gain benefits similar to those playing in them. 

The study is the first to assess spectator physical activity while watching golf, showing that of the fans surveyed, 82.9% met the recommended daily step-count levels by achieving on average 11,589 steps.

The study suggests that golf spectating can provide health enhancing physical activity; whilst also allowing spectators to spend time in green space, socialise with friends and family, and watch their sporting heroes compete in real life.

British Columbia Golf Executive Director Kris Jonasson (Middle) Took Some Time From His Extremely Busy Schedule To Win A Gold Medal In The Men's Golf Competition Of The Americas Masters Games. The Silver Medal In This Flight Went To George Franko (L) And The Bronze To Cameron Kusch (R) -Image Credit British Columbia Golf

Courtesy British Columbia Golf

The inaugural Americas Masters Games held in the city of Vancouver from August 25th - September 4th are now complete and by all accounts the event was a tremendous success, bringing together Masters Athletes from across North America and around the world.

As was the case at this year's Rio Olympics in Brazil, golf was a featured medal event and provided not only some great play from both the men and the women, it accomplished one of its primary goals, to foster friendship and camaraderie while continuing to promote the sport as a most worthy component in these type of competitions.

Three-foot putts shouldn't be complicated, but some golfers put too much pressure on themselves when standing over short putts.

In this latest Morning Golf Read series from the shores of Maui, Claude Brousseau says to stop thinking of three feet as a "puking zone," and start using this simple mental trick to give yourself a jolt of confidence.

Golf Canada Launches Season-Long Campaign That Highlights The Many Health Benefits of The Sport

- New Golf and Health campaign website along with Golf Canada mobile app enhancements to focus on the sport’s positive physical, mental, and social benefits for participants -

Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada is highlighting the physical, mental, and social benefits that the sport can provide on Canadians through its brand-new Golf and Health campaign.

The campaign – Golf, It’s Good for You – launched leading into World Health Day April 7. All of the World Health Organization’s key criteria for health enhancing physical activity can be achieved through the sport of golf and Golf Canada is prioritizing communicating health as part of its strategic plan.

Walking A Golf Course Is One Of The Most Health Beneficial Activities We Can Take Part In - Image Courtesy wallpaperflare.com

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It was another frustrating day on the golf course, where a round that had shown considerable early promise was derailed once again by sloppy play. But my numbers were not all bad. Despite my less than stellar score, there were some positives about that recent round at Peace Portal Golf Course in Surrey.

When I checked the step-counter on my phone, it told me that I had taken more than 13,000 steps during the round and walked about nine kilometres. (Clearly, I did not hit every shot straight down the middle).

I also climbed the equivalent of 23 floors, which is testament to Peace Portal’s hilly terrain. It is numbers like these, rather than the ones I mark on my scorecard, that have convinced me that golf is good for me.

Adam Helmer/ Golf Canada's Director of Rules and Competitions

Oakville, Ont. – As golf’s governing body in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), announce the new revisions to the Rules of Golf for 2016.

In accordance with the Joint Rules Committee’s four-year review cycle of the Rules of Golf, the new changes will come into effect on January 1, 2016.

Golf’s New Rules Have Been Published By The R&A And The USGA Ahead Of Coming Into Effect On  January 1st, 2019

For the first time, a new Player’s Edition of the Rules of Golf is being introduced to provide a shorter, more user-friendly version of the Rules for golfers at all levels of the sport. This version, which will serve as the primary publication for all golfers, features:

• A more intuitive organization with ten simplified topical groupings
• A “Purpose of the Rule” description at the top of each Rule to better define why the Rule exists
• Easy-to-follow, full-colour diagrams and charts to aid in understanding
• A simpler, more direct writing style

Printed copies of The Player’s Edition should be available from your local golf club and the Player’s Edition, the Rules of Golf and Official Guide are all available now on The R&A’s website and on The R&A’s new 2019 Rules of Golf App (Download from your App store: iOS / Android). Print versions of the Official Guide will be available from November.

Various other resources, including a Visual Search and an updated Rules quiz, are also available to help golfers, Committees and Referees to familiarize themselves with the new Rules of Golf, both on The R&A’s website and on the App. Additional resources, including an updated Rules Academy and a Committee Toolkit, will be added in the coming months.

For more information on the new Rules of Golf and the resources that are available, follow the link below.

READ MORE

(OCTOBER 26, 2021)

Golf’s new Rules of Amateur Status have been published by The R&A and the USGA ahead of coming into effect on January 1, 2022.

The work was the latest step by the governing bodies to make the Rules easier to understand and apply, and follows the modernization process of the Rules of Golf in 2019. The new Rules were informed by golfer and golf industry feedback as a part of a comprehensive review, to ensure they continue to reflect how the modern game is played by millions of golfers around the world.

USGA and The R&A Release Key Features

Golf Canada To Adopt All Features Of The Proposed New World Handicap System

For Immediate Release

February 20, 2018

Liberty Corner, N.J., USA and St Andrews, Scotland – The R&A and the USGA announce key features of the proposed new World Handicap System (WHS), designed to provide all golfers with a consistent measure of playing ability globally.

The idea for a new, unified system was conceived by the USGA and The R&A and developed following an extensive review of systems administered by six existing handicapping authorities - Golf Australia, the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) in Great Britain and Ireland, the European Golf Association (EGA), the South African Golf Association (SAGA), the Argentine Golf Association (AAG) and the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Syngenta Golf Ambassador Carin Koch & Syngenta Global Head of Lawn & Garden Jeff Cox Launched The New Report At The HSBC Golf Business Forum. (Photo/Syngenta)

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — Women account for just 24% of golfers worldwide, yet the number of prospective female players could add $35 billion to the global golf economy.

These are the findings of a groundbreaking global study into female golf participation commissioned by Syngenta and conducted by an independent international market research company.

The new report, ‘The Global Economic Value of Increased Female Participation in Golf,’ surveyed 14,000 people in eight markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

courtesy Golf Canada

Over the past several years, the USGA and The R&A have been working with golf’s handicapping authorities to develop a single World Handicap System (WHS) for the sport.

More than 15 million golfers in over 80 countries presently have a handicap, a numerical index long used as a reference to gauge a golfer’s potential skill level.

From (L-R) Paula Reto, Caroline Masson, Maraijo Uribe, Julietta Granada, Shanshan Feng And Canada's Alena Sharp On The Ferry From Evian To Lausanne, Switzerland - image courtesy igf golf

courtesy International Golf Federation and Ladies European Tour

From the shores of Lake Geneva to the fairways of Rio de Janeiro, the world’s top women golfers had a taste of what to expect in 2016 when they paid a visit to the Olympic Museum and IOC Headquarters ahead of the Evian Championship.

Seven golfers from five continents, all with aspirations of going to the 2016 Rio Olympics, played a nearest to the pin contest before taking a guided tour of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland and posing in front of the Olympic Flame.

Shanshan Feng (China), Julieta Granada (Paraguay), Fabienne In-Albon (Switzerland), Caroline Masson (Germany), Paula Reto (South Africa), Alena Sharp (Canada) and Maria Uribe (Colombia) were all inspired to realize their own Olympic dreams as they learned about past records and heroes.

President of British Columbia Golf, Greg Moody - BC Golf Photo

by Jim Sutherland

The Pacific Coast Amateur is easily one of the most illustrious championships in amateur golf.

For proof, one need only glance at results from the 2015 edition, held at the Eugene Country Club.

That year, current PGA TOUR player Aaron Wise topped the leaderboard, trailed in order by Beau Hossler, Maverick McNealy, Bryson DeChambeau and Will Zalatoris, with Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa further down the list. Big names all, now on the pro circuit.

And that wasn’t a one-off.

Every year the leaderboard is sprinkled with big names. In 2016 and 2017, Wise was followed as winner by Zalatoris and Doug Ghim, yet another pro in waiting.

This year’s Pacific Coast Amateur will be held July 25-28, at Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver, and you’d expect Championship Chair Greg Moody to be stoked.

Click HERE to read full article...

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.

Image via Instagram Screenshot

BC's Adam Hadwin and his wife Jessica started a non-profit organization in May of 2020, The Hadwin Family Foundation following the successful IVF (In vitro fertilization) that produced their daughter Maddox. The two felt they could help assist other couples struggling to conceive a child and thus started the foundation and Maddy’s Miracle Grant. Canadian golf writer Adam Stanley has a wonderful story on how it all came to be and an update on where things are now. 

Written by Adam Stanley
@adam_stanley

Jessica Hadwin looked out a plane window in the spring of 2019 to see a unique double rainbow. There were two vertical strips of colour coming out of a collection of clouds, straight toward the ground – a bright splash through the darkness. She needed that. She wondered if it was a sign.

About a year later – nine months, to be exact – that double rainbow represented their baby girl Maddox. Their fighter. A glimpse of light after years of darkness.

A “Rainbow Baby” is a term for a child born to a family after experiencing previous child loss.

Click HERE to read full story. 

Written by Golf Canada

The World 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.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf associations to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.

Each year, provincial associations analyze numerous factors to determine their active seasons. This ensures consistency of when scores would be posted by the majority of golfers to help keep Handicap Indexes accurate.

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.

For many of us trying to squeeze in the last few rounds of the season, or for those still planning on heading south this 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.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf associations to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.