Media Release

Golf Canada will tee it up in 2021 to conduct national amateur championships and is working with public health authorities in host communities to finalize operational protocols so that the competitions may proceed safely. 

Following a 2020 season that saw the cancellation of all Golf Canada competitions due to the pandemic, the 2021 schedule will feature nine National Amateur Championships, eight NextGen Championships for junior-aged golfers, and several USGA qualifiers which will be hosted at member clubs across Canada, starting with the NextGen Pacific Championship at Bear Mountain G&CC in Victoria, BC on May 5th.

Among The Awards Presented At The Sport BC AOY Virtual Event Was The Inaugural 'Delivering On Diversity' Award, Won By British Columbia Golf

For Immediate Release – March 25, 2021 – (Vancouver, BC) 

Sport BC celebrated the 54thAnnual Athlete of the Year Awards virtually on Thursday, March 25, 2021. The event was hosted by CBC’s Scott Russell recognizing the province’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, teams, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport over the 2019 season.

Each finalist was nominated by their Provincial or Multi-Sport Organization, High School, College, or University. The Selection Committee, led by long-serving Chair Bernie Pascall, included a diverse group of highly experienced British Columbia sport leaders and media members.

Acushnet, the parent company of global golf brands Titleist and FootJoy, has demonstrated its commitment to creating a more inclusive culture within golf by becoming a signatory of The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter.

Recently, in celebrating International Women's Day, The R & A asked women working in golf - inside and outside of The R&A - to talk about their work and why having more women in the industry is essential for the future success of the sport.

British Columbia Golf joins The R&A in being committed to broadening the appeal of the sport for women and girls in all forms whether that is playing the sport or working within it. The Women in Golf Charter and #INVITEHer​ campaign aims to improve inclusivity of golf for women and girls.

Read more on The R&A's efforts https://www.randa.org/en/theranda/ini...

(March 23, 2021 – Golf Canada) – Canadians needing a social outlet and a sense of recreational normalcy during the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020 turned to golf in a major way.

Now Golf Canada, with the support of industry partners, will build on the excitement, increased interest, and elevated levels of play with a national golfer retention campaign to welcome new and returning players back to the golf course in 2021.

Wayne Vollmer Accepts A Plaque In Recognition Of His Club's Hosting The 2017 BC Amateur From Past President David Atkinson - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

After a long and accomplished career in the golf business, Wayne Vollmer acknowledges that retirement feels a little different. “It’s been a couple of weeks now and I am trying to get over the overwhelming feeling of not going into work every day,” Vollmer says with a chuckle.

Vollmer, 75, had been director of golf and head professional at Morgan Creek Golf Course since the Surrey club opened in 1995. But his golf career stretches back much farther than that.

2021 World Handicap System (WHS) Handicap Webinars

Please find below information and the registration link for upcoming WHS Webinars. Please pass this information on to all members who you think would be interested in attending. Members who have already registered using the Golf Genius link do not need to re-register.

Golf Canada requires member-based clubs to certify at least one Handicap Official and have a Handicap Committee in place at their club to manage the Handicap Indexes issued to each member. These webinars last for approximately 2 hours and there is no fee to register and attend.

WHO CAN ATTEND: club members, handicap committee members, golf professionals, superintendents, general managers, and any golf-minded individual interested in learning more about Handicapping/Course Rating in general.

FORMAT: all webinars will be via Zoom meetings; a good speaker and microphone are ideal. Video is optional.

QUESTIONS? support@britishcolumbiagolf.org

Registration link:http://bit.ly/3rjBdrQ

Date & Time(all times PST):

1. Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 9:00am - 11:00am - COMPLETED

2. Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 6:30pm - 8:30pm - COMPLETED

3. Saturday, March 20th, 2021 9:00am - 11:00am - COMPLETED

4. Thursday, April 15th, 2021 2:00pm - 4:00pm

5. Wednesday, May 5th, 2021 6:30pm – 8:30pm

World Handicap System (WHS) Online Training Seminar Videos

http://bit.ly/2MM7pVE

Click on the link below to register for one or more of the seminars: 

Register Now for WHS Seminars

ALL BCGA VOTING MEMBERS

ALL SECRETARY/TREASURER OF ZONES

ALL ZONE CHAIRS

SECOND NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The 18^th Annual General Meeting of the British Columbia Golf Association will be held at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. The meeting will take place virtually utilizing Zoom technology. Details as to how to attend the meeting will be circulated  to voting members prior to the meeting. All supporting documents can be found on our website at the bottom of this page. 

• For the benefit of the delegates, the AGM registration desk will be open at 6:45pm.

DATED:  the 17^th day of March 2021

                                                                                                               Sheila Van Gisbergen, Secretary

                                                                                               On behalf of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS

via Golf Canada and The R&A

The R&A is keen to understand the importance of health messaging and how to best communicate health benefits to existing and potential golfers.

We would very much appreciate your feedback on your experiences and perceptions of the health benefits of playing golf and your thoughts for promoting this in the future.

As a thank you for your time you will have an opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a £200 voucher for Auchterlonies golf shop in St Andrew’s (worldwide shipping)

To take part in the survey please click on the survey link below:

The survey is being undertaken by independent research agency Sports Marketing Surveys. Please be assured that the information that you provide will remain confidential.

Longtime Morgan Creek Head Pro & Director Of Golf Wayne Vollmer Accepts A Plaque Of Appreciation At His Course During The 2017 BC Amateur From BC Golf Director David Atkinson - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

After a long and accomplished career in the golf business, Wayne Vollmer acknowledges that retirement feels a little different. “It’s been a couple of weeks now and I am trying to get over the overwhelming feeling of not going into work every day,” Vollmer says with a chuckle.

Vollmer, 75, had been director of golf and head professional at Morgan Creek Golf Course since the Surrey club opened in 1995. But his golf career stretches back much farther than that.

Victoria, BC's Jeevan Sihota - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By  BRENTLEY ROMINE/golfchannel.com

Bryson DeChambeau's thought of driving it over the lake and into the ninth fairway while playing No. 18 this week at TPC Sawgrass isn't unprecedented.

The aggressive line is already known as “The Sihota Line.”

Last September at the AJGA Junior Players Championship, Jeevan Sihota, a high-school junior from Victoria, British Columbia, played the Stadium Course's par-4 finishing hole down the ninth all three days.

“It’s a lot wider target to hit,” Sihota told GolfChannel.com on Tuesday. “I knew I had speeds capable of doing it, so I figured why not? It leaves you a better angle into the green and basically takes the water out of play.”

Click HERE to read complete story...

Courtesy Golf Canada

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA AND TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA – Due to logistical challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the PGA TOUR, title sponsor Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Golf Canada announced today that the 2021 RBC Canadian Open, scheduled for June 7-13 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Etobicoke, Ontario, has been cancelled.

“Even with an extensive health and safety plan in place, we faced a number of significant logistical challenges that led us to this decision,” said PGA TOUR President Tyler Dennis. “While we are disappointed to cancel Canada’s National Championship, we are thankful to our partners RBC and Golf Canada – along with our Canadian fans — for their unwavering support and cooperation throughout this process. We look forward to the RBC Canadian Open returning to our schedule next year.”

Beginning in 2021, British Columbia Golf along with Golf Canada and the other provincial associations have changed Tournament Management Software.

British Columbia Golf will be using Golf Genius for the foreseeable future starting in 2021.

For Immediate Publication

22 February 2021, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, N.J., USA: The R&A and the USGA have announced proposals for significant changes to the Rules of Amateur Status that govern the game worldwide.

These proposals result from a modernisation initiative that has identified a clear need to bring the Rules up to date to reflect today’s global amateur game and ensure that the Rules are easier to understand and apply.

The proposed Rules, along with explanations to key changes, have been posted on www.RandA.org and www.usga.org and the organisations are now inviting feedback from golfers and stakeholders. Comments will be accepted until Friday, 26 March 2021 with the new Rules scheduled to be adopted on 1 January 2022.

From L-R: Trevor Brown, Barb Silvester and Michael Parker - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Trevor Brown chuckles as he recalls the moment he decided to get serious about learning the rules of golf.

Brown was playing a round with a close friend many years ago and they had a few dollars riding on the match. Brown hit a shot that ended up in a penalty area and that’s where the trouble started and ended with Brown reaching into his wallet to pay his buddy.

“I was in a penalty area and started hitting the grass with my practice swings and he said, ‘hey, you just lost the match’ to me,” Brown says. “And I was like, ‘what do you mean, I'm your friend.’ He said, ‘that doesn’t matter, this is golf. You owe me five bucks.’ So I said to myself, you know what, I am going to learn the rules.”

British Columbia Golf would like to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year 2021 falls on Friday, February 12th, 2021, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 26th, 2021. See the full calendar.

Celebrations last up to 16 days, but only the first 7 days are considered a public holiday (February 11th–17th, 2021).

Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs: 2021 is the year of the Ox; 2020 the year of the Rat.

The 2021 BC Golf Education Summit series continues Tuesday, February 9th at 7PM. This next session features Colin Lavers and Matt Cella, two coaches from the BC Golf Performance program, who will be heading the 'Planning for Performance' webinar.

Anyone can learn from some of the most knowledgeable people in Canada on how to succeed along the path to becoming the best possible golfer you can be.

You are invited to join a webinar: The 2021 BC Golf Education Summit - "Elevate to the Next Level." After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

The 2021 Summit will bring together leaders in golf development to discuss the pillars of performance along the competitive pathway, centered around this year's theme of “Elevate to the Next Level.”

The 2021 British Columbia Golf Championship Season Begins May 25th At Gorge Vale GC In Victoria With the Men’s and Women’s B.C. Mid-Amateur Championships - Image Courtesy Gorge Vale GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbia Golf’s 2021 championship tournament schedule is testament to the fact that we are blessed with so many terrific golf courses throughout the province. “We are literally all over B.C. this summer,” says Doug Hastie, manager of field operations and tournament director with British Columbia Golf.

“We try to rotate our events around the province as much as we can.”

Bell Let’s Talk Day is Thursday, January 28 and we’re joining in to help drive progress in mental health.

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of our lives, including our mental health. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 38% of Canadians say their mental health has declined due to COVID-19, and people already struggling with their mental health were 2 times more likely to say their mental health has declined due to the pandemic.

Since 2010, Canadians and people around the globe have joined in the world’s largest conversation around mental health on Bell Let’s Talk Day. Together we have taken big steps to reduce the stigma around mental health issues and inspire one another to take action and help create a Canada where everyone can access the mental health support they need.