Richmond Native Christine Wong Was Recently Named A Titleist Brand Ambassador - Image Courtesy Titleist/FootJoy

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When she has a spare moment, which doesn’t happen often in her life, Christine Wong sometimes thinks about one final run at the LPGA Tour. But then she reflects on how happy she is with her life right now and wonders why she’d want to change a thing.

“I think for the next couple of years or so I will probably just keep doing what I have been doing,” Wong says. “I feel like I am in a really good place in my life right now and it’s kind of nice.”

Nice and busy. Wong, a two-time B.C. Women’s Amateur champion who is now nearly eight years removed from a successful collegiate golf career at San Diego State University, has a lot on her plate.

Sean Richardson, Seen Here Receiving The PGA of BC's Jack Westover Coach Of The Year Award In 2018, Passed Away Sunday Following A Long Battle With Cancer - BC Golf File Photo

Courtesy PGA of BC

APRIL 21, 2021

RICHMOND, BC (PGA of British Columbia) –- The PGA of BC regrets to share the news that Sean Richardson (The Harvest Golf Club) passed away Sunday at the age of 52.

One of the most accomplished coaches and instructors among the ranks of PGA of BC Professionals, Richardson had battled cancer for several years prior to his passing. He spent the entirety of his impressive career based at golf facilities in British Columbia.

Courtesy viaSPORT

The arrival of spring means a new group of sports and leagues are getting underway. The following reminders apply to anyone conducting or participating in sport activities in British Columbia.

Courtesy Allied Golf Association of BC

With updates to travel restrictions and new enforcement measures being officially announced on April 23rd, the Allied Golf Association of BC will be working to clarify the information and will be providing resources to help BC's golf courses navigate the shifting landscape.

In brief, the new measures are aimed at reducing the rapid spread of variants of concern and are intended to abate the spread of COVID-19 by focusing on restricting the movement of people into and within the province.

OPPORTUNITY:

Title: Development Officer, First Tee, British Columbia
Reports to: Senior Director, Development Golf Canada Foundation
Location: Bear Mountain Office, Victoria, BC & British Columbia Golf Association Office, Vancouver, BC Status: Full-Time
Anticipated Start Date: May 17th, 2021

via Allied Golf Association - British Columbia

We have the great fortune to continue to play golf in British Columbia amidst COVID-19 as our provincial health authorities recognize the activity is performed outside and can be enjoyed with proper protocols in place and adherence to provincial health orders.

Our British Columbia golf course operators have been provided Best Practices for Responsible Operation of BC Golf Courses and we remind golfers in British Columbia to do their part in golfing responsibly for everyone’s continued enjoyment of the game.

Here linked are a pdf version and a word version for the British Columbia Golf Industry’s use.

British Columbia Golf and Pacific Sport - Fraser Valley are presenting a two-part seminar series entitled "Nurtrition for the Tournament Golfer," taking place Monday April 19th and Monday April 26th, both at 7pm.

The  sessions will be via Zoom with the link for each session being sent out prior to the scheduled date. The main speaker is Registered Dietitian Claudia Lemay with additional hosts Colin Lavers, Head Performance Coach, BC Golf and Nick Mueller, Kinesiologist, Strength and Conditioning, BC Golf.

See more information and the link to register for this FREE event below.

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.