Procter, BC's Jackie Little Is One Round Away From Securing Her 6th B.C. Senior Women's Championship -  British Columbia Golf Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jackie Little gave the rest of the field an opening, but no one took advantage in Wednesday’s second round of the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship at Crown Isle Golf Resort in Courtenay.

Little fired a four-over 76 Wednesday. That was five shots higher than the one-under 71 she recorded in Tuesday’s opening round that had given Little a three-shot cushion.

Procter, BC's Jackie Little Is Chasing Her Sixth B.C. Senior Women's Championship Crown This Week At, Appropriately Enough, Crown Isle Golf Resort In Courtenay - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She is one of British Columbia’s most accomplished players and Jackie Little served notice Tuesday that she has lots of competitive golf left in her. Little already has five B.C. Senior Women’s Championships and could be on her way to a sixth after opening this year’s tourney with a one-under par 71 at Crown Isle Golf Resort in Courtenay.

Margaret Todd Is Shown Here With Two Other BC Golf Legends, Doug Roxburgh And Alison Murdoch At Murdoch's 2013 Hall Of Fame Induction In Victoria - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

On the occasion of one of British Columbia's and indeed Canada's all-time great Amateur Golfers reaching a milestone birthday, British Columbia Golf, its staff and membership would all like to join in celebrating and congratulating Margaret Todd who turned the magical age of 100 on May 31st.

The Shot Clock Masters 2018 Cover Photo - Image Courtesy European Tour

In this week's edition of the Globalgolfpost.com, contributing writer Lewine Mair's column The Take, offers an eye-opening perspective on some of the European Tour's efforts at addressing slow play, a topic that has become a very hot issue in recent years. 

A major proponent of 'actions speak louder than words' Canada's Keith Pelley, the European Tour's Chief Executive, has put into action some new ideas to test the waters as far as effecting change in the way the game of golf has appeared to slow to a snail's pace. Case in point is the recently played Shot Clock Masters at the Diamond Country Club in Austria. 

Mair goes in depth in her story on not only the event itself but the overall reaction and possible ramifications of golf tournaments where players are timed in 50 seconds or less for each shot, depending on certain circumstances, with the threat of an immediate penalty hanging over them should they fail to pull the trigger in time. 

Read the complete story HERE.

Click HERE to see a video of Keith Pelley discussing the effects of this type of event. 

Duncan Meadows Golf Course Is Co-Hosting The 2018 Canadian Men's Amateur 

In advance of the Canadian Men's Amateur Championship being held this August 6th - 9th at Duncan Meadows Golf Club in Duncan and Pheasant Glen Golf Club in Qualicum Beach, Duncan Meadows is holding an Exemption Qualifier at their course on Saturday, June 23rd at 10 a.m.

This is in addition to the Golf Canada Qualifier taking place on Friday, August 3rd at Duncan Meadows. Information on that event can be found HERE.

For information on the June 23rd Exemption Qualifier at Duncan Meadows please refer to the poster below. 

British Columbia Golf Director Michelle Collens (Inset) Has Been Named As A Council Member Of The Newly Formed Minister’s Tourism Engagement Council - Image Courtesy (flickr.com)

BC Government News Release

A new Minister’s Tourism Engagement Council (MTEC), with a diverse membership to help guide government's tourism policy, strategy and program implementation, has been announced by Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Beare made the announcement to media and tourism industry stakeholders prior to the first official gathering of the council last Friday (June 1st).

“This council brings a fresh approach to tourism industry discussions in B.C., drawing on expertise from a wide range of sectors, across all tourism regions of the province, and giving arts, culture and sport a greater voice,” Beare said.

BC Team Coach Matt Cella Works With Emma Yang In Advance Of The Canadian Junior Girls Championship July 31-Aug. 3 At Beach Grove Golf Club In Tsawwassen - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Debbie Pyne is determined to do everything she can to give British Columbia’s top players an edge when they play in this summer’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship. That event is not being held until July 31-Aug. 3 at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, but Pyne and her team of coaches from British Columbia Golf have been preparing for the championship for months.

Pyne, the managing director of player development with British Columbia Golf, has arranged for a select group of B.C’s top juniors to attend a series of camps designed to help them become intimately familiar with Beach Grove.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jordan Niebrugge hopes his win Sunday at the Freedom 55 Financial Open will be his Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada swansong. The 24-year-old Oklahoma State University graduate has conditional status on the Web.com Tour, where he will play this week in Illinois, and hopes he won’t be making a return trip north.

“If I can get on a roll and keep playing well my focus will probably be down there a little more,” he said.

Scott Kerr (L) And Ziggy Nathu (R) Are Headed To Mexico To Represent British Columbia In The 2018 Mexican International Amateur - Images BC Golf/VGT

British Columbia Golf has announced that Vancouver's Scott Kerr and Zaahidali (Ziggy) Nathu of Richmond will be BC's representative team at this year's prestigious Mexican Amateur taking place this week, June 7-10th in Mexico City at the Club de golf México.

The event is a 72 hole stroke play championship with a cut after 36 holes. It draws an international field from North, South and Central America.

Adopt a School Week is a Golf Canada junior initiative to drive interest and fundraising efforts to support the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program.

Key points about the program:

• Provides golf curriculum and equipment to grades 1-12
• Your donation can be directed to the school of your choice
• The program reaches 420,000 students annually coast-to-coast
• Since inception in 2009, 50% of the 3,500 registered schools were adopted
• In 2017, 266 new schools were adopted

You can contribute to the continued growth of the program and help us reach the remaining 85% of schools yet to be a registered as a Golf in Schools site. Invest in the health of our sport by adopting a school in your community!

Donate now as the first 30 adoptions will be matched with a second school of your choice!

Please visit golfcanada.ca/adoptaschool to donate or learn more about Future Links Golf in Schools.

Speakers Chyloe Kurdas (Golf Australia), Hazel Irvine (BBC), Sarah Stirk (Sky Sports), Nick Pink (England Golf), Liz Dimmock (Moving Ahead) and Martin Slumbers (The R&A) At The Launch Of The Women In Golf Charter Staged At The View From The Shard, London - Image Courtesy R&A/Twitter

The R&A today unveiled a new Women in Golf Charter as part of the organization’s drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf and to encourage more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry.

The Women in Golf Charter aims to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture within golf around the world and to enable more women and girls to flourish and maximise their potential at all levels of the sport.

Representatives Of Golf Associations From Across Canada Including BC Golf President Patrick Kelly (7th from left) And Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum (8th from right) Participate In “National Golf Day” On The Front Lawn Of Parliament Hill - Image Credit Kris Jonasson/BC Golf

(OTTAWA), May 29, 2018 – Today, to mark Canada’s first annual National Golf Day, Canadians are invited to take a swing on Parliament Hill with a number of We Are Golf interactive golf activities.

As well, PGA of Canada professionals will be on hand to provide golf tips and share their enthusiasm for the game with golfers and Ottawa-area school students.

The event is aimed at raising awareness among the public and government decision-makers on the many positive health, economic, social, environmental and charitable impacts of the golf industry across Canada.

Team BC Poses With The North Pacific Junior Ladies Team Matches Trophy For The Third Straight Year - Image Courtesy Jennifer Greggain/Instagram

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Coach Chris Bertram is not about to discount the home course advantage his University of the Fraser Valley Cascades will enjoy at this week’s Canadian University/College Championship at Chilliwack Golf Club.

The Cascades know the Chilliwack layout inside and out, having regularly practised at the course for many years. “We have called that our home course for 12 or 13 years and it is always going to be an advantage playing at a place that you are familiar with,” says Bertram. “We get to play there regularly so there aren’t too many shots out there that we haven’t seen.

“But Chilliwack isn’t the kind of place that has a lot of blind tee shots or tricky green complexes. The course is out in front of you and players can figure the course out fairly quickly, I would say. But I don’t discount the fact that being out there every day the last few weeks is a big advantage for us.”

Now Reinstated As An Amateur, The Future Is So Bright For Surrey's Dan Swanson, He Has To Wear Shades - Image Credit Mike West/Vancouver Golf Tour (VGT)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Old golf pros don’t fade away. Some of them get reinstated as amateurs, where they can further stoke their competitive fires. Actually, Dan Swanson isn’t old. He’s only 39 and thinks he has lots of good golf left in him. Just not at the professional level.

So Swanson, who turned pro in 2003 after a successful collegiate career at the University of Texas-El Paso, has had himself reinstated as an amateur. “For me personally, I just wanted to be able to compete in big events just because I love competing and I love the game,” Swanson said in an interview.

Swanson, a Surrey native who now lives in Langley, tried life as a touring pro. He spent three years on the Canadian Tour and played in one Canadian Open. He also worked as a club pro. Swanson was head professional for a time at Guildford Golf & Country Club in Surrey, where he and his buddies still gather for men’s night every Tuesday.

Abbotsford's Nick Taylor Is Shown Here Playing In A Vancouver Golf Tour Event At The University Of The Fraser Valley In His Hometown - Image Courtesy VGT

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Nick Taylor shot four rounds in the 60s at the AT&T Byron Nelson tourney in Dallas and showed some positive signs that he is snapping out of a mid-season funk on the PGA TOUR.

Rounds of 69, 68, 69 and 69 left Taylor at nine-under par and tied for 32nd place. For Taylor, it’s as good as he has felt on the golf course in a long while. The Abbotsford native recently endured six straight missed cuts and admitted in a telephone interview Sunday night that he has been frustrated by his play.

“I was very frustrated and it was hard to stay positive,” Taylor said. “It went on long enough that doubt starts to creep into your mind and you start playing to almost make cuts. It gets in your mind when you get off to a tough start in a round and you’re like, here we go again. So I feel like it is behind me and I feel like this week I took a big step in the right direction.”

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.

Vancouver, BC's Kevin Li, A Senior On The Men's Golf Team At Brown University In Providence, R.I., Has Been Recognized By The College Sports Information Directors Of America Being Named To The 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Team - Images Courtesy Brown Athletics

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown seniors Kevin Li (Vancouver, B.C.) and Peter Tarwid (Lake Forest, Ill.) and junior Amy Tarczynski (Oakland, Calif.) were named to their respective 2017-18 CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Teams on Thursday as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The Academic All-District Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom, as only student-athletes who maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 and are significant contributors to their team's success are eligible for nomination.

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.

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.