The Fairmont Chateau Whistler And Arbutus Ridge In Victoria Are Among 30 Golf Courses Across Canada That Have Committed To Growing Milkweed As Part Of The Monarchs In The Rough Program Devoted To Increasing The Population Of Monarch Butterflies - Image Courtesy Pixabay

By SUSAN LAZARUK - Vancouver Sun

Numbers of the majestic monarch butterfly have been in a free fall and a plan hatched with the help of golf courses across North America, including two in B.C., is hoping to bring them flying back. The number of the summer visitors to flower gardens and wildflower fields has plummeted 90 per cent over the past 20 years, according to Audubon International.

“And it’s worse in the western population, where you are, where there’s been a 95 per cent drop in numbers,” said Marcus Gray of Audubon International.

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Victoria’s Arbutus Ridge golf courses are among the 30 courses across Canada and the 250 so far across the U.S. that have committed to growing the flowers on a half hectare of land on their courses.

CLICK HERE to read complete story in Vancouver Sun.

Kimberely, BC's Jared du Toit Was Alone In 3rd Heading Into The Final Round But Had A Tough Sunday At The Bayview Place DCBank Open Falling To 23rd Overall. He Was Still The Low Player From BC - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The Canadian drought continues on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit. There were plenty of Canadian flags on the leaderboard heading into the weekend, but not many left when the final round of the Bayview Place DCBank Open was completed Sunday at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria.

Texan Sam Fidone, who had a two-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round, closed with a bogey-free five-under 65 and won by five shots with a 72-hole total of 19-under par. Calgary’s Wes Heffernan was the only Canadian in the top 10. Heffernan, who shot a 68 on Sunday, finished tied for sixth at 11-under. That earned him the weekly bonus of $2,500 from Freedom 55 Financial for being low Canadian.

Kimberley’s Jared du Toit, who began the day alone in third place, struggled to a five-over 75 Sunday and finished tied for 23rd place at six-under par. Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill (T14 at eight-under) and Ontario’s Taylor Pendrith (T23) were the other Canadians inside the top 25. A Canadian hasn’t won on the Mackenzie Tour since Langley’s Adam Cornelson won at Uplands in 2016.

Sam Fidone Holds The Winner's Trophy From The Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist - Image Credit Kevin Light/Mackenzie Tour

Courtesy Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada—After his third round, Sam Fidone mentioned he would likely be feeling some nerves on his stroll up to the first tee Sunday at the Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist.

Fidone appeared to make that stroll with all the confidence in the world, striping his first tee shot down the Uplands Golf Club fairway to begin his march toward a bogey-free 65 and commanding five-stroke victory.

For only the second time, the World Deaf Golf Championships will be played in Ireland after the IDGU won the bidding process to host the championships in July 2014 at the Grand Traverse Resort, Michigan, USA.

The Championships will be held July 21st-28th,  2018at the Carton House Golf Club. The Men’s Individual/Team Championships will be playing on the Montgomerie Course while the Ladies’ & Senior’s Individual/Team Championships will be playing on the O’Meara Golf Course.

Team Canada will compete in the Men’s event, Senior Men’s event and Ladies’ event.

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.

Golf Canada National Team Members Have Found A Good Home At Victoria's Bear Mountain Golf Resort - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

LANGFORD -- Golf Canada has gone all-in on player development and for that chief sport officer Jeff Thompson makes no apologies. Golf Canada, with the help of some key corporate sponsors, spends big bucks funding national amateur, developmental and young pro squads and Thompson gave a spirited defence of that strategy at a recent media event at Bear Mountain, the site of Golf Canada’s new national training facility.

“I get often asked why do we spend so much money on so few players and my answer is quite simple,” Thompson said. “Our philosophy from the very top of the organization is we believe in the power of creating champions, creating heroes. That inspires a nation to play our sport.”

Walnut Grove Defended Their  B.C. AAA High School Golf Championship, Collingwood Took The AA Title, While Aberdeen Hall (Pictured) Claimed The A Crown - Image Courtesy Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The second one wasn’t quite so easy for Langley’s Walnut Grove Gators, who successfully defended their B.C. AAA High School Golf Championship on Wednesday.

The Gators held off the hosts from Dover Bay Secondary at Nanaimo Golf Club to win the 36-hole championship by five shots. Last year, the Gators won their first title by 42 shots over St. George’s at Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford. “This one was very close,” said Walnut Grove coach Dana Ferguson. “The host team played fantastic golf and gave us a run for our money.”

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.

PGA of BC 2018 Assistants Champion Oliver Tubb - Image Courtesy PGA of BC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

JUNE 5, 2018

VICTORIA, BC (PGA of British Columbia) - Oliver Tubb won his third title in the PGA of BC Assistants' Championship presented by Irene Strong, Mortgage Professional Tuesday, getting past Brad Clapp on the third playoff hole on the Mountain Course at Bear Mountain Resort Community.

Norm Jarvis, meanwhile, won the PGA of BC Seniors' Championship for a second time, earning a four-shot victory powered by his tournament-low 72 in Tuesday's final round of the 36-hole event.

Golf Canada President Leslie Dunning With Distinguished Service Award Recipient Cam Cole - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf (Special To Golf Canada)

Cam Cole seems to have this retirement thing down pat.

“I am playing way more than I ever have in my life,” he says over the phone between rounds at his new home course, The Harvest, in Kelowna. “I am probably playing three or four times a week. The game has not become less a part of my life after retirement. It has become even bigger. I am enjoying that.”

For many years, so many Canadians enjoyed Cole’s beautifully crafted columns from golf’s major championships. By his count, Cole covered 66 majors, along with seven Ryder Cups and six Presidents Cups, nine (RBC) Canadian Opens and several (CP) Canadian Women’s Opens before retiring in December 2016 after an exemplary 41-year career as one of this country’s top sportswriters.

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.

Former B.C. Junior Champ Riley Wheeldon Finished T10 At The Freedom 55 Financial Open Also Taking Low-Canadian Honours And The Bonus Cheque - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

No one said it was going to be easy and Riley Wheeldon would be the first to tell you it has been anything but. The former B.C. Junior Boys champion from Comox has taken a long and winding road in his journey as a professional golfer. He has hit more than a few speed bumps along the way.

“It has been a roller-coaster,” Wheeldon said after Sunday’s final round of the Freedom 55 Financial Open at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver. “Obviously, my first couple of years out here were a nice steady incline and then a steady decline and hopefully now we’re back on the up.”

Daniel Campbell Of The University Of The Fraser Valley Has Helped Put The Cascades Golf Program On The Map After Leading His Team To The Canadian University/College Championship Men's Title at Chilliwack Golf Club - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- Respect has been hard to come by for the University of the Fraser Valley’s men’s golf team, which has played in the shadows of more established programs at the University of B.C., the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University.

That should no longer be a problem. The title Canadian University champions changes everything for the Cascades and their hard-working coach, Chris Bertram. “This is the biggest win we’ve ever had and probably one of the biggest team victories we have had as a university since we got involved a few years ago,” Bertram said after his UFV men’s team won the Canadian University/College Championship at Chilliwack Golf Club in convincing fashion.

Avril Li Led The Way For The UBC T'Birds Women's Squad Winning The Individual Title At Chilliwack Golf Club - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- The University of British Columbia’s women’s golf team did what they nearly always do on Friday by capping off their season with another Canadian University/College Championship.

It was the 13th win in the 16-year history of the event for the Thunderbird women. And it doesn’t figure to be their last. The four members of Friday’s winning team at Chilliwack Golf Club included three freshmen and a junior. In other words, the future is bright.

University Of Victoria Vikes' Lawren Rowe Is The Embodiement Of Much Of What Is So Great About The Canadian University/College Championship - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- This is his collegiate golf swansong and Lawren Rowe insists he has no regrets. The University of Victoria senior knows he made the right decision four years ago when he chose to play his collegiate golf close to home.

“I was always curious about that in the beginning,” Rowe said Thursday before he played the third round of the Canadian University/College Championship at Chilliwack Golf Club.

“I thought that maybe I would regret not having gone down to the States, but I am definitely thrilled to be out at UVic and thankful for the opportunities I have had. It is so great to be close to home and be able to play in tournaments like these. It was definitely the right choice.”

Averaging over 2,000 hours of sun every year, Kelowna offers one of the longest, driest golf seasons in Canada. Vineyards, orchards, semi-desert terrain, rolling hills, and expansive lakes make the golf courses in the area some of the most picturesque in the country.

That’s not all: many clubhouses also offer amazing dining experiences that range from casual to gourmet. With 19 courses that range from easy-going to ego-shattering, there is something in Kelowna for every skill level.

Kelowna is the proud home of the Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada taking place at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club June 11 – 17th.

The University Of The Fraser Valley, Led By Zach Olson, Leads The Men’s Division By 12 Shots At The Halfway Point Of The 2018 Canadian University/College Championships At Chilliwack GC - Image Courtesy Dan Kinvig (UFV)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- The University of the Fraser Valley men’s golf team does not look like it is going to come back to the rest of the field at the Canadian University/College Championship at Chilliwack Golf Club.

Someone is going to have to catch the Cascades and it doesn’t figure to be easy. The Cascades went deep Wednesday for the second straight day, posting a second-round score of 11-under par to finish 36 holes at 21-under par. They lead second-place University of B.C. by 12 shots. The Cascades, who have never finished better than fourth at this event, are halfway to history.

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.

UBC Freshman Kelly Hellman Helped Lead The Thunderbirds To A First-round Lead At The Canadian University/College Championships In Chilliwack - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- Compared to most of the young women competing at this week’s Canadian University/College Championship, Kelly Hellman started golf late. It wasn’t until the summer of her Grade 9 year that Hellman swung her first golf club. Her grandfather could no longer play and she inherited his clubs. Her mom took her for a golf lesson and that was it. Hellman was hooked.

“I was a bit skeptical (about golf) but after the first lesson I just absolutely fell in love with the sport and every day I was out at the course,” the 19-year-old Hellman said after she opened with an even-par 72 that helped her UBC Thunderbirds grab the women’s team division lead at Chilliwack Golf Club.

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.