Approaching The Fourth Green At Jericho Country Club Golf Course (circa 1908) - Image via City of Vancouver Archives

British Columbia Golf is pleased to share an article that will be published in the November 2021 Vancouver Historical Society newsletter, accompanying the promotion for renowned Pacific Coast golf historian Michael Riste’s lecture on Thursday, November 25th at 7:00 pm on Zoom. 

Readers are welcome to join the lecture, they would need to email the VHS (Vancouver Historical Society) to ask for the link. Instructions to register can be found at the end of the article.

(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.

It Remains To Be Seen How Busy The Border May Get With Golfers Heading South - Larry LarRose Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When the Canada-U.S border was closed to non-essential traffic back in March of 2020, Nathan Vickers feared the worst. 

Vickers, the longtime head professional at North Bellingham Golf Course, wondered how his course would survive without the steady flow of British Columbia players who accounted for more than 30 per cent of the rounds played at North Bellingham.

But Vickers has been pleasantly surprised. Just like it has on this side of the border, golf has boomed in Washington state.

Night Golf In Dubai Has Inspired Night Golf In BC - image courtesy piqsels

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Delta Golf Course is anticipating plenty of demand when the club turns on the lights for night golf on its back nine later this fall.  The light standards have been installed and general manager Grant Steinberg hopes golfers will be playing under the lights starting sometime in mid to late November. “We’re in the hands of our electrician,” Steinberg says.

“He is not quite ready to have the health and safety inspectors come in and sign off on it. He’s still doing his testing and what not. He wants to make sure everything is tickety-boo before we do anything.”

Longtime British Columbia Golf board member and volunteer, Helen Steeves, passed away Thursday, October 7th, 2021.

British Columbia Golf would like to join the entire golf community in expressing our sorrow with this loss and also extend our sincerest condolences to her many friends and to her family at this unfortunate time. 

Just a few of Helen's contributions to the provincial golf association, the zone level and to her home club are outlined in this passage below as submitted by her friend and colleague, Susan Kennedy, a past ladies captain at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club, at the time of Helen's Volunteer Service Award in 2013.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

OCTOBER 13, 2021 - RICHMOND, BC (PGA of British Columbia) - The PGA of BC proudly named the provincial recipients of the Association's 2021 Award Program during an online broadcast of the PGA of BC Awards Celebration presented by Replay Golf Supplies & Tribal held this afternoon.

Coquitlam, BC's A.J. Ewart - image courtesy Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Coquitlam’s A.J. Ewart keeps winning at Barry University in south Florida and his game is reminding his college coach of another British Columbia recruit. 

That would be PGA TOUR regular Adam Svensson of Surrey, who honed his game at Barry before turning pro. Svensson won nine tournaments -- seven in his sophomore year -- before leaving Barry part way through his junior year to chase his pro golf dream.

Ewart, just starting his junior year at Barry, won his fourth event last week.

The R&A

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. and ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The R&A and the USGA have announced that a new Model Local Rule (MLR G-10) will be available beginning on 1 January 2022 to provide those running professional or elite amateur golf competitions with the option of limiting the maximum length of a golf club (excluding putters) to 46 inches.

The proposal was announced in February 2021, which opened a notice-and-comment period to allow the industry the opportunity to provide feedback as part of the equipment rulemaking procedures. The comments received from the golf industry, including players, professional tours and equipment manufacturers, were carefully considered before the decision to proceed with the new MLR was reached.

image courtesy Golf Canada

Via Golf Canada

Oakville, ONT. – With ongoing developments around COVID-19, Golf Canada along with the Golf Coaches Association of Canada (GCAC) has cancelled the 2021 Canadian University/College Championship. The competition was rescheduled to take place in late October, after being postponed from its original date from May 31 – June 4.

From left, Jack Croucher (Jim Gibson Patron of the Year), Robert Clarke (Jim Gibson Scholarship), The Four Jack Podcast (Arv Olson Media Personnel of the Year), Larry Ramstad (PGA of BC Community Leadership Bursary), Kevin Stinson (Stan Leonard Player of the Year) and Alec Hubert (Dunc Sutherland Distinguished Service Award) have all been named recipients in the PGA of BC's 2021 Awards Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCTOBER 6, 2021 - RICHMOND, BC (PGA of British Columbia) -- The PGA of BC is proud to name four recipients of the Association's 2021 Awards, as well as this year's PGA of BC Community Leadership Bursary and Jim Gibson Scholarship beneficiaries. These awards are designed to recognize leaders in the golf community exhibiting qualities such as volunteerism, selflessness, passion, and dedication to the game.

These honourees, along with the recipients of 11 other Association awards, will be recognized during the 2021 PGA of BC Awards Celebration presented by Replay Golf Supplies & Tribal, which will be broadcast online at 12 p.m. PT on Oct. 13.

British Columbia Golf would like to offer our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Lynne Marie Jeannette Powlik who passed away peacefully on the afternoon of September 27th,  at the age of 77. 

Obtaining her National Status as a golf rules Official, her valuable rules knowledge was an asset to many BC Golf tournaments. Lynne was given the Volunteer Recognition Award in 2011, and certainly was deserving for her work with British Columbia Golf. Lynne was also a member of the Fort Langley Golf Ladies Club for years, and was very giving of her time and support to the club.

Scott Vannatter (L) Is Seen Here With Fellow Volunteer Ray Flynn. Scott Was A Long Time Volunteer & Rules Official For BC Golf 

British Columbia Golf was saddened to hear of the passing of long time volunteer official, Scott Vannatter, at Peace Arch Hospital on the afternoon of Thursday, September 30th, 2021.

Scott was a tremendous supporter of the game of golf, especially junior golf. He acted as a BC Golf and Vancouver Golf Tour (VGT) rules official, was a Zone 3 Director for British Columbia Golf as well as a Board Member for the Player Development Trust Fund.

A good player in his own right, Scott was the 2002 Zone 3 Senior Men's Champion.

Condolences go out to Scott's family and friends at this difficult time, he will be missed. 

Please visit the Zone 3 website here to see a more detailed background of Scott's contributions to the game. Click here to see the official obituary for Scott. 

Callum Davison Displays His Unique Cross-Handed Grip (Inset) - YouTube Image Captures

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Blair Bursey won the tournament, but Callum Davison earned the big prize as the Mackenzie Tour concluded its season with the playing of the Reliance Properties DC Bank Open presented by Times Colonist at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria.

Davison’s ninth-place finish in Victoria was enough for him to clinch the No. 1 spot on the points list and earn exempt status for the 2022 season. The 21-year-old Duncan native also earned one other big perk, an exemption into the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.

The LPGA Amateurs Vancouver Island Chapter is excited to announce a two-player women's best ball event taking place at Duncan Meadows GC on Friday, October 22nd. Lots of on-course games and prizes and a welcoming environment for LPGA Amateur members and guests.

The registration deadline is Tuesday, October 19th. See the poster below for more details.

2021 PGA of BC Women's Champion Kat Kennedy - Image Courtesy PGA of BC

Via PGA of BC Press Release

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 - SURREY, BC (PGA of British Columbia) -– Kat Kennedy’s steady play over two days at Northview Golf & Country Club led to her first professional victory on Wednesday as she captured top spot in the PGA of BC Women’s Championship presented by Dexim Golfwear.

Despite a windy and rainy final round to the 36-hole, stableford-scoring tournament, Kennedy (Point Grey Golf & Country Club) matched the 33-point performance she put up in Tuesday’s opening round to take the title with a 66-point total. Under the stableford format, players earn one point for a bogey, two points for a par, three points for a birdie and so on.

“It feels amazing,” said the 26-year-old, whose last win came in the 2018 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a win and doing it while playing amongst some great ladies was a great experience for me out there.”

Image Courtesy Province of British Columbia

On September 30, 2021, individuals and communities honoured Orange Shirt Day, as well as the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The individual and collective journeys of Truth and Reconciliation are enduring. It isn’t a destination, but rather a lifelong path of reflection, learning and understanding.

BC's Callum Davison Won The GolfBC Championship At Gallagher's Canyon GC - Photo: Brad Ziemer 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

His golf game has taken Callum Davison on one long emotional roller-coaster the past three months. Suddenly, that ride is fun again.

The 21-year-old from Duncan became the first multiple-winner on the Mackenzie Tour this season when he captured the GolfBC Championship this past weekend at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club in Kelowna.

The win was worth $18,000 to Davison, a former B.C. Bantam Boys champion who now leads the Mackenzie Tour points list heading into the season-ending tournament in Victoria this week.

NextGen Fall Series Winner Tina Jiang - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

Powell River, B.C. — The final round of the NextGen Fall Series West Championship wrapped up on Saturday at Myrtle Point Golf Club with Tina Jiang securing a convincing nine-stroke victory in the Girls division and Hyunjun Lee earning the win in the Boys division.

The final round of the tournament was scheduled to conclude on Sunday Sept. 26, but the weather in Powell River, B.C. had other ideas. Due to an impending storm in the forecast the final 36 holes were all played on Saturday. 

The early start didn’t phase Tina Jiang, who hails from Richmond, B.C. The 16-year-old cruised to the win on the strength of an opening-round 67 (-5) that set her up for the wire-to-wire win at 10 under par.

Ron Russ (Right Inset) Is The Master Artist Who Designed The BC Golf Haida-Themed Medals - Medals Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Latash Maurice Nahanee

Ron Russ is a Haida master artist known for creating exquisite and intricate one-of-a-kind pieces of art in argillite, yew wood, gold and silver. He was chosen by British Columbia Golf to design a beautiful motif for their awards medals.

Mr. Russ was an avid golfer and considered turning pro, he has shared his golf techniques with many golfers.

When commissioned to design the BC Golf medal, he thought of how difficult it is to get an “eagle” when playing golf. He is from the Raven Clan in Old Massett, Haida Gwaii, BC. On the medal an eagle is depicted holding a golf ball with an engraving of the BC Golf logo. The design on the medal represents excellence in the game of golf.