Team Canada Member And Coquitlam Native, A.J. Ewart Narrowly Missed A Playoff By One Shot After 18 Straight Pars In The Final Round - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

(with files from AJGA & Golf Canada)

Ricky Castillo of Yorba Linda, California, won the 18th annual AJGA Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona in a three-man sudden-death playoff.

Castillo defeated overnight leader, Jaewook Lee, of Langley, British Columbia, and Brock Goyen of Gilbert, Arizona, to claim his first AJGA victory since the 2015 BBCN Bank Junior All-Star.

(Herb Fung/Golf Canada) — Golf Canada is pleased to announce its competition schedule including host clubs and dates for the 2016 championship season.

A total of 24 professional and amateur championships, as well as qualifying events into Canada’s two National Open Championships – the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open – will be conducted in 2016.

Self-reported Sedentary Time In Older Athletes

You are invited to participate in a research study focusing on Canadian Masters and recreational athletes that are aged 55 and up. The study is being conducted through the Kinesiology program at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT).

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, and BRAMPTON, Ontario (Adam Stanley/Golf Canada) — There will be a first for Canadian golf in 2016. For the first time ever, two Canadian clubs will play host to U.S. Amateur championship qualifiers.

Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver will host a qualifier for the men on July 18, while Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont., will host a qualifier for the women on June 27.

“Golf Canada has been working on several initiatives with the USGA to strengthen our partnership and these qualifiers are the beginning of what we hope to be larger collaborations,” says Mary Beth McKenna, manager of rules and competitions for Golf Canada. “With Canadian golfers experiencing more and more success on the professional and amateur level, it was likely a natural fit for the USGA to expand these qualifiers into Canada.”

Jeff Palmer Will Be Bringing His Tremendous Expertise To Ardmore.
Image Courtesy Inside Golf.

Ardmore Golf Course has a new General Manager.

Jeff Palmer, formerly the Director of Instruction at the GBC Golf Academy at Olympic View, joins the team and takes over from Greg de Jong, who is stepping back from the GM role to focus on the golf course as the Head Superintendent.

Jared du Toit ended Blair Hamilton’s four-week reign atop the Canadian amateur rankings, regaining the top spot for the first time since Week 4.

Hamilton lost 14 places in the world rankings to surrender his No. 1 ranking by one spot. The senior from Burlington, Ont., was recently named the 2015-16 American Athletic Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He has posted six Top-20 finishes in seven tournaments to date and three Top-10 finishes in a four-tournament stretch at the end of the fall and start of the spring seasons.

From (L-R) Lorie Kane, Warren Sye And Bob Weeks Are The Newest Members Of Canada's Golf Hall Of Fame - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Courtesy Golf Canada

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to announce that Canadian LPGA Tour legend Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, two-time Canadian Men’s Amateur champion Warren Sye of London, Ont., and renowned golf journalist Bob Weeks, of Toronto, Ont., have been elected as 2016 inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Kane and Sye are being inducted under the player category, while Weeks will be inducted as a builder. With their inductions, the trio will become the 75th, 76th and 77th honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Jaclyn Lee (Golf Canada/Josh Schaefer)

Golf Canada – Week of February 29, 2016

Golf Canada National Team member Jaclyn Lee climbed 135 spots in the world rankings and moved up to No. 7 in Canada after finishing in a tie for ninth at the Westbrook Invitational. It was the first career Top-10 result for the freshman out of Calgary.

Ladysmith's Pat Irwin (L) Was Recognized By Golf Canada As The Volunteer Of The Year For 2015 At The Golf Canada AGM In Halifax - Image Credit Shanda Harris née Irwin

Herb Fung/ Golf Canada

HALIFAX – Golf Canada announced that Ladysmith, B.C., native Pat K. Irwin has been named its 2015 Volunteer of the Year. He received the honour at the Saturday, February 27 closing dinner of the 2016 Annual General Meeting at the Prince George Hotel in Halifax.

Individuals’ paths to the game of golf can travel many routes. Golfers often recall early years on the course with parents or grandparents and credit them as sources of inspiration. Pat Irwin’s journey to the game came about in a more unique fashion – he decided to quit smoking.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Roland Deveau of Bedford, N.S., was inducted as Golf Canada’s 113^th president at the conclusion of the National Sport Federation’s Annual General Meeting this past weekend in Halifax.

Deveau succeeds 2015 president Paul McLean of King, Ont., in leading Golf Canada’s Board of Directors. Calgary’s Leslie Dunning becomes first vice-president while Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que., assumes the role of second vice-president.

Adam Hadwin finished tied for 16th at PGA’s Northern Trust Open, his second straight Top-20 result of the season. His final-round 66 was the best score of the day and the finish marked his best career result at Riviera, which was good for a 15-spot gain in the world rankings for the No. 3 ranked golfer in Canada.

His gain of 4.95 world ranking points was his third points-paying finish in the last four tournaments. He has earned a total of almost 16 world ranking points over that span and if he can make up the 14-place gap between himself and No. 2 Graham DeLaet by the second week in July, he will qualify for one of two Olympic spots for Canada.

Fellow Abbotsford, B.C., native Nick Taylor made the biggest gain among the Top-10, picking up 28 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 26th at Riviera. That was good for 2.67 world ranking points – the second straight points-paying finish in as many weeks for the No. 4 ranked golfer in Canada.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Golf Canada’s 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) is set for February 25-27, at the Prince George Hotel in Halifax.

The event will bring together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, committee volunteers and staff, as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations and stakeholders from within the golf industry. The group will assemble for three days of meetings, presentations and discussion in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

Langley, B.C.'s Jessica Wallace Came Within One Shot Of Forcing A Playoff In The Season-Opening IOA Championship On The Symetra Tour - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

BEAUMONT, Calif. – Canada’s Jessica Wallace finished runner-up at the Symetra Tour’s season-opening IOA Championship on Sunday at the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon.

Wallace, a Langley, B.C., native, posted a final round 70 (-2), pushing a par-putt on 18 to just miss forcing a playoff with champion Erynne Lee of Los Angeles, Calif., who rallied with a final round 65 (-7) for the come-from-behind victory.

Kelowna's Megan Osland Is One Of Ten Canadians Including Four From British Columbia Teeing It Up In The Symetra Tour's Season Opener In California - Image Courtesy KelownaNow

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

BEAUMONT, Calif. – Ten Canadians are set to kick-off the Symetra Tour’s 2016 season this Friday with the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa.

Federal Budget Pre Consultation

Ensure the Minister of Finance is aware of the need for tax fairness for Canada's golf industry

Dear CGSA Member / Non-Member / Golf Industry Representative:

The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) has been focused on ensuring our industry's request for tax fairness is a priority for the new Government. We are now fast approaching the 2016 Budget, and our organization, in partnership with NAGA, has been working diligently to make sure golf is on the agenda.

We need your help to make sure our voice is heard loud and clear, and this can easily be done now that the Minister of Finance has officially launched Pre-Budget consultations. This provides an open opportunity for all Canadians to have their voices heard, and we've found that specific aspects of the Minister's call for responses can be linked to NAGA's tax fairness issue.

Adam Hadwin picked up 32 spots in the world rankings after coming within five strokes of his first career PGA Tour victory. The Abbotsford, B.C., golfer finished tied for sixth at the PGA’s CareerBuilder Challenge after beginning the final round in third, three back of leader and eventual champion Jason Dufner. Three straight birdies to close out the front nine put Hadwin in a tie for the lead with Dufner, who then rallied for three birdies of his own to reclaim the lead. Hadwin went in the other direction with three bogeys which all but spelled the end of his chances for victory. The result was good for 7.20 world ranking points, his first points paying finish since the Frys.com Open last fall. It was also his best world ranking result since finishing tied for fifth at the Crowne Plaza event last May. The $194,300 paycheque was the biggest of his two-year PGA career.

(Golf Canada/Tyler Costigan)

Team Canada Women’s Head Coach, Tristan Mullally, added another trophy to the shelf, winning the PGA of Canada’s Ben Kern Coach of the Year award at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

The PGA of Canada awards the Ben Kern Coach of the Year based on a professional’s overall performance in coaching; unusual, innovative and special coaching programs initiated or implemented; articles published; as well as outstanding golfers the professional has coached.

(Golf Canada/Chuck Russell)

Craig Loughry, Director of Handicap & Course Rating/Golf Canada

The 2016 golf season will see the implementation of a new Handicap cycle. This two-year cycle is effective March 1, 2016 – February 28, 2018. Below you will find information regarding the changes that have been made in the Golf Canada Handicap Manual for a quick reference Six significant changes are seen in the upcoming edition of the Golf Canada Handicap Manual, which will impact approximately 3.3 million golfers who hold a Handicap Factor® issued throughout Canada and 10 provincial associations. Those highlighted changes include:

Langley, BC's Sue Kim Who Will Be Competing On The LPGA's Symetra Tour Is A Member Of Team Canada's Young Pro Squad For 2016 - Twitter Image 

Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the six athletes – two female and four male – who have been selected to the 2016 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.

Comprising the team for 2016 is: Sue Kim (Langley, B.C.); Augusta James (Bath, Ont.); Albin Choi (Toronto); Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.); and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.).

The focus of the Young Pro Squad – now in its third year – is to bridge the gap for top graduating amateurs transitioning into professional golf. The program was developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada and is generously funded by founding partners Canadian Pacific and RBC, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund.

by John Gordon/Golf Canada

The mechanics and philosophy of handicapping are a mystery to the majority of golfers. A mystery vital to our enjoyment of the game and equitable competition with other golfers, but a mystery nonetheless.

To compound that, let’s get metaphysical.

We are all familiar with the centuries-old conundrum, “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Substitute “unaccompanied rounds” for that hypothetical tree and that may help you understand the recent decision by the USGA and Golf Canada to disallow solo round scores for handicapping purposes.