by Jeff Sutherland/Inside Golf

See Victoria's Dale Jackson playing at his home course of Royal Colwood and you would not be remiss to think you are watching just another solid club level amateur golfer.

In this case appearances would be deceiving.

Jackson has been involved in giving back to the game as a rules official since becoming interested in this vocation more than 15 years ago. Since then he has risen through the ranks to become a Level Four Rules Official and serving as Managing Director of Rules and Competitions for British Columbia Golf from 2003 to 2007.

More recently, Jackson has been active at the national level and since 2013 has been the Chair of the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status Committee for Golf Canada.

Surrey's Hannah Lee Is In Lima Peru With Her Team Canada Teammates For The South American Amateur This Week - Image Courtesy BC Golf

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

LIMA, Peru – Four members of Team Canada’s Development Squad are set to play in the 11th edition of the South American Amateur this week from Jan. 21–24 at the Lima Golf Club—a three-time host of the event.

Jared du Toit (Photo/Alfie Lau, File)

Weekly Top-10 Rankings For Week of January 11, 2016

courtesy Golf Canada

Eric Banks lost ground in the world rankings this week, but the No. 4 ranked amateur player in Canada was the only Top-10 golfer to get his 2016 campaign underway. The Golf Canada National Team member from Truro, N.S., finished in a tie for 52nd at the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship.

For the 10th straight week, Jared du Toit holds down the No. 1 amateur ranking in Canada.

Outside the Top-10, Tony Gil and Andrew Harrison slipped down the rankings by four and 54 spots, respectively. No new players entered the Top-20 this past week.

Ted McIntyre (Golf Canada Magazine)

It is an inspired program that has the power to change lives—to send youngsters on a path to golfing stardom or to simply introduce them to a previously unforeseen athletic pursuit; to nurture confidence in a withdrawn individual and to instill the game’s greatest virtues at a key time in a student’s personal growth.

The (GIS) program has signed up more than 2,700 schools representing more than 315,000 students, but there are gaps that need to be filled as the program prepares for its next stage of evolution, the most prominent being with the end user.

For most of the year—and in many cases for years following a program’s initial implementation—equipment and teachers’ manuals sit dormant in gymnasium storage rooms. That’s not to say the responsibility lies entirely with the schools.

PGA of Canada / Golf Canada

Continued education of certified coaches delivers added benefits to the athlete, the parents, the teaching professionals themselves and ultimately, the future of Canada’s next generation of golfers.

National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) certified coaches belong to a select group that have chosen to pursue the highest education, giving them the knowledge to excel in all areas of coaching golf.

Weekly Top-10 Rankings Fo Week of January 4, 2016

courtesy Golf Canada

In the first week of the new 2016 world rankings, Justin Shin moved past Canadian Masters champion Mike Weir and into No. 11 in the Canadian rankings. That was the only significant change among the top 20 pros in Canada as the new golf season gets set to tee off.

Over the Christmas break, Lindsay Renolds climbed from No. 19 up to No. 15 in the Canadian rankings, gaining 80 places in the world after concluding the 2015 Asian Tour schedule with a 10th place finish in the Philippines.

The 2015 golf season was a very good year for David Hearn, as a final review of the world rankings show. The Brantford, Ont. golfer gained 64.81 world ranking points last year, by far the biggest gain among Canadian pros. However, the net gain for Canada’s No. 1 ranked golfer over the course of a year was just 2.14 points.

Courtesy Golf Canada
by John Gordon

There is no doubt Golf Canada is proud of the many accomplishments by Canadian golfers in 2015. But the over-arching mandate of the association was succinctly summarized by Scott Simmons in his year-end message to members across the country.

“Golf Canada is committed to investing in the growth and overall health of the game,” said Simmons, the CEO of Golf Canada.

In 2015, perhaps more so than in any other previous year, Golf Canada demonstrated that long-term commitment through an initiative called “One Vision.”

The stunning Stewart Creek G&CC played host to the 2015 PGA of Alberta Championship sponsored by Club Car and TaylorMade adidas.

Surrey's Michelle Kim Has Been Recognized By The CJGA For Her Outstanding 2015 Year On And Off The Golf Course - Image Credit Alfie Lau

courtesy CJGA

Richmond Hill, Ont. (December 18, 2015) - The Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) is pleased to announce Michelle Kim as the recipient of the 2015 Helena Harbridge Sportsmanship Award.

Kim, an 18-year old CJGA member living in Surrey, B.C. is the first British Columbian to earn the honourable distinction for an award that recognizes sportsmanship, dedication, and commitment in the game of golf.

The award is named after Helena Harbridge, an outstanding junior golfer and CJGA alum that passed away in 2006 during her freshman year at West Georgia University.

courtesy Golf Canada
by John Gordon

While it is undeniable that golf in Canada, like any other business in these unpredictable economic times, continues to face challenges, there were encouraging indicators in 2015 for cautious optimism.

In July, the Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 report was published by Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada in cooperation with the U.S. National Golf Foundation. The bottom line was that the game remains popular and accessible, with almost six million people playing at least one round annually. In total, almost 60 million rounds are played in Canada each year.

Herb Fung/ Golf Canada

Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., and dual citizen Maddie Szeryk who hails from London, Ont., as well as Allen, Texas, have been recognized as Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers after finishing atop their respective National Orders of Merit for the 2015 season.

Charles-Éric Bélanger and Michelle Kim claimed top honours on their respective CN Future Links Junior Orders of Merit.

Brooke Henderson Became An Instant Star When She Arrived In Vancouver For The CP Canadian Women's Open At The Vancouver Golf Club After Winning The Cambia Portland Classic On The LPGA Tour - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski

Courtesy Golf Canada
by John Gordon

For Canadian golf, 2015 certainly was a year to celebrate

When David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., held the 54-hole lead at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, we held our breath in the hope that he might be the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win our national Open. Alas, it was not to be, as Australian Jason Day birdied the last three holes on Sunday to claim the title on his way to becoming the top-ranked player in the world.

While kudos go to Hearn, it was a teenager from Smiths Falls, Ont., who was the undisputed player to be celebrated this year.

Surrey's Adam Svensson Is One Of 5 British Columbians In The Group Of 15 Canadians Vying For Status Or Improved Positioning On The Web.com Tour For 2016 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

by Terry Lenyk/ Golf Canada

Final Qualifying for the 2016 Web.Com Tour begins Thursday, December 10th at the Champion and Fazio courses at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, where 15 Canadians will attempt to gain or improve their playing rights for the PGA TOUR’s developmental circuit.

The 'Real Wongster' As Eugene Wong's Twitter Handle Reads,  Is Looking To Improve His Status On The Web.com Tour In Final Stage Q-School Starting Dec. 10th - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Courtesy Golf Canada

Eugene Wong is off to the Web.com Tour in 2016. The No. 7 ranked professional golfer in Canada from North Vancouver finished tied for 27th at the season-ending PGA Tour China Series event in Dongguan. The result was good enough to keep him inside the Top-5 on the Tour’s Order of Merit, giving him status on the Web.com Tour next year. The result also saw Wong pick up two places in the world rankings.

Justin Shin, the No. 12 ranked Canadian pro, was sitting fifth on the PGA Tour China Order of Merit at the start of the tournament. Despite shooting back-to-back 69s on the final two days, his 27th place finish wasn’t enough to retain his position. Shin slipped to No. 6 on the money list, but the native of Maple Ridge, B.C., will have a chance to earn status on the Web.com Tour through the qualifying tournament from December 10-13.

Canada's Marlene Stewart Streit Has Accepted An Invitation To Become An Honorary Member Of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Two of North America’s most successful women amateur golfers have become Honorary Members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Canadian Marlene Stewart Streit, the only player to win the British, Canadian, U.S. and Australian women’s amateur titles, and America’s Judy Bell, a former Curtis Cup captain and player and United States Golf Association president, accepted invitations to become Honorary Members.

Kelowna's Samantha Richdale Earned Conditional Status On The LPGA Tour For 2016 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

courtesy Golf Canada

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Quebec’s Maude-Aimée LeBlanc won with panache, earning her LPGA Tour card for 2016 at the end of the five qualifying rounds in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Sherbrooke, Que., native recorded a score of 71, 1-under par in the final round Sunday. Her cumulative record of 350 (-10) saw her finish tied for fourth, a single-stroke be enjoying her second year with full status on the LPGA Tour, having previous qualified in 2011.

Carlsbad, California - (December 6, 2015) - Sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted members of CJGA Team Canada as they prepare for the 15th annual Aaron Baddeley International Junior Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

The event, which is hosted by PGA Tour professional Aaron Baddeley, will have over 90 juniors competing from around the world including Australia, Asia, and North America.

The 2015 UBC T'Birds Women's Golf Team, Shown Above After Winning The University Of Victoria Vikes Shootout At Cordova Bay GC In October, Are Ranked Number One In The CGCA Fall 2015 Poll - Image Courtesy UBC Women’s Golf

Golf Coaches Association Of Canada Releases University-College Fall Rankings

The Western Canadian Golf Champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Women’s golf team (47 points) are ranked No. 1 in the Golf Coaches Association of Canada (GCAC)-Golf Canada Annual Fall Top-10 Coaches Poll.

Kelowna's Samantha Richdale Is One Of Three BC Women Who Will Be Teeing Up At The Final Stage Of LPGA Qualifying This Week - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada with files from the LPGA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Final Stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament begins Wednesday, December 2 and concludes on Sunday, December 6 at LPGA International, Jones and Hills Courses.

There are 157 players in the field – including 10 Canadians – competing for LPGA Tour membership on the 2016 LPGA priority list.

via Golf Canada with files from the R&A

St. Andrews, Scotland – The R&A is conducting an industry forum in St. Andrews this week to examine the issues surrounding pace of play and the time it takes to play golf.

The Time for Golf conference, which is taking place today and tomorrow (Nov. 24-25) will bring together representatives of national affiliated bodies with figures from some of the key organizations involved in administering the sport to discuss factors such as the golf course, management and player behaviour.

Dale Jackson, chair of Golf Canada’s Rules Committee, is there representing Canada.