Brian Youell Of Uplands Golf Club In Victoria, B.C - Golf Canada Image

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Courtesy Golf Canada

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Mississauga, ON – The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) announced Brian Youell of Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. as its John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2022.

The CGSA John B. Steel Award commemorates the CGSA’s first President, who was also the first superintendent to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. This award is presented annually to an individual, chosen by the CGSA Board of Directors, who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the profession of Golf Course Superintendent.

The Hockey Boards 17th Hole Was A Big Hit At The CP Women's Open In Ottawa And Will Be Returning In Vancouver - Image Credit Gary Yee (Golf Canada)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

As he prepares for the 2023 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, tournament director Ryan Paul knows he has a tough act to follow. 

The 2022 tourney, held this past summer at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, was a huge success and was named Tournament of the Year by the Tournament Partners of the LPGA at the recent season-ending awards ceremony in Naples, Fla. 

Golf Canada’s Paul now must decide what he and his team are going to do for an encore. It’s a nice problem to have...

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Golf Canada

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NAPLES, FLA. (Golf Canada) – ​The 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club has been named Tournament of the Year by the Tournament Partners of the LPGA.

Tournament organizers from Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific were presented with a prestigious Gold Driver Award during a ceremony held in conjunction with this week’s LPGA Tour season-ending CME Group Tour Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.

Adam Svensson - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Childhood dreams do come true, sometimes when you least expect it. Just ask Adam Svensson. Winning wasn’t on Svensson’s mind when he began the second round of the RSM Classic in Sea Island, Ga. The 28-year-old Surrey native was in grind mode, simply trying to make the cut after opening the tournament with a disappointing one-over 73 at the Plantation course.

But just like he did years ago as a young British Columbia golfing prodigy, then later as a top amateur and collegiate player and more recently on the Korn Ferry Tour, Svensson produced a magical stretch of golf and earned the biggest win of his life.

Vancouver - Image Courtesy Wikimedia

Courtesy Flagstick.com

On the back end of a record-setting time for participation in golf for Canada it comes as little surprise that the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) has announced their upcoming annual business and trade show is sold out. The Ottawa-based organization also says it will be their biggest ever, since it’s founding in 2001.

The NGCOA Canada Golf Business Canada Conference & Trade Show in Vancouver will see some 500+ industry professionals converge to network, take in education, and check out products.

Click HERE to read full story...

Courtesy Women's Golf Day

November is here, and the holidays are around the corner. Now is the time to think about GOLF! We wish you all a wonderful autumn.

We are happy to share some exciting news with you regarding WGD 2023! By popular demand, we are extending the dates of Women's Golf Day to a Weeklong Celebration this year.

Mark your calendars! We hope to see you online or in person at the PGA Show for the Women's Golf Day session on Thursday, January 26th. We will send out details soon.

Also, as we approach the holidays, are you looking for great gifts for friends and family? We have some ideas included below!

The Rules of Golf underwent a massive review and overhaul with the newest version of the rules being brought into effect at the start of 2019. But as the game itself has evolved and continues to do so...so do the rules.

There are some more changes in store just around the corner for 2023, and while these changes are not nearly as extensive, they still represent some important new regulations that we should all know about.

 The following video takes a look at what's coming for next year as put forward by the R&A, The USGA and the world's governing bodies for the game of golf, including of course, Golf Canda.

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Golf Canada

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Twenty-five years ago, on November 13, 1997, then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem was joined in New York City’s Central Park by representatives from the leading golf organizations – the LPGA, the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA – public officials, including President George H. W. Bush, and golf dignitaries to announce the launch of First Tee.

Since that time, First Tee has grown into a preeminent youth development organization boasting a network of nearly 150 chapters with programs delivered at 1,400 golf courses, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centres in all 50 states and in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Morocco.

Image courtesy Golf Canada

John Gordon/Golf Canada

It appears modern technology is about to threaten another time-honoured golf tradition.

Yes, the days of taking wicked pleasure from hitting the screen-enshrouded ball picker at the driving range may be numbered. (This pleasure intensified exponentially if you knew the person driving said picker.)

This latest innovation is the Korechi Pik’r, an automated robot that hooks up to any existing golf ball picking unit.

Click HERE to see complete article...

Photo: Bernard Brault, Golf Canada Ste-Julie, Québec: Canadian Junior Boys Champion Jean-Philippe Parr

Courtesy Flagstick.com

The early signing period for the NCAA began this past week and saw a number of young Canadians make their formal commitment to schools in the United States and in Canada.

We covered the flow of announced on our Twitter stream but wanted to share them here on Flagstick.com for those who do not visit that social media platform.

Please Click HERE to see the list of Twitter announcements posted on Flagstick.com including from BC's Angela Arora, Brendan O'Brien, Dana Smith and Justin Bjornson...

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PGA of Canada

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Together with the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada is excited to announce the continuation of the Women in Coaching program and formally open applications for the 2023 cohort.

The Women in Coaching program is an initiative that launched in 2021 with nine inaugural participants, that strives to deliver a stronger gender balance among high-performance coaches.

Each participant receives in-depth career development support focused on four main areas: individualized learning plans, virtual and in-person coaching education, and hands-on training experiences with coaches and top players.

By Terry Lenyk/Golf Canada

They are some of Canada’s most renowned golf legends, a list amassed of professional and amateur players, course architects and administrators. They have all contributed to the growth of the game of golf in this country. However, their contributions to golf pale in comparison to their contributions to the fabric of our nation.

November 11th is Remembrance Day. A day we remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. What better day to remember Canadian golfers of the past who helped our nation during its greatest times of need.

The following are just some of the contributions Canadian golf legends made to the Allied forces during the First and Second World Wars.

Click HERE for complete story...

BC's Chris Crisologo - Image Courtesy Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The final stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school is as much a test of players’ nerves as their golf games, a place where one mistake can make the difference between a passing and failing grade.

Richmond’s Chris Crisologo learned that the hard way at the recently completed Q-school in Savannah, Ga. Crisologo missed finishing inside the top 40 and ties and earning guaranteed starts on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour by six shots.

While that may make it sound like Crisologo wasn’t particularly close, the 26-year-old Simon Fraser University graduate will look back at one hole of the 72 he played as being the difference.

creative commons free photo

Via Golf Canada

The R&A and the USGA have unveiled a regular update to the Rules of Golf as they continue to make the Rules easier to understand and apply. The new Rules went into effect on January 1, 2023.

The 2023 edition continues the modernization process, with an emphasis on both inclusion and sustainability. For the first time, the modified Rules for players with disabilities have been fully incorporated into the playing rules without the need to adopt a local rule.

Adam Stanley/ Golf Canada

For the first time since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Golf Canada had a full slate of amateur championships – from coast-to-coast – contested in 2022. The venues were spectacular, the competition was impressive, and the momentum heading into next season is at an all-time high.

Mary Beth McKenna, the Director of Amateur Championships and Rules for Golf Canada, called 2022 “incredible.” Thirty-two championships were contested, including national, elite junior, qualifiers, or NextGen efforts.

“It’s great to be out at all of our courses, engaging with our member clubs, all the volunteers, and working with our officials and providing playing opportunities to our competitive players,” said McKenna. “It was just a really great year, all-in-all.”

Click HERE to see complete story...

Image Source https://pgatour.2k.com/2k23/

Neil Davidson (Canadian Press)

From Moe Norman to Mike Weir and Sandra Post to Brooke Henderson, Canada has a rich golf history.

But there’s also a little-known golf hotbed in Lunenburg, N.S.

Located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, with a population of 2,396 according to the 2021 census, the port town is home to HB Studios, creator of the new “PGA Tour 2K23” video game.

Click HERE to read complete story....

With its long history and vast geography, Canada boasts many strange and spooky tales. There are haunted coal mines in Cape Breton, poltergeists in Calgary and even a pair of haunted boots in St. Vincent’s Newfoundland. It is no wonder, therefore, that golf courses across the country are rumoured to be home to some extraordinary spirits.

So, as we are upon that scary time of year it only seems right to revisit this country's golf 'haunts' as chronicled by our national association, Golf Canada.

Stuart Macdonald Is Shown Here Competing In The RBC Canadian Open - Image Credit BBrault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Stuart Macdonald made it look easy as he sailed through the second stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school in Murrieta, Calif.

But the 27-year-old Vancouver native will tell you it was anything but. Q-school, Macdonald says, is never easy. 

“Obviously, it felt good to get through and just be able to battle through everything that comes along with Q-school,” Macdonald told British Columbia Golf in a telephone interview.

“It feels like you are playing for your life, like your life is literally on the line. That’s what it feels like. I couldn’t eat for four hours after I played because your stomach is just in knots and it’s not very fun at all.”

Courtesy PGA of Canada

Teams from Canada, USA, Australia, Great Britain & Ireland, South Africa, and Sweden are set to head to Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico next week for the second PGA Women’s Cup, where Canada will look to build on their runner-up finish from the 2019 event in Texas.

Two new players, Caroline Ciot and Katy Rutherford, will join second-time competitors Emma de Groot, Casey Ward and Christine Wong at Twin Warriors Golf Club. Wong was the top player on the Canadian squad in 2019, firing the team’s low score two out of three days in the form of a 70 and 71.

If you are, or know a young competitive golfer, you may well be interested in knowing that the Zone Golf Academy is holding a university ID Camp at Lake Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on December 3 & December 4, 2022

Led by Coach Taronne (TJ) Atley, Zone Golf Academy is a leading elite junior golf academy working out of multiple facilities in the Lower Mainland and specializing in USA and Canadian university placement.

As per their Mission Statement:

"Zone Golf Academy is designed to equip the player in all aspects of the game, from the technical fundamentals, short game, on course management, to physical and mental conditioning. The result is ultimately an improved game which is coupled with scholastic readiness. Finally, the player would gain entrance to their top North American University of their choice, ideally on scholarship."