By John Gordon/Golf Canada

Welcome to Golf Handicaps for Dummies: Why having a handicap is not a handicap.

No, I’m not calling you a dummy, but if you’re a golfer of any ability who doesn’t maintain an accurate and consistent handicap, you’re not taking advantage of one of the fundamentals that makes golf the most democratic of sports. And that’s just dumb.

With all due respect, you can’t go one-on-one with a pro basketball player or hope to score on an NHL goalie. They’re not going to let you shoot at a basket that’s lower than regulation or a net that’s 10 feet wide and six feet high.

But golf’s handicap system allows you to compete on an equitable basis with players who are more or less accomplished than you are. Maintaining a handicap also allows you to monitor your progress every time you play. It’s an integral part of your golf experience.

And, starting Jan. 8, the new World Handicap System makes that scenario even more attractive. More user-friendly, in other words.

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is proud to announce the top finishers in the standings for its 2019 National Orders of Merit, a year that saw Québec-based golfers capture top honours in all four awarded categories, male and female in both amateur and junior golf.

British Columbia saw two of its premier players, one on the women's amateur side and one in the junior boys, come in as runners-up in their respective categories.

With profound sadness we share that Jim passed peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on December 5, 2019 after a courageous trial with ALS.

Devoted husband of Lynne (nee Chaplin), loving father of Patty Fraser, Karen (Lisson) and Gillian Fraser (Dave Woods), and cherished grandfather of Alex, Kayla, Sophie and Grace, he will be dearly missed.

Born in Montreal he was the son of the late Major George Climie Fraser and the late Gretchen Tooke (Home) and brother to the late D. George Fraser.

Victoria, BC's  Anna Wu Is Part Of A Canadian Trio Advancing To 2020 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship At Augusta - Image courtesy YouTube

Written by Golf Canada

Three Canadian juniors will be among the 80 competitors in the sixth annual Drive, Chip and Putt championship at Augusta National on April 5, 2020. In the Girls 7-9 division, Canada will be represented by the duo of Alexis Card (Cambridge, Ont.) and Anna Wu (Victoria, B.C.).

Card punched her ticket to Augusta with a score of 107 at the Oakmont Country Club qualifier while Wu posted a total of 122 at Chambers Bay Golf Course. The Canadians are rounded out by Cole Roberts of Oshawa, Ont., who qualified at TPC River Highlands with a score of 107.  (scoring is based on a 25-point-per-shot basis, explained below - ed.)

Cabot Cliffs GC - Image Courtesy Facility

The PGA of Canada Top 100 presented by Golf Talk Canada is the first ever Top 100 course list compiled exclusively by the PGA Professionals of Canada. The list includes 28 from B.C.

Find out if your favorite course made it to the list!

As Part Of The Best Community, Charity Engagement And Best Sponsor Activation Program, $2.2 million Was Presented From The CP Women's Open Fundraising To The SickKids Foundation - Golf Canada Image

By Terry Lenyk/Golf Canada

NAPLES, FLA. (Golf Canada) – ​The success of the 2019 CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., was recently recognized as the Tournament Partners of the LPGA presented Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) with two Gold Driver Awards for delivering best-in-class elements among all LPGA Tour events.

The annual Gold Driver Awards were hosted in conjunction with the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. The Tournament Partners of the LPGA (formally Tournament Owners Association) have a long standing tradition of recognizing best in class tournaments with Gold Driver Awards at the season ending event on the LPGA Tour calendar.

At the formal ceremony, the CP Women’s Open received Gold Driver Awards for Best Community and Charity Engagement and Best Sponsor Activation.

VANCOUVER (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), are pleased to announce that tickets are now available for the 2020 CP Women’s Open, taking place August 31 to September 6 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CP Women’s Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience Canada’s lone stop on the LPGA Tour.

Cheer on Canadian sensation and CP Ambassador Brooke Henderson as she leads the stars of the LPGA Tour back to Vancouver alongside defending champion and world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, past champions Ariya Jutanugarn, Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu and rising stars Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Danielle Kang and Minjee Lee.

TORONTO, Ontario / PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (November 21)—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced today that Mackenzie Tour players voted the Bayview Place DCBank Open as the 2019 Tournament of the Year.

Officials handed out the inaugural award on November 20 during the PGA TOUR’s annual Tournament Meetings in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The Players Choice award was voted on exclusively by Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada members and included a number of criteria, including personal experience, tournament volunteers, hospitality, community support and attendance and the golf course among other considerations.

Image Courtesy WAGR®

(20 November 2019, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, N.J., USA): The R&A and the USGA today announced the World Amateur Golf Ranking ® (WAGR ®) will be determined by a new system called the Power Method beginning with the first update in January 2020.

The Power Method aims to better reflect the current performance of golfers by placing greater emphasis on current form and results by improving the algorithms used to determine the WAGR.

In the new structure, every event in the world will earn a Power based on the strength of its starting field which will then determine the total number of ranking points on offer to the field. This will extend to a maximum of 1000 for amateur events with players also able to gain ranking points from playing in professional tournaments.

Image Courtesy Golf Canada

For Immediate Release

OAKVILLE, ONT. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of the 18 athletes, male and female, who have been selected to represent Team Canada as part of the 2020 National Amateur and Junior Squads.

Nine athletes will compete for Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, consisting of five players on the men’s squad and four on the women’s squad.

Team Canada’s 2020 Squad members have competed and achieved impressive results at regional, national and international competitions, including medals at the Pan-Am Games, NCAA Tournament wins and victories at prestigious amateur competitions.

The Canadian Golf Hall Of Fame - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By Golf Canada

Oakville, Ont. – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame has announced that following a significant review and subsequent change to its terms of reference and election process, the Hall of Fame Selection Committee has instituted an age restriction of 40 going forward for induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

This change to the nomination and election process is the first-ever introduction of a minimum age restriction on candidates submitted for consideration to receive the highest honour in Canadian golf.

The decision to introduce an age restriction aligns with the selection protocol for other internationally recognized golf halls of fame, most notably the World Golf Hall of Fame which introduced an age restriction of 50 in recent years.

‘Outstanding Volunteer Service’ Award Given To 2019 National Golf Day Community Service Project Recognizing The Contribution Of The Golf Industry As A Whole To Communities And The Environment

For Immediate Release

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – A coalition of golf’s leading associations and industry partners will be presented the group award for “Outstanding Volunteer Service” for their April service project, which achieved in just one day the equivalent of 800 hours of work and four months of labor from one National Park Service (NPS) employee.

On April 30, the golf industry came together for the third-annual Community Service Project, which was part of the 12th annual National Golf Day.

Geoffrey Cornish Was A Disciple Of Stanely Thompson And Helped Build The Capilano Golf Club In West Vancouver. He Was Also A Major In The Canadian Army, Serving In Europe From 1940-45 - Golf Canada Image

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.

Adam Hadwin Was Made One Of The International Team's Captain's Pick By Ernie Els - File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Adam Hadwin has the second chance he so desperately wanted and is determined to make the most of the opportunity afforded him by Ernie Els. Ever since dropping his Sunday singles match 2&1 to Phil Mickelson at the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, Hadwin has been yearning for a return engagement to the biennial matches.

The 32-year-old Abbotsford product got his wish when Els, the International captain for next month’s matches in Melbourne, Australia, made him one of four captain’s picks.

For Immediate Release

(4 November 2019, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, N.J., USA): The World Handicap System (WHS) is ready to be launched from January 2020 and will provide golfers with a unified and more inclusive handicapping system for the first time.

Though many countries are planning to adopt the new system in January, the system will go live in other parts of the world throughout the year to accommodate different implementation plans and variations in the golfing calendar.

Seven Spooky Shots That Are Sure To Scare Starts With The Next Shot After A.....Shank! 

By Neil Tappin/Golf Monthly UK

With Halloween upon us, we have selected the 7 scariest shots in golf. From the next shot after a shank to an approach over water, this lot will leave you quaking in your boots!

The 7 Scariest Shots in Golf

1. Next shot after a shank

You reach the top of your backswing and then… What’s that?… Paranormal activity in the downswing causes a biblical hosel-rocket. You’re left searching for your ball and scratching your head. The feeling of utter disbelief will shortly be replaced by one of abject fear. ‘Maybe if I come more from the inside I’ll find the middle of the bat.’ Yeah… that’ll do it!

The Venerable Victoria Golf Club Is Also The Home Of Victoria's Most Famous Ghost - Image Courtesy VGC

Courtesy Golf Canada Archives

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.

Brooke Henderson Tees Off At Vancouver Golf Club In The 2017 CP Women's Open - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

VIA PRESS RELEASE

Brooke Henderson added to her impressive collection of awards, receiving the inaugural People’s Choice Award from Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. The award was created to “Recognize future Hall of Famers who are a champion of their sport and a champion for their community.”

The 22-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., had another stellar campaign on the LPGA Tour, capturing her record ninth title at the Meijer LPGA Classic, becoming the winningest Canadian golfer in history on either the LPGA or PGA Tours.

Six university coaches will be arriving at Zone Golf Academy, located in Richmond, BC, on November 30 and December 1. Two Division 1 NCAA schools, Yale University and UC Irvineand two Division III Universities including Whitman College in Washington and Earlham College in Indiana.

Locally, Burnaby's Simon Fraser University and  Ontario's U of Guelph round out the six universities attending.

“This is our 8th annual winter golf ID camp, open to all and any golfers from the ages of 10-18. We are excited to host a total of 6 universities this year,” said the Director of Golf, TJ Atley.

Fairmont Chateau Whistler's Signature Hole - All Images Courtesy Facility

BANFF, Alberta — GOLF Magazine, one of the world’s leading golf media companies, named three Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in Canada’s Western Mountain Region — Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, and Fairmont Banff Springs — to its list of the Top 100 Resorts in North America for 2019/2020.

Selections were made by GOLF Magazine editors based upon feedback from GOLF Magazine readers, course ranking panelists and personal experience. All three properties were recognized in the all-around excellence category, with Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club taking the #3 ranking.