Vancouver's Stuart Macdonald (R) And Victoria's Lawren Rowe (L) Represented British Columbia Golf In Fine Fashion Winning The Team Title And Coming In 1st And 3rd Individually - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

British Columbia’s Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver) and Lawren Rowe (Victoria) teamed up to secure a five-stroke victory on Saturday at the Lima Golf Club en route to capturing the Peruvian International Amateur Championship - The XXIX Campeonato Internacional De Afficionados - and with it the prestigious Manuel Prado Cup.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Matt Cella, who has been appointed Team B.C.’s head golf coach for the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, knows the bar has been set awfully high for him.

After all, British Columbia has swept the individual and team competitions in the two Canada Summer Games where golf has been contested. Golf was first played at the Canada Summer Games in 2009 in Prince Edward Island, where North Vancouver’s Eugene Wong and Sue Kim of Langley won individual gold medals and B.C. swept the team titles.

Four years later in Sherbrooke, Que., Kevin Kwon of Pitt Meadows and Taylor Kim of Surrey won gold and B.C. again took home gold in the boys’ and girls’ team competition.

image courtesy pixabay

(19 April 2017), Far Hills, USA and St Andrews, Scotland: The USGA and The R&A are working with golf’s handicapping authorities to develop a single World Handicap System for the sport.

More than 15 million golfers in over 80 countries presently have a handicap, a numerical index long used as a reference to gauge a golfer’s potential skill level. Handicaps are currently delivered through six different systems around the world. The aim of the proposed handicap system is to adopt a universal set of principles and procedures that will apply all over the world.

Courtesy Golf Canada

The most reliable rankings in golf are based on merit—best on best athletes competing over the course of a season offers a definitive snapshot of performance consistency.

With that in mind, Canadian golf’s Order of Merit will be getting an overhaul beginning in 2017. Golf Canada set out to enhance Canada’s National Golf Ranking System to improve the accuracy of the rankings used to evaluate player performance at all levels of competition.

Coquitlam, B.C.'s Jisoo Keel Has Jumped 441 Places In The Women's World Amateur Rankings Over The Last 5 Weeks - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKamPhotos)/ British Columbia Golf

courtesy Golf Canada

Canada's Weekly Top 10 Rankings once more has its fair share of players from British Columbia with two of them making big moves in their respective categories. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., jumped 24 places in the world rankings to sit in the number 5 spot for male professionals in the country while his Ledgeview Golf Club mate Adam Hadwin continues to be Canada's top ranked male pro at number 46 in the world.

Vancouver's Stuart Macdonald leapt 65 spots in the world ranking for amateur men while Kimberley's Jared du Toit remains as the top male amateur in Canada at number 13 in the WAGR. On the women's side, Coquitlam, B.C.'s Jisoo Keel has jumped back into the mix in a big way after taking time off from collegiate golf to the point where she's climbed 441 places in the world rankings over the last 5 weeks.

Canadian Golf Industry Partners With The PartcipACTION 150 Play List To Invite Canadians To Celebrate The Country And The Game Of Golf In Communities From Coast-To-Coast

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) — With Canada 150 celebrations happening in communities from coast-to-coast all year long, the Canadian golf industry has partnered with ParticipACTION in designating Sunday, May 28th as Get Out and Golf Day.

The ParticipACTION 150 Play List — introduced this year in honour of Canada 150 — invites Canadians to participate in 150 activities throughout 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. As part of Get Out and Golf Day, avid players and new enthusiasts are encouraged to participate in a round of golf (No.14 on the Play List), learn more about the sport or take part in golf related activities at golf facilities in their community.

Merritt, BC's Roger Sloan (R) Shown Here At A Media Event At Bear Mountain Golf Resort In Victoria Last Year, Moved 84 Places Up The World Golf Ranking This Past Week - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

Courtesy Golf Canada

It was another stellar week for BC golfers in the Top 10 Weekly rankings as published by Golf Canada. Merritt's Roger Sloan and Victoria's Lawren Rowe both made signifcant gains in the OWGR while Abbotsford's Adam Hadwin, now solidly inside the Top 50 Professional Male Ranking in the world took some time off to get married ahead of his first appearance in next week's Masters at Augusta, GA.

Outside of the 'Top 10' some other very impressive gains by Canadians were also made, including Coquitlam's Euna Han whose victory in the CJGA Western Canadian Junior Championship in some very difficult conditions at Surrey's Northview GC vaulted her 315 places up the world standings for amateur women.

The 2017 Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Season Kicks Off At Vanvouver's Point Grey Golf & Country Club On May 29th - Image Courtesy Point Grey G&CC

(March 27, 2017) – Oakville, Ont. and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule will feature 12 events from May to September in 2017 as players look to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR.

The season will once again begin in May with the Freedom 55 Financial Open (May 29-June 4) at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C., with purses of $175,000 (CA$) for the first 11 events and a $200,000 purse for the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship (Sept. 11-17) at Highland Country Club in London, Ont.

St. Patrick's Day Saw These Four Plucky Players Finding Gold At The End Of The Rainbow In Some Rather Wet Conditions At Northview G&CC. (L-R): Bailey Bjornson, Euna Han, Jennifer Gu And Keaton Gudz - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski/ British Columbia Golf

courtesy CJGA

Surrey, BC (March 18, 2017) – Juniors from coast to coast gathered in British Columbia this past spring break for the Humber College PGM Western Junior Championship presented by Tour Performance LAB. The three-day event took place on Northview Golf & Country Club’s Canal Course in Surrey, B.C.

Vancouver, BC's Stuart Macdonald Is Tabbed By Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada Experts As One To Watch This Week At Q-School In California - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Courtesy Brian Decker/ Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada

The quest to earn Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada status resumes this week at The Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, California, where 120 players will look to earn their cards to compete on the Mackenzie Tour this season.

Below are all the details from this week along with storylines to watch for from California:

Team Canada Members Jared du Toit From Kimberley, BC And Victoria, BC's Naomi Ko Model Some Of The New adidas Team Canada Apparel - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada and adidas Golf announced an agreement that will see adidas Golf become the official apparel and headwear outfitter for Golf Canada’s National Team Program.

The adidas Golf performance products will be worn by Team Canada athletes, coaches and sport science staff in training as well as during competition at domestic and international golf championships.

by Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

Seven Byron Nelson Award nominees were announced on Tuesday, including Canadians Jared du Toit and Joey Savoie. The award is given to the graduating senior who excels in golf, the classroom, and the community.

Abbotsford, BC's Adam Hadwin Is Now Number 51 In The OWGR After His Victory In The Valspar Championship - Image Credit Kelly Murray/ British Columbia Golf

It was a big week for players from BC in the Canadian Weekly Top-10 rankings and in particular for Abbotsford's Adam Hadwin followin his dramatic first career PGA TOUR victory at the Valspar Championship in Florida. Hadwin's triumph has now only one place back of occupying a top 50 world ranking among male professionals. 

Other notable names from BC such as Kimberley's Jared du Toit (no. 1 Male Amateur) and Victoria's Naomi Ko (no. 2 Female Amateur) continue to occupy lofty positions in our national rankings.

Help celebrate Canada's150th Birthday

by being one of150,000 people

taking part in1.5 million "Golf Activities"

this summer! 

It doesn't matter whether you...

• play just three holes,

• hit the driving range,

• take a lesson or

• putt through a windmill

  at a mini-golf course

they all count.

Click the link below, enter your email, then click on Bronze - Free. Once your registration is complete, select the  '150th Birthday Celebration' from the dropdown menu. 

Already a member of British Columbia Golf/Golf Canada? You are automatically registered, record activities through the Golf Canada Score Centre.

Register HERE 

BC's Jared du Toit Is Showing No Signs Of Slowing Down In His Senior Year At Arizona State University - Image Credit Golf Canada

courtesy Golf Canada

LAS VEGAS – National Amateur Squad member Jared du Toit continued his impressive run last week, finishing in a tie for third at the Southern Highlands Collegiate.

The 21-year-old senior (and captain) at Arizona State closed the event at 5-under par—one stroke off the lead. His final-round scorecard included a hole-in-one on the par-3 2nd hole, lifting him into contention down the stretch.

FAR HILLS, N.J., USA and ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND (March 1, 2017) – The USGA and The R&A have unveiled a preview of proposed new Rules of Golf, as part of a joint initiative to modernize the Rules and make them easier to understand and apply.

The online release of this preview begins a six-month feedback and evaluation period during which all golfers worldwide can learn about the proposed changes and provide input before they are finalized in 2018 and take effect January 1, 2019.

Two-Day Gathering Draws Golf’s Leaders to Vancouver March 6-7

(Feb. 28, 2017) – Entrepreneur and technology investor Jerry Yang will headline a noteworthy lineup of speakers at the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium, which will be hosted by the USGA in conjunction with Golf Canada and the Mexican Golf Federation on March 6-7, 2017, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The co-founder and former CEO of Yahoo! and the founding partner of AME Cloud Ventures, Yang exemplifies the focus on data, innovative thinking and transformative technology that are keystones of the symposium and bedrocks of the USGA’s work in advancing the game toward a stronger, more sustainable future.

By John Gordon (courtesy Golf Canada)

“The cry for the simplification of the Rules of Golf is a stock-in-trade of the journalist during the winter months. Countless words on the subject have been poured out to an ever-tolerant public, but still the long-sought simplification does not come.” Henry Longhurst, 1937

And here I thought I had come up with a novel idea for this blog. Turns out iconic golf writer Longhurst was 80 years ahead of me.

His quote can be found in the opening pages of a small volume called The Rules of Golf in Plain English.

Courtesy Golf Canada

TORONTO – Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual General Meeting culminated on Saturday, February 25th with the election of Roland A. Deveau of Bedford, N.S., to serve a second term as the National Sport Federation’s President.

Deveau’s election to serve a second term is historic as he joins Alfred Collyer (1930-31), F.A. Rolph (1915-1919), A.W. Austin (1907 & 1910) and Col. George A. Sweeny (1898, 1901 & 1909) as only the fifth President to serve multiple or consecutive terms since the association’s formation in 1895.

Bill Klein (L) & George McLeod (R) Volunteer Duo Recognized During Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual General Meeting - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

by Golf Canada

Toronto (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Bill Klein of Parksville, B.C. along with George McLeod of Brandon, Man. have been named co-recipients of Golf Canada’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year.

The pair were acknowledged during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 25th at the Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport Hotel.