• Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Macdonald, du Toit move on to Q-school finals; Golf Canada’s new collegiate event won’t have much Canadian content; PNGA adds Montana as fifth member

    BC's Jared du Toit (L) And Stuart Macdonald (R) Are Off To Q-School Finals - Golf Canada Player Photos

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    It was one of the toughest weeks of their golfing lives, but Jared du Toit and Stu Macdonald both survived to play another day.

    Another week, actually, as both players have earned the right to play in the finals of the Korn Ferry/PGA TOUR qualifying school later this month. It did not come easy.

    “It was probably the hardest week for me in my career,” Vancouver native Macdonald said of surviving a second-stage qualifier in Valencia, Calif.

  • Golf Canada Announces Canadian Collegiate Invitational Added To 2024 Amateur Championship Schedule

    New Men’s Intercollegiate Team Championship At Öviinbyrd Golf Club Will Mark The First NCAA Division I Golf Event Held In Canada

    Mike Masaro/Golf Canada

    Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the creation of the Canadian Collegiate Invitational tournament that will take place at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont. from September 15 – 17, 2024.

    The tournament will be conducted by Golf Canada and co-hosted by Kent State University and Penn State University who are both led by Canadian head coaches, Jon Mills (Kent State) and Mark Leon (Penn State).

    The tournament will feature NCAA Division I men’s golf teams with prominent Canadian ties along with the team champions of the 2024 Canadian University/College Championship.

    Click HERE to see complete story...

  • The ModGolf Podcast: What Is Your Superpower? - Amy Bockerstette, I Got This Foundation Ambassador And Down Syndrome Golfer Advocate

    In this episode of The ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host, Colin Weston, interviewed Amy Bockerstette who first came to prominence in the public eye during the moment that Colin describes below. 

    "On Jan. 29, 2019 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open’s Dream Day on the famous 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, Amy Bockerstette, who has Down syndrome, demonstrated to the golfing world what a determined athlete with self-confidence and a positive attitude can achieve.

    While playing with PGA TOUR players Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar during the Tuesday practice round, Amy hit the par 3 tee shot 117 yards into a greenside bunker, splashed her sand shot to within 8 feet of the pin, and made her par putt in front of a roaring crowd."

    The I GOT THIS Foundation was born out of this moment, which was captured on video and has since gone viral, receiving more than 54 million views on social media platforms.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Freshmen Smith and Carswell flourishing at SFU; Bald Eagle in Point Roberts to re-open next spring; Several British Columbians on 2024 national amateur and NextGen teams; Zhang top-10s in Texas

    SFU Red Leaf Stalwart Freshmen Golfers Dana Smith (L) & Denby Carswell (R) - BC Golf Photos

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Recruiting can be a hit-or-miss game for collegiate golf coaches, who are always on the lookout for promising juniors who can help replenish their teams.

    Those new recruits often need time to develop before they are ready to play regularly and make an impact with their college squads. That is why Simon Fraser University coach Matthew Steinbach feels blessed after seeing how two of his freshmen have performed this season.

    Dana Smith of Campbell River and Denby Carswell of Burnaby have led the women’s and men’s teams this fall.

  • ModGolf Podcast: "It's All About The Putt!" Shaping The History and Future of Miniature Golf

    In this epsiode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host, Colin Weston, speaks with Scott Lundmark, the President of Adventure Golf & Sports.

    "I joined the business over 16 years ago, but even before that my father would talk about potential clients saying. 'Well, I don't know if I want miniature golf at my Family Entertainment facility because it's kind of going out of style.' But miniature golf is one of those activities and attractions that will never go out of style."

    - Scott Lundmark, President of Adventure Golf & Sports

  • ModGolf Podcast: Embracing A "Give First" Mindset To Successfully Start And Scale Business Ventures

    In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host, Colin Weston, speaks with the founder and CEO of Lag Shot Golf and Scratch Golf Academy, Gary Guerrero.

    "One of my philosophies is to give as much away for free as I possibly can on the front end. The more you give away for free, the more you're going to get on the back end as far as currency and customer loyalty."

    - Gary Guerrero Jr., Founder and CEO of Lag Shot Golf and Scratch Golf Academy

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Macdonald, Ewart and du Toit prepare for Stage 2 of Q-school; Svensson ties for 5th at RSM Classic; PGA Tour Americas Q-school headed to Crown Isle; Shaughnessy stop named top tourney by LPGA Tour

    L-R: Stuart Macdonald, AJ Ewart & Jared du Toit - Macdonald/du Toit Courtesy Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    He won his most recent qualifying school by 10 shots, but that doesn’t mean Jared du Toit is looking forward to his next one.

    Q-school is not something you savour as a pro golfer. It’s all about survival, moving on to the next stage and finding a place to play. All that is on the line is your career. Try draining a five-foot putt for par with those kinds of thoughts racing through your head.

    “I don’t care who you are, if you are a PGA TOUR winner or you’re a guy coming out of college, whatever, Q-school is just hard,” du Toit, a Kimberley native, said over the phone from Arizona.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Victoria stop leads Canadian swing of new PGA Tour Americas circuit; du Toit wins Asian Tour Q-school by 10; Several B.C. juniors commit to NCAA Division I schools; Former Rivershore, Tobiano GM Don Brett-Davies passes at age 60

    Uplands Golf Course In Victoria, BC - Image Courtesy Uplands GC

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Keith Dagg has been a key organizer of Victoria’s annual pro golf tourney for more than 40 years and he will tell you it hasn’t always been easy to secure enough corporate sponsorship to keep the tournament running.

    “I started this in 1981 and we’re still going,” Dagg says with a hint of pride in his voice. The tournament that has been a labour of love for Dagg will kick off the Canadian portion of the new PGA Tour Americas circuit early next summer.

  • Pacific Northwest Golf Association Selects 2023 Players of the Year

    Four of Eight PNGA POY Awards Go To Players From BC

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    November 8, 2023

    Tacoma, Wash. – The Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) has announced the region’s Players of the Year for 2023. Those honored include Men's Player of the Year, Cooper Humphreys of Vernon, B.C.; Women’s, Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.; Men's Mid-Amateur, Zach Foushee of Portland, Ore.; Women's Mid-Amateur, Gretchen Johnson of Portland, Ore.; Senior Men's, Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash.; Senior Women's, Lara Tennant of Portland, Ore.; Junior Boys', James Lee of Whistler, B.C.; and Junior Girls', Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.

    The PNGA Player of the Year candidates are nominated by the state and provincial golf associations that comprise the PNGA (British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington), and are selected by a vote of the PNGA Championship Committee.

  • The R&A And USGA Announce 2024 World Handicap System™ Revisions

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    The R&A

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    (St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, NJ, USA) – The R&A and the USGA announced the first update to the World Handicap System™ (WHS™) as part of an ongoing review of the Rules of Handicapping™ and Course Rating System™ with a continued emphasis on accuracy, consistency and equity. The latest revisions will go into effect from the 1st of January 2024.

    Many countries have seen significant increases in the number of scores being submitted for handicapping purposes since the WHS was introduced, reflecting golf’s broadening appeal. More than 100 million scores have been posted each year, unifying millions of golfers through a standard measure of playing ability. The 2024 update leverages the performance data gathered from around the world, in addition to feedback received from many of the 125 countries now using the system.

    Significant updates to the WHS include:

    Click HERE to see complete article.

  • PGA TOUR Announces 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Schedule

    Uplands GC In Victoria, BC Will Host The Lone PGA TOUR Americas Event In British Columbia

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    PGA TOUR Communications

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    PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR announced the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas schedule, which features 16 tournaments spanning eight countries, beginning in March and concluding in September with the Fortinet Cup Championship.

    PGA TOUR Americas, which was introduced in April 2023, is the merger of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada into a singular Tour.

    Click HERE to see complete article and schedule. 

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: No development for Langara, park board declares; Lauren Kim rises in world rankings; Macdonald, du Toit and Ewart prepare for second stage of Q-school

    View From The 1st Tee At Vancouver's Langara Golf Club - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Even on these soggy November days, there is plenty of roll on the fairways at Langara Golf Course. And now, thanks to a unanimous vote last week by the Vancouver Park Board, there is also plenty of optimism about the course’s future.

    For not the first time, there have been calls recently from academics and assorted others to have at least part of Langara used for affordable housing. The park board’s answer was an emphatic no and commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky indicated his ABC party colleagues on Vancouver city council feel the same way.

  • Canada Secures Fourth Tailhade Cup Title In Argentina

    Felix Bouchard Of Otterburn Park, Que. And Brady Mckinlay From Lacombe, Alta., Won The Tailhade Cup For Canada's 4th Ever Win At The Event - Image Credit: Argentina Golf Association

    By Terry Lenyk/Golf Canada

    (Buenos Aires, Argentina) – Felix Bouchard of Otterburn Park, Que. and Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta., led Team Canada to victory in the 51st edition of the Tailhade Cup at Los Lagartos Country Club.

    With a total of 422 strokes, Canada clinched their fourth title, finishing four strokes ahead of Denmark and Switzerland. Their strong performance was attributed to Bouchard and McKinlay’s combined rounds of 142, 137, and 143 strokes.

    Click HERE for complete story.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Zokol proud to get call from the Hall; Kim leads Canada at World Amateur Team Championship; Macdonald wins again in Arizona; PGA of BC hands out its annual awards

    Once Dubbed 'Disco Dick' For Wearing A Sony Walkman While Playing On The PGA TOUR, Richard Zokol Was Inducted Into The BC Sports Hall of Fame As Part Of The Class of 2024 - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Perseverance has always been one of Richard Zokol’s biggest assets. Zokol made his childhood dreams of becoming a professional golfer come true through a lot of hard work and self-belief.

    He was inspired as a junior golfer at Marine Drive Golf Club by the likes of Stan Leonard, Johnny Johnston, Alvie Thompson and a young Doug Roxburgh. “The club had a spirit of champions and it just seemed so appealing to me,” Zokol says. “I wanted to follow in that path and fill those shoes.”

    Zokol found himself doing lots of reflecting on his golf journey when he got the news that became official last week. He is being inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame.

  • David McLay Kidd Back For An Encore Performance At Gamble Sands

    Work Has Begun On A Second 18-hole Course At The Highly Regarded Central Washington Resort - All Images Credit Brad Ziemer

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    BREWSTER, Wash. — If you build it, they will come. When David McLay Kidd finished creating his Field of Dreams — Gamble Sands — 10 years ago, the Scottish architect was certain golfers would make the trek to its out-of-the-way location in central Washington to have a look.

    The question in his mind was, would they return? “Nobody knew if anyone would come out here and I told them getting people to drive out here is not going to be the hard part,” McLay Kidd says. “The hard part is going to be to get them to come back again and again and again.”

    He needn’t have worried. Golfers have flocked to Gamble Sands, a course now regarded by many as one of the best in the United States.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Ewart, du Toit move on to second stage of Q-school; Kim’s world ranking on the rise; Taylor ties for 21st in Japan; Carswell shines for SFU

    BC's A.J. Ewart Is On To The Next Round Of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School - Image Courtesy Brad Ziemer

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    A.J. Ewart played well again in Florida, which should not come as a surprise. The 24-year-old Coquitlam native, who enjoyed considerable success as a collegiate player at Barry University in south Florida, sailed through the first stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school last week at a site in Lake Worth, Fla.

    Ewart fired rounds of 69, 66, 65 and 69 to finish tied for fifth at 16-under par. The top 20 and ties advanced to the second stage of Q-school. Ewart’s third-round 65 included a hole-in-one on the 177-yard par 3 third hole at The Falls Club.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Leah John, Lauren Kim celebrate collegiate wins on same day; Hadwin solo second in Vegas; Northview owner Chick Stewart passes at age 95; Q-school in session for several B.C. players; Luna Lu commits to Princeton

    Leah John Has Win No. 3 On Her College Resume At The University Of Nevada - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    For Lauren Kim, it was collegiate win No. 1 in what was just her third event. For Leah John, it was win No. 3 and it came just a week after win No. 2.

    The two British Columbians, at very different points in their collegiate golf journeys, recorded their wins on the same day last week (Wednesday, Oct. 11). They both thought that was great.
    “Canada is crushing it,” said John, who is in her final year at the University of Nevada.

    “I immediately thought, 'we’re amazing,'” added Kim, a freshman at the University of Texas. “Two Canadians win on the same day. And Team Canada won at the World Junior Girls, too. That was pretty cool.”

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Clutch putt sends Sloan back to PGA TOUR; Leah John collects second collegiate win; Stouffer’s title defence thwarted in Round of 32; UBC men, women sweep Canada West tourney

    Merritt, BC's Roger Sloan Has Punched His Ticket Back To The PGA TOUR -Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Eight feet was all that stood between Roger Sloan and a return to the PGA TOUR. Make that putt on the 72nd hole of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship and the Merritt product was back in the big leagues. Miss it and, well, Sloan didn’t want to think about that.

    It was gut-wrenching to watch on TV, so one can only imagine how Sloan felt as he was standing over the putt. He had missed some putts late in his round, so he wasn’t exactly oozing with confidence as he stood over the ball. Somehow, he managed to put all that aside and calmly stroked the ball into the middle of the cup.

  • ModGolf Podcast: Celebrating Over 25 Years In Golf Radio

    In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston speaks with Danielle Tucker, Creator And Host Of The Golf Club Radio Show, which is broadcast worldwide from Hawaii on Saturday mornings. 

    "I'm not sure that I discovered it, but I let out the part of me that loves to communicate with people. The part of me that likes to talk and learn about people, places and things, what they do and incorporate some of the wisdom they have that I may not have even thought of."

    - Danielle Tucker, Creator And Host Of The Golf Club Radio Show

  • Victory For Canada At The 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, Presented By Sargent Farms

    L-R: Vanessa Borovilos, Vanessa Zhang, Anna Huang & Coach Jeff MacDonald - Golf Canada Photo

    MEDIA RELEASE

    Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic wins individual title at Brampton Golf Club

    Brampton, Ont. – The most successful season in Canadian golf history added another exciting chapter on Saturday as Team Canada won its first-ever team title at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.

    The Canada 1 Team comprised of 14-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver (71-69-70-70—280), 17-year-old Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto (70-73-73-75—291), and 17-year-old Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver (72-75-80-68—295) shot a team-total 138 under cool and blustery conditions at Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont. to finish at 4-under 564 for the championship, a single shot clear of the Republic of Korea.