The 2021 British Columbia Golf Championship Season Begins May 25th At Gorge Vale GC In Victoria With the Men’s and Women’s B.C. Mid-Amateur Championships - Image Courtesy Gorge Vale GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbia Golf’s 2021 championship tournament schedule is testament to the fact that we are blessed with so many terrific golf courses throughout the province. “We are literally all over B.C. this summer,” says Doug Hastie, manager of field operations and tournament director with British Columbia Golf.

“We try to rotate our events around the province as much as we can.”

Bell Let’s Talk Day is Thursday, January 28 and we’re joining in to help drive progress in mental health.

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of our lives, including our mental health. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 38% of Canadians say their mental health has declined due to COVID-19, and people already struggling with their mental health were 2 times more likely to say their mental health has declined due to the pandemic.

Since 2010, Canadians and people around the globe have joined in the world’s largest conversation around mental health on Bell Let’s Talk Day. Together we have taken big steps to reduce the stigma around mental health issues and inspire one another to take action and help create a Canada where everyone can access the mental health support they need.

BC's Nick Taylor Used His Knowledge Of The Rules In The Sony Open To Get Relief From This Situation By Stating He Would Play It Left-Handed - Image Courtesy Golf Rules Questions YouTube Video Grab

In the second round of the Sony Open, on the 503-yard, par-5 9th at Waialae Country Club, Nick Taylor hit his drive left and off the tall netting that separates the driving range from the hole, and his ball dropped inches outside of out-of-bounds fence posts below.

Three Youngsters Enjoy A Game Of A Golf At Quilchena GC In Richmond - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

By Zephyr Melton / Golf.com

Golf is a beautiful game for many reasons, but one of the most notable is that it can be enjoyed your entire life.

From the time you are old enough to stand and hold a club until you are collecting social security benefits, golf is a constant.

Nick Taylor - Golf Canada Photo 

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

SO CLOSE AT SONY: Nick Taylor didn’t have quite the weekend he’d hoped for, but still tied for 11th at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Taylor entered the weekend with a two-shot lead after firing an eight-under 62 in Friday’s second round.

He closed with weekend rounds of 68 and 67 on the par-70 Waialae Country Club layout in Honolulu to finish the event at 17-under par, four shots behind winner Kevin Na.

Sunday’s finish was Taylor’s best on the PGA TOUR since winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am nearly one year ago. Taylor earned $153,450 on Sunday and completed a nice two-week visit to Hawaii.

He tied for 29th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua’s Plantation course in Maui the previous week.

A Happy, Smiling, Maddox Hadwin Celebrated Her 1st Birthday Last Week - Image Courtesy Jessica & Adam Hadwin

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Adam Hadwin and his wife Jessica recently celebrated the first birthday of their daughter Maddox, a day in which they reflected on not only the joy she has brought to their lives but the struggle they faced bringing her into the world.

Adam and Jessica went through many ups and downs, including two failed pregnancies, in their attempts to start a family.

With the help of in vitro fertilization (IVF), Maddox arrived on January 8, 2020. The struggles they endured and the fact they were in a financial position to use IVF led the Hadwins to think about trying to help others facing similar challenges. Late last year they started The Hadwin Family Foundation.

2021 Women In Coaching, BC's Kyla Inaba - Image Courtesy PGA of Canada

Written by Golf Canada

Together with the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada is excited to announce the nine individuals named as inaugural participants in the 2021 Women in Coaching program.

Each participant receives in-depth career development support that is focused on four main areas: sports science and coaching education, hands-on training experiences with coaches and top players, project work and individualized learning plans. Recipients are awarded a $2,500 bursary to help offset costs for the hands-on training portion of the program.

Due to the volume of qualified applicants, Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are considering ways to extend career development support to a broader pool of aspiring female coaches. Increasing the number of female mentors and role models is a priority for the growth of golf in Canada.

British Columbia Golf will be holding two Provincial Rules seminars online beginning in February of 2021.

Please see the information below for details and to pick which option may be of interest to you.

Please Note:

The Player Development Trust Fund Program Is Being Restructured - The PDTF Program Committee Will Have Updated Information To Announce Soon  

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With the winter season upon us, not everyone has the ability to get outside to practice and play. And while this break may not be your first choice, there are still things you can do to improve in the off-season.

GOLF.com Top 100 Teacher Kellie Stenzel shares 10 tips.

Click here to read the full story...

The Titleist T100 Iron -Image Courtesy Titleist

By DR. BARRY LOTZ, Inside Golf

As 2020 draws to a close, despite many feeling that can't come soon enough, there are still always positives to come from the year that was and in this instance we're going to share with you a list of golf products that garnered the most 'buzz' from our research.

Check out the 'Top 10' list below and the extended list with categories and brands after that.

You very well could find something you'd like to give or receive this Christmas.

Via Press Release

Abbotsford, BC – December 14, 2020 – Gatekeeper Systems Inc. (‘Gatekeeper’ or the ‘Company’) (TSX-V: GSI) (OTC: GKPRF) (FSE: 1GK) a video and data solutions provider for public transportation and smart cities, will deploy its Intelligent Temperature Sensing Systems (ITSS) in a solution designed for rapid testing at sports venues.

The Company has signed the Vancouver Golf Tour (“VGT”) as its first sports venue customer, in a recurring revenue business model.

“For the past 14 years, VGT has been providing thousands of golfers in our region with an opportunity to compete in professionally-staged tournaments,” stated VGT Commissioner Fraser Mulholland.

“We have always prided ourselves on the professional nature of our events and providing a year-long tournament platform for our local players to put their skills to the test in a PGA Tour-like environment.”

image courtesy georgetakei.com/www.picpedia.org

Just a friendly reminder to all golfers in British Columbia that as much as this is the time of year for giving and celebrating, there are unfortunately also those who will look to take advantage of the 'seasonal goodwill' that flows during this time. 

We received a reminder of this from our friends down south at the Arizona Golf Associaton who shared a scam attempt sent to their members with a fake GoFundMe campaign. We've pasted the warning they shared with us below and wish to remind all of you to always be on the lookout and be aware of this type of communication.

The Pat Fletcher Foundation Has Now Donated A Total Of $750,000 To 543 Recipients

Via Press Release

TORONTO, CANADA (Fall 2020) – The Pat Fletcher Foundation, whose purpose is to provide financial assistance to deserving young Canadian students on their journey to obtaining a university degree, announced recently the awarding of 25 new scholarships from across Canada.

“We are so proud of this year’s recipients. They demonstrated leadership and character in their submissions, and we wish them the best of luck as they head back to university and college this fall,” said Ted Fletcher, Founder and Chairman of Mint Green.

“These are outstanding young people – hard-working, well-rounded leaders in their communities. They share our desire of “making a difference” and we are proud to have played a small role in helping to shape their future.”

A Southwest Looking Rendition Of The Cabot Pacific Golf Course Being Built In Revelstoke By The Whitman, Axland & Cutten Golf Architect Group - All Images Courtesy WAC

By Gord Montgomery - Inside Golf

“This setting rivals the best in Canada—and across the world. Our goal is to create inspiring golf that will bring people together and stand the test of time.”

– Rod Whitman

If you’re a fan of phenomenal golf products, such as the outstanding Cabot Links and Cliffs in eastern Canada, then as a Western Canadian you can take great pleasure in discovering that that brand of architecture is coming to Revelstoke, British Columbia.

Speaking on the phone about the latest Cabot-brand project, to be called Cabot Pacific, architect Rod Whitman (he of the famed Wolf Creek GC and Blackhawk in Alberta and Cabot Links in Nova Scotia) and partner Keith Cutten, of Whitman, Axland & Cutten (WAC Golf), expressed their pleasure in the land they're working on and what this enterprise will mean to this area in the mountains of eastern B.C.

Accomplished Executive, Administrator, Coach And high-performance golfer, Kevin Blue, Returns To Canada After Serving The Past Five Years As NCAA Division I Athletics Director At UC Davis - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Via Press Release

(December 3, 2020) — Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Kevin Blue has joined the National Sport Federation as its new Chief Sport Officer.

A dynamic and accomplished executive, coach, and high-performance golfer, Blue joins the Executive Team of the National Sport Federation after serving nearly five years as Director of Athletics for the University of California, Davis, an NCAA Division I institute.

Written by Brent Long/ Courtesy Golf Canada

Canadians golfers are playing golf and adapting to new technology such as the Golf Canada App like never before.

In a year where record numbers of recreational rounds were registered with Golf Canada through June (1.2 million), July (1.6M), August (1.5M), September (1.5M) and October (618,500) embracing technology and new apps has become a way of life for most Canadians who have spent much of 2020 learning to deal with COVID-19 lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing measures.

Current job opportunities in the golf industry include a Career Opportunity at Creston Golf Club.

The Director of Golf / Head Golf Professional is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations and services of the golf course, including but not limited to: the golf shop, tournaments, practice facilities, suggestions for the condition and play of the course and the cart fleet.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of the 29 athletes, male and female, who have been selected to represent Team Canada as part of the 2021 National Amateur and Junior Squads.

Fifteen athletes will compete on Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, consisting of eight players on the men’s squad and seven on the women’s squad.

The announcement marks a significant increase in roster size, adding six athletes to the previous year’s team. The roster expansion is due in large part to a restructuring of team resources in addition to increased funding support from the Golf Canada Foundation’s network of Trustee partners.