Con t en t s 6
Top Image: Perfect Golfing Conditions From 2017
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Inside This Issue
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2018 Women's Golf Day Happens June 5th - Here's How To Get Involved The R&A And USGA Release 2017 Distance Study The First Tee Golf Program Promotes Honesty, Respect, And Sportsmanship Become A Community Golf Coach
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The Renovated Campbell River G&CC Is Taking Shape
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New Rules Of Golf For 2019 Unveiled
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By The Numbers: Tiger 's Odds At The Masters
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John Buchanan Classic Tournament At Vancouver Club 38
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28
M AR '18
BC Provincial Titleist Performance Camp Brings Out The Best In Young Players Simon Fraser Golf Presents The
Victoria GC's T-Jay Creamer Named Assistant Superintendent Of The Year
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First Tee Pro-Am Goes May 23rd At Richmond CC
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Sport BC Announces 24th Annual Presidents' Award Winners
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Canadian Company Goes Back To Roots Making Putters From Wood.
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New Research Outlines Potential To Grow Women?s, Girls?And Family Golf
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New Prez Leslie Dunning Says Golf Is A Game For Everyone
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BC's Abigail Rigsby Collects First Collegiate Victory For OCU
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BC Golf Community Saddened By Passing Of Longtime Creston GC Assistant Pro
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The Parting Shot: Canadians at Augusta National
British Columbia Golf
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THE
TOPIMAGE
Now Th at Spri ng Has Sprung, We Th ough t I t Woul d Be Ni ce To Sh ow A Great Pi cture Of Perf ect Gol f i ng Condi ti ons From 2017. Sh ow n Is Vict or ia Golf Clu b Head Pr of ession al, Lin dsay Ber n ak evit ch Sh ow in g Of f His M ow in g Sk ills
Im age Is Cou r t esy of T-Jay Cr eam er w h o is pr of iled as t h e CGSA In au gu r al Assist an t Su per in t en den t of t h e Year on page 38!
FROMTHE
BY BRYAN OUTRAM
EDITOR'SDESK In si de Th i s Issue In this month's edition of the Scorecard we take a look at how some of the promising young juniors from around British Columbia work towards becoming the best they can be mentally and physically as they took part in the BC Provincial Titleist Performance Camp held recently at Northview GC in Surrey. Coaches and specialists on hand for two days in some beautiful early season golf weather took the players through a series of Golf Canada's National Testing protocols as written about by BC Golf 's Brad Ziemer in this month's cover story (page 28). The much needed participation of women in golf has come into focus more and more of late and we have an article on the importance
of that on page50 as well as previewing Women's Golf Day worldwide on page 10. We also take a look at Golf Canada's newest president, Leslie Dunning of Calgary (page 52) as well as celebrating more successes from BCer 's such as Courtenay's Abigail Rigsby winning on the U.S. College circuit (page 54) and Victoria Golf Club's Assistant Superintendent T-Jay Creamer being recognized nationally for his work at the club which turns 125 this year (page 40). The much anticipated changing of golf 's rules has finally been released and we have the announcement of that and its highlights on page 24. And you'll want to read about the terrific youth programs including the First Tee being put on by the Greater Vancouver YMCA (page 18) and their upcoming Million Dollar Challenge (page 42). Finally "Stats Guy" Jeff Sutherland looks at the dramatically dropping odds for Tiger Woods to win the Masters at Augusta (page 26).
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CELEBRATING THEGAME
BY BC GOLF & WOMEN'S GOLF DAY
2018 Women's Gol f Day
It Happen s Jun e 5t h - Her e's How To Get In vol ved
Th e Women?s Gol f Day i s a one-day ev ent cel ebrati ng gi rl s and w omen pl ayi ng gol f and l earni ng th e sk i l l s th at l ast a l i f eti me.
In less t han t hr ee year s, on e w om an ?s i dea has blossom ed i n t o a global m ovem en t t hat i s qui ckly becom i n g t he n ext bi g t hi n g i n golf . CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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?Women?s Gol f Day i s a f our h our ex peri ence The organizers at WGD are h appeni ng gl obal l y excited to bring you better w h ere w omen and gi rl s technology, advanced can ex peri ence gol f f or features, new events, and th e f i rst ti me or w h ere more as #wgdinspires on June current pl ayers can pl ay 5, 2018! and engage w i th w omen A part of this valuable and i nterested i n gol f ? CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
exciting venture, it is all-important to have as many golf facilities as possible on board and assist with hosting women of all ages for this event as the game continues to grow and welcome everyone who has an interest in 'golf, a sport for life'.
JUNE 5, 2018 One Day ? Women Gol f i ng A round th e Worl d Individual player registrations won?t be open until April 2, 2018, but you can reserve your place in line now by completing the form found HERE.
The Women's Golf Day organizers will email you a reminder on April 2 with all the information about registering for Women?s Golf Day. You will be able to easily find the closest location to you, register to play, and help spread the word to grow Women?s Golf Day! It is being hosted at golf courses and retail locations all around the world on the same day - June 5, 2018 world-wide.
Tak e a l ook at some of th e l ocati ons al ready parti ci pati ng! CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Cl i ck Bel ow To See Vi deo
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Wh o can h ost a Women?s Gol f Day ev ent? Practically every location that offers golf or golf-related products and services can host an event on Women?s Golf Day. Here are some examples of businesses that have hosted Women?s Golf day events in the past: Golf Resorts Public Golf Courses Semi-Public Golf Courses Private Golf Courses
Country Clubs Golf Stores Driving Ranges Mini Golf/Putt Putt
GOLF COURSE FORM A T Tw o Hours of Gol f i ng ? Lessons or 9 Hol e Pl ay (Suggested Ti me: 4-6pm) RETA I L FORM A T Four Hour Ex peri ence (Suggested Ti me: 4-8pm) For full story CLICK HERE
BYTHE
NUMBERS VIA PRESS RELEASE
The R&A And USGA Release 2017 Di stance Study
Th e av erage di stance gai n across th e sev en w orl dw i de tours w as more th an 3 yards...
(St An dr ew s, Scot lan d an d Li ber t y Cor n er , NJ, USA) - The R&A an d t he USGA have com plet ed t he an n ual r evi ew of dr i vi n g di st an ce i n golf , pr oduci n g a r esear ch r epor t t hat docum en t s an d evaluat es som e si gn i f i can t f i n di n gs f r om t he 2017 season .
Introduced in 2015, the annual report examines driving distance data from seven of the major worldwide professional golf tours, based on nearly 300,000 drives per year. The data from studies of male and female amateur golfers is also included. The 2015 and 2016 editions of the distance report presented the increases in driving distance since 2003 as a slow CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
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... th i s l ev el of i ncrease across so many tours i n a si ngl e season i s unusual and concerni ng and req ui res cl oser i nspecti on and moni tori ng to f ul l y understand th e causes and ef f ects.
creep of around 0.2 yards per year. The 2017 data shows a deviation from this trend. The average distance gain across the seven worldwide tours was more than 3 yards since 2016.
USGA remain committed to the spirit of the 2002 Joint Statement of Principles which recognize that distance impacts many aspects of golf and that any further significant increases in hitting distances at the highest level are undesirable.
As noted in previous annual reports, variability in driving distance of 4 or more yards from season to season on any one tour is not uncommon. However, this level of increase across so many tours in a single season is unusual and concerning and requires closer inspection and monitoring to fully understand the causes and effects.
Increases in distance can contribute to demands for longer, tougher and more resource-intensive golf courses at all levels of the game. These trends can impact the costs to operate golf courses and put additional pressures on golf courses in their local environmental landscape.
As the review of this issue progresses, The R&A and the
For full story CLICK HERE
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YOUTH Th e Fi rst Tee Gol f Program
PROGRAMS Pr om ot es Hon est y , Respect , An d Spor t sm an sh i p
IMAGES CREDIT BC GOLF
VIA YMCA/ FIRST TEE
In par t n er sh i p w i t h BC Gol f , t h e YMCA of Gr eat er Van couver i s f aci l i t at i n g Th e Fi r st Tee out r each pr ogr am s, spr i n g br eak cam ps an d af t er -sch ool pr ogr am s w i t h i n Van couver an d Sur r ey com m un i t y sch ool s. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Bri ti sh Col umbi a Gol f M anager Of Gol f Parti ci pati on Tyl er M cK ay (4th From Lef t A bov e) A ssi sts Wi th A Group Of A spi ri ng Gol f ers I n Th e Fi rst Tee's 'Bri dge' Program CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
The YMCA of Greater Vancouver 's First Tee Golf Program Spring Break camps are open to kids ages 6-17 at Queen Elizabeth Park Pitch & Putt, as well as Rupert Park Pitch & Putt.
Honesty , respect, and sportsmansh i p th ese are a f ew th i ngs th at k i ds l earn i n Th e Fi rst Tee Gol f program.
For those looking for after-school programs to boost physical literacy and cognitive development check out the First Tee after-school program today. For more information and to register your little ones visit The First Tee web page at http://bit.ly/2tJBNWI or contact Christophe Collins, Manager, The First Tee of Greater Vancouver at Christophe.collins@gv.ymca.ca or 604.622.4953. For full story CLICK HERE
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BCGOLF Becom e A Com m un i t y NEWS
GOLF COACH IMAGES CREDIT JURGEN KAMINSKI
VIA PRESS RELEASE
Become A Communi ty Gol f Coach A nd You Too Coul d Hel p Produce Th e Nex t 'Juni or Batman' On Th e Li nk s Li k e BC Gol f 's Tyl er M cK ay (L) - I mage Credi t Jurgen K ami nsk i (JK am Ph otos)/ BC Gol f
On Apr i l 28 - 29t h f r om 9am -4pm each day, Eaglequest Golf i n Coqui t lam w i ll be host i n g a Com m un i t y Golf Coach w or kshop.
If you are a coach who'd like to improve your skills in the area of teaching junior golf or someone who would like to CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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get more involved with junior golf at your facility this is a must-attend workshop. The lead facilitator will be 2011 PGA of BC Teacher of the Year Keri Moffatt who has vast experience coaching junior
I f you are a coach w h o'd l i k e to i mprov e your sk i l l s i n th e area of teach i ng j uni or gol f or someone w h o w oul d l i k e to get more i nv ol v ed w i th j uni or gol f at your f aci l i ty th i s i s a must-attend w ork sh op. golf at the highest level. See
Sh oul d you h av e any q uesti ons or need h el p w i th th e regi strati on process pl ease contact: Tyl er M cK ay ph : (604) 279-2580 ex t. 208 emai l : tyl er@ bri ti sh col umbi agol f .org Bri ti sh Col umbi a Gol f M anager, Gol f Parti ci pati on OR K ate Law son M ember Trai ni ng Coordi nator | Coordonnateur de f ormati on des membres Prof essi onal Gol f ers A ssoci ati on of Canada | PGA du Canada 1-800-782-5764 ex t./ poste 225 | k ate@pgaof canada.com pgaof canada.com
the information below for how to register and what is involved in the program.
Cl i ck HERE For Ful l Ar t i cl e
" Gol f course progress pi cs I CONSTRUCTION snapped f rom h el i copter at 2000' i n mi d M arch . IMAGE COURTESY GREG AUSTIN / CAMPBELL RIVER G&CC A l most ready to h ydroseed ev eryth i ng remai ni ng. Just w ai ti ng f or th e ri gh t ti mi ng. We're begi nni ng constructi on of bui l di ngs soon."
NEWGOLFCOURSE
Greg Austin, the Golf Course Superintendent at Campbell River Golf and Country Club about the Graham Cooke redesigned layout set to open later this year.
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THERULES New Rul es Of Gol f OFGOLF
For 2019 Un vei l ed IMAGES CREDIT JURGEN KAMINSKI
VIA PRESS RELEASE
Bri ti sh Col umbi a Gol f Juni or Boys Ch ampi on Ch ri sti an Z al l i Tak es A Drop Duri ng Th e 2017 Ch ampi onsh i p
Th e USGA and Th e R&A h av e unv ei l ed th e new Rul es of Gol f , w h i ch are to be i mpl emented on January 1st, 2019.
The USGA and The R&A finalized golf ?s new Rules this month after an extensive review that included a request for feedback from the global golf community on the proposed changes. Golfers can now access the official 2019 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Rules of Golf by visiting www.RandA.org or www.usga.org/rules. The process to modernize the Rules began in 2012 and was initiated to ensure that the Rules are easier to understand and apply for all golfers and to make the game more Pl ay er s ar e r em i n ded t h at attractive and t h e cur r en t edi t i on of t h e accessible for newcomers. Rul es of Gol f (2016) m ust be As the National appl i ed w h en pl ay i n g, Sport Federation post i n g scor es or com pet i n g and governing body, Golf Canada f or t h e r em ai n der of 2018. worked alongside Players are reminded that the The R&A and the USGA on the current edition of the Rules of Rules modernization initiative. Golf (2016) must be applied While the majority of when playing, posting scores proposed Rules remain intact or competing for the in the final version, several remainder of 2018. The Rules important changes to the of Amateur Status and the initial proposals and further Rules of Equipment Standards clarification of many Rules were not part of this review were incorporated. process. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Ti ger 's Dr oppi n g BYTHE NUMBERS Mast er s Odds Ar e Just BY JEFF St un n i n g SUTHERLAND / INSIDE GOLF
Th e odds of Ti ger w i nni ng th e M asters h av e pl ummeted ov er th e past ei gh t month s: A ugust of l ast year 100:1 Th e day bef ore th e f i rst round at th e Worl d Hero l ast December 66:1 A f ter th e f i rst round of th e Hero w h ere h e sh ot 3-under 33:1 A f ter th e second round of th e Hero w h ere h e made th e turn i n th e l ead 20:1 A t th e start of M arch 16:1 On M arch 5th af ter th e Honda 12:1 On M arch 10th duri ng th e V al spar 10:1 - On M arch 15th , h e took an earl y l ead at Bay Hi l l and became th e f av ouri te to w i n w i th odds droppi ng to 8:1
SEE THE NEXT PAGE TO SEE TIGER'S INFLUENCE ON TICKET PRICES AT THE M ASTERS
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The prices scalpers are charging for tickets have historically been affected by Tiger 's attendance especially if he gets into contention. This year, according to TicketIQ.com, the average price of a single-day ticket is currently up by 20% ($2,948.42 up from $2,592.91 for last year). While tickets obviously are not an issue for the folks at Augusta National, they are for other tournaments. At the Valspar this year with Tiger playing and being in contention meant an increase in ticket sales by almost 40% over 2017.
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COVER Th e BC Pr ovi n ci al Ti t l ei st STORY
BY BRAD ZIEMER
Per f or m an ce Cam p...
Li ke a lot of golf er s, Dust i n Fr an ko i s gui lt y of get t i n g a li t t le dow n on hi m self w hen t hi n gs ar en ?t goi n g hi s w ay on t he cour se. ?I f eel li ke I am n ot as m en t ally st r on g as I n eed
t o be,? sai d Fr an ko, a 17-year -old Nor t h Delt a r esi den t . ?It i s pr obably t he w eakest par t of m y gam e. I f i n d m yself get t i n g m ad at m yself qui t e a bi t .?
Br i n gs Out Th e Best In Youn g Pl ay er s
ALL IMAGES CREDIT JURGEN KAMINSKI
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BC Prov i nci al Coach Col i n Lav ers A ddresses A Group Of Young Pl ayers A t Th e Ti tl ei st Perf ormance Camp Hel d Recentl y A t North v i ew GC I n Surrey CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Franko left the recent two-day B.C. Provincial Titleist Performance Camp at Northview Golf Course in Surrey feeling like he is now better equipped to deal with some of those inevitable challenging moments on the golf course. The 20 talented juniors who attended the camp not only
were run through drills that measured their skills in chipping, putting, wedge play and long game. They also were treated to a two-hour classroom session by mental performance coach Dave Freeze. Freeze?s keep-it-positive message seemed to resonate with his teenage audience. ?Don?t beat yourselves up over CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Mental Performance Coach Dave Freeze Stressed Keeping Things Positive
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a bad shot,? Freeze told them. ?Your most difficult shot will bring you the greatest joy. When you are positive we are going to find the best golfer in you.
?I don?t k now much about th e mental game and I th i nk many j uni or gol f ers f ocus a l ot on th e sw i ng and th e sh ort game, but not on th e mental game,? Yue sai d. ?So I th i nk th at w as real l y h el pf ul .?
"And for all of you who have tried to beat yourself into higher levels of performance for any number of years all I can tell you is, that?s not actually working. Your skills will never abandon you. What happens is you abandon your skills. Your skills will always be inside you. They are not going anywhere.? West Vancouver ?s Phoebe Yue, a 17-year-old who is heading to southern California this fall to play collegiate golf at UCLA, found Freeze?s suggestions on how to handle adversity on the course invaluable. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Coaches Kathy Stecyk (L) And Jennifer Greggain Chat With Kathrine Chan As Players Prepare To Head Out On The Course
?We put th e responsi bi l i ty back on th em. I t i s th ei r responsi bi l i ty. We prov i de th e opportuni ti es, th e k now l edge and resources, but th ey need to l earn i t, practi se i t and trai n w i th i t. A t th e end of th e day i t i s th ei r ef f ort th at w i l l get th em w h ere th ey need to go.?
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This spring?s performance camp was blessed with great weather. That wasn?t the case at last year ?s camp at Mayfair Lakes Golf Course in Richmond. ?It snowed and we were building snowmen on the driving range, which was fun,? Franko recalled with a laugh. The 20 participants ranged in age from 13 to 17 and none has a handicap factor higher than 4.1. More than 40 had applied for a spot in the camp. Debbie Pyn e, the managing director of player development CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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British Columbia Golf Managing Director Of Player Development Debbie Pyne Makes A Point With Phoebe Yue In The Classroom CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
with British Columbia Golf, said camps like this one provide valuable information for the players as well as the coaches. ?We are trying to give them the knowledge and expertise to help them improve their game,? Pyne said. ?We want to gauge where they are and then we want to be able to move them up the competitive ladder, mostly prep them for Canadian championships. For full story CLICK HERE
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UNIVERSITY
GOLF
SFU Gol f Pr esen t s Th e Joh n Buch an an Cl assi c You can suppor t t he SFU Men 's an d Wom en 's Golf Team by par t i ci pat i n g i n The John Buchan an Classi c pr esen t ed by Open Road Audi Boun dar y at The Van couver Golf Club on Mon day, Apr i l 10.
IMAGE COURTESY SFU
Submitted By Matthew Steinbach
The John Buchanan Classic is the annual tournament held in loving memory of SFU's Legendary Coach John Buchanan and serves as the major fundraising event for SFU Golf. Says Golf Coach Matt Steinbach: "John Buchanan was part of the fabric of Simon Fraser University Athletics & Recreation where for 50 years, he energized our community and exemplified our institutional ambition to be better tomorrow than we are CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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A l l proceeds f rom th e annual ev ent go tow ards th e Joh n Buch anan Gol f Endow ment, gi v i ng us an opportuni ty to remember Coach Buch anan and h onour h i s l egacy."
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today. Sadly, we said goodbye to Coach Buchanan in January 2017. All proceeds from the annual event go towards the John Buchanan Golf Endowment, giving us an opportunity to remember Coach Buchanan and honour his legacy." Last year they raised over $60,000 through thanks to the generous contributions from SFU Golf supporters and this
fall will award our first scholarship from the Endowment to an incoming student-athlete golfer. Continues Steinbach, "Coach Buchanan always believed that the strength of a program was in its student-athletes. As Canada's only NCAA School, SFU continues to attract the best and brightest student-athletes from across Canada. Since qualifying for NCAA Division II post-season
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" I n th e cl assroom w e conti nue to mai ntai n th e h i gh standards of Si mon Fraser Uni v ersi ty. Both teams h av e ach i ev ed many i ndi v i dual aw ards w i th recogni ti on i n Presi dent's Honour Rol l , Dean's Honour Rol l , and GNA C A l l A cademi c student-ath l etes. Ev en more i mpressi v e are th e f al l semester resul ts w h ere both M en's and Women's teams ach i ev ed th ei r h i gh est GPA s si nce mov i ng to th e NCA A w i th 3.2 GPA and 3.4 GPA respecti v el y." tournament play in 2013, both our Men's and Women's teams have achieved success on the golf course and in the classroom. In additional to multiple individual wins and team titles, both the Men's and Women's Teams have won our GNAC Conference Championship twice." The Men captured titles in 2014 and 2015 while the Women have won for the last two years in 2016 and 2017. Concludes Steinback, "For the SFU Golf program to continue to grow and achieve
new levels of success we look to the generosity of the SFU Golf family of supporters like you. You will help us to attract the best and brightest student-athlete golfers from across Canada. We hope that you will help support the John Buchanan Classic Golf Tournament through Tournament Registration or a donation to the John Buchanan Golf Endowment."
Click h er e f or f u ll st or y Click h er e t o r egist er
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NATIONAL AWARDS BY GOLF CANADA
Vi ct or i a GC's T-Jay Cr eam er Nam ed Assi st an t Super i n t en den t Of Th e Year
I mages Courtesy T-Jay Creamer
Th e Canadi an Gol f Superi ntendents A ssoci ati on and Th e Toro Company h av e announced th at T-Jay Creamer (sh ow n ri gh t) f rom th e V i ctori a Gol f Course as th e f i rst CGSA / Toro A ssi stant Superi ntendent of th e Year A w ard w i nner. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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?I f i rst h ad th e pl easure of getti ng to k now T-Jay Creamer w h en h e w as a member of th e 2017 CGSA Conf erence Pl anni ng Commi ttee w h i ch h el ped organi ze th e f i rst ev er ?A ssi stants Ni gh t?duri ng th e 2017 conf erence i n V i ctori a th at w as a h uge success. So, i t gav e me great pl easure to be th e one w h o cal l ed h i m to i nf orm h i m th at h e i s th e f i rst w i nner of th i s presti gi ous aw ard!? CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
The new CGSA/Toro Assistant Superintendent of the Year award recognizes the specific achievements of a golf course assistant superintendent whose performance and contributions to the success of the facility go beyond those that would normally be expected. The award is to be presented to an individual who has contributed to his or her golf facility in a significant way and who has demonstrated professionalism, leadership, innovation and a team approach in their work. T-Jay has been a CGSA
? Jim Flett, AGS, CGSA President
member since 2016 and has been with the Victoria Golf Club (VGC) for over 12 seasons, the last six years as the Assistant Superintendent of Links. VGC Links Superintendent, Paul Robertson nominated T-Jay for this award and spoke about T-Jay's achievement:
?T-Jay has become our greatest asset embodying all the characteristics of a great assistant and ultimately the ideal superintendent. He has the depth, diversity, dedication and the dynamic management CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
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skills necessary to be a star in our industry. The ultimate goal of an assistant is to become a golf course superintendent. When I think of the perfect golf course superintendent, I think of T-Jay Creamer." As winner, T-Jay received some great prizes. It started with an ?All-Access? registration to The Canadian 2018 Golf Course Management Conference in Quebec City where he received
his award. Toro also provided a $500 gift card for expenses during the conference and also invited him to attend the Toro Experience for Assistant Superintendents, an exclusive event hosted at the company headquarters in Bloomington MN in August of each year, including round-trip airfare and accommodations during the event.
For full story CLICK HERE
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YOUTH
PROGRAMS
Com i n g To Ri ch m on d CC
IMAGE CREDIT FIRST TEE
COURTESY YMCA/FIRST TEE
Th e 8t h An n ual Fi r st Tee Mi l l i on Dol l ar Pr o-Am Ch al l en ge Is
Th e 8th annual Fi rst Tee M i l l i on Dol l ar Pro-A m Ch al l enge i s al l about rai si ng f unds to ensure v ul nerabl e k i ds and youth can h av e th e opportuni ty to l earn th e f undamental s of th e game of gol f .
Set to go Wednesday, May 23rd, this shotgun format tournament held at the exclusive Richmond Country Club will offer amateur players the experience to compete in an 18-hole team scramble with a PGA of Canada Golf Professional by their side. Participants receive a golf cart CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Th e Fi rst Tee of th e YM CA of Greater V ancouv er enabl es k i ds ages 6-17 to l earn h ow to set goal s and bui l d ch aracter w h i l e l earni ng f undamental gol f sk i l l s. Th rough th e game of gol f , k i ds al so l earn essenti al l i f e sk i l l s and posi ti v e v al ues and h av e a w h ol e l ot of f un. Let?s f ace i t?k i ds l earn best w h en th ey?re h av i ng f un!
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for their round, lunch, access to on-course hospitality tents and a gala reception dinner with silent and live auctions. The Pros will also be available to answer questions and provide swing advice plus eight lucky participants will be randomly drawn and will have an opportunity to sink a hole-in-one shot to win $1,000,000. The fundraising goal this year is to raise $60,000 for programming, outreach, subsidies and expansion and CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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that can't come from players alone. Confirms The First Tee's Christophe Collins, "We are seeking like-minded corporations and individuals to get involved as sponsors. When you sponsor the First Tee Million Dollar Hole-In-One Challenge, you are providing kids with a chance to develop the skills they need to be future leaders. Thank you for
considering a life-changing sponsorship!" Dat e: Wedn esday, M ay 23 Locat ion : Rich m on d Cou n t r y Clu b at 9100 St evest on Hw y Tim e: 1:00pm Sh ot gu n st ar t For m or e i n f o con t act Ch r i st oph e Col l i n s, Man ager , Fi r st Tee of Gr eat er Van couver , Spor t s an d Recr eat i on at 604-622-4953 or ch r i st oph e.col l i n s@gv.y m ca.ca
For full story CLICK HERE
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IN
RECOGNITION
VIA PRESS RELEASE
Spor t BC An n oun ces 24t h An n ual Pr esi den t s' Aw ar d
Wi nners
Reci pi ents w i l l be h onoured at th e 24th A nnual Presi dents?A w ards
Reci pi en t s w i ll be hon our ed at a cer em on y on Mar ch 28, 2018
Volleyball BC, BC Lacrosse, BC Soccer, Softball BC, Baseball BC, BC Rugby, Tennis BC and BC Ringette.
VANCOUVER, BC ? Sport BC is pleased to announce the recipients of the prestigious Presidents?Awards presented by Sports with Balls. This group is comprised of the following Provincial Sport Organizations - Basketball BC,
The Awards ceremony will take place in Vancouver on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 preceding the Athlete of the Year Awards. The annual Presidents? Awards, presented by Sports CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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with Balls, now in its 24th year, are presented to volunteers from Sport BC member and partner organizations who represent the spirit of volunteerism, and whose dedication, energy and commitment contribute to the development of their sport or organization in the province of British Columbia. Congratulations to the 2018 recipients that represent 19 communities and 35 Sport BC member and partner organizations across British Columbia! Tickets are now available throughEventbrite: Pu r ch ase you r At h let e of t h e Year Aw ar ds t ick et s h er e!
A bout th e A th l ete of th e Year A w ards: The Athlete of the Year Awards, founded by Sport BC, is the longest standing amateur sport recognition event in the country. Awards in 18 different categories are given each year to athletes, coaches, and officials on their performance and contribution to sport in the province of British Columbia. For additional information, please contact Rob New m an President & CEO, Sport BC Tel: 604-340-8432 Email: rob.newman@sportbc.com Ch r ist in e Won g Athlete of the Year Coordinator, Sport BC Tel: 604-333-3421 Email: christine@sportbc.com To view Presidents Award winners and for full story CLICK HERE
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PROUDLY
On t ar i o based Kei t h Holden Of Holden Put t er s has t aken t he f lat st i ck back t o i t s r oot s.
Can adi an Com pan y Mar r i es Ol d Sch ool Wi t h New Tech n ol ogy
Usi n g "Den si f i ed Wood Lam i n at es", t hey ar e han dcr af t i n g m allet put t er s w i t h heads as har d as m et al but w i t h a w ood f ace's sof t f eel.
IMAGES CREDIT HOLDEN PUTTING COMPANY
CANADIAN
Each putter head is made to the specifications requested by the purchaser from three choices for face angle to the shaft position to even custom colours. Weight is added using copper rods and to lower the centre of gravity promoting solid contact. Two mallet style options are available? small and large and all heads are individually machined and hand finished. While Holden has been making putters since 2005, they officially started their company last year. Recalls Keith, "Having a passion for the game sparked the desire to bring CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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alternative material and designs to the game. By doing the research and design we have what we think is a truly unique design to enhance golfers' performance on the green." Small head Mallet models start at $249.00 CDN with large heads $20 more. For more information contact: kd.holden@rogers.com or visit holdengolfclubs.com.
Lami nated densi f i ed w ood consi sts of Beech v eneers, w h i ch are j oi ned togeth er w i th synth eti c resi ns under pressure and h eat.
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GROWING New Research Outl i nes THEGAME
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
VIA R&A PRESS RELEASE
Potenti al To Grow Women?s, Gi rl s? A nd Fami l y Gol f
A si gni f i cant grow th opportuni ty ex i sts f or gol f i f i t can attract more w omen, gi rl s and f ami l i es i nto pl ayi ng th e sport more of ten accordi ng to a new research report publ i sh ed by Th e R&A . CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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research with the individual views of a wide-ranging group of golf experts.
Man y coun t r i es ar e seei n g a f all i n t he n um ber of bot h m ales The full report on ?Women?s, an d f em ales playi n g golf . Girls?and Family Participation This research report analyzes the factors which affect whole family participation in the sport, including women and girls, and details a number of useful practical recommendations for national golf bodies and golf clubs to help them encourage more women and girls to play. The R&A commissioned the International Institute for Golf Education, based at the University Centre Myerscough, to carry out the research which brings together the findings of existing academic and industry
in Golf: An Overview of Existing Research (2018)?can be viewed and downloaded here Click below for the R&A Research Summary A video interview with Dr. John Fry of the International Institute for Golf Education can be viewed below:
For more information, visit www.randa.org. For full story CLICK HERE
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NEWSFROM Lesl i e Dunni ng I s
IMAGES COURTESY GOLF CANADA
GOLFCANADA Certai n Th at Gol f I s A BY JOHN GORDON/ Game For GOLF CANADA Ev eryone
Gol f Canada's New est Presi dent: Cal gary's Lesl i e Dunni ng
?I w oul d l i k e to see a Gol f I n Sch ool s k i t i n ev ery sch ool i n th e country and th at ev ery gol f course i s connected to at l east one sch ool ."
Dunning credits her engagement with the game to being introduced by a forward thinking high school teacher who wanted to provide students with skills they could use throughout life. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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?That gave me confidence,? she recalled following her ascendance to the presidency in February. ?I don?t think I would have ever stepped on a golf course if I hadn?t had that early exposure to the game.? Based on her experience, Dunning understandably is a strong proponent of Golf Canada?s Future Links and Golf in Schools program. ?I would like to see a [Golf in Schools] kit in every school in the country and that every golf course is connected to at least one school.? Dunning brings an impressive volunteer background to her new position. After moving to Calgary with her husband Neill in 1991, she became involved in the junior program at Earl Grey Golf Club (where they are long-time members).
This involvement led to positions on the club captain?s committee and subsequently various roles as a volunteer with Alberta Golf, including serving as president in 2007 and 2008. It was during 2008 that she was asked to assist in Golf Canada?s governance reform efforts. The following year, she was elected to Golf Canada?s Board of Directors as the first Provincial Council Chair. Since then, she has served on and chaired many of the national association?s committees. Leslie also serves as a rules official and since achieving national Rules of Golf certification, has officiated at numerous local, provincial and national events. To see the full story by John Gordon click the link below. For full story CLICK HERE
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COLLEGE Cour t en ay 's Abi gai l GOLF
Ri gsby Col l ect s Fi r st Col l egi at e Vi ct or y IMAGES CREDIT JURGEN KAMINSKI/OCU
BY OCU ATHLETICS
Ri gsby pul l ed aw ay f rom th e f i el d i n h er typi cal steady f ash i on, turni ng a one-sh ot l ead to start th e day i nto a f our-sh ot runaw ay i n th e M i dw estern State I nv i tati onal at Wi ch i ta Fal l s Country Cl ub.
Abigail Rigsby had been close to winning her first collegiate tournament so many times and the Oklahoma Christian golfer finally busted down the door to victory earlier this month. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Ok l ah oma Ch ri sti an soph omore A bi gai l Ri gsby w as named th e Heartl and Conf erence Femal e Gol f er of th e Week (M arch 7 - 13) i n recogni ti on of h er w i n.
A final-round 4-over-par 76 gave the sophomore from Courtenay, British Columbia, a two-day total of 149 over the 5,843-yard course. During that final round, Rigsby had nothing worse than a bogey to go with 12 pars and one birdie. In 20 career events, Rigsby now has 11 top-10 finishes, and she was coming off a runner-up showing the previous week. Rigsby's win was the 15th individual title by an OC golfer in the program's seven-season history. For full story CLICK HERE
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INMEMORIAM IMAGES CREDIT FACILITY
BY BC GOLF
Ch er i e A. Bak er (n ee Har r i son ) Apr i l 8t h, 1947 ? Febr uar y 8t h, 2018
BC Gol f Com m un i t y Sadden ed By Passi n g Of Lon gt i m e Cr est on GC Assi st an t Pr o
British Columbia Golf wishes to extend sincere condolences to the family and friends of Cherie A. Baker (Harrison) who passed away on February 8th. In commemoration of Cherie's life and her long involvement with the game of golf we present this memoriam released by her family. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Cherie A. Baker (Harrison), age 70, of Creston, BC, who passed away on February 8, 2018 at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, AB, where she was undergoing treatment for cancer. Cherie was born in 1947, in Nelson, BC, to Harry and Louise (Peebles) Harrison and moved to Creston in 1974. Cherie was very athletic and enjoyed playing sports all of her life. She was an avid skier and a member of the curling club, where she enjoyed league and bonspiel curling. Her favorite sport was golf. She became a member of the LPGA for five years and worked for 23 years at Creston Golf Club as assistant pro. She enjoyed teaching others to golf, but most enjoyed playing in tournaments with her friends. In the summer, Cherie loved going back to Nelson and
spending time at the lake with family and friends. Cherie was an amazingly funny, loving, sensitive and caring woman. She was loved dearly and will be greatly missed by family and so many friends on and off the courses and curling rinks throughout the Kootenays. She is survived by her loving husband, Gerald (Gerry) Mesenchuk, her children, Jill Gagnon and Warren (Karen), her grandchildren, Bradley, Justin, Alyssa and Adam, her sister, Mary Lou (Don) Laishley and her brother, Bob (Kathie). Numerous Mesenchuk family members who provided and continue to provide amazing support, extended family and countless friends. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Bill. A Celebration of Life in honour of Cherie will be planned for April. For full story CLICK HERE
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PARTINGSHOT I n case you can't tel l , th e l arge i mage i s M agnol i a Lane f rom th e earl y 1990s w i th th e f amed entrance as i t appears today as th e i nset. We w ill see t h r ee Can adian s t eein g it u p n ext m on t h at Au gu st a Nat ion al (Adam Hadw in , M ack en zie Hu gh es an d M ik e Weir )... t h e m ost in m or e t h an 40 year s.
BTW: It 's n ow been 15 year s sin ce M ik e don n ed t h e gr een jack et as Can ada's on ly M ajor w in n er .