Dr. Roger Hawkes Was On Hand At The BC Golf AGM To Talk About The Exciting Conclusions Coming From The Project Examining The Health Benefits Of Golf - _{^{Image/BC Golf/Golf&Health}}

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

“It’s official. Golf is good for you.”

Those were the words of Dr. Roger Hawkes, who spoke to the Annual General Meeting of British Columbia Golf at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club. Hawkes is executive director of Britain’s Golf and Health Project, which is supported by the World Golf Foundation. It aims to study the many and varied health and well-being benefits of golf.

While there has long been anecdotal evidence that golf has significant health benefits, Hawkes said the goal of the Golf and Health Project is to come up with properly evaluated evidence to support such claims.

British Columbia Golf CEO Kris Jonasson And New President Of BC Golf Michelle Collens Hold The Signed 'Women In Golf Charter' Endorsed By The British Columbia Golf Board - BC Golf Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kris Jonasson, the longtime Chief Executive Officer of British Columbia Golf, knows from personal experience about the challenges of bringing more women into the game.

At British Columbia Golf’s Annual General Meeting at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club, Jonasson told a story about his daughter, who is not a golfer, and his granddaughter, who is on her way to becoming one. “It’s an easy statement to make, it’s not an easy thing to do,” Jonasson said of the challenge of welcoming more women to golf.

“In certain ways, I failed as a father because I didn’t get my daughter involved in golf. I am doing a much better job with my grandchildren. And I can say with a whole lot of pride I am doing a very good job with my granddaughter, who is 12, and likes to go out and play with me.”

The R&A unveiled a new Women in Golf Charter on May 29th, 2018 in London as part of the organization’s global drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf and to encourage more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry.

Adoption of the Charter requires national associations and other golf bodies to build on and develop initiatives which will focus on encouraging more women and girls to play golf and stay within the sport as members of clubs, while also empowering women to enjoy successful careers working within the golf industry.

British Columbia Golf has their Annual General Meeting this Saturday, March 30th at the beautiful Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club.

We know that AGM's don't get a whole lot of love as a rule, but we're using this occasion to have some very high profile, intelligent and engaging presenters covering topics that are quite important in the growth of the game of golf in today's world.

Aside from British Columbia Golf signing on to the R&A Women In Golf Charter, we will also have guest speakers representing the USGA and The R&A enlightening us on the subjects of Teeing It Forward and Golf and Health (#GolfHealth)

Simply click on the image below anytime after 10am Saturday to online stream these presentations to your laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile device. You'll be taken to a custom landing page and can select the session or sessions you'd like to see as they happen or later once they've been recorded.

The ModGolf Podcast this week, hosted by Colin Weston, features Laurence Applebaum, CEO Of Golf Canada - Creating Golf Moments That Matter

"If your best moment is being on the golf course, we want to create more moments like that". This week our host Colin Weston speaks to Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. Since 2017 Laurence has lead the team at Golf Canada - the National Sport Federation and governing body for golf in Canada - with a mission to "have more people playing more golf and to succeed within the sport more than ever before”.

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum Unveiled The Association's Three-Year Strategic Plan At The 2019 AGM - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By Adam Stanley/Golf Canada

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – On the 18th green at TPC Sawgrass, Laurence Applebaum was laughing and chatting with whomever was around.

Usually standing on that intimidating tee – with water up the left-hand side and a thin fairway – you’re not happy at all. But Golf Canada’s CEO caught Canadians Nick Taylor and Corey Conners coming through in the final hole of their practice round, and how could he not be happy?

Taylor and Conners were wearing shorts. Applebaum was clad in a grey monotone ensemble, the pop of colour reserved for the red in the Golf Canada logo on his shirt. It was like a scene you might stumble upon at any golf club in the country when a trio of friends got together at the end of a round – it just so happened that two of the three are some of the best golfers in the world.

Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Youth on Course – the non-profit organization providing young people with subsidized golf, college scholarships, caddie programs and paid internships, in partnership with Golf Canada and Alberta Golf – breaks international ground and brings affordable junior golf to Canada.

Initially, Youth on Course will be launching as a two-year pilot in the province of Alberta and will be recognized under the umbrella of Canada’s National Junior Golf Program – Future Links. With 17,000 junior member golfers and nearly 1,400 Golf Canada member clubs from coast to coast, Golf Canada will evaluate the results of the pilot prior to expanding the program nationwide.

For many of us trying to squeeze in the last few rounds of the season, or for those still planning on heading south this winter, it’s important to note the “active season” in the region, province or country you’re playing in.

Golf Canada’s Handicap System stipulates every player is responsible for returning all acceptable scores into one’s scoring record from rounds played on courses observing their active season, which is part of the golf season when courses have acceptable playing conditions.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf associations to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.

With all the recent controversy regarding the 'new rules' of golf, particularly due to some very publicized incidents on the PGA TOUR, Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press wrote a piece that puts the onus where it really should be, on the players, to learn, know, understand and play by the rules. He makes some excellent points here illustrating clearly why it should not be that difficult to accept and embrace the effort and intent of the new rules of golf. - ed

By Doug Ferguson/Associated Press

ORLANDO, Florida — The memo PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan sent to players on the new Rules of Golf can be interpreted different ways based as much on the timing as the message.

One theme was to be patient. “We are committed to playing under these rules as we analyze their effectiveness... and it’s important to acknowledge that we are not at the finish line yet,” Monahan said in a memo.

Another was to look at the USGA as a partner instead of a villain.

“This is a collaborative process, one the PGA TOUR has been a part of from the beginning, along with all organizations in the world of golf,” he wrote.

The hope is that it will lead players to stop complaining about the rules and simply follow them.

Click HERE to read full story. 

This golf season, get the provincial bragging rights for Fantasy Golf with The BC Golf Fantasy Challenge.

The contest is easy, fun, flexible...and free. Pick your team in any, or all, of six qualifying tournaments through the summer, finish in the top 10% of entrants in any one of the six and you are immediately qualified for the season-ending Championship playoff. Emerge victorious there and you will be crowned BC Golf Fantasy Challenge champion.

The Qualifying Series starts this week with the Players Championship followed by the Four Majors with the RBC Canadian Openalso included. All those who qualify from each tournament will then pick a team of players from the season-ending Fedex Cup Tour Championship.

This format means that, as each of the six tournaments is a separate qualifier for the Championship round, there is no issue if you miss a tournament or two. Qualify early on and you can sit back and wait.

Along the way, participants can win some great prizes. BC Golf will be working with the courses who earned the distinction of being selected as one of the province's top ten favourites by our members to provide green fees for winners in the individual Qualifying Series tournaments. The Grand Prize and presenting sponsor will be announced later this month.

Stay tuned for word on that and in the meantime check out below how you can register to get started in search of 'Fantasy Golf Glory'.

Leslie Dunning (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

By John Gordon/Courtesy Golf Canada

Leslie Dunning might be expected, as she leaves the presidency of Golf Canada after an eventful year, to focus just on the milestones.

And there were some notable moments, including trophy presentations to the likes of the world’s top-ranked male golfer, Dustin Johnson, at the RBC Canadian Open and, even more memorable, the presentation to Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who became just the second Canadian to win the CP Women’s Open.

How about the announcement of a new, more preferable date for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open? Seeing a historic modernization of the Rules of Golf come into effect? Or travelling to iconic tournaments such as The Masters and the U.S. Open?

DORVAL, Qué. (Golf Canada) – DORVAL, Qué. – Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting culminated on Saturday, March 2 with the election of Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué., to serve as the National Sport Federation’s President.

Beaulieu succeeds 2018 President Leslie Dunning in leading Golf Canada’s Board of Directors. Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont., becomes 1st Vice-President and Dale Jackson of Victoria assumes the role of 2nd Vice-President.

DORVAL, Que. – Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting is set for this week (February 28 to March 2) at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Que., just outside of Montreal.

The event brings together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, staff and volunteers as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations, national and international partners and other stakeholders. The group will assemble for select meetings, innovative presentations and discussion in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

CEO Laurence Applebaum will also present Golf Canada’s Strategic Plan (2019-2022) to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf.

Written By John Gordon/Courtesy Golf Canada

"It would not be a bad idea to require each golfer to pass a written examination on the Rules of Golf…”

Don’t panic. That was just the opinion of J.T. Clark, editor of the Toronto Star.

In 1915.

With the 2019 Annual General Meeting coming up, British Columbia Golf, the governing body of amateur golf in our province, is using the occasion to shine a light on three of the most important elements identified as part of the continued growth and well-being of the game as we look ahead with '2020' vision.

This year's meeting will take place on Saturday, March 30th from 8:30am (registration) - 3pm at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club, 5099 Springs Boulevard, Tsawwassen, B.C .

Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2019 championship schedule, which includes a record setting 31 amateur and professional competitions in addition to various qualifiers hosted at golf facilities across Canada.

The 2019 schedule is headlined by Golf Canada’s premier professional championships — the RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont., and the CP Women’s Open, to be conducted August 19-25 at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

The 2019 competition calendar includes eight national amateur championships, eight Future Links, driven by Acura regional junior competitions and two international women’s championships.

This month we feature the two most recent episodes of The ModGolf Podcast as part of our effort to bring you golf’s best innovation and entrepreneurship stories.