The following is a release from viaSport

viaSport is pleased to release the Return to Sport Guidelines. 

We are all eager for sport to return to B.C. and bring our communities together. These guidelines will help sport organizations across British Columbia develop their own plans for a safe return to sport.

Due to the COVID - 19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health's safety regulations around travel and ViaSport's mandate that no competitive sport be played at this time, B.C. Golf has decided to not go ahead with the 2020 B.C. Junior Championship.

The Junior Championship was scheduled to be played at NK'MIP Canyon Desert Golf Course from June 30th to July  3rd. The B.C. Boys Junior was first played in 1946 and the B,C, Junior Girls had it's inaugural event in 1952.

Last year was the first year that the boys and girls played at the same venue, and we were looking forward to continuing that format this year. Both championships have a long list of very deserving champions, some of whom have gone on to great success, including winning on the PGA and LPGA Tours. This will be the first time for both events that they will not be contested. B.C. Golf looks forward to bringing these championships back in 2021.

This is not an easy decision to make and B.C. Golf would like to thank NK'MIP Canyon Desert Golf Course who were excited to hold this championship. No decisions have been made on other Championships for the 2020 season at this time.

Four weeks notice will be given for each event as to whether it will go ahead or not.

Due to the COVID - 19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health's safety regulations around travel and ViaSport's mandate that no competitive sport be played at this time, B.C. Golf has decided to not go ahead with the 2020 B.C. Women's Amateur Championship.

Written by Golf Canada

The World 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.

Each year, provincial associations analyze numerous factors to determine their active seasons. This ensures consistency of when scores would be posted by the majority of golfers to help keep Handicap Indexes accurate.

L-R: Golf Canada National Team Coaches - Robert Ratcliffe, Derek Ingram & Jennifer Greggain - (K2 image by Pavel Novak/ Everest kalapatthar.jpg)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Junior golfers in British Columbia aren’t just doing their school work on-line these days. They’ve also been firing up their laptops the past month for a series of golf webinars.

With tournament play and group instruction on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, British Columbia Golf organized a series of 10 webinars aimed at elite junior golfers not only here in B.C. but across the country.

“In-person instruction has been tough, so we are doing everything we can to help them out,” says Doug Hastie, manager of field operations/tournament director with British Columbia Golf.

Courtesy Allied Golf Association - BC (AGA-BC)

Today is a day to celebrate one more step in our road to recovery in British Columbia as food service establishments are now permitted to resume operations with the following rules and proper COVID-19 protection protocols in place!

WorkSafeBC has also released protocols for retail and office operations that are applicable to the British Columbia Golf Industry and please note the new requirement for a COVID-19 Safety Plan and existing requirements for an Exposure Control Plan.

Lastly, this has all been added to our AGA-BC's COVID-19 Protection - Best Practices for the Responsible Operation of BC Golf Courses manual.

2020 BC Junior Golf Education Summit - Not JUST For Juniors

Join us for this April and May, as Golf, Fitness, Nutrition and Mental Performance professionals share their expertise with all BC Junior Golfers for the first BC Junior Golf Education Summit via online webinars.

Although these webinar programs were initially intended for the junior golf demographic, a number of adults have registered and found the sessions to be of great value as well.

Please feel free to REGISTER for an event and also be aware that even if you cannot attend the live webinar sessions, if you have registered, they will be made available to you to view later. 

The 2020 Summit brings together leaders in junior golf development to discuss the pillars of performance along the competitive pathway, centered around this year's theme of “Resilience and Adaptability.”

The 2020 BC Junior Golf Education Summit is an amazing opportunity for competitive juniors of all ages and ability to come together to learn from some of the best coaches in Canada on how to succeed along the path to becoming the best possible golfer you can be. There has never been an online event that has brought together such a qualified group of presenters who are truly passionate about golf. 

Click here to Register   All Webinars are free of charge!

Via Press Release

Federal Way, Wash. – Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. will be the host site of the 2021 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. The venerable club had been set to host the 2020 championship this July, but when this year’s event was canceled due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the club’s board of directors, management, professional staff and committee readily agreed to carry over as the host venue for next year.

The 54th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, with the host association being British Columbia Golf, will be held July 19-23, 2021. This will be the second time Royal Colwood will have hosted the championship, with it previously being held there in 2008.

Due to the COVID - 19 pandemic and the Ministry of Health's safety regulations, B.C. Golf has determined that it would not be in the best interests of our staff, volunteers or players to hold the B.C. Senior Women's Championship. The Senior Women's was scheduled to be played at Talking Rock in Chase from June 9th to 11th.

The B.C. Women's Senior started in 1975 and has a long list of very deserving champions, this will be the first time since then that it has not been contested. We look forward to bringing this championship back in 2021.

This is not an easy decision to make and we thank Talking Rock Golf Resort who were excited to hold this championship. We have not made any decisions on our other Championships for the 2020 season at this time, and will give at least 4 weeks of notice for each event as to whether it goes ahead or not. We all hope to get back on the golf course as soon as it is safe to do so. 

*This article was last updated on May 4, 2020.

Courtesy Golf Canada

Our partners at the Provincial Golf Associations are working incredibly hard to understand the impact of COVID-19 on golf in each province.

They will continue to seek clarity from municipal and provincial government and health authorities to help our member clubs and golfers navigate through this crisis.

Below are summaries and links for each respective provincial golf association.

During this time of uncertainty and disruption to our regular routines both at home and in the community, we'd like to make this space available for readers to access the many golf tips on line that can be done away from the golf course or driving range, so either at home or in the back yard. 

We'll search for informative and hopefully entertaining articles and share the links with you in this section. Check back regularly to see what's been newly posted to help get you ready for when we head back out to the golf course.

Announcement: Cancellation Of 2020 British Columbia Golf Mid-Amateur Competition

Due to the COVID - 19 pandemic and the Ministry of Health's safety regulations, B.C. Golf has determined that it would not be in the best interests of our staff, volunteers or players to hold the B.C. Mid-Amateur.

The Mid-Amateur was scheduled to be played at Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria from May 26th-28th.

The B.C. Men's Mid-Am started in 1986 and the Women's started in 2006, this will be the first time since then that they have not been contested. We look forward to bringing this championship back in 2021.

This is not an easy decision to make and we thank Gorge Vale Golf Club who were excited to hold this championship.

We have not made any decisions on our other Championships for the 2020 season at this time, and will give at least 4 weeks of notice for each event as to whether it goes ahead or not.

We all hope to get back on the golf course as soon as it is safe to do so.

British Columbia Golf is pleased to announce a partnership with the LPGA Amateur Golf Association. British Columbia will have 3 distinct 'Chapters', each with membership opportunities for those residing throughout the province and offering some outstanding benefits.

For Release April 20, 2020

On March 26, 2020, the BC Government issued the following:

“The Provincial Health Officer has ordered some types of businesses to close. Any business or service that has not been ordered to close and is also not identified on the essential service list may stay open if they can adapt their services and workplace to the orders and recommendations of the PHO.”

With over 300 golf courses in all areas of the province, it is critical that all golf operations in British Columbia immediately align with COVID-19 orders, direction and safety protocols mandated by the Provincial Health Office (PHO) and regional health authorities.

Where governments have not mandated the temporary closure of golf courses, such as in BC, golf operators choosing to open must take every health and safety precaution for their team members and customers.

Please click HERE to view Allied Golf Association (AGA) Best Practices Manual For BC Golf Courses.

TO: All Member Clubs; All Member Club’s Handicap Committees

Posting of Scores during COVID-19 Lockdowns

The information below provides guidance in response to questions received from golf course owners, administrators, tournament organizers and golfers. It is not the intended purpose of the below guidance to either encourage or discourage anyone from playing the game, but rather, in our role as administrators, to help golf course operators, committees and golfers better understand how the Rules of Golf and Rules of Handicapping apply to the various questions we have received.

Contest Created by BC Golf Staffers Elizabeth Dunn & Tyler McKay

Attention Junior Golfers! British Columbia Golf would like to challenge you to get creative, have some fun, and show off your skills in the form of a trick shot contest!

Contest Description:

Take a video of your trick shot, post the video on YouTube and send us the link. Sort of like this one:

We will post all the videos on our website for people to have a look and everyone who submits a trick shot will get a shout out on British Columbia Golf’s Instagram page!

Our judges will be the readers of our digital newsletter and they will be judging the contest on one thing and one thing only: creativity. The top three most creative trick shots will receive a prize when the contest is over at the end of May.

Get creative, have fun, and good luck!!!

British Columbia Golf would like to wish a Happy Passover (Pesach) to all of BC's Jewish Community beginning with sunset April 8th until Thursday, April 16th. “Chag Pesach Samech.”

Passover or Pesach is a major Jewish holiday and one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays. Together with Shavuot and Sukkot, Passover was one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals during which the entire population of the kingdom of Judah made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. 

Following the recently completed Annual General Meeting, British Columbia Golf would like to welcome the three newest members of their Board.

Now on 'Board' as directors are Shayain Gustavsp, Joe Higgins and Michael Cook. Each brings with them a unique set of skills and experience that will only add to the quality of the existing Board Members. Below you'll find short bios of each of the new directors.

Click HERE or below to see a video of the AGM as presented online following social distancing protocol.

 World Handicap System Online Training Seminar

On behalf of British Columbia Golf, thank you for your interest in the World Handicap System!

The following four-part Online Training Seminar is being provided to help educate and authorize golf clubs in British Columbia to administer the World Handicap System. However, individuals are also permitted to view this content for their own knowledge.

Courtesy Golf Canada

With heightened uncertainty and global concern related to COVID-19, Golf Canada continues to evaluate all aspects of our business to operate and make informed and responsible decisions within the best interests of our athletes, staff, volunteers, host clubs, partners and other stakeholders health and well-being.

Today (March 30, 2020), Golf Canada is announcing its decision to cancel or postpone the events listed below.