RICHMOND, B.C. – British Columbia Golf has announced the election of Patrick Kelly as the association’s new President. Kelly assumes the role from now immediate past president David Atkinson, who has held the position since 2013.

Patrick, who operates a consulting business, is a member of the Leq:amel First Nation (Sto:lo Nation.) and was elected their Treaty Representative for treaty negotiations, a role he held from 1998 to 2001. He has had a number of high level positions including a five-year term as Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of BC.

The Attorney General for British Columbia appointed Patrick as a Bencher for the Law Society of BC, to represent the public interest in the administration of justice and in December 2010, he was appointed as Governor of the Law Foundation of BC.

A member of the UVic Gustavson School of Business International Advisory Board and the UBC Sauder School of Business Ch’nook Indigenous Business Advisory Board, Patrick also serves on the Board of Directors of the Victoria Foundation.

In addition, he has been the Vice President, National Services, CESO; BC Director, Strategic Planning and Communications, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Manager, Cultural Relations and Corporate Training in BC Hydro’s Aboriginal Relations Department as well as having the role of Executive Director of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

Joining Patrick as Directors on the Board are Victoria’s Barry Petrachenko, Vancouver’s Michelle Collens, Summerland’s Edwin Helgason, Fort St. John’s Jim McKinnon, Sechelt’s Helen Steeves, who was elected as Secretary, Duncan’s Grace Hui, Helen Jung from Maple Ridge, Fairmont Hot Springs’ Wilda Schab, Surrey’s Jasvinder (Jolly) Dhaliwal, and Adam Fritz from Vancouver. Immediate Past President David Atkinson of Vancouver rounds out the 12-person Board.

British Columbia Golf – a member-based organization governed by the British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA) – represents more than 57,000 individual golfers, in over 300 clubs at 261 member courses. As the governing body for golf in the province, British Columbia Golf acts as the voice for provincial golf affairs and functions as a resource centre for the golf industry. Through its affiliation with Golf Canada, the association is also involved in national golf affairs. British Columbia Golf as it exists today was formally established on October 1, 2004, following the amalgamation of the British Columbia Ladies Golf Association Golf Association (BCLGA) and the British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA).

No more pencils, no more books…it’s time to give golf a look.

At least, that’s according to longtime educators Jim King, of Nova Scotia, and Patti Christensen, of Alberta. For them, golf is a lifelong passion, almost equal to that of their desire to educate young people. And with the Golf in Schools program, both have been able to bring that personal passion into the classroom — all while following a curriculum that delivers on a number of educational benchmarks.

“I found it connected very well with a lot of the curriculum outcomes, especially in terms of the healthy active living outcomes,” says King, who is now a staff officer with the Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union. He was the principal at Atlantic View Elementary School for the past five years.

“I didn’t feel like I was implementing anything extra for the students; I felt like it was contributing to the students’ overall academic and physical literacy success,” he continues.

The Golf in Schools program, created by Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada, has been evolving since its inception, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the focus on the student. More often than not, the young people who become involved with Golf in Schools are students who may not have had the opportunity to try golf before.

“I’m in a school where the kids may not have been exposed to golf, and I was lucky to have the parent council purchase two kits for me,” explains Christensen, the principal at Kensington Elementary School just outside Edmonton. Christensen has been a principal at Edmonton-area schools for the past 13 years and involved with Golf in Schools since 2009.

However, she has played the game nearly her whole life.

“I think the most important thing for me is that I wanted to give back to a game that has given me so much,” she explains. “My parents taught me how to golf, and I wanted to share the love of something I had with the students.”

To increase awareness for the program, Graham DeLaet was named an ambassador for Golf in Schools in mid-2015. In a press release at the time, DeLaet said that he felt it was “important to introduce golf in schools so that kids can start learning the sport early, seeing more kids with clubs in their hands, and ultimately growing the game of golf.”

King adds that he is seeing examples of that first-hand with students.

“For some, the image of golf was that it wasn’t very exciting, but this (the Golf in Schools program) completely changed their perspective,” he says.

Especially for the younger students — who get to use modified equipment — because the program is another way to introduce them, at an early age, to a sport that is gender inclusive, promotes a healthy active lifestyle, and is one they can play for life.

“The nice thing about the program is that it’s safe for the kids,” states Christensen. “The equipment is safe, the balls are big and easier to hit for the younger kids. It can be set up to be successful pretty quickly.”

For King, he was able to set up some Golf in Schools activities for all students during end-of-year field days, so even then the students outside the Golf in Schools group were able to have some fun with the equipment.

“We had stations where everybody could use the equipment and try it for themselves,” he says. “We wanted to raise awareness of golf as a lifelong sport and a great way to enjoy the fresh air.”

Away from the schoolyard or gymnasium, Golf in Schools has a component where organizers can partner with a local golf course and its head professional for continual learning.

Christensen says she is going to have some of her students volunteer at a charity golf tournament this year, and is hopeful she will secure students a couple of memberships at that club.

Meanwhile, King has brought groups of students to learn from the staff at the Links at Montague in Dartmouth, N.S., for the past two years.

“Some of the young people went on to do their summertime clinics, and others joined golf courses,” King proudly states. “The reactions and the enthusiasm from when the students were involved in the program was always very rewarding.”

Because the program aligns with governmentally assigned teaching objectives, it’s easy to pick a curriculum that fits with a teacher’s existing lesson plan. But for Christensen, she says the non-golf parts of Golf in Schools are just as important.

“Incorporating life skills into the program is very important for me. That’s going to be highlighted very strongly,” she states.

But of course, the program is about having fun as well.

As King says, “The program has grown to the point where now students will ask in September, when they come back from summer vacation, ‘When are we going to do Golf in Schools?’”

Golf in Schools

Divided into different programs by age groups, the Golf in Schools program has been implemented at close to 2,800 schools and involved more than 306,000 students. It is the single-most concentrated opportunity to get kids of all backgrounds and demographics introduced to the sport.

What’s it all about?

For teachers, the Golf in Schools program comes with instructional manuals not unlike other curriculum documents. Teachers can easily assess students’ physical proficiency with a variety of fundamental movement skills. Golf in Schools now integrates a ‘Life Skills’ component to each lesson plan, which are selected for their relevance to golf.

What life skills are learned?

The life skills component, developed through a partnership with the University of Ottawa, emphasizes core values — perseverance, focus, goal setting, emotional regulation, honesty, teamwork, respect and sportspersonship — which are transferable on and off the golf course.

Where do students go next?

If students are showing an interest in the sport, Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada and provincial golf associations are proud to run CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program. Parents can find junior-friendly clubs in their community that offer free clinics geared to young golfers.

More information can be found at golfinschools.golfcanada.ca

Best in class This article was originally published in the April 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

A joint initiative between Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the Provincial Golf Associations, National Junior Golf Development Centres (NJGDC) are recognized as facilities that deliver premium, engaging environments for junior golfers aged 6–18.

To receive the shield, along with the added benefits and promotional perks, facilities are required to meet a set list of minimum standards.

New in 2016, each facility must staff at least one PGA of Canada coach that is certified within the Coach of New Competitor or Developing Competitor context of the National Coaching Certification Plan (NCCP).  For Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, the decision comes at an important time for the initiative and for junior golf altogether.

“NJGDCs were created to showcase facilities that demonstrate the drive to deliver Long-Term Player Development compliant programming through expert PGA of Canada coaching,” he said. “We started with requiring a trained coach but as the initiative evolved, we enhanced the standards to include certified coaches leading the programming”.

Thompson went on to elaborate that the emphasis of the initiative lies primarily with programming and coaching over all else.

“This initiative is aimed at highlighting those committed to providing playground to podium programming that can accommodate juniors of all abilities and desires.  From those picking up a club for the first time through to those who are more serious about pursuing competitive golf—NJGDCs are structured to support a player’s full development.”

All NJGDCs are leaders in delivering Long-Term Player Development compliant programming, including CN Future Links, Learn to Compete and ongoing relationships with Golf in Schools sites.

Looking to find a NJGDC in your area? Visit the Golf Canada Juniors website.

The R&A is demonstrating its support for nine hole golf as an ideal way to play golf in less time whilst still doing so competitively and for handicap purposes by introducing a new championship at Royal Troon this summer.

The inaugural event for amateurs will be played Saturday, July 9th at Royal Troon, giving players the opportunity to play nine holes at the historic Ayrshire links on the eve of The 145TH Open.

In 2017, the event will be expanded to cover golf clubs in Great Britain and Ireland with players being given the opportunity to qualify at nine hole events held by The R&A’s affiliated national associations in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Padraig Harrington, two-time Champion Golfer of the Year and R&A Working for Golf Ambassador, welcomed the initiative.

“People who want to play golf are increasingly struggling to find the time to play and so positioning nine hole golf as a legitimate alternative makes a lot of sense,” he said. “I’m really pleased to see The R&A taking the lead in this area.

“For regular amateur golfers to be able to play The Open venue in championship condition immediately before the best players in the world is a fantastic initiative and I’m sure this new competitive format will encourage more people to get out on the golf course and play nine hole golf.”

The R&A’s extensive survey on pace of play and the subsequent Time for Golf conference in St Andrews last November highlighted the challenges many people face in finding time to play 18 holes, with 60% of the golfers surveyed expressing the view that they would enjoy golf more if it took less time.

The survey also revealed that among 25-44 year-olds who are unhappy with the pace of play, 21% would like to see the playing time reduced by as much as one-and-a-half hours, while 19% said they would welcome the opportunity to play nine holes more often as an alternative format.

“One of the messages that came through clearly from the survey and the Time for Golf conference is that people would play more golf if they could do so in significantly less time,” said Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A. “Nine hole golf is not new but we feel it is often overlooked as a perfectly valid way to play the sport either with your family and friends or competitively.

“We are delighted to introduce a nine hole championship and will be promoting this format as a way of playing golf in less time which can have wider appeal among people who lead increasingly busy lives today. We are very much looking forward to working with the national associations to promote nine hole golf and we hope to see more events being played throughout Great Britain and Ireland to cater for this important audience.”

This year’s event will see 30 golfers playing a nine hole championship at Royal Troon. Two players will qualify from events held at each of the 13 Regional Qualifying venues for The Open throughout Great Britain and Ireland with host venues Royal Troon Golf Club and The Ladies’ Golf Club, Troon each providing two players. The handicap event will be open to men, women, boys and girls who are members of the clubs taking part.

Introduced in 2016, the Learn to Compete program incorporates in-depth industry research into a three-stage development program for juniors aged 11–18. Launched in conjunction with the PGA of Canada, Learn to Compete bridges the gap between CN Future Links Learn to Play initiatives and pursuing competitive golf opportunities.

The seven core modules are carefully integrated into the benchmarks of all three stages: New Competitor (11–14), Developing Competitor (14–16) and Advanced Competitor (16–18). The stages are structured to be delivered year-round, where it may take the athlete 18–36 months to complete depending on development and ability.

Brooke Henderson, Canada’s top-ranked LPGA athlete (No.7), tees up the program’s seven core modules and how they contribute to success both on and off the golf course.

Learn to Compete is delivered by PGA of Canada teaching professionals trained under the Coach of New Competitor or Coach of Developing Competitor context.

Looking to register for Learn to Compete? Click here.

For more information on the program or to register off-line, please contact Dave Stockton at dstockton@golfcanada.ca or 1.800.263.0009 x333.

NINETY-SIX, S.C. – Austin James’ sterling junior season was missing one thing. A win. Tuesday, the Bath, Ont., native put the finishing touch on an impressive season, taking medalist honors at the 2016 Big South Men’s Golf Championship presented by Musco Lighting.

The Charleston Southern junior ran away from the field with a 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s final round to win by five strokes. His 11-under par was one stroke shy of the Big South Championship record, held by Dustin Johnson. James had four birdies on the front nine and was a consistent 1-under on the back with a birdie and eight pars.

Austin James – the younger brother of Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James – trailed by one after the opening round and led by three heading into Tuesday. CSU Head Coach Mike Wilson was glad to see James get the win he deserves after eight Top 10 finishes this season.

“Austin was just solid from the first tee on,” Wilson said. “To have three rounds in the 60’s is pretty impressive here. He hadn’t had a win. He had been really close. To come in today with a three-shot lead and never really get threatened is quite an accomplishment.”

James had a stretch of four birdies in five holes on the front nine to all but put the tournament out of reach, becoming the second Buc in as many years to earn medalist honors. Then-freshman R.J. Keur won the tournament last season.

The Buccaneers (+4) finished third overall, behind champion Liberty and Campbell (+1). The Flames finished at 11-under par to win by 12 strokes. Wilson was disappointed with the team finish, but thought the Bucs let one get away just after the turn.

The Bucs now await their NCAA fate. CSU expects to be into the tournament field for a second straight season. The selection show is May 5. CSU entered the week ranked No. 55 nationally and will likely remain in the Top 60, which has been a good spot historically to receive a bid.

NCAA Regionals are May 15-18 at various sites. The selection show is May 5 at 11 a.m. on the Golf Channel.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The stage has been set for the world’s best female junior golfers to put their skills on display at the third annual World Junior Girls Championship.  Mississaugua Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., will play host to the tournament from September 25-30 as the world’s premier 18-and-under players gather to compete in both team and individual competition.

“We are thrilled to announce Mississaugua Golf & Country Club as the host of this year’s World Junior Girls Championship. The tournament is a great opportunity for Golf Canada to showcase another of the nation’s tremendous courses and to further the development and skill of this talented group of young women,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna.

Mississaugua Golf & Country Club boasts more than a century of rich history, having played host to a number of the country’s most prestigious championships. The course exemplifies the challenge and craftsmanship of renowned architect Stanley Thompson, who was instrumental in designing Mississaugua’s last round of major modifications in 1928. Stretching out over the Credit River, the 240-acre course has welcomed the RBC Canadian Open on six occasions – most recently in 1974.

Conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario and supported by the International Golf Federation and the R&A, the 2016 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship will bring together 48 of the top 18-and-under female golfers from around the globe with 15 different countries slated to participate. As hosts of the event, Canada will feature two three-member teams in the competition.

“We could not be more excited to once again bring the World Junior Girls Championship to Ontario,” said Mike Kelly, Executive Director of Golf Ontario. “Mississaugua Golf & Country Club is an exceptional venue that will serve as a fantastic backdrop for this competition. We greatly appreciate the support of our generous sponsors and partners without whom this championship would not be possible. We look forward to seeing the Mississauga golfing community rally around this wonderful event.”

The inaugural World Junior Girls Championship in 2014 saw teams from across the globe take on Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif., captured individual honours in leading Team USA to victory. Playing in her final event as an amateur, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished fourth as Canada One claimed bronze.

The second edition of the tournament was staged at Ottawa’s The Marshes Golf Club. The team representing the Republic of Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory to secure the team title. Hye-jin Choi, a native of Paju-si, South Korea, registered a seven-stroke victory with a 12-under performance.

In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will be a celebration of the sport with a specific focus on the development and promotion of junior girls golf. In the days leading up to tournament play, Golf Canada will host a PGA of Canada coaches clinic and a girls skill development clinic.

“This world-class competition provides us with the opportunity to foster the continued growth and collaboration between the world’s governing bodies in the sport,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “We are proud to once again conduct this championship in support of these fine athletes and to aid in raising the profile of junior girls golf.”

The competition’s first round will begin on Tuesday, September 27. The tournament’s closing ceremonies will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Friday, September 30.

Richmond Hill, Ont. – The CJGA held its annual Board of Directors meeting last week at the associations National Head Office in Richmond Hill, Ont.

As members of the board gathered for the meeting, one significant individual was missing, Larry Ungerman. A co-founder of the CJGA with Earl Fritz, Larry passed away suddenly in his Florida home on March 27, 2016. A slide show tribute to Larry opened the meeting followed by individual stories of fond memories and the impact Larry had on the many lives he touched.

On another note, the CJGA Board of Directors gladly welcomed a new face in Grant Fraser.  Fraser is the founder of the Golf Management Institute of Canada (GMIC). Prior to launching the GMIC in 1999, he established the first professional golf management program (PGM) in Ontario at Humber College. Three years after starting the program, he received Humber College’s Innovator of the Year Award.  In 2000, Grant was involved in establishing another PGM program in Ontario at Niagara College where he serves as program coordinator and continues to teach aspiring golf professionals the “business of golf”.

“I am pleased to join the board of the CJGA and look forward to working with Earl Fritz, Brad Parkins and the rest of the CJGA team to further develop junior golf opportunities and initiatives across Canada” said Fraser. “The CJGA has helped so many junior golfers across the country for over 20 years and I’m excited to help in growing the game with them.”

Fraser has authored two books; “50 of Ontario’s Greatest Public Golf Courses” and “Golf Access”.

He is also a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), the Golf Writer’s Association of America (GWAA) and the Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC), where he currently serves as President.

NAPLES, Fla. – Team Canada’s Tony Gil added another trophy to the shelf on Sunday, rallying to win the Terra Cotta Invitational hosted at the Naples National Golf Club.

The University of Houston commit began the day two strokes off the pace set by leaders Andy Zhang of Reunion, Fla. and Andrew McCain of Jacksonville, Fla. Gil found himself still two strokes back on the 16^th hole, until both Zhang and McCain bogeyed two of their final three holes to leave the door open. Gil jumped on the opportunity, birdying the par-5 18^th to seal the come-from-behind victory. He closed the tournament at 2-under par (72-71-71), with Zhang finishing alone in second at 1-under (71-70-74).

Former Team Canada member Matt Williams of Calgary also made his mark in Naples, cracking the Top-10 with a T9 finish at 7-over par. Alistair Tidcombe of Wolfville, N.S., came in at T33 and Team Canada’s Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., struggled to end at T62.

The Terra Cotta Invitational is a “B” ranked event on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), featuring many of the world’s top amateurs and boasting past champions such as Bud Cauley and Matt Kuchar.

Click here for full scoring.

Tony Gil with the birdie on 18 to take the lead at @terra totaling pic.twitter.com/rlO6CyK0wJ

— Greg Hardwig (@NDN_GHardwig) April 17, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Team Canada Amateur Squad member Josée Doyon carded a final-round 76 on Sunday to share runner-up honours at the Lady Buckeye Invitational.

Doyon, the reigning Quebec Women’s Amateur champion, closed the tournament at 2-under par (70-68-76) to collect her third Top-5 collegiate result this season. The St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., product held the lead through 36 holes but a 4-over par effort on Sunday at the Scarlet Course spoiled her bid to repeat as medalist. Champion Camille Chevalier (Indiana University) of France was the one who stole the show, shooting up the leaderboard with a closing 68 (-4) for the one-stroke victory.

The Kent State senior, led the Golden Flashes to a five-stroke cushion for the repeat team victory. The win marks the fifth title this season for the women’s squad, who will lay it all on the line next week at the Mid-American Conference Championship from Apr. 22–25.

Click here for full scoring.