The Western Canadian Golf Champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Women’s golf team (47 points) are ranked No. 1 in the Golf Coaches Association of Canada (GCAC)-Golf Canada Annual Fall Top-10 Coaches Poll. The RSEQ Champion Montréal Carabins finished a close second (45 points), while the OUA Champion Toronto Varsity Blues and Victoria Vikes tied for third place (47 points). The Waterloo Warriors claimed fifth place (28 points) and the Humber Hawks (27 points) completed the top-six.

The Laval Rouge et Or (20 points) placed in seventh overall, followed by the Queen’s Golden Gaels (13 points).  The UBCO Heat came in ninth place (16 points), and the Alberta Pandas (8 points) round out the Top-10. The Western Ontario Mustangs and Lethbridge Pronghorns also received votes in the women’s rankings.

On the men’s side, the Western Canadian Golf Champion University of Victoria Vikes Men’s golf team (49 points) are ranked as the top University/College golf team in Canada based on the vote conducted by the GCAC on December 4.  The British Columbia Thunderbirds (39 points) are ranked second, while the OUA Champion Waterloo Warriors (38 points) complete the top-three.

The RSEQ Champion Laval Rouge et Or (36 points) claimed fourth place in the poll and the CCAA champion Camosun Chargers ranked fifth (34 points). The University of Toronto Varsity Blues (22 points) took sixth while the Alberta Golden Bears and Fraser Valley Cascades were knotted at No. 7.  The Niagara College Knights and the Concordia Stingers (12 points apiece) rounded-out the Top-10 in a tie for ninth, following play in the fall portion of the season.

The Manitoba Bisons, Laurier Golden Hawks and UBCO Heat also received votes in the men’s rankings.

The 2016 University/College Golf Championship will be hosted in conjunction with the University of Victoria and will run May 30 to June 3 at Morningstar Golf Course in Parksville, B.C.

2015 Women’s University-College Fall Rankings

2015 Men’s University-College Fall Rankings

Cher ami golfeur,

En cette fin de la saison de golf 2015, je vous remercie de votre soutien et de votre appui du golf canadien comme membre de Golf Canada et de Golf Newfoundland Labrador.

Vos cotisations servent à appuyer des programmes comme :

• Golf en milieu scolaire – 2 795 écoles du Canada (programme élémentaire : 2 501 écoles; programme intermédiaire : 12 écoles; programme secondaire : 282 écoles)
• Premiers élans CN – le programme national de golf junior : 518 clubs participants au Canada
• Vert la guérison – 145 sites participants au Canada
• Compétitions de golf nationales, provinciales et régionales
• Évaluation de parcours et indice Slope; séminaires sur les règles et le handicap; formation et certification des entraîneurs.

Pour vous tenir au courant des nombreux programmes et services destinés aux clubs membres et aux membres individuels, je suis heureux de vous faire part des statistiques suivantes qui mettent en relief l’engagement des golfeurs membres :

• Golfcanada.ca, le site Web no 1 du golf au Canada, a eu plus de 6,7 millions de visites cette année;
• Plus de 7 millions de scores ont été inscrits au Centre de scores Golf Canada par des membres de Golf Canada.

Golf Canada s’est engagé à investir dans la croissance et la santé du golf. Comme toujours, ce fut un plaisir de collaborer avec nos associations provinciales pour exécuter les programmes destinés à la base qui ont attiré les athlètes d’élite et les adeptes du golf récréatif d’un bout à l’autre du Canada.

Nous sommes convaincus que votre appui par le truchement des cotisations d’adhésion contribuent à créer une nouvelle génération de golfeurs qui à leur tour assureront la vitalité du golf.

Je vous souhaite un hiver à l’enseigne de la santé et de la sécurité. Au plaisir de célébrer avec vous une autre merveilleuse saison de golf en 2016.

Salutations cordiales,

Scott Simmons
Directeur exécutif et chef de la direction
Golf Canada

The Golf Association of Ontario is pleased to welcome the three new members who will be inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony tentatively set to take place on May 4, 2016 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge. Dave Mills, John Gordon, and Patty Howard will become the 73rd, 74th and 75th members of the Hall. In addition, Bill ‘Skip’ Johns will be receiving the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to accredited members of the Ontario media for “major contributions to golf.”

The Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of extraordinary contributions and accomplishments in the game of golf in Ontario. Founded in 2000 by the Ontario Golf Association and the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association, the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is housed at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.

2016 ONTARIO GOLF HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Dave Mills

Dave Mills has been involved with the GAO/OGA since 1986. He served on the board of directors from 1989-1997, before being appointed Executive Director in 1997. He turned around an association that was experiencing significant financial and administrative challenges.

Mills led several initiatives during his time as Executive Director including: the GAO Scholarship Program, educational seminars, Golf in Schools, learn to play clinics, new provincial championships, Team Ontario, participation in Canadian and Ontario Summer Games, a partnership with Ontario Golf Magazine to be official magazine of Association, led the process to establish Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and helped to have golf recognized as an “Official Sport” by Sport Canada. Perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments was leading the process to amalgamate the Ontario Golf Association with the Ontario Ladies Golf Association to create one of the largest amateur golf Associations in North America.

Mills is also a certified rules official and has volunteered his expertise at numerous GAO events and at the Canadian Open, Canadian Amateur and Telus Skins Game. He retired from the GAO in 2014, but continues to volunteer at provincial events.

John Gordon

John Gordon left the Canadian Press to become managing editor of SCOREGolf in 1986 and has been involved in the golf industry ever since. Recruited by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) in 1990, he initiated their communications and member services departments and was the founding editor of the Golf Canada Magazine. After a stint as executive director of the Golf Association of Ontario, he founded The Gordon Group, specializing in communications and consulting for the golf industry, in 1994. He has contributed to the National Post and Toronto Sun and appeared on multiple television stations as a golf analyst. He has also provided Rogers Sportsnet with online material and served as an associate editor of the Sportsnet Magazine.

Gordon is a past chairman of the NGCOA Canada and has conducted golf-related seminars and presentations across Canada, the U.S., and Scotland. Gordon was a founding board member of the Professional Golf Management program at Georgian College, where he also taught. In 2008, he was hired by ClubLink to build an in-house communications department, re-launch their member magazine and build out more than 50 web sites.

Gordon has written hundreds of articles for golf consumer and trade publications and is the author of eight golf books. John recently has returned to freelance golf writing.

Patty Howard

Patty Howard achieved success as professional golfer and as a teacher. She notched three provincial championships: 1988 Ontario Ladies Professional Championship, 1988 Ontario Ladies Summer Championship and the 1991 Ladies Professional Summer Championship. She also captured a pair of wins on the Florida Mini Tour (now Symetra Tour).

Howard’s impact on the game stretched past her playing career. She was the first female head professional at a private mixed club in Canada. She originally joined the PGA of Canada in 1975 and received Class A status in 1981. She was the first female to sit on the PGA of Ontario Board of Directors.

Howard has been recognized on numerous occasions for her work in the game. Honours she has received include: 2001 YWCA London Women of Excellence Award for Sport, Fitness and Recreation, 2007 Ontario Club Professional of the Year, 2007 Canadian Club Professional of the Year, 2007 Score Golf Club Professional of the Year, 2008 London Sports Person of the Year, 2009 London Sports Hall of Fame Induction, and 2013 London Heart Award.

Bill ‘Skip’ Johns – Lorne Rubenstein Award

Skip Johns began a career in journalism at the Niagara Falls Review in 1957. In 1972 he moved on to the Kitchener-Waterloo Record to continue his top priority: Sports Journalism. Throughout his 58-years in sports journalism, Johns always had a passion for golf. His work also included writing for Ontario Golf News and Golf Scene. Even now at 77-years-old, Johns continues to cover golf online. In 2002, John was honoured, where he started, as he was inducted into the Niagara Falls Virtual Wall of Fame.

The 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament will take place at four separate sites next spring, with fields of 132 players maximum competing for status.

The four 72-hole, no-cut Qualifying Tournaments will take place at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Resort in Orlando, Fla. March 21-25, PGA Village’s Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida from March 28 to April 1, Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee, California from April 25-29 and Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia from May 2-6.

Players will have an opportunity to qualify at one of the four sites, with official details on the number of cards and available status to be announced at a later date.

“Over the past three seasons, we’ve had a great deal of interest from players in qualifying to play on the Mackenzie Tour, and we felt it was important to add a fourth site to give as many players as possible an opportunity to qualify,” said Mackenze Tour President Jeff Monday. “Our goal is to provide opportunities for the best players available to earn access to the Web.com Tour, and we look forward to seeing the next generation of players to make the first step on the path to the PGA TOUR.”

Reunion’s Nicklaus Course, which hosted Mackenzie Tour qualifying in 2014, returns as one of two Florida sites along with PGA Village’s Wanamaker Course, which has previously played host to PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Q-School as well as the PGA of Canada Assistants’ Championship.

Carlton Oaks, also a previous host to PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Q-School, will host Mackenzie Tour qualifying for the first time, while the spring’s final Qualifying Tournament will return to Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia, which was recently announced as a host of Mackenzie Tour Qualifying through 2020.

The application to enter Mackenzie Tour qualifying will be open to the public live at PGATOUR.COM/MackenzieTour on January 21, 2016. Entry fees will once again be $2,750 USD.

The full 2016 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced in early 2016.

Support the PGA of Canada Foundation this holiday season by purchasing a 2016 Inspired Golf Calendar.

All proceeds from calendar sales go towards scholarships and charitable donations through the foundation.

The calendar features images from some of the country’s most iconic venues, including Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs, Shaughnessy, Banff Springs, Highlands Links, Victoria and Jasper Park Lodge.

The calendars are now available for purchase at inspiredgolf2016.com at a cost of $20 apiece plus taxes, shipping and handling.

Orders are currently shipping, making it a perfect holiday season gift idea.

2016 Inspired Golf calendar – back cover

Golf Canada’s Level 4 rules of golf seminars consists of a combination of classroom theory and interactive sessions furthering your understanding of the practical application of tournament officiating. In order to take full advantage of the curriculum, participants are expected to have a good understanding of the Rules of Golf and must be level 3 certified.

To see if you qualify and to learn more about our level 4 Rules of Golf Seminars, click here.

Registration is now open.  Click here to register.

2016 Golf Canada Level 4 Rules of Golf Seminars:

Level 4 is the pinnacle of our Rules Education Pathway (national certification) and we encourage everyone passionate about golf to gain some level of Rules knowledge.

Our Rules Education Program is designed for anyone wishing to learn the Rules of Golf including recreational golfers, competitive golfers, professionals and rules officials. Whether you have an interest in learning the basics to further your enjoyment of the game or you are setting your sights on national certification, Golf Canada’s four-level program is tailored to suit everyone’s goals.

Provincial associations conduct the Level 3 seminars (Provincial Certification). For more information on level 3 seminars in your area, visit the provincial links by clicking here.

And, if you want to get your Rules Education started with our online rules education program, click here.

Click here to view the Rules Education Pathway (PDF), a document which shows how you can progress from a rules beginner to officiating highly competitive golf events.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Team Canada member Eric Banks finally ran out of steam on Friday, falling in his quarter-final match at the Argentine Amateur by 2 holes.

Banks, a Truro, N.S., native, fell at the hands of 13^th seeded Luca Cianchetti of Italy at the Tortugas Country Club in the 120^th running of the event. He exits competition as the 5^th seed, earned by his runner-up finish in the two qualifying stroke-play rounds.

The 23-year-old had an impressive couple weeks in Argentina, which also included placing runner-up in stroke-play at the Tailhade Cup en route to winning the team event.

Click here for full scoring.

TORONTO – The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) and Freedom 55 Financial have awarded the inaugural Freedom 55 Financial GJAC Journalism Scholarship to Kelly Hobson, a Masters of Journalism Candidate at Carleton University.

Hobson, who holds an undergraduate degree from Western University, and has interned at the Edmonton Journal, impressed the four-judge panel with her writing prowess and multimedia skills. “Kelly’s writing was a notch above all the other candidates,” said Jason Logan, editor of SCOREGolf Magazine and GJAC scholarship coordinator, noting she also submitted an outstanding radio feature. “She’s an excellent example of the great journalists Canada’s schools continue to produce.”

Hobson was ecstatic to receive the news. She receives $2,000 from Freedom 55 Financial for her efforts.

“It’s an honour to present Kelly with this bursary,” said Mike Cunneen, Senior Vice-President, Freedom 55 Financial. “We believe in supporting Canadians in achieving their goals and dreams today and tomorrow. This bursary will hopefully help Kelly as she continues to pursue her goals.”

“This bursary gives me not only the means to pursue some of the sports stories I want to tell, but also the confidence in my abilities as a sports journalist,” Hobson said. “Incurring costs as a freelancer is par for the course, but with shrinking newsroom budgets, every piece is now a risk with slimmer chance of reward. I’m indebted to the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.”

Hobson was also invited to attend GJAC’s annual Writing & Photography Awards ceremony and dinner this coming July at the historic Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Established in 2006, part of GJAC’s mandate is to promote golf journalism in Canada and recognize excellence in Canadian golf journalism. The focus of this scholarship was to encourage excellence in sports writing by student journalists across the country.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – National Amateur Squad member Eric Banks has continued his hot play of late, advancing to the Argentine Amateur quarter-finals on Thursday at the Tortugas Country Club.

Banks, a University of Florida alumnus, defeated 12^th seed Montenegro Jesus Dario of Argentina, 4&3, to punch his ticket to the quarter-finals. The win also came on the Truro, N.S., native’s 23^rd birthday.

Banks has not taken his foot off the gas since helping Canada win the Tailhade Cup last week in Argentina. He tied for second in the stroke-play qualifying rounds at 4-under before going on to win his first match 6&5.

Banks will look to keep thing rolling against 13^th-seeded Luca Cianchetti of Italy in Friday’s quarter-final match. The semi-final round will also commence Friday, with the 36-hole final set for Saturday.

Tony Gil, the second half of Canada’s winning duo at the Tailhade Cup, slipped in his opening match against Mexico’s Eduar Carrete Serratos, losing in 20 holes. The Vaughan, Ont., product finished T24 in stroke-play qualifying at 2-over par.

Click here for live scoring

BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Danny King capped off his 2015 championship season in memorable fashion, capturing the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada.

With the win, King becomes the first person in association history to win three PGA of Canada national championships in the same calendar year. He previously won this year’s PGA Championship of Canada at Cabot Links and the PGA Team Championship of Canada (with partner Billy Walsh).

The head teaching professional at The Performance Academy at Magna also becomes just the third player to have won three or more PGA Club Professional Championships.

“I’ve been preparing for this moment for the past 12 months,” King admitted after his final round at Verrado Golf Club. “It was a vision of mine to really improve my ranking points and win this championship for the third time was really important to me.”

King’s three-day total of 11-under-par 205 (70-68-67) was two shots better than James Skrypec of The Academy at Deer Ridge. Craig Hocknull and 2014 PGA Championship of Canada winner Dave Levesque finished T3 at 7 under.

“I’ve been working with Bob Panasik for the past little while on my breathing, on my routine and getting into a whole new rhythm,” King said. “It’s really freed me and help me commit to everything from putting to full swings.”

On the final day, King’s commitment translated into seven birdies and two bogeys. His final round 5-under-par 67 tied low round of the day with Skyrpec and Dan Greenwood of Lookout Point G&CC.

Redwood Meadows’ Kevin Black, who lead after Monday’s first round, finished alone in fifth at 4 under, while Ron Kenesky finished sixth at 2 under.

In addition to competing for the overall championship trophy, players in the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn much-coveted ranking points with hopes of moving up on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC. Players who are ranked inside the top 64 following the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn invites into next year’s PGA Championship of Canada at the Victoria Golf Club.

Currently ranked No. 4, King has aspirations of rising to the top of the PGA of Canada Player Rankings pile and cutting his teeth at next year’s RBC Canadian Open.

“To become No. 1 is a real goal of mine,” King said. “I want to play well at Victoria next June, get that top ranking and earn that exemption into the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey.”

King, who turns 48 on Nov. 19th admitted he has another future goal.

“The five year plan is to give it a whack and try and play out on the Champions Tour,” King said. “I’ve been working really hard towards that goal and it’s starting to pay off, so I’ll continue to work at it and once I turn 50 I’ll be flying.”

The Inter-Zone Team Championship, which is comprised of four players per zone (and three scores per team counting), was handed out Tuesday. Team Ontario—Ian Doig, Ron Kenesky, Matt Peavoy and King—captured the title.

Former champions of the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada include Danny King, Adam Chamberlain, Roger Beale, Norm Jarvis, Gar Hamilton, Bob Panasik, Yvan Beauchemin, Graham Gunn, Ken Tarling and Brian Hutton.