PGA of BC

E-NEWS

MAY 8, 2024

We're slashing prices with our largest headwear sale of the year. Get ready for jaw-dropping discounts of 50-60% off on every single hat in our collection! We've got something for everyone with over 175 styles and colours to choose from! With more than 10,000 hats on sale, you're bound to find the perfect one for you or your event.

Enjoy our special offer with a minimum order of just 36 pieces. Plus, we're throwing in free front and side embroidery for those larger orders (72 pieces or more). But hurry, this incredible sale only lasts from May 1st to June 30th! Don't wait until it's too late to snag these amazing deals on your favourite headwear. Shop now and style up for less!

Based in Langley, BC, G&G Brands is a leading Canadian wholesale supplier of lifestyle and sporting goods, specializing in both golf and corporate promotional industries. Since Gord German founded the business in 1991, it has continued to evolve and remains proudly family-owned, with daily operations carried out by Brad and Jessica German. G&G offers over twenty top-quality brands, two national sales forces, and a best-in-class customer service team to support over 1000 active accounts across Canada.

The PGA of BC Office Team advises all members that emails received regarding ISB Global Services’ police background checks are in fact legitimate and part of the new Safe Sport screening requirements as originally outlined by the PGA of Canada in a communication distributed to members on April 26.

The Association acknowledges and apologizes for the multiple emails members may have received from ISB since Friday, May 3. We have been advised by the PGA of Canada that these communications should cease going forward. We note that members are required to have the background checks completed by December 31, 2024 and that police checks are thereafter required every three (3) years.

For further information, or any questions or clarification regarding the police background check requirement, please reach-out to PGA of Canada Managing Director of Membership & Support Services, Darcy Kral, at darcy@pgaofcanada.com.

Since 2005, PGA of BC members have helped raised over $2.5 million dollars benefiting thousands affected by ALS in British Columbia and the Yukon. 

June is ALS awareness month and once again, golf professionals throughout BC will lend their muscles to take part in the 19^th annual Golfathon for ALS presented by Pacific Blue Cross. Every dollar raised directly supports ALS research and provides support to ALS patients and their families.

2023 was a record year and we look forward to another successful campaign. PGA of BC Golf Professionals may also earn points towards the Replay Golf Supplies Trophy Community Engagement Program through their participation.

Taking part is simple - just choose any day in June to conduct a day of golf, and the ALS Society of BC will coordinate the rest. This includes welcome packages, custom online donation webpages, event marketing materials, tax receipting for donors, a multimedia campaign with GlobalTV, and pre/post media outreach to your local community highlighting your efforts.

For more information and to register your facility today, please contact ALS BC Executive Director, Donald Miyazaki at executivedirector@alsbc.ca or 604.278.2257. We thank you in advance for your considerations.

The PGA of BC is thrilled to announce the return of our bursary draw program as part of this year’s Women’s Golf Week initiative. Thanks to the outstanding support of our sponsor for this year’s program, adidas Golf Canada, the Association will be awarding four bursaries in the amount of $750 each to facilities in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Interior, and Kootenays & North regions.

Facilities holding events in celebration of Women’s Golf Week can enter the bursary draw by providing details of their event HERE. The PGA of BC Office Team will conduct a live draw on the Association’s social media platforms at 12:00pm PT on Thursday, May 23. Members are encouraged to tune in and to also reach out to thank adidas Golf Canada for their support.

Women’s Golf Week is an annual initiative running May 28 to June 4, 2024 to engage, empower and support women and girls in golf, leading to a culmination with International Women's Golf Day on June 4. Facilities and professionals are encouraged to register for Women’s Golf Day and support the established network of facilities participating around the globe. Facilities throughout BC will be hosting events to celebrate the women helping drive the BC golf industry forward as professionals and to encourage women’s participation in the sport.

For more information, please contact Business Development Manager, Dan Czerwenka at dan@pgabc.org.

The PGA of BC is proud to announce Replay Golf Supplies as title sponsor of the new Community Engagement Program points race: the Replay Golf Supplies Trophy. The Association is grateful for the support of Replay Golf Supplies and owner Lee Burgham as we debut this exciting new program to recognize those professionals who go above and beyond in their communities.

"The PGA of BC is very appreciative of Lee and Replay Golf Supplies," said Mark Strong, Executive Director of the PGA of BC. "Their support of this new initiative continues Replay's outstanding partnership with the Association, and we feel that the Community Engagement Program will be a great avenue for our members to engage with not only the rest of the industry, but with the golfing public as well."

For more information on the Community Engagement Program, please click here. 

The PGA of BC invites members to attend tomorrow's presentation scheduled as part of our Virtual Education Series. NHL veteran, performance coach, author and keynote speaker Aaron Volpatti will host a presentation on "The Power of Visualization; in Golf, and in Life". Volpatti's presentation takes place tomorrow, May 9 at 10am PT online via Zoom. Members can register for the individual presentation here by the end of day today, or sign up for the Virtual Education Bundle for access to all upcoming 2024 virtual presentations as well as an archive of webinars from earlier this year.

Volpatti is a former NHL player and a pioneer in visualization and performance mindset. He holds a B.Sc degree in Human Biology from Brown University. His hockey career, post-secondary studies, and personal experiences led Volpatti to develop his unique practice. He is dedicated to teaching others how to find their true grit through visualization. He has a truly inspiring story of overcoming a tremendous amount of adversity. 

To help attendees brainstorm their own visualization practices, Volpatti has shared a worksheet for participants to fill out through out the presentation. To access the worksheet, please click here. 

To learn more about Volpatti, please visit his website.

We extend our thanks to Foresight Sports Canada for their support of the Interactive Education Series.

The PGA of BC informs members that the Interactive Education Series event with Patrick Lago has been postponed and will take place later this year. The event, "Ground Force Reaction and Common Mistakes Golfers Make" was scheduled to take place Monday, May 13 at Lago Golf Academy in Coquitlam.

The Association will keep members updated on the new date scheduled for this event when available. We thank you all for your understanding. For any questions, please reach out to Executive Director Mark Strong at mark@pgabc.org.

Did you know the PGA of BC offers a wide range of Member Benefits & Corporate Discounts (log-in required) to those in the Association?

Members are encouraged to make use of these deals as a way of supporting our Preferred Partners, who similarly support Association events and activities throughout the year.

For more information, please contact Programs Manager Dan Czerwenka at dan@pgabc.org.

The Lower Mainland's G&G Tour hosted their latest tournament at Quilchena Golf & Country Club on May 6. This event saw a high-level of play and an ultra-competitive leaderboard. Kevin Stinson (Cheam Mountain Golf Course) and Luke Bogdan (Cheam Mountain Golf Course) shared the victory, each shooting an incredible 7-under 66. Curtis Baldwin (Meadow Gardens Golf Club), Craig Titterington (Capilano Golf & Country Club), Clark MacPherson (Point Grey Golf & Country Club) and Andy Lin (Pacific Golf Academy) tied as runners-up, shooting 67 to finish one stroke behind the winners.

The Vancouver Island Club Pro Tour played Highland Pacific Golf on April 16. Ben Griffin (Uplands Golf Club) and Brad Liptrot shared the victory at 3-under par, while Jamie Moran (Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community) finished one shot back of the lead to round out the top-three.

The Westland Insurance Interior PGA Tour traveled to Two Eagles Golf Course for an individual match play competition on April 22. The tournament has reached its quarterfinals, with eight golfers vying for the match play title.

The Kootenay Pro Tour took on Kimberley's Purcell Golf on May 6. Competitors battled the cool and blustery conditions, with Trevor Simkins (Bootleg Gap Golf) emerging victorious. Simkins shot a 73 to secure the one-stroke triumph over runners-up Dan Bourgeois (Wildstone Golf Course) and Chase Bodoano (The Springs at Radium).

Make sure to read the Regional Tour Roundup every week to stay up-to-date with the achievements of our members and to never miss any information!

The UBC Thunderbirds Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC professionals Chris MacDonald, Tim Wilson, Patrick Lago and Tyler McNeil, won their fourth straight conference title at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship, which took place April 29-May 1 at Loomis Trail in Blaine, Washington. Senior Dylan MacDonald was 8-under par for the event to secure his first career individual win. MacDonald and Manu Gandhi tied exactly in scoring average to share the CCC Co-Player of the Year Award. Coach MacDonald was named Men's Golf Coach of the Year, and all five UBC golfers were named to the All-Conference Team. The Thunderbirds will defend last year's national title at the NAIA Golf National Championships May 21-24.

The UBC Thunderbirds Women's team, coached by McDonald, Wilson, McNeil and Keri Moffat, steamrolled their competition to win a fourth straight CCC conference championship. Jessica Ng won the individual conference championship in a dazzling performance. Elizabeth Labbe was named CCC Player of the Year and tied as runner-up at the conference championship with teammate Grace Bell. Labbe, Bell and Bo Brown were all named to the All-Conference Team. Ng and Una Chou missed out on the All-Conference Team due to their participation in NCAA Division 1 events which prevented them from competing in enough CCC tournaments, but would have easily made the team with their incredible scoring averages. The team will seek another national title at the NAIA Golf National Championships. To read a full recap of the men's and women's teams results at the CCC Championship via UBC, please click here.

SFU Red Leafs Men's Golf, coached by PGA of BC pros Matt Steinbach, Krysta Schaus and Matt Cella, competed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championships in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho on April 22-23. The Red Leafs earned a runner-up finish, with the team combining for 6-under par across the event. Michael Crisologo took home medalist honours, shooting 13-under par across three rounds for a five-stroke margin of victory. Crisologo was also named GNAC Player of the Year, while teammate Denby Carswell was named Conference Freshman of the Year. The team participates in the NCAA Division 2 Regional Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico beginning May 9. To read the full recap via SFU, please click here.

The SFU Red Leafs Women's Golf team, coached by Steinbach, Schaus and Cella, travelled to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championships on April 22-23. SFU won the event with a commanding 14-stroke victory. Dana Smith earned medalist honours, shooting 2-under par for the tournament. Sueah Park and Meera Minhas joined Smith in the top-five on the individual leaderboard. The Red Leafs will compete in the NCAA Division 2 Regional Championships in Stockton, California starting May 9. To read the full recap via SFU, please click here.

The UVic Vikes Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC pros Justin Clews and David Rands, captured its third-straight Continental Athletic Conference Championship on April 30 at Paragould Country Club in Arkansas. Owen Croft captured individual medallist honours, posting the top individual finish with rounds of 70, 68, and 71 to finish at -1 overall on the par-70 course. Taking second individually was Aiden Craig-Steele, posting the tournament's lowest round one score of 68, followed by rounds of 71 and 76 to finish at +5 overall. Croft won the CAC Player of the Year award, while Craig-Steele and Zach Ryujin were named to the All-Conference Team. Coach Clews was honoured as the Conference Coach of the Year. The Vikes will travel to Georgia for the NAIA National Championships on May 21-24. To read the recap via UVic, please click here.

The UVic Women's team, also coached by Clews and Rands, won their second straight tournament at the TMU Women's Spring Invitational in Santa Clarita on April 8-9. Cindy Koira posted the Vikes' top finish, earning second place among all individuals. Teammate Mya Rowan also excelled, finishing in third place. The Vikes will compete in the NAIA Women's National Championship in Silvis, Illinois on May 14-17. To read the full recap via UVic, please click here.

The UBCO Heat Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC pro Clay Stothers, wrapped up their Spring season at the Vikes Spring Shootout in Victoria. The Heat earned a fifth-place finish, with Max Regier pacing the team and finishing in 11th-place on the individual leaderboard. Ryan Gillis also finished inside the top-20. The Heat will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6. To read the full recap via UBCO, please click here.

The UBCO Women's team, also coached by Stothers, closed out their Spring schedule by taking home the victory at the Vikes Spring Shootout, with an incredible 18-shot win to earn the gold. Emily Cornwall led the way for the Heat as she captured the individual title at the tournament by firing a two-round total of 7-over par to hold off teammate and runner-up Julia Alexander-Carew by one shot. UBCO will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6.To read the full recap via UBCO, please click here.

The UFV Cascades Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC pros Sean Douglas and Connor O'Dell, competed in the Seattle U Redhawk Invitational, where they finished in 15th place. Eli Greene shot +2 to pace the Cascades and earn a T23 place on the leaderboard, while Ben Whiton finished one stroke back of Greene. UFV will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6. To read the full recap via UFV, please click here.

The UFV Women's team competed in the Vikes Spring Shootout, finishing in third place overall. The Cascades were guided by the strong play of Morgan Best, who captured a third-place finish among all golfers. Lucy Park joined Best in the top ten. The Cascades will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6. To read the full recap of the Vikes Spring Shootout via UFV, please click here.

For more information on BC's collegiate golf programs, including their 2023-24 results and schedules, please visit the links below:

UBC Men's | UBC Women's

SFU Men's | SFU Women's

UVic Men's | UVic Women's

UBCO Men's | UBCO Women's

UFV Men's | UFV Women's

Full Swing Kit Launch Monitor (Brand new) - $4,900

Endorsed by Tiger Woods, the Full Swing Kit launch monitor retails for $4,999 USD and can be yours for $4,900 CAD! More information on the product is available here.

For inquiries, please contact Jeff Palmer at jeff@highlandpacificgolf.com or call 250-478-4653 ext. 7.

If you would like to place an advertisement in the Classifieds section, please contact Marketing & Communications Manager Graham Abraham at graham@pgabc.org to place a listing.

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE

Jon Mahovlic's application for Life Professional designation has been approved

For all Members on the Move information, please click HERE.

For any job postings that have been approved and published on the PGA of BC website, the Association will share relevant social media posts to assist your facility in the search for a candidate. We will share one post/story per job posting. Please ensure that you tag the PGA of BC's social media account in any post or story relevant to the posting. To ensure that we share the post/story in a timely matter, please also reach out to Communications & Marketing Manager Graham Abraham at graham@pgabc.org to notify us of the post.

For all job opportunities listed on the PGA of BC website, please click HERE (Log-in required).

For all job opportunities listed on the PGA of Canada website, please click HERE.

May 9

Virtual Education Series presented by Foresight Sports Canada

Aaron Volpatti: "The Power of Visualization; in Golf, and in Life"

REGISTER HERE

May 21

Tournament of Champions presented by PING Canada & Motocaddy

Highland Pacific Golf, Victoria, BC

REGISTER HERE

June 3-4

COBRA PUMA GOLF Assistants' Championship

Nk'Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course, Oliver, BC

REGISTER HERE

CONTACT THE PGA OF BC OFFICE TEAM