MYRTLE BEACH, SC— The competitive season in Ontario may still be a few weeks away but for 77 of the province’s top juniors, they got a head start with Golf Ontario’s inaugural Spring Break Challenge, March 16, at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The event featured three categories on both the boys’ and girls’ sides and at the end of the day the overall winners were Langton’s Peyton Callens on the boys’ side and Niagara Falls’ Emily Ward on the girls’ side.

While conditions were less than ideal, the players still put forth strong efforts during the round. “It was great once again to host the Ontario juniors in Myrtle Beach. Unfortunately, the weather was very cold and playing conditions were extremely difficult. However, we look forward to hosting again next year, hopefully under much better weather!” Said Keith Stanzel, Marketing Director at Whispering Pines.

In the Junior Boys’ division, Callens, a member of Golf Canada’s National Development squad and past Team Ontario member, earned the win with a three-over (75). Rounding out the top three were a pair of current Team Ontario members Long Sault’s Ty Celone (77) and Toronto’s Zack Mason (78).

The Juvenile Boys’ title went to Team Ontario member and Stoney Creek resident Johnny Travale who ended the day seven-over (79). As for the Bantam Boys’ title, it was won by Burlington’s Peter Blazevic who carded a six-over (78).

The girls’ divisions were not as fortunate as their event was cut to just nine holes, due to darkness. Ward, a Team Ontario member, finished her round at even par (36) to take top honours over former Team Ontario and current Golf Canada National Development squad member Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun (38) and teammate Hailey McLaughlin (39), from Markham.

In the Juvenile Girls’ division, Chun’s 38 would allow her to walk away with the title. Meanwhile, a five-over (41) clinched the Bantam Girls’ championship for another Team Ontario member: Maple’s Alyssa DiMarcantonio.

Golf Ontario would like to thank all of the competitors for participating in the inaugural event. Thanks also to Whispering Pines and their staff for hosting the Ontario Spring Break Challenge. For complete tournament information, including the final leaderboards please visit the tournament site at: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao17/event/gao1733/index.htm

MYRTLE BEACH, SC — March Break is approaching and for many kids it is a welcomed break from their classes. But for Golf Ontario’s U19 Team Ontario it brings an annual tradition, the Can/Am Matches with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association (SCJGA).

With the matches, Team Ontario also takes the opportunity to conduct their third training camp of the winter. They train throughout the week in preparations for the Matches, which will be held this year on March 18-19. In addition to their week of training, the team is introducing a new event this year: the Ontario Spring Break Challenge.

“The event came together when we learned that many Ontario juniors were heading to train in Myrtle Beach during March Break,” said Delaney Howson, Golf Ontario Community Play and Compete Coordinator. “Many players were already going to be there with their personal coaches, so we thought it would be a great way to bring everyone together with a preseason competition.”

The Ontario Spring Break Challenge, is a new 18-hole, stroke-play event that Golf Ontario will run on March 16 at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach. The tournament will see 83 players from Ontario, ranging in age from 12 to 18, compete in six divisions (Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Juvenile Boys, Juvenile Girls, Bantam Boys and Bantam Girls). The competition will feature all of the members of Team Ontario.

“We were blown away by the number of players who registered. We figured we might get about half of what we did. From our perspective, this is a great opportunity for us to get a first look at some of the top Ontario junior golfers before summer tournaments begin,” added Howson.

While Golf Ontario is happy to be running this event, Keith Stanzel, Marketing Director at Whispering Pines is just as pleased to welcome the juniors. “I have been working spring events for Canadian juniors for more than 20 years at Myrtlewood Golf Club, the TPC of Myrtle Beach and now Whispering Pines. I have enjoyed watching some of Canada’s top juniors but more so, truly value the friendships acquired over the years. I look forward to another event and hope there will be even more in the future!”

After the challenge, Team Ontario’s sights will turn to the Can/Am Matches. In addition to the current members, Team Ontario will welcome back Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun and Langton’s Peyton Callens, who are both currently on Golf Canada’s National Development Squad. Ontario will look to defeat South Carolina for the first time since 2010.

The Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina will once again play host to the Matches, which have been running in their current form since 2010. Before that, the Matches were a junior boys competition. Day one will see the teams compete in four-ball, team matches. Day two will feature singles matches.

In addition to Whispering Pines and the Wachesaw Plantation Club, Team Ontario will also train and play at The Dunes and True Blue Plantation. Make sure to follow Golf Ontario (@TheGolfOntario) and Team Ontario (@teamontariogolf) for updates throughout the week.

For complete information on the Ontario Spring Break Challenge, including participants and scoring, visit the tournament site at: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao17/event/gao1733/index.htm.

By Golf Canada

As the National Sport Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), has unveiled a preview of the proposed new Rules of Golf. This joint initiative was designed to modernize the Rules and make them easier to understand and apply. 

The online release of this preview by the R&A and USGA begins a six-month feedback and evaluation period during which all golfers worldwide can learn about the proposed changes and provide input before they are finalized in 2018 and take effect on 1 January 2019.

The announcement follows a comprehensive review process that began in 2012 with a working group of key R&A and USGA Rules administrators, a Golf Canada representative, professional tour officials and other Rules experts. While the Rules are revised every four years, this is the first fundamental review since 1984, and was established to ensure the Rules fit the needs of today’s game and the way it is played around the world.

David Rickman, Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “Our aim is to make the Rules easier to understand and to apply for all golfers. We have looked at every Rule to try to find ways to make them more intuitive and straightforward, and we believe we have identified many significant improvements. It is important that the Rules continue to evolve and remain in tune with the way the modern game is played, but we have been careful not to change the game’s longstanding principles and character.”

“We are excited and encouraged by the potential this work brings, both through the proposed new Rules and the opportunities to use technology to deliver them,” said Thomas Pagel, Senior Director of Rules & Amateur Status for the USGA. “We look forward to an ongoing conversation with golfers during the feedback period in the months ahead.”

“There was considerable effort, exploration and dialogue around how these proposed changes would both modernize the Rules and make them easier for all golfers to understand and apply,” said Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status with Golf Canada. “We encourage Canadian golf enthusiasts to review the proposed Rules changes and participate in the feedback process of the next six months.”

The proposed 24 new Rules, reduced from the current 34, have been written in a user-friendly style with shorter sentences, commonly used phrases, bulleted lists and explanatory headings. The initiative also focuses on assessing the overall consistency, simplicity and fairness of the Rules for play.

The Rules are currently delivered in more than 30 languages, and the proposed wording will support easier translation worldwide. When adopted, the Rules will be supported by technology that allows the use of images, videos and graphics.

Highlights of the proposed Rule changes include: 

– Elimination or reduction of “ball moved” penalties: There will be no penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball; and a player is not responsible for causing a ball to move unless it is “virtually certain” that he or she did so.

– Relaxed putting green rules: There will be no penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes, animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt.

– Relaxed rules for “penalty areas” (currently called “water hazards”): Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc., in addition to areas of water; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

– Relaxed bunker rules: There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club. A limited set of restrictions (such as not grounding the club right next to the ball) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand; however, an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker, allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.

– Relying on player integrity: A player’s “reasonable judgment” when estimating or measuring a spot, point, line, area or distance will be upheld, even if video evidence later shows it to be wrong; and elimination of announcement procedures when lifting a ball to identify it or to see if it is damaged.

– Pace-of-play support: Reduced time for searching for a lost ball (from five minutes to three); affirmative encouragement of “ready golf” in stroke play; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play.

– Simplified way of taking relief: A new procedure for taking relief by dropping a ball in and playing it from a specific relief area; relaxed procedures for dropping a ball, allowing the ball to be dropped from just above the ground or any growing thing or other object on the ground.

A series of materials have also been prepared to explain the proposed Rule changes and provide background on the initiative. Found on randa.org and usga.org/rules, they include:

– Overview of the Rules Modernization Initiative: goals, proposed changes and process for implementation in 2019

– Draft New Rules of Golf for 2019: the full text of proposed Rules 1-24 and Definitions

– Draft Player’s Edition of the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Written from the perspective of “you” the golfer, this shorter version covers the most commonly used Rules and is meant to be the rule book golfers will use when finalized and adopted in 2019

– Explanation for Each Major Proposed Change in the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Short summaries of each major proposed change

– Summary chart of major changes

– Videos and Infographics: Visual explanations of the proposed Rules.

Golfers are encouraged to review the proposed changes and submit feedback online via worldwide survey technology that can be accessed at randa.org or usga.org/rules from now until 31 August 2017.

The feedback will be reviewed by golf’s governing bodies in establishing the approved final version of golf’s new Rules. These are due to be released in mid-2018 ahead of a 1 January 2019 implementation. Social media users can also follow the discussion using #GolfRules2019.

Players are reminded that the current 2016 Edition of the Rules of Golf remain in force when playing, posting scores or competing, until the new Rules are officially adopted by The R&A and the USGA as well as Golf Canada in 2019. The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of this review process.

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA — Golf Ontario’s Team Ontario recently completed their second winter training camp of 2017 with positive results in the San Diego Junior Golf Association’s (SDJGA) Chris Riley Junior Championship.

The team was in California from Feb. 6-13 and had the opportunity to widen their skill set by playing three courses (Twin Oaks Golf Course, the Crossings at Carlsbad and The Legends Course at La Costa), enjoy a unique experience at the TaylorMade Kingdom and participate in the SDJGA tournament, also at Twin Oaks.

The team trained during the week at Twin Oaks in preparation for the two-day tournament that would cap off their camp. “The weather was great for training,” said Reggie Millage, Golf Ontario Head Provincial Coach. “The terrain was different from what we would see on the east coast and I think that having the tournament at the end of the week added some intensity to our practice.”

While the team did have a training camp just a month earlier, Millage noted that there was work to be done to get the players back to their peak performance. “We had a little rust to start but we definitely saw improvements throughout the week. Sunday was by far our best round as a team.”

As part of the team’s training, and thanks to Golf Ontario’s partnership with TaylorMade, the group spent a day at the TaylorMade Kingdom. “This was an unreal experience for the players,” said Millage. “It is a pretty exclusive place. We got to train on Jim Flick’s deck so we had our own area to work on different things. We had a couple of Trackmans along with their mat technology going, which was great for players to see their results. The big highlight had to be each player working one-on-one with TaylorMade’s putting guru Duane Anderson. A big thank you to Cameron Jacobs at TaylorMade for setting it up!”

The day was made even more special for the team when they received their 2017 Team Ontario TaylorMade golf bags. That gave them the opportunity to donate their old bags to the North County Junior Golf Association where they will be used for junior camps and clinics.

As the tournament began, on Feb. 11, the team still looked to rid themselves of the offseason rust. The players also dealt with rainy conditions, which didn’t make things any easier. As the tournament shifted to the second round the team began to pick up momentum. In the end, Stoney Creek’s Johnny Travale earned the top finish, second on the boys’ side (72-71-143), while Toronto’s Sarah Beqaj was the top girl finishing fifth (76-72-145).

In total, three boys finished in the top 10, including Mississauga’s Matthew Anderson who was fourth and had the low round of the second day (75-70-145), and Toronto’s Tyler Nagano who finished T7 (75-72-147).

As for the girls, they also finished with three top 10 finishes as London’s Isabella Portokalis T8 (76-76-152) and Markham’s Victoria Zheng T10 (78-77-155) joined Beqaj.

“Johnny played well and had a chance to win heading to the 18^th hole of the second round,” said Millage. “Sarah did very well to earn her top five finish as she was dealing with an injury during the round. I think overall this was a neat experience for the team. This was the second major event for the SDJGA already this season, so it was a true measure of where our game is.”

With the camp complete, Millage offered the team the following advice as they look towards their final camp and Can/Am Matches in March against the South Carolina Junior Golf Association. “I think the results really spoke to how positive our ball striking was during the week, but we definitely need to focus our short game heading into the Can/Am Matches.”

The Can/Am Matches will take place March 18-19 at the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

UXBRIDGE — Golf Ontario is pleased to announce this year’s four new members of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. James Fraser, Thomas McBroom, Ken Tarling and Stacey (West) Mahoney will become the 76^th, 77^th, 78^th and 79^th members of the Hall at the official induction ceremony on May 3, 2017 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge. In addition, Ian Hutchinson will be receiving the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to accredited members of the Ontario media for “major contributions to golf.”

2017 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inductees

James Fraser

Oakville resident James Fraser, 79, enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the Builder category. Originally born in Montreal, QC, Fraser, has been working in the golf industry since the early 1960s at the club, provincial and national levels serving in numerous roles. While many of his roles have revolved around Rules, Fraser has also served as Governor (RCGA, Canadian Seniors’ Golf Association) and Director (Beaconsfield GC, Toronto Golf Club, Quebec Golf Association, Canadian Golf Foundation, Stanley Thompson Society and RCGA). In 2007 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Golf Ontario (Golf Association of Ontario), the RCGA Distinguished Service Award and International Association of Golf Administrators Distinguished Service Award. He is an honorary member of Beaconsfield GC, Quebec Golf Association, the International Association of Golf Administrators, and the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.

Thomas McBroom

Port Carling resident Thomas McBroom is known as one of Canada’s most respected golf course designers and enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the Builder category. The majority of his work in his 25-year career has been in Ontario, yet McBroom has designed more than 60 courses across the country and even more internationally. Golf Digest has named six of his designs Best New Canadian Course and one (Memphremagog) as one of the Top 100 in the world. Two of his European courses have even cracked Europe’s Top 100. In addition, SCORE Golf Magazine has named 14 of his courses among the Top-100 in Canada. Today, McBroom, 64 and a member at both St. George’s and Oviinbyrd, is still active and while he has designs in North America, Europe and the Caribbean, he has set his sights on expanding with courses in China.

Ken Tarling

Entering the Hall in the Professional Golfer category is Sandford’s Ken Tarling. Originally from Saskatoon, Tarling turned pro in 1982. Throughout his career, Tarling captured 21 provincial titles, two national (2001 PGA of Canada Club Professional Championship and 2011 PGA of Canada Senior’s Championship), one Canadian Tour win and 12 international victories in eight countries. Now at the age of 58, Tarling is competing on the European Senior Tour. Tarling has also served as the President of the Canadian Tour, been on the PGA of Canada Board of Directors and taught at Humber College in the Professional Golf Management program. In 2012, he received an Honorary Life Membership with the Canadian Tour.

Stacey (West) Mahoney

While now a resident of Cary, North Carolina, Stacey (West) Mahoney, 58, carved a name for herself in Ontario as a junior golfer. She was a three time winner of the Ontario Junior Girls’ Championship (1975, 76, 77) a feat she replicated at the National level with the Canadian Junior Girls Championship (1974, 76, 77). After her junior career, Mahoney also captured the Canadian Ladies’ Amateur Championship in 1979. She found success as Low Amateur at the Peter Jackson Classic (Canadian Women’s Open) in 1977 and 1980. Mahoney also represented and captured many team honours during her career. She enters the Hall in the Amateur Golfer category.

Ian Hutchinson – Lorne Rubenstein Award

Ian Hutchinson is a veteran Canadian golf writer whose career began as a sports writer in 1978 before he began specializing in golf. His history in the game includes an extensive background with Canadian golf trade publications. Hutchinson is also a regular contributor to publications and websites in Canada and the United States. In 2008, Hutchinson started Golf News Now as a way of offering the industry immediate access to breaking news and new product introductions and to offer a central meeting place for information through links to company, association and media websites.

ABOUT THE ONTARIO GOLF HALL OF FAME

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.

Golf Ontario was saddened to learn of the passing of long-time volunteer Jim Faulkner on January 22. Faulkner was a dedicated volunteer serving Golf Ontario (Golf Association of Ontario & Ontario Golf Association) for more than 40 years. He was a Master Course Rater, former member of the Handicapping and Course Rating Committee and was Director of Course Rating & Handicapping on the Golf Ontario Board of Directors for three year. In 2007, he received Golf Ontario’s Honorary Life Director Award. Golf Ontario sends its condolences to Faulkner’s family and friends.

Obituary courtesy Canadianobituaries.com:

FAULKNER, James Milton ‘Jim’ – (Retired Principal and Teacher) – Passed away peacefully at Fairhaven Long Term Care Facility with his family by his side, on Sunday, January 22, 2017. Jim of Peterborough, in his 84th year.

Beloved husband of Pat for 60 years. Loving father of Gary of Toronto, Jane (Brian Mahood) of Peterborough and the late Judy (Greg Hocking) of Markham. Survived by 7 grandchildren.

Predeceased by his 3 sisters and 6 brothers. Predeceased by his parents Annie and Hubbert Faulkner of Sterling. Jim is greatly missed by his buddy Zack, his 7 year old hound dog but is now with, and greeted by his 6 other loving hounds.

Member of the Peterborough Golf & Country Club for 55 years, and served on many club committees plus President for 2 years and chairman of the Men’s International Tournament for 30 years. He also loved his 40 year volunteer service with the Golf Association of Ontario, working many Ontario Tournaments, a member of Ontario Rating & Handicap committee, 8 years teaching in summers, at Ontario Rating Seminars and being a Master course Rater for 22 years for Peterborough District, plus 3 years for Kingston area. He served 3 years as Director of Rating & Handicap on the GAO Board of Directors and was named as a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Board.

Jim taught at Trenton High School before moving to Peterborough teaching at 2 different High Schools, then moving on to 3 other Peterborough High Schools as Vice Principal. He was a coach of basketball, football, track & field at each school, right to his retirement with his teams winning many trophies.

Jim & Pat, the dog at the time & later the cat that adopted them, spent twenty four winters in their home in Florida, loving the warm weather and loving their golf.

The family extends its appreciation for the compassion and excellent care given Jim at Fairhaven and PRHC (GAB unit).

Cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life will be held at SELWYN OUTREACH CENTRE, 2686 Lakefield Road, Peterborough (around the curve, opposite side from Giant Tiger), January 30th at 1:00 p.m. A reception will follow at the church.

If so desired, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society or Fairhaven Long Term Care Facility Riverside 1st floor. Arrangements entrusted to Comstock-Kaye Life Celebration Centre.

FRIGATE BAY, ST. KITTS — It has been a busy start to the year for Golf Ontario. Partnering with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA), Golf Ontario recently sent the Junior (U19) Provincial Team to the island for a training camp, followed by a group of guests for the second annual St. Kitts Invitational.

“Having the junior team here was a main event for St. Kitts,” said Raquel Brown, SKTA CEO. “You had Canadian teenagers interacting with kids from St. Kitts, explaining golf and giving them a different perspective on the sport. It was a great way for us to start off the year!”

“I am glad to see that there were even more persons this year for the Invitational. It means that we are growing,” said Lindsay Grant, Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce. “I believe that over the years the Invitational will continue to grow. We have a wonderful partnership with Golf Ontario.”

The Ontario contingent on the island began on Dec. 31 with the junior team traveling to St. Kitts for their first winter training camp of the season. The junior team, led by Reggie Millage, Head Provincial Coach, took part in a seven-day camp, which saw them play and train at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club.

“The experience was great,” said Millage. “We received first-class treatment from the moment we got off the plane and the rooms at Royal St. Kitts Hotel were great accommodations for the team.”

Each day the team utilized the nearby beach for their morning training, something that was a big hit with the players. Afterwards, the team took to the course for morning rounds, followed by training at the club’s practice facilities in the afternoon.

“It was refreshing to have the junior Ontario team here in St. Kitts,” said Bruce Wilson, Director of Golf at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club. “They are very disciplined and some of the most respectful and courteous juniors that I have had the pleasure of working with. I wish them the best of luck in their golf careers.”

As part of Golf Ontario’s goal of helping the island to grow the game of golf, the team took part in a two-hour junior golf skills clinic. Thirty local kids from the island took part in the clinic, run by the Team Ontario players.

“It was awesome to see our kids interact with the team. It helps them realize that with some time and effort, they have the potential to reach that level of golf. The St. Kitts kids haven’t had the expose to other young golfers to see what they can become. It was really nice for them to see and it gives them a challenge to work towards,” added Wilson.

As the team departed the island on Jan. 7, the next group of Ontarians arrived ready for the second annual St. Kitts Invitational. The two-day event made its debut in December of 2015. The 2017 tournament saw 22 individuals (11 teams) compete, doubling the field of the inaugural event. They were joined by a pair of teams from the island.

Defending champion Dave Ramsumair, with teammate Sylvia Jones, won this year’s event. Ramsumair, a Canadian now living on the Island, and Jones accumulated 96 points to win the two-day net stableford competition.

Receiving the award for Top International Team were Hamilton’s Jim and Sheila Drury who scored 88 points in the two-day event.

In addition to the tournament, the group enjoyed the accommodations of the St. Kitts Marriott, who hosted the annual awards banquet. During their stay on the island, the group experienced dining at some of the island’s best restaurants, which gave them a true taste of St. Kitts. The trip also included a visit to sister island Nevis for a round at the Four Seasons Nevis Golf Course.

In all, the guests seemed to enjoy what the island had to offer. “The trip has been great!” said London’s Paul and Anita Pouliot. “Lots of nice people, beautiful golf courses and lovely weather. We have had a really good time and are happy we came.”

“It has been seamless!” added Jim and Sheila Drury. “Going from the airport to hotel to golf course it has been a very good experience. The courses and people have been really nice.”

As the group departed on Jan. 14, it was clear that the relationship between Ontario and St. Kitts is helping to grow the game on the island. “I want to say thank you to Golf Ontario for 2017. We want this event to grow and we think golf is the perfect avenue to get Canadians to St. Kitts. Visitors come to golf but get to see the destination in its truest form. The fact that the junior training camp and Invitational did so well gives St. Kitts a different perspective for golf,” added Brown.

Golf Ontario would like to thank the SKTA for their efforts in organizing the trips. Thanks to the Royal St. Kitts Hotel and Marriott Resort for providing accommodations and Royal St. Kitts Golf Club and Four Seasons Nevis Golf Course for use of their facilities. Stay turned for the announcement of the 2018 St. Kitts Invitational.

To vie photos from Team Ontario’s training camp and the St. Kitts Invitational visit our Facebook Photo Gallery Page.

UXBRIDGE— The 2017 golf season is just around the corner and Golf Ontario is proud to announce it’s 2017 championship schedule, which will open for registration on January 23 at noon. Early registration comes with a discount, before prices increase 14 days before an event’s final entry deadline.

“We are once again excited to offer a full championship schedule to all golfers in Ontario,” said Golf Ontario Competitions Manager Larry Longo. “We are pleased to be heading to some of the best courses in the province in 2017 and thank those clubs for hosting our events.”

Once again, the schedule is highlighted by the Investors Group Ontario Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships, which will both be run from July 11-14. The men will take to Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, while the women will tee it up at Galt Country Club in Cambridge.

The schedule features a full junior program, beginning with the Investors Group Spring Classics, May 20-22, at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge (Boys) and Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Stouffville (Girls). The Investors Group Ontario Junior Boys’ and Girls’ Championships will also be contested during the same week, July 4-7. The boys will play The Rock Golf Club in Minett, while the girls will be at the Elmira Golf Club. One change this year for the juniors is that there will be no final qualifying. New exemptions have been created for juniors, largely base on Golf Ontario Junior Rankings (Junior/Juvenile/Bantam).

One more addition to the junior schedule is the introduction of a junior girls 9-Hole Learn to Compete series.

“Junior events have always been a staple of our championship schedule. By continuing to offer a variety of events to junior golfers, along with new initiatives like the 9-Hole Learn to Compete series, we hope to continue to grow the game at the grassroots level,” added Longo.

The Men’s Match Play Championship returns to the Lake Joseph Club in Port Carling (June 6-9). Lake Joseph hosted the event from 2007-2015 and Golf Ontario is please to be returning in 2017. On the women’s side, the Women’s and Junior Girls’ Match Play Championships will be contested together at Diamondback Golf Club in Richmond Hill, Aug. 8-9. There will be no on-site qualifying for these events this year, but rather participants and seeding will be based on final results from the Women’s Amateur and Junior Girls’ Spring Classic. This change means that in order to compete in the match play championships, players must participate in either the Junior Girls’ Spring Classic or Women’s Amateur.

The Investors Group Senior Women’s Championship will be once again be early in the schedule, as they will be at Wildfire Golf Club in Douro-Dummer, June 27-29. Meanwhile, the Investors Group Senior Men’s Championship will be held at Cedar Brae Golf Club, July 25-27. A change to the men’s championship is that the 60+ Division will now become a 65+ Division, a change that aligns with Golf Canada.

Team competitions officially open the season in Ontario with the Men’s Better Ball Championship at Oakdale Golf & Country Club on May 11. The George S. Lyon will see it’s second year in it’s new spot in the schedule, May 30, after moving from late in the season. This year’s field will be limited to the first 32 teams that register.

2017 should be another exciting golf season in Ontario. To register or view the 2017 schedule visit: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao17/schedule/full.htm?view=detailed&display=date

The Golf Ontario staff would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Reminder, our office will be closed as of December 23 until January 9.

For all of our members, you can also now check out your Performance Report by simply logging into your Score Centre account.

We wish everyone the best and we’ll see you in the New Year for another golf season!

As golf’s governing body in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), has announced a new Local Rule which will come into effect January 1, 2017.

Along with the R&A and USGA, Golf Canada holds a unique position as the only other governing body that sits on the Joint Rules Committee.

Golf Canada will be implementing this Local Rule as part of their Standard Local Rules which will be formally ratified at their annual general meeting by the Rules and Amateur Status Committee. The Local Rule will be available for any committee in charge of a competition to use starting Jan. 1, 2017. It will be adopted by the USGA and The R&A in all of their championships, qualifying competitions and international matches. Golf Ontario has also opted to make this part of its Standard Local Rules and will be effective in all its qualifying and championships in 2017.

If a committee wishes to introduce this Local Rule, the following wording is recommended: “Rules 18-2, 18-3 and 20-1 are modified as follows:

When a player’s ball lies on the putting green, there is no penalty if the ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved by the player, his partner, his opponent, or any of their caddies or equipment.

The moved ball or ball-marker must be replaced as provided in Rules 18-2, 18-3 and 20-1.

This Local Rule applies only when the player’s ball or ball-marker lies on the putting green and any movement is accidental.

Note: If it is determined that a player’s ball on the putting green was moved as a result of wind, water or some other natural cause such as the effects of gravity, the ball must be played as it lies from its new location. A ball-marker moved in such circumstances is replaced.

Further reading:

R&A – Click here for The R&A News Release including video