Youth on Course – the non-profit organization providing young people with subsidized golf, college scholarships, caddie programs and paid internships, in partnership with Golf Canada and Alberta Golf – breaks international ground and brings affordable junior golf to Canada.

Initially, Youth on Course will be launching as a two-year pilot in the province of Alberta and will be recognized under the umbrella of Canada’s National Junior Golf Program – Future Links. With 17,000 junior member golfers and nearly 1,400 Golf Canada member clubs from coast to coast, Golf Canada will evaluate the results of the pilot prior to expanding the program nationwide.

In Alberta, the list of courses offering junior golf rounds for $5 or less are:

• Goose Hummock Golf Resort
• Westlock Golf Course
• RedTail Landing Golf Club
• Whitetail Crossing Golf Club
• Eagle Rock Golf Course
• Olds Golf Club
• River Spirit Golf Club
• Heatherglen Golf Course
• Serenity Golf Club
• McCall Lake Golf Course (18 & par 3)
• Shaganappi Golf Course (18 & 9)
• Banff Springs Golf Club (Tunnel 9)
• Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course
• Lakeside Golf Club
• Barrhead Golf Club
• Northern Bear Golf Course

“Golf Canada and Alberta Golf continually inspire and nurture a new generation of golfers by providing access to affordable rounds,” says Adam Heieck, CEO of Youth on Course.  “With the highest per-capita golf participation in the world, Youth on Course’s expansion will benefit the sport’s sustainability.”

Youth on Course will be a significant addition to the existing Future Links suite of programs and offers an on-course application for facilities to offer to youth, eliminating golf’s barrier of affordability and providing more opportunities for kids to play golf. Golfers, ages 6-18 will be able to join the Youth on Course international network, getting access to 1,000 golf courses in 27 different states.

“When first introduced to Youth on Course, we felt it was a very strong initiative to advance junior golf and we are pleased to be involved in this pilot stage for the program in Canada,” says Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer of Golf Canada. “Together with Alberta Golf and our participating partner courses, we are eager to give community access to golf at an unprecedented level of affordability.”

Golf Canada runs a variety of grassroot level programs under the Future Links brand, aimed at introducing and developing the game of golf amongst Canadian youth. A national junior program conducted in partnership with the PGA of Canada and Canada’s 10 provincial golf associations, Future Links is focused on three primary pillars of engagement – an in-school program, facility programs and outreach programming, all of which have contributed to the success of Future links, which has eclipsed the mark of 1.7 million youth engaged in golf.

Operating in every U.S. region, Youth on Course has more than 50,000 active members. Since 2006, juniors have played more than 10 million holes and 765,000 rounds while the organization has helped generate more than $5.2 million in tee-time revenue reimbursed back to individual golf courses. In addition to subsidized rounds, Youth on Course also facilitates paid internships, a caddie program and nationwide scholarships. They have awarded 223 students with college scholarships totaling more than $1.4 million in financial support. The current Youth on Course scholarship retention rate is ninety-four percent, with 80 students already graduated.

For many of us trying to squeeze in the last few rounds of the season, or for those planning on heading south this winter, it’s important to note the “active season” in the region, province or country you’re playing in.

Golf Canada’s Handicap System stipulates every player is responsible for returning all acceptable scores into one’s scoring record from rounds played on courses observing their active season, which is part of the golf season when courses have acceptable playing conditions.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf association to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.

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

Scores made at any golf course observing an inactive season are not acceptable for handicap purposes. The rationale behind this is that posting scores during inactive seasons (periods of poor course conditions) could artificially increase a player’s Handicap Factor.

Scores made at a golf course in an area observing an active season must be posted for handicap purposes, even if the golf club from which the player receives a Handicap Factor is observing an inactive season. The club’s Handicap Committee must make it possible for a player to post these away scores at the beginning of the active season.

For example, if a player belonging to a golf club in Ontario plays golf in Florida during January, any scores made in Florida are acceptable and must be returned to the player’s Ontario golf club. If the player is also a member of a golf club in Florida, scores must be posted to the player’s Florida club.

In Canada, the active season in each province is as follows:

BC = Mar. 1 – Nov. 15
AB = Mar. 1 – Oct. 31
SK = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
MB = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
ON = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
QC = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
NS = Apr. 15 – Oct. 31
NB = May. 1 – Oct. 31
PE = Apr. 16 – Nov. 14
NL = Apr. 1 – Nov. 30

It’s also important to note that if you are travelling to other countries, you should determine their active seasons to prevent posting unacceptable scores. Your home club needs all acceptable scores from the “off-season” as well to ensure your Handicap Factor is accurate once recalculated at the beginning of the season.

For a detailed list of active and inactive schedule in the United States, click here.

For more information on handicapping, click here.

To enter your scores for an official handicap, become a Golf Canada member here.

A safe space for Canadian athletes and kids who participate in sport has been a long time coming.

That was part of Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan’s message in announcing both an investigation unit and a toll-free confidential helpline on Wednesday, major measures in an effort to combat harassment and abuse in sport.

“This was Week 1 my priority, as an athlete, coach, and judge all my life,” Duncan told The Canadian Press. “When you train athletes your No. 1 job is to protect their health and safety. It’s your No. 1 job.

“So when I came into the role, I wanted to put our athletes at the centre of everything we do. And I knew we needed to help our athletes from the beginning – that there be a confidential safe place where they could go.”

The investigation unit is an arm’s-length, third-party program set up through the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, an independent organization that already functions in helping resolve disputes in the national sport community. Canadian sport organizations can access the unit for independent investigations on reports of harassment, abuse or discrimination in sport.

The helpline – 1-888-83SPORT (77678) – is for victims and witnesses of harassment, abuse or discrimination. The line, which is already up and running, will be staffed by counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists, seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

“I have been clear there can be bystander effect. If you see a child being hurt or harmed, it’s all of our jobs to speak up,” Duncan said. “So having this confidential phone line where you can report cases, they are professionally trained people . . . who will listen. It’s safe, confidential, in both official languages, and they will say where you can go next, whether it’s to the police, whether it’s to child protection services, it’s to provincial or territorial resources, but you will actually have someone say ‘This is where you go next.”’

Wednesday’s announcement is the latest move by Duncan, who appointed a working group on gender equity to study issues such as sexual abuse and harassment after she was appointed sport minister in January of 2018. The government also recently partnered with Canadian athletes rights group AthletesCan for a study on abuse and discrimination and sport.

Duncan also unveiled a gender equity secretariat and a code of conduct – “which has never existed” – is being written that can be used in sports of all levels.

“This is so important to me that we get this right,” Duncan said. “We’ve got to do this for our athletes and our children.”

Canadian sports groups applauded Duncan’s efforts on Wednesday.

“Minister Duncan is dedicated to improving safe sport and is making serious, deliberate investments, not just words but actions,” Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi said in a statement. “These are impressive initiatives and the whole sport system will be safer as a result of her efforts.”

Canadian Paralympic Committee president Marc-Andre Fabien said: “These new processes are critical towards combating harassment, abuse, and discrimination in sport.”

There have been several high-profile sexual assault and harassment stories recently in Canadian sport. In June, Allison Forsyth was among several former members of Canada’s ski team who spoke publicly about the abuse suffered at the hands of former coach Bertrand Charest in the 1990s. Charest was convicted last year of 37 offences of sexual assault and exploitation.

“As a victim of sexual abuse, I am extremely encouraged by these two new programs,” Forsyth said in a statement Wednesday. “It is critical that our sport system has a safe place for athletes to report instances of abuse and an ethical and legal investigation process. These is a strong sense of urgency to take action. We are not seeking perfection; we are seeking progress to ensure a safe, healthy sport environment for all athletes in Canada.”

Safe sport had been governed through the Sport Canada Accountability Framework since it was implemented in 1996 in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal involving former junior hockey coach Graham James. National sport organizations were required to have a safe sport policy – and a designated individual to handle complaints – in place to receive government funding.

But there had been major inconsistencies in how it was applied, and in recently months, and in light of a handful of high-profile cases in Canada, athletes and administrators – including Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe and Sheldon Kennedy, a retired NHL player and sex abuse victim – publicly called for an independent party to handle cases.

Following a successful seeding and validation period on the PGA Tour, the new 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow golf balls will be available in golf shops this week – beginning Friday, March 15.

The introduction of a high-visibility yellow colour option to the Pro V1 family – the most played golf balls at every level of competitive golf and the best-selling models in the game – answers the growing demand from members of Team Titleist and golfers around the world.

“I’m loving the new Pro V1x Yellow. When the R&D guys sent me the first batch of them for testing, I couldn’t wait to get them in play,” said Watson, who currently leads the PGA Tour’s average driving distance category at 316.6 yards.

“I played some really good golf with the [prior generation] Pro V1x, but it’s clear the 2019 ball is even better. It’s faster, I can work the ball exactly how I want, and the short game performance is as good as ever. The ball feels great, plus there’s just something about that bright yellow finish where I feel like I can see it better. For me it was a no brainer.”

On Sunday, Kirk Triplett, playing Pro V1x Yellow, eagled the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the PGA Tour Champions’ Hoag Classic, marking the first victory for a Pro V1 or Pro V1x Yellow golf ball on the worldwide professional tours.

The new ProV1 and ProV1x in High Optic Yellow are available in ?? on March 15 ?? @TitleistCA

➡️ https://t.co/ECk4rRFM36 pic.twitter.com/m821VPon2W

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 13, 2019

Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow models have also been played on the PGA Tour by Kyle Jones (Pro V1x) and Rory Sabbatini (Pro V1x), on the Web.Com Tour by Scott Gutschewski (Pro V1) and Zac Blair (Pro V1x), and on PGA Tour Champions by Mark Calcavecchia (Pro V1x) and Ken Tanigawa (Pro V1).

2019 PRO V1 PERFORMANCE

Faster from core to cover, new Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow have been precisely engineered to deliver the same performance improvements as their 2019 counterparts – delivering more ball speed and lower long game spin for more distance, while retaining the consistent flight, Drop-and-Stop short game control, soft feel and long-lasting durability that golfers depend on. Click here for complete details.

Pro V1 provides optimal flight and spin for most golfers, flying lower than Pro V1x with a penetrating trajectory, with very soft feel. Pro V1x flies higher, spins more on iron shots and has a slightly firmer feel.

GOLF BALL SELECTION TOOL

Playing a properly fit golf ball will help golfers shoot lower scores. The Titleist golf ball selection tool starts the fitting process by suggesting a recommended and alternative ball for golfers to test on the golf course.

AVAILABILITY

New 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls are available now in golf shops worldwide, with yellow models available beginning March 15. $64.99 CAD MAP.

Alberta Golf board of directors member Tom Zariski has been chosen as Head Golf Rules Referee for a world class junior event in Japan.

“I was asked and agreed to be the Head Golf Rules Referee at the Toyota Junior World Cup of Golf Championship in Japan, in June,” said Zariski. “Should be quite an interesting event. Literally some of the best junior golfers in the world.”

Zariski, who is also on the Golf Canada Rules Committee, has been a Rules Referee for the past number of years with Alberta Golf and is also one of the dedicated Councilors for the Town of Drumheller.

For more on Zariski’s exciting honour and adventure read this article in Drumheller Online by Colette Pettis.

https://drumhelleronline.com/local/tom-zariski-heading-to-japan-for-the-toyota-junior-golf-world-cup

The Level 2 Rules of Golf Seminars will take place during the month of March in both Calgary and Edmonton. They are an opportunity for those who are keen on the Rules of Golf to learn more and write an examination to gain their provincial level certification.

“We are very excited to be running these seminars with the brand new 2019 Rules of Golf,” said Stephen Wigington, Alberta Golf’s Manager of Membership and Course Services. “As of January 1^st, 2019, all levels of certification need to be renewed, so this is somewhat of a fresh start for Referees in this province. It is also an opportunity for anyone not previously involved to get started on the ground level.”

The Seminars will be open to anyone wishing to improve their knowledge of the Rules of Golf, specifically focusing on their application in a tournament setting. There is no previous certification necessary to attend.

“We want our provincial seminars to be inclusive,” said Stephen. “That is to say we want to provide this opportunity to anyone who wishes to have a provincial level certification. Our goal is to have our own Alberta Golf Referees attending alongside golf professionals, coaches, members interested in helping with club events, and public golfers who just want to know more.”

Country Hills GC will host the first seminar March 15-17, with RedTail Landing hosting the second March 29-31. Questions or comments can be directed to stephen@albertagolf.org. For details and registration information please use the links below.

Level 2 Rules Seminar (Calgary)

Level 2 Rules Seminar (Edmonton)

The Annual General Meeting of the Voting Members of the Alberta Golf Association was held at RedTail Landing Golf Club in Nisku, Alberta on Tuesday January 29th.

During the meeting the following Board of Directors were elected for the Alberta Golf Association for 2019.

Peter Major – President                  Calgary Golf and Country Club                Calgary

Mark Bamford – Vice President    Glendale Golf & Country Club                  Edmonton

Tiffany Gordon – Secretary            Heritage Pointe Golf Club                         De Winton

Bill McNaughton – Treasurer        Glencoe Golf & Country Club                   Calgary

Kendra Koss                                     Earl Grey Golf Club                                       Calgary

Chris Leach                                       Valley Ridge Golf Club                                 Calgary

Lorraine Moster                               Public Players Club                                      Edmonton

Alonzo Strange                                 Blackhawk Golf Club                                   Edmonton

Tom Zariski                                      Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club      Drumheller

In 2018 the Alberta Golf Association Foundation distributed $60,000 to athletes to help fund post-secondary education.

The following Board of Directors were elected for the Alberta Golf Association Foundation for 2019.

Name                                                 City

Wendy Davies                                    Rocky Mountain House

Jim Dymianiw                                    Calgary

Lois Gilbertson                                  Winfield

Janice Lamarre                                  Edmonton

Neil Little                                            Calgary

Duncan Mills                                      Edmonton

Tom Zariski                                        Drumheller

Click here for a link to the 2018 Alberta Golf Association Annual Report

Faster from core to cover, the new Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls have been designed to leave the clubface with more ball speed and lower long game spin for more distance, while providing the best short game control to help golfers shoot lower scores.

The advancements of 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x, now available in golf shops worldwide, underscore the Titleist R&D and Operations teams’ relentless mission to continuously improve the best performing, most consistent golf balls in the game.

“When we set out to develop the 2019 models, we found that golfers at every level are extraordinarily satisfied with the performance of their Pro V1 or Pro V1x. At the same time, golfers keep telling us they would still like more distance – as long as they don’t have to give anything else up,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Golf Ball Marketing. “Through the prototyping process, our chemists and engineers discovered a way to cast an even thinner urethane cover, and therefore increase the percentage of speed-enhancing materials in the overall construction. Pro V1 and Pro V1x are now even faster, as a result, all while maintaining the scoring performance and feel characteristics that golfers demand from these golf balls.”

2019 PRO V1 & PRO V1x TECHNOLOGY

Innovations in Titleist’s industry-leading multi-component technology and precision manufacturing process have combined to deliver the most advanced Pro V1 and Pro V1x models yet – available for the first time in both white and high optic yellow.

• 17% thinner cast Urethane Elastomer cover system delivers more ball speed. The advancement of Titleist’s thermoset urethane casting technology has allowed our engineers to cast a thinner layer of the proprietary cover formulation, developed exclusively for Pro V1 and Pro V1x, while retaining its trusted Drop-and-Stop™ greenside control and soft feel.
• Faster ionomeric casing layer increases ball speed and lowers long game spin. Beneath the thinner cover, the speed enhancing casing layer has thickened by 14% on Pro V1 and 11% on Pro V1x, creating higher ball speeds with lower driver and long game spin.
• New 2.0 ZG Process Cores are formulated for more distance. The outermost portions of the solid core Pro V1 and dual core Pro V1x have increased in stiffness while maintaining their soft centers, creating faster engines with higher ball speed and lower long game spin.

INTRODUCING PRO V1 AND PRO V1x YELLOW

The improved performance of 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x will also have a new preference option: High optic yellow. Following a tour seeding and validation period in early 2019, the new high visibility color option will be available in golf shops beginning March 15.

“As the demand for yellow Pro V1 and Pro V1x started to grow, our material scientists got to work on what we knew would be a significant R&D undertaking,” Mahoney said. “The performance and durability characteristics of our cast urethane are the best in the industry. It’s because we formulate and manufacture the cover ourselves that we are able to control the material with such precision and consistency. While it may seem pretty straightforward, recreating those properties in yellow required a new and complex chemistry with considerable iteration until we got it just right.”

CHOOSING BETWEEN PRO V1 AND PRO V1x

When it comes to choosing between the total performance of Pro V1 and Pro V1x, golfers will notice similar differences in flight, feel and spin as the prior generation models. Both Pro V1 and Pro V1x deliver increased ball speed and lower long game spin for maximum distance, consistent flight, Drop-and-Stop™ short game control and long-lasting durability. Pro V1 provides optimal flight and spin for most golfers, flying lower than Pro V1x with a penetrating trajectory, with very soft feel. Pro V1x flies higher, spins more on iron shots and has a slightly firmer feel.

PRECISION MANUFACTURING

The continued investment in advanced technology and quality control at Titleist Ball Plants 3 and 4 – where every Pro V1 and Pro V1x are manufactured by Titleist associates to the industry’s highest performance and quality specifications – ensures that every new generation of Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the best performing and most consistent models ever. Consistency from ball to ball, and dozen to dozen, a founding principal of the Titleist golf ball business, is critical to allowing golfers to consistently execute the same types of shots, round after round.

PLAYER VALIDATION

The introduction of new Pro V1 and Pro V1x in November 2018 across the worldwide tours resulted in immediate validation and success. Playing new Pro V1 for the first time in competition, Charles Howell III won the RSM Classic in a sudden-death playoff for his first PGA Tour victory in 11 years. Howell, who made the switch from 2017 Pro V1x, shot a final-nine 31 that included birdies on three of his final four holes to make the playoff.

“The 2019 Pro V1 for me is a home run,” Howell said. “I’m getting all the ball speed I had with the prior generation Pro V1x and more. Plus, the new Pro V1 feels softer to me around the green, which I prefer. Ball speed off the driver is a pretty hard and fast measurable whereas touch and feel around the green is player dependent. I go through a fairly rigorous testing process when it comes to new equipment, but it did not take long for me to put this ball into play seeing it gives me the best of both worlds.”

New Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have combined for six victories across five tours since the tour seeding and validation process began, including a comeback victory by Cameron Smith (Pro V1x) at the Australian PGA Championship. Additionally, Patton Kizzire (Pro V1x) and Brian Harman (Pro V1) teamed up to win the two-man QBE Shootout playing 2019 models for the first time.

To date, more than 200 players worldwide have put new Pro V1 and Pro V1x in play – including Bubba Watson (Pro V1x), Tyrrell Hatton (Pro V1x), Jimmy Walker (Pro V1), Billy Horschel (Pro V1x), Matt Wallace (Pro V1), Charley Hoffman (Pro V1), Ian Poulter (Pro V1x), Russell Henley (Pro V1x), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Pro V1x), Lucas Bjerregaard (Pro V1), Byeong Hun An (Pro V1x), Joost Luiten (Pro V1), Jazz Janewattananond (Pro V1), Ross Fisher (Pro V1x), Danny Lee (Pro V1x) and Thongchai Jaidee (Pro V1x) – as the tour seeding and validation process continues around the world.

The new 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls will be available in golf shops beginning Jan. 23, 2019, with the high optic yellow models available March 15 for $64.99 CAD.

Click here to learn more.