It may be our nation’s 150th birthday but Canada is providing a gift to you.

Courtesy of Parks Canada, all Canadians — and guests too — are encouraged to enjoy the beautiful and majestic landscapes of our nearly 10,000,000-square-kilometre country.

Any individual, group or family just needs to sign up for a free 2017 Discovery Pass, providing unlimited opportunities to enjoy National Parks, National Historic Sites and National Marine Conservation Areas across the country. (Normally, entry into one of Canada’s National Parks costs anywhere from $8 to $10 per day.) Each pass, which expires Dec. 31, 2017, is valid for everyone arriving in the same vehicle at a national park, or arriving together at a marine conservation area or historic site.

At some locations, the Discovery Pass may not cover separate fees for activities, tours, camping or parking. Green fees fall under that category too, but the experience of golfing in a National Park can be priceless. Courses within National Parks of Canada include the following:

Cape Breton Highlands (Cape Breton Highlands National Park, NS)
Clear Lake Golf Course (Riding Mountain National Park, MB)
Fairmont Banff Springs (Banff National Park, AB)
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (Jasper National Park, AB)
Fundy National Park Golf Course (Fundy National Park, NB)
Gros Morne Golf Course (Gros Morne National Park, NL)
Revelstoke Golf Club (Mount Revelstoke National Park, BC)
Twin Rivers Golf Course (Terra Nova National Park, NL)
Waskesieu Golf Course (Prince Albert National Park, SK)
Waterton Lakes Golf Course (Waterton Lakes National Park, AB)

Several other layouts — though not inside a National Park — are located within minutes by car, including Radium Hot Springs (Kootenay National Park, B.C.), Club de golf St-Ignace (Kouchibouguac National Park, N.B.), Oak Bay G&CC (Georgian Bay Islands National Park, ON), Erie Shores G&CC (Point Pelee National Park, ON), Stanhope G&CC (Prince Edward Island National Park, PEI)and Smuggler’s Glen Golf Course (Thousand Islands National Park, ON).

If you’re a Tiger Woods fan, you will not be disappointed when The 1997 Masters: My Story (256 pages, Grand Central Publishing) is released on Monday, March 20. Actually, you don’t need to keep reading this. Just buy the book.

But if you’re more a fan of the fine and literate writing we have been accustomed to during the long and highly respected career of Tiger’s collaborator on the book, Lorne Rubenstein, well, you might want to read on.

I’ve known Rubenstein, an honoured member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, for more than 30 years. So when he tells me, “I’m not doing any interviews for the book. It’s Tiger’s book, not mine,” he means it. Even the note from the publisher accompanying my review copy did not mention Rubenstein’s name.

Disappointing, to be sure, as Rubenstein was the ideal choice to lift, clean and place all the interviews with Tiger and other historical information into what is unquestionably an interesting read.

More of that process can be gleaned by a publicity piece Rubenstein wrote for the publisher, citing the time they spent together in Tiger’s office as well as the many phone calls.

“I was provided the opportunity to dig deep into the mind of a golfer who had accomplished amazing things in the game,” says Rubenstein, who was at that 1997 Masters.

“Tiger’s recollections went from one story to another, and from one period in his career to another. We were having a conversation as much as I was conducting an interview. This led to many time shifts in the book. Tiger reflected on other majors he won, and as he considered matters both on and off the course: his workout regime, the equipment he used, and changes in equipment over the years, his childhood and relationship with his parents, incidents of racism that he had encountered, his views on where he is now in his game and life off the course.”

As the title states, the book is a blow-by-blow account of the 1997 Masters where Tiger, just 21 years old, won by an astounding 12 shots. Guided by video of that historic victory, Tiger walks the reader through not only every shot, but also the mental and psychological machinations that produced an astounding rebound from that 40 on his opening nine holes.

It also gives, as Rubenstein states above, guarded glimpses into his early life, amateur career, and his off-course existence which, as we all know, had more than its share of notoriety. Architectural buffs will enjoy his opinionated evaluation of the changes to Augusta National since he won there for the first time.

It is written in the first-person and represents as close as any of us, except Rubenstein, will have to a conversation with one of the game’s most fascinating and talented and, simultaneously, infuriatingly private individuals.

So, in hindsight, you have to respect Rubenstein, the author of 13 previous books, for his editorial laryngitis. Now you can go buy the book.

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“Long” has been a millstone around golf’s neck, suffocating the growth of the game.

Rounds take too long. And courses are too long.

But the Longleaf Tee System might change all that.

Several years ago, U.S. Kids Golf founder Dan Van Horn started “scaling” the length of courses that hosted his tournaments to make them playable for all participants, no matter what their ability or skill level.

When his U.S. Kids Golf Foundation purchased Longleaf golf course near Pinehurst, N.C., in 2015, he, with the assistance of Bridgestone Golf, synthesized the related data he had accumulated over the years and hired architect Bill Bergin to create the first totally scalable golf course with seven sets of tees ranging from 3,200 to 6,600 yards. Van Horn calls Longleaf “a living laboratory for growing kids and family golf.”

Now a joint initiative of U.S. Kids Golf Foundation and the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the Longleaf Tee System “is designed to help every player enjoy the game and help every course provide for their customers,” says Van Horn.

“Appropriate tees will mean better scores, a faster pace of play and more golfers eager to return and play more. There is no gender or age restriction. It is the opportunity for excellence for every player.”

For example, Van Horn’s data indicated that the female bogey golfer should be playing a course of about 3,800 yards, a distance that is practically non-existent at the vast majority of courses.

A fundamental element of the Longleaf Tee System is the unique range setup. Beginning at 100 yards, there are colour-coded posts, with numbers corresponding to each of the tee decks. Players hit a few drives before their round and then match their average carry distance to the most closely associated numbered pole. That is the recommended tee deck for them. The gender-neutral tee decks are rated by the USGA for both men and women.

Bergin has integrated the concept into the master plans of three of his upcoming projects. Fellow ASGCA member Ian Andrew from Brantford, Ont., supports the concept as well. He cites the experience of his young son playing for the first time from tees where he could reach greens in regulation.

“That completely changed his view of the game and I’ve used that example to encourage all the clubs I work with [to build a series of shorter tees] ever since. You build forward tees for people who would play more if they were less intimated.”

Toronto-based course architect Jeff Mingay says the Longleaf Tee System is “an admirable, well-intentioned idea, particularly as it relates to introducing kids and other newcomers to golf on a manageable, fun course.

“Ironically, though, I get resistance to shortening courses, particularly from women who react as if I’m trying to delegitimize the course by making it easier.”

Bergin has a counter argument.

“Par for most women at most golf courses is really around 90. Their enjoyment level is lessened because they have to hit too many of what I call ‘irrelevant’ golf shots between the two shots that really matter: the tee shot and the approach shot. With the Longleaf system, they can select the correct tee based on how far they hit their driver, score better, have more fun, play faster and now every shot is relevant.”

The Longleaf concept is universal and applicable to just about any course, new or existing. Forward tee decks don’t necessarily need to be formally constructed. Keeping in mind shot values, forced carries and other design considerations, the new tees could simply be leveled and cut to fairway height.

It enhances the Tee It Forward initiative, which encourages golfers to play a course commensurate with their ability, by providing actual teeing grounds at appropriate distances.

As Bergin says, the Longleaf Tee System represents the first real attempt to grow the game “by adapting the course to the player, rather than forcing the player to adapt to the course. I think it is the answer for everyone—beginners, kids, seniors, men, women. There’s the right course for every golfer.”

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The board of directors of British Columbia Golf was held up as a shining example of inclusion at the United States Golf Association’s North American Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver.

“What makes the organization unique and quite frankly unique in golf, as well as unique generally in business, is the nature of inclusion that exists on the board of directors,” the USGA’s Steve Schloss told the symposium at the Marriott Pinnacle hotel.

“Every organization around the world is asking themselves the same question: how inclusive is our board, how effective is the board serving its customers, serving the members, and in this case you have an organization that has far exceeded what most boards do. They have become consciously aware of how to be inclusive to serve their particular marketplace.”

British Columbia Golf executive director Kris Jonasson and four members of the 12-member board of directors — Patrick Kelly, Helen Jung, Jasvinder Dhaliwal and Michelle Collens — participated in a 45-minute session entitled Driving Innovation through Inclusion.

Jonasson told the audience that in recent years British Columbia Golf had cut the size of its board to nine from 50 when the men’s and ladies provincial golf associations amalgamated in 2004. Two years ago, he asked the board to approve adding three more members to help make it more representative of B.C’s diverse golfing population.

“We started to look around and we looked at a lot of the demographic data . . . and we said, you know what, when we show the population of British Columbia who the board of the golf association is, it doesn’t look like the same people that are out on our golf courses. We needed to change that.

“We recognized that we couldn’t do it in a reasonable period of time with only nine people on the board so we said to the nominating committee at British Columbia Golf, we want to increase the size of the board to 12, we want to use those three additional spots to make sure we are more reflective of who actually plays golf. That’s how we got to where we are today.”

Jung, who is of Korean descent, is director of golf at Belmont Golf Course in Langley. She said her background helps her at a club that gets a tremendous amount of play from Metro Vancouver’s growing Korean population.

Kelly, who also serves as president of British Columbia Golf, drew applause when he spoke about how the membership at his course, Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria, got youngsters from a nearby First Nations reserve involved in the club’s junior program.

About three years ago, Kelly was informed by a fellow Gorge Vale member about some problems the course was having on weekends. The course borders one of the communities of the Songhees First Nation and on Friday and Saturday nights, some of the band’s young people were hopping the fence and doing some partying on one of the greens.

Kelly was asked if he could speak to the band’s elders and he did a lot more than that. With the blessing of Gorge Vale’s membership, he asked the band’s elders if they would be interested in having some of their young people join the club as junior members.

“They had never been asked before in all the 77 years up to that point and the reaction was very positive,” Kelly said. “We now have 15 First Nations juniors involved in our junior program and they are integrated with everybody else. All the members play with them, help them understand the game and we all provide whatever we can to help them out.

“The other interesting thing about that is the issues on that hole, ever since we took this initiative, have totally disappeared. It’s great.”

Golf Canada and adidas Golf today announced an agreement that will see adidas Golf become the official apparel and headwear outfitter for Golf Canada’s National Team Program.

The adidas Golf performance products will be worn by Team Canada athletes, coaches and sport science staff in training as well as during competition at domestic and international golf championships.

“We are honoured to be a part of the Team Canada program—supporting the next generation of elite Canadian golfers,” said Lesley Hawkins, Brand Director for adidas Golf. “A key area of focus for adidas Golf is the growth of the game through the pyramid of influence, and Golf Canada has done a tremendous job connecting with these athletes. We’re very excited to kick off the 2017 season together.”

The partnership marks the second Golf Canada program to be supported by adidas Golf, who are also the official apparel partner of the Golf Fore the Cure program.

“The adidas mark is rooted in elite athlete performance and we are thrilled to have them align their brand with Team Canada as our official apparel outfitter,” said Golf Canada Interim Chief Executive Officer Jeff Thompson. “Performance is the foundation of our partnership and the athletes and coaches are excited to train and compete in adidas Golf’s leading edge competitive apparel.”

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule was announced Tuesday, featuring 12 events from May to September in 2017 as players look to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR.

The season will once again begin in May with the Freedom 55 Financial Open (May 29-June 4) at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C., with purses of $175,000 (CA$) for the first 11 events and a $200,000 purse for the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship (Sept. 11-17) at Highland Country Club in London, Ont.

“Our host organizations have done tremendous work to establish our tournaments for this season, and thanks to the support of our sponsors we have a wonderful slate of events from coast to coast again this year,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “Our goal remains to provide players with the opportunity to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR while making a positive impact in the community, and we look forward to making an even greater impact this year.”

With 11 events confirmed, a 12th event taking place prior to the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship will be added to the schedule in the coming weeks.

Mackenzie Tour players will look to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR by leveraging their performance into advantages to reach the next level. The Order of Merit winner will be fully exempt on the Web.com Tour for the following season, with Nos. 2-5 earning conditional status. Those players Nos. 2-10 will earn an exemption into the Final Stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament while Nos. 11-20 will earn an exemption into the second stage.

Players will look to follow in the footsteps of PGA TOUR winners Mackenzie Hughes, Tony Finau and Nick Taylor, who are among the 10 PGA TOUR-era (2013-present) alumni competing on the PGA TOUR this season. 40 Mackenzie Tour players from 2016 went on to earn Web.com Tour status for this year and will look to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR.

Off the course, Mackenzie Tour events will look to build off a record-breaking 2016 season that saw more than $1 million donated to charity, bringing the total since 2013 to more than $2.1 Million.

After beginning the season with the Mackenzie Tour’s first event in Vancouver, the Tour will head to Victoria, B.C. for the 35th playing of the Bayview Place DC Payments Open presented by Times Colonist (June 6-12) at Uplands Golf Club, followed by the GolfBC Championship (June 12-18) at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club in Kelowna, B.C. The Players Cup returns to Pine Ridge Golf Club in Winnipeg, Man. (July 3-9), followed by the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel in Thunder Bay, Ont. (July 10-16) and the inaugural Mackenzie Investments Open at Les Quatres Domaines Golf Club in Montreal, Que. (July 17-23), after which the top three players on the Order of Merit earn exemptions into the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR.

The season resumes in Alberta, with the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON at Windermere Golf and Country Club in Edmonton (July 31-August 6) and the ATB Financial Classic at Country Hills Golf Club in Calgary (August 7-13), followed by the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops at Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. (August 15-21).

The season’s home stretch begins with the Cape Breton Open at Bell Bay Golf Club in Baddeck, N.S. August 28-3, followed by an event to be added in near future. The top 60 players on the Order of Merit through 11 events will retain exempt status and play their way into the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship at Highland Country Club in London, Ont.

Although the logos of the USGA and the R&A dominate the wave of communications accompanying last week’s announcement of the proposed modernized Rules of Golf, picture a tiny maple leaf-shaped asterisk there as well.

Since 1952, when the separate Rules committees of the USGA and R&A came together to develop a single set of Rules, there has been a Canadian delegate on the Joint Rules Committee (JRC). This makes us unique in the world of golf as the USGA oversees the United States and Mexico and the R&A governs play in the rest of the world, with the exception of Canada.

For the past four years, that representative has been Dale Jackson of Victoria, B.C., in his capacity as Golf Canada’s Chair of Rules and Amateur Status. Although Jackson stepped down from his Golf Canada role at last month’s Golf Canada annual general meeting, he will continue to participate on the JRC for at least another year in the interest of continuity.

Jackson’s timing allowed him to be a part of golf history, witnessing the best Rules minds in the world blowing up the existing Rules and reformulating a new code consisting of just 24 Rules rather than the current 34. The last major shake-up of the Rules came in 1984; before that, there were significant revisions in 1899, 1934 and 1952.

But literally none of the previous episodes had torn the existing Rules apart like this one, which began in 2012 with what Jackson calls the “Rules Modernization Project Team” comprised of volunteers and staff from the USGA and R&A, plus representatives from the PGA Tour and European Tour. And Jackson, of course.

“The objective was to take every single line in the Rule book, every Rule, every note, every exception, and say, ‘How can we do this better? What makes more sense? What are the alternatives? What is the history behind this? Why does this exist?’”

In some cases, says Jackson, it was a case of “back to the future” in that the modernization project team found a former Rule was preferable to its modern version. Jackson points to the proposed Rule allowing the flagstick to remain in the hole while players are putting as a prime example. Until 50 years or so ago, that was permissible, but under the current Rule, if a player on the putting green putts the ball and it hits the flagstick while in the hole, he incurs a two-stroke penalty.

Jackson marvels not only at the incredible amount of time and energy poured into the project by all concerned, but the dedication and single-mindedness of everyone involved, no matter what organization they represented.

“Everyone on the team was pulling in the same direction,” Jackson says, “with the same goal: Make the Rules better, simpler, easier to understand, easier to apply on the golf course.”

While he says the proposed new Rules address most of the challenges faced by the modernization project team, one major bugaboo remains: the stroke-and-distance situation.

“Everyone, especially at the recreational level, realizes that hitting the ball out of bounds off the tee or hitting it out of bounds from the fairway and having to go back to play another stroke, especially on a busy golf course, is really difficult.”

Jackson says the modernization project team spent an inordinate amount of time searching for the answer and continues to do so.

“What we are hoping for is, by putting all this out there for anybody and everybody to review, that somebody comes up with a solution that works.”

Although the current Rules remain in effect until the new version becomes official on Jan. 1, 2019, golfers are encouraged to review them, play by them and provide comments and reaction back to the USGA and R&A by Aug. 31.

For details on the proposed changes in the Rules and to voice your opinion, visit www.usga.org or www.randa.org.

Scott Simmons, the outgoing CEO of Golf Canada after 10 years on the job, doesn’t want to talk about a “legacy.” He prefers “framework.” He also discounts “challenge,” substituting “opportunity” whenever the former word is mentioned.

When Simmons took over in 2007, he might have done well to recognize Charles Dickens’ opening sentence in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

A decade ago, the landscape of golf was shifting, as it continues to do. The demographic, economic and related tectonic plates that had hoisted the game to historic levels were settling, even faltering.

But, typically, Simmons saw not a challenge, but an opportunity.

The year before he took over, the Royal Canadian Golf Association had been anointed as the National Sport Federation for golf.

“I saw this as such an exciting time for the game to leap forward in Canada,” Simmons said in an interview. “It was a unique opportunity for a traditional association, which had been known only as the ‘governing body of golf’ to evolve into the National Sport Federation [NSF] for golf in a country which has such a love of the game.

“If I had to give one reason for taking the job, that would be it.”

In full disclosure, I have known Simmons for more than 20 years. We worked together in the early 1990s at the RCGA. I was director of communications. He was my counterpart on the marketing side. We both left to pursue other interests eventually. He to private industry, me to, well, I remain unsure.  It was a pleasure, and I mean that sincerely, to work with him on many projects, including the infancy of what now is Future Links and Golf in Schools. I was always impressed by his passion for the game. That passion was, and remains, genuine.

If you want the boilerplate checklist on what he is most proud of as he departs, you can have a look at his sayonara message in Golf Canada’s annual report. It’s impressive.  Of course, he didn’t do it all on his own. It required the valued input of Boards of Directors, provincial associations, national associations and other contributors.

Nonetheless…

The thumbnail sketch of his “legacy” includes developing an ongoing strategic plan for the association, a much-needed revision of the organization’s governance model, introducing “Golf Canada” as the public-facing brand, securing long-term sponsors for our men’s and women’s national Opens, introducing a new membership model, revitalizing the Golf Canada Foundation and numerous other checkpoints.

“I love this game and I thought, 10 years ago, that I could bring a different perspective and energy and give something back to golf,” says Simmons. “Aside from building on the NSF designation and the other achievements, I am most proud of the success we have had in getting kids involved in golf.”

When I spoke to Simmons recently, he had just returned from a meeting with the folks looking for his successor.

He suggested to them that, among other items, their criteria should include the ability to continue to expand the framework he established over the past decade, specifically to strengthen the relationships with all international, national and provincial golf associations.

I would suggest some other criteria. Visionary, communicator, diplomat, marketer, ambassador, administrator, hide of an elephant…

But not golfer.

Simmons’ advice to his successor is that they prepare to “see a lot of golf courses and not play any of them.”

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to announce that Montreal natives Judy Darling Evans and legendary golf club maker Robert (Bob) Vokey have been elected as the 2017 inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Darling Evans will be inducted under the player category while Vokey will be inducted as a builder. With their inductions, the Quebec duo will become the 78^th and 79^th honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and their tremendous impact on the game of golf and it is without question an honour welcome Judy Darling Evans and Bob Vokey as our newest honoured members,” said Sandra Post, Chair of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. “During her competitive career, Judy was fierce and accomplished competitor while the Vokey name has become synonymous with excellence in craftsmanship. Their respective elections exemplify the diversity of talent represented among the members of the Canadian Golf Hall Fame.”

During her stellar amateur career, Darling Evans, 79 was a dominant force in Quebec and Canadian women’s amateur golf with a resume that includes three Quebec Junior Girls’ titles (1953, 1956 & 1957); six Quebec Women’s Amateur titles (1957-1961, 1972); and a Quebec Women’s Senior title (1988); three Quebec interprovincial team titles; a Canadian Junior Girls title (1957) and a pair of Canadian Women’s Amateur victories (1960-61). She also represented Canada at the 1959 and 1963 Commonwealth Games and in 1998, her accomplishments were recognized with induction into the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame.

A product of a proud golfing family, she and her mother Dora are the only mother-daughter duo to have both won the Quebec Ladies Amateur Championship and the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

“Just last weekend I was at the Honda Classic at PGA National where I live, and I was cheering on Graham DeLaet who was well under par, when my phone kept buzzing and I ran home to find Sandra Post had called,” said Darling Evans about getting the call from the Selection Committee.  “She told me that I had been selected to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. I was overwhelmed and shed more than a few tears. It was the most wonderful surprise. I would like to thank Sandra and the Selection Committee for bestowing this honour on me. It is truly a great privilege to be in the company of such distinguished and accomplished honored members and I am very excited about the upcoming ceremony this summer at Glen Abbey.”

Born in Montreal and raised in Verdun, Que., Vokey has become one of the world’s foremost wedge designers and trusted short game advisor to many of the modern game’s greatest golfers. His innovative designs have made Titleist Vokey wedges a trusted brand among golfers of every age and skill level.

Over his illustrious career, Vokey, 77, has designed wedges for many of golf’s notable players including Seve Ballesteros, Lee Trevino, Bernhard Langer, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, as well as Canadians Mike Weir, Ian Leggatt, Graham DeLaet and Brad Fritsch.

“I’m truly humbled by this incredible honour. This is something I would never have dreamed of as a young boy growing up in Verdun, working in my Dad’s machine shop. I’ve never forgotten where I came from, so to see my name on the same list of Canadian golf legends is overwhelming. I have always been surrounded by passionate, hardworking people who love the game as much as I do. This honour really is a reflection of everybody that has provided me the opportunities to live out my passion over the past 50 years in golf.”

Darling Evans and Vokey will be officially inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame during ceremonies to be held later this year.

About Judy Darling Evans….               

For nearly a decade, the name Judy Darling Evans was synonymous with amateur golfing success. She was born on October 6, 1937 in Montreal and was first introduced to the game at Whitlock Golf Club where her grandfather, J.A. Darling—a Quebec Amateur champion himself— served as the club’s first president.

Through the years, the Darling family was an institution at the Whitlock club. Judy’s father, Bill won 11 club titles as well as the Western Canada championship. Her mother, Dora, twice captured the Québec Women’s Amateur crown and won the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in 1936. Her sister Mary was a three-time Québec junior champion. As well, her brother Brian was twice named to the junior interprovincial team and was a five-time member of the Québec team in matches against Ontario.

Darling Evans first joined the Whitlock club at the age ten, although she had begun swinging a club almost as soon as she could walk. In 1953, her family also held membership at Royal Montreal Golf Club, although she continued to compete under the Whitlock banner. It was during her time at Royal Montreal that she was

It wasn’t long before Judy earned a formidable reputation in the junior ranks. In 1952 she finished runner-up in the Québec Junior Girls’ Championship as a 14-year old and then the following year captured her first Québec Junior Girls’ title. Her domination in Québec junior ranks continued with a runner-up finish in 1955, before winning her second of three Quebec Junior crowns in 1956. She would go to capture national attention with a runner-up finish at the 1956 Canadian Junior Girls’ Championship.

By age 19 she had become one of the province’s elite players. In 1957 she captured the first of five consecutive Québec Women’s Amateur crowns (1957-1961), earning her the distinction of becoming the first golfer to win both the Quebec Junior Girls and Quebec Women’s Amateur titles in one year. She carried that success to the national level by capturing the 1957 Canadian Junior Girls’ crown.

Judy’s domination at the provincial and national level earned a selection to the Canadian women’s golf team competing in the 1959 Commonwealth Games in St. Andrews, Scotland. She would help Canada finish second at the four-nation event.

In 1960, after graduating from McGill University, she would finish runner-up in the Canadian Ladies’ Close Amateur Championship before winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. The victory was historic as it marked the first time a mother-daughter duo – her mother Dora won the Open title in 1936 – would have their names inscribed on the Duchess of Connaught Trophy. That year she would rank third in voting for Canadian Female Athlete of the Year.

In 1961, Darling Evans captured her record fifth consecutive Québec Ladies’ Amateur title and went on to successfully defend her Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship crown. She was again nominated for Canadian Female Athlete of the year, eventually finishing second in the balloting. Later that year Judy Darling would wed Douglas Evans.

The summer of 1962 brought different joy with the birth of her first child, daughter Katherine. Eight months later, after taking more than a year off from golf, Darling Evans accepted the invitation to play for Canada in the 1963 Commonwealth matches in Australia. Those Commonwealth matches were to be her last hurrah as a competitor as she redirected her focus toward family life.

Competitive golf made way to recreational enjoyment as her family grew to include four children, Katherine (1962), Cynthia (1964), Tracey (1967), and Daphne (1969). In 1970, she rejoined Royal Montreal Golf Club and two years later entered the Québec Women’s Amateur Championship. Although she had spent nearly a decade away from competitive golf, her talents led to capturing her sixth Amateur title in 1972.

Amateur golfing success continued into her later years with a win (1988) and runner-up finish (1989) at the Québec Senior Women’s Championship.

Darling Evans career as one of Canada’s most accomplished amateurs was recognized with induction into the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.

About Bob Vokey…..

Bob Vokey was born in 1939 in Montréal, Québec. and credits his early inspiration in club design to the summers he spent with his father, a fine tool and die maker who had a penchant for golf and enjoyed tinkering with equipment.

He was a three-sport athlete in hockey, baseball, and football growing up and his talents on the football field led to a professional stint with the Québec Rifles of the United Football League as a punter, receiver and safety. He moved to Southern California in 1965 to work for AT&T laying telephone lines and it was during this time that he developed a passion for golf and the tools required for golfers to play their best.

In 1976, he pursued his passion by opening Bob’s Custom Shop which offered club building and repair services. From there, it didn’t take long for the ‘Bob Vokey’ name to become synonymous with craftsmanship within the South California golf community.

In 1986, he joined TaylorMade as their primary club builder in the company’s Tour department. It was during this time that he developed relationships with players such as Lee Trevino, Seve Ballesteros and Mark O’Meara.

In 1991 he joined Founders Club and continued to gain the trust of the game’s greats including Lanny Wadkins and Peter Jacobsen with performance products that included the TV-1 Irons, Founders Forged and Fresh Metal Plus metal woods.

In 1996, the lead club designer at Titleist, Terry McCabe, asked Vokey to join him in the R&D and Tour Departments. His first project at Titleist was assisting with the final design of the Titleist 975 driver, which quickly became the No. 1 driver in play on the PGA Tour in 1996.

Shortly thereafter, Titleist CEO Wally Uihlein entrusted Vokey with the task of driving the company’s wedge business. The 456.14 wedge was the first Vokey Design wedge in play on the PGA Tour when it debuted in the summer of 1997 and introduced to the consumer market in 1998.

Vokey’s innovation with wedge design introduced popular concepts such as bounce and grind into golf equipment lexicon. The 400 series Vokey Design wedges delivered the finest in product design and committed service to the world’s best players and were complimented by 200 and 300 series wedges from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, Vokey Design wedges became the No. 1 wedge in play on the PGA Tour, a distinction of excellence that continues today.

In 2005, Vokey’s innovation introduced the Spin Milled groove cutting process, which ultimately led to Vokey Design wedges becoming the No. 1 wedge in the world’s largest consumer market, the United States, in 2009, a market leadership position it has held now since 2011.

Vokey and his design team continue to focus on innovation and in 2016 introduced ‘progressive centre of gravity’ to the wedge category with the Spin Milled 6 models. The technology represented another leap in wedge design from custom sole grinds, to spin milled grooves and centre of gravity precisely positioned based on loft. Each innovation to this day is grounded in Vokey’s commitment to the golfer, and his mission to deliver the best in wedge play performance.

Earlier this year, his contributions to the game were honoured with election into the Quebec Hall of Fame.

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.