Discussions around the use of video evidence and viewer call-ins continue to evolve

In conjunction with the Rules Modernization Initiative, golf’s governing bodies have been discussing video evidence at length. In fact, a draft of language regarding video evidence and the use of such information was ready to be included among the proposed changes to the 2019 Rules of Golf.

Instead, a new decision to limit the use of video evidence was implemented immediately in order to address unintended consequences as a result of the increasing prevalence of technology in the game.

For some golf purists, who strongly stand by the game’s values of honour and integrity, this may provoke a negative reaction. It’s understood that players are responsible for knowing the rules and officials are there to assist and apply the rules.

Since the game is predominantly played without the supervision of a rules official, players are expected to report any violations and accept any incurred penalties from doing so no matter how severe.

Nevertheless the controversies at major championships, such as Tiger Woods incorrectly dropping from a water hazard at the 2013 Masters, Dustin Johnson’s golf ball slightly moving at the 2016 U.S. Open and Lexi Thompson misplacing her ball at the ANA Inspiration in April, continue to arise. These incidents, however, were only distinguishable through the use of video replay, which can be slowed down or zoomed in if necessary.

This new decision by the game’s governing bodies is intended to address that issue and outlines two standards for committees to limit the use of video. Firstly, when video reveals evidence that could not reasonably be seen with the naked eye, and secondly, when players use their reasonable judgment to determine a specific location, point or distance when applying the rules.

Golf’s governing bodies have also formed a working group of LPGA Tour, PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour and PGA of America representatives to immediately begin a comprehensive review of broader video issues, including viewer call-ins, which arise in televised competitions.

Ultimately the responsibility of any rules official and tournament committee is to protect the field and ensure everyone plays to the same standards. On the flip side, this mandate also protects the players and prevents microscopic details from determining champions.

To view the full text of the new Decision 34-3/10, click here.

This article was originally published in the Summer Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine

Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally helps with controlling your various wedge distances.

There is great debate around when specializing a child in a sport should occur. Most believe the earlier the better, but is that really best?

If you want your child to become a professional golfer, figure skater, or other high-performance athlete, when should they specialize in that one sport?

It’s a question that often generates heated discussion among coaches and sport parents. All too often, in most sports, children are pushed to specialize too early.

Too many coaches and parents push them to focus on one sport long before high school in the belief that they will miss out if they don’t. The thinking is that they need to “get ahead of the pack” by putting in the extra hours and staying away from other sports.

Meanwhile, research suggests that specializing too early probably prevents most kids from reaching their full potential in their sport. They might win the district championships for Grade 8 or Grade 10 basketball, but that will be their peak achievement. They won’t make the cut for the national team and go on to have success in their given sport internationally at age 19.

It seems counterintuitive. How could specialization reduce your success? It’s connected to physical literacy and the need to develop a wide range of physical, mental and emotional skills within sport. When researchers look at top athletes across a range of sports, the majority of them are distinguished by broad athletic ability from playing a variety of sports as children. This kind of broad athleticism doesn’t happen when kids specialize in one sport from an early age.

(Please note: We haven’t even mentioned the problem of overuse injuries to tendons, ligaments and bone growth plates due to premature specialization. There’s enough research on that subject to write a book. Premature specialization is also linked to kids dropping out of sports early.)

Is early specialization wrong for all sports? No. But research shows very few sports where it helps. Sports and activities such as gymnastics, figure skating, diving and dancing generally require early specialization. To reach the highest levels of competition, your child needs to start young and spend most of their time practising that sport or activity.

However, sports such as golf, hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball and tennis are late-specialization sports. If you want your child to have a chance to go to the highest levels in these activities, the evidence suggests they should also play other sports until at least age 14. This is called sampling or early diversification.

When you feel the urge to make your child specialize early, remember that Steve Nash didn’t even start playing basketball until he was 13 years old. Wayne Gretzky started hockey young, but he also played baseball, lacrosse and tennis into his teens.

The debate between early specialization and multi-sport participation among children is one of the many topics presented in the Long-Term Player Development Guide for Canadian golf. Find out more at golfcanada.ca/ltpd.

This article was originally published in the Summer Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum held a press conference on Saturday at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club during the third round of the 2017 CP Women’s Open.

This season, 18 junior golfers are participating in Alberta Golf’s expanded development program. Once labeled the “Development Team”, the regional concept is now more accessible and has since doubled its capacity from last year.

“Every fall, we invite juniors based on their Order of Merit points. We take in players who earn their spot based on points. But this season we thought: why don’t we open this up to more people and give more players who want to participate the chance? There was one boy who wrote to Alberta Golf saying, ‘Hey, I’d love to be a part of the program. What are the chances and what are the opportunities?’ This year, we were able to say, ‘Of course, yes.’ If a kid’s skilled, sure, but if he shows initiative and that he’s keen and wants to play and get better, he’s in.” says Team Alberta Coach, John Deneer.

The program is a gateway to making the Team Alberta U19 squad. It’s designed to help 13 to 17 year olds develop their competition skills.

“If they’re good enough to qualify for the Development Program, they can swing a golf club. They know how to hit golf shots. This program shows them what else they can do to kind of keep that improvement going. It shows them how to prepare for competition, how to practice, how to get their body right, how to eat right, etc. – things they maybe don’t think about or have never thought about. At this age, many of them are starting to try to find and secure a university golf scholarship. This helps them potentially get a few steps ahead of guys who aren’t doing everything that they could be doing,” says Deneer.

From January to September, players are taught how to prepare physically and mentally for competition. They learn to work as a team, setting goals together for their upcoming season.

“Off season is a lot of getting to know each other. Players have a chance to chat with anyone at any time. We go over sports psychology. I’ll get the kids to do some tests on how to control emotions, nerves, how to acknowledge them, how to see them coming and what they effect. Then leading up to and during events, we’ll talk about nutrition and fitness goals.”

Once competition season picks up, Deneer sees the players regularly, focusing on course management. Many of the players have a similar competition schedule allowing them work as a group leading up to matches.

“I’ll get them to really focus on areas of their game that they can see is costing shots. They focus on what they need to improve on at the time. Then maybe a week to five days prior to a tournament, we’ll try and play a practice round. I’ll go and play a practice round with all the teammates, all the program kids, and we’ll do course mapping. We look at the golf course and we try to set a game plan for that tournament. Then we just sit down and chat and discuss how to play certain holes, why they should do that and what they should avoid.”

Deneer has been involved with the program for three years. He has worked with program graduates, like current Team Canada Development squad members, Max Sekulic and Chandler McDowell. He says that if the players apply the concepts and work hard, results will come.

“You can see that what we’re doing is working. The kids who really take hold and are committed to all the steps and the processes often make the U19 team, and they continue to play great. I can see confidence growing in the kids. When they’re in the program, with the other juniors, they feel a part of something. Just being accepted into the program, I can tell that many of them feel like they believe that they are good players. Their confidence and their play improves.”

This year to join, players are only required to pay a nominal fee of $500. The remaining half is covered by Alberta Golf’s sport development budget with funds provided by membership dollars. Along with coaching, the players receive Team Alberta uniforms and equipment.

Deneer says that they’ve worked hard to ensure that the program remains “very affordable” and that he and the organization “don’t want people not to be able to participate due to costs.” He says that players usually only participate for a few years before they advance to higher levels.

“I think we’re hoping, that the 13 to 15 year olds are only here for one or two years and that they step up to the top team. That’s the goal of this program. We’re helping them here, but we don’t want them to stay here. We want to get them to move up.”

The success of the program has even started to draw attention from other provinces. “Talking to some of the parents from different provinces, they are just so impressed with all the options and training we have for our kids. It’s very cool,” he says.

Overall, Deneer believes that as the years go on, the U17 Regional Development Program can only get better. He says he loves to watch what’s possible and what could be next.

“As much as the kids learn about their game and what they have to do, I learn as a coach. I learn what worked, or maybe certain things I have to change about my communication style, my scheduling, my everything. It’s nice knowing that we’re improving. I get to see how this program is going, and I’m already thinking about ways to make it better and what else we can do to help more kids. To me it’s never ‘this is it.’ It’s what can we continue to do to make this program better.”

John Deneer has been a PGA of Canada golf professional for 12 years. He has worked at various courses, helping in a variety of areas, until a significant life event caused him to ultimately focus on his passion for working with kids. “I suffered a pretty significant brain injury. Then once I was going through all the rehab, and everything was getting better, I thought: why am I spending my time doing a job, like in the golf shop per say, that I don’t enjoy fully? Then I started to think about what I wanted to do. I thought, I love working with kids, I love coaching, I love mentoring, why don’t I focus on that? That happened six years ago, and as soon as I got cleared to get back to work, I focused fully on kids and I know that’s never going to change.”

Deneer is a certified Coach of New Competitors, having taken multiple PGA of Canada seminars and learning from numerous coaches in the industry. On top of overseeing Team Alberta’s U17 Development Program, this will also be his tenth year running the Bearspaw Country Club junior program.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shares some expert tips to help you with chipping around the green.

Watch her perform in person this summer at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club from Aug. 21-27 – tickets are available here.

MEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at The Toronto Golf Club dominates this week’s Top-10 rankings.

No. 3 Josh Whalen picks up 33 places in the world ranking after finishing third at the Canadian Amateur, taking low-Canadian honours at the tournament.

Despite missing the cut at the Canadian Amateur, Chris Crisologo picks up 21 places in the world rankings and moves up to No. 5 in Canada, surpassing fellow B.C. golfer and collegiate rival Lawren Rowe, who finished tied for 37th at the event.

Matt Williams gained 81 spots in the world rankings following his tie for eighth at the Canadian Amateur to move past Austin James into the No. 7 spot in the Canadian rankings.

James gained 32 places in the world rankings after finishing tied for 37th at the Canadian Amateur.

Making his Top-10 debut is Calgary’s Emmett Oh. The University of Houston graduate jumped 62 places in the world rankings to take over the No. 10 spot in the Canadian rankings after finishing tied for 22nd at the Canadian Amateur.

Outside the Top-10, Henry Lee gained 130 spots in the world rankings and climbed up from No. 17 to No. 12 in Canada as a result of finishing tied for 22nd at the Canadian Amateur.

Also making their top-20 debut is Johnny Travale, who climbed 133 spots to take over the No. 19 spot in the Canadian rankings after he finished 34th at the Canadian Amateur.

Biggest move: Kyle Chung gained 826 spots in the world ranking after finishing runner-up at the AJGA Under Armour Canadian Championship. Chung tied for second following a four-hole playoff, recording his second straight top-5 finish at the event after finishing tied for fifth last year.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

Significant movement at the bottom end of the Top-10 standings. Selena Costabile made the biggest move of the week, climbing 61 places in the world rankings to move up from No. 12 to No. 9 in Canada.

Monet Chun rejoins the Top-10, picking up 12 places to move from No. 13 to No. 10. The Team Canada Development Squad member was part of the bronze medal winning women’s team at the Canada Summer Games. Chun herself finished fourth in the individual standings.

Biggest Move: Emily Zhu gained 251 spots in the world rankings after the Richmond Hill golfer finished tied for third at the AJGA Under Armour Canadian Championship. That result comes on the heels of her tie for fourth the previous week at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shares some expert tips to help you get out of greenside bunkers.

Watch her perform in person this summer at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club from Aug. 21-27 – tickets are available here.

92 ladies teed it up at the Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club for a fun-filled day of team net best-ball competition

Female golfers of all ages and from every corner of the province attended the annual Alberta Ladies Team Classic at the beautiful Stewart Creek G&CC. The team of Keenan and Green had the days best score of 13 under par, 58. A portion of the entry fees for the Alberta Ladies Team Classic are donated directly to the Canadian Cancer Society in support of cancer research and the Golf Fore the Cure program.

• Full results
• Photo album

A special thanks to the staff at Stewart Creek G&CC and all of the member clubs who donated prizes in support of this event. See below for more information on Golf Fore the Cure and how to run your own event at a local facility.

About Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru

We are passionate about growing the game of golf in this country. Introducing women to the game and providing them with opportunities to develop their skills is an integral part of Golf Canada’s efforts to foster female participation nationwide. Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru is one of those opportunities.

The Golf Fore the Cure program, presented by Subaru, is the largest national grassroots female recreational golf program in Canada. The program was created to grow women’s participation in the game of golf by introducing them to the sport through fun, non-intimidating activities, while also featuring unique partnerships with the Canadian Cancer Society and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation that add awareness and fundraising components to support the fight against breast cancer.

With the help of volunteers from across the country, the Golf Fore the Cure program has exposed more than 100,000 women to the game of golf and raised $5.1 million dollars in support of breast cancer research initiatives over the past eight years.

The Golf Fore the Cure program is all about using the sheer power of women playing the game of golf to make a difference.

The annual Golf Fore the Cure campaign culminates in a National Event that recognizes the outstanding efforts of female golfers from across the country. It is a celebration of the success of the entire Golf Fore the Cure campaign and it recognizes all those that have contributed to a future without breast cancer. In September, individuals, friends, and corporate teams come together to enjoy a great day of golf, food and camaraderie.

Why Run a Golf Fore the Cure Event?

• Golf Canada and Subaru continue to offer this program at no cost to you
• Funds raised at each event can be allocated to help fund breast cancer support and information programs within your community
• Receive a free event kit with prizes, signage and all necessary tournament materials
• Join the Canadian Cancer Society in the fight against breast cancer and contribute to this meaningful cause that touches thousands of women each year
• All sites registered will be entered into a draw to win a Fitbit Flex and Golf Canada Prize Pack!

When and Where Can I Register?

6 Easy Steps to Planning a Golf For the Cure Event Infographic

Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru event registration is now open for the 2017 season. Register your site and secure your event date by clicking here.

For more information and to fund-raise online, click here, or contact:

1-800-263-0009 x495
gftc@golfcanada.ca