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Welcome to the eNewsletter from the BC Golf House Society. I hope you will read it, and forward it to your friends in golf. The objective is to raise the level of awareness of the activities and the importance of this wonderful asset to the golfing community in British Columbia. Each month we will share articles that we hope you find interesting.
Please send your feedback on our newsletter and continue to look at our web site as we update the appearance and the content over the next couple of months.
Remember, golf is the game of a lifetime! Encourage a friend or relative to learn to play this year!
Sincerely,
Barrie McWha
Executive Director
2545 Blanca St., Vancouver, BC, V6R 4N1
604 222-4653 (GOLF)
www.bcgolfhouse.com
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BCGA and BC Golf House host the RCGA
In late January the Royal Canadian Golf Association held their annual general meeting in Vancouver. The BCGA hosted a reception for the delegates at the Golf Museum. For visitors from across Canada it was a treat to view the exhibits and collections and they all expressed great interest. It was a really enjoyable gathering of almost 100 golfers from all corners of Canada.
Incoming RCGA President Jack McDonald (left) and BC Golf House Director and University GC General Manager Michael Mather (right)
One nice aspect of the evening was the opportunity to congratulate the incoming President of the RCGA, our own Jack McDonald from Kamloops. Jack, a member of Rivershore G&CC has long served the BCGA and more recently as a Governor of the RCGA.
That evening it was announced to the group that the RCGA was re-branding to become Golf Canada from a consumer visibility perspective. This decision reflects some of the changes within the organization, not the least of which is to be the national sport organization for golf and therefore adopt the branding similar to Hockey Canada, Tennis Canada and others.
Interesting enough the BCGA is leading the change among many provincial golf organizations to become known as Golf British Columbia.
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Honoured Member of the Golf Hall of Fame Passes Away
We received the sad news March 1 that Dorothy Wilks passed away very suddenly. Dorothy was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame of BC in 2003. Dorothy won the BC Junior Girls title in 1953 and ’54. She also won the 1954 and ’55 BC Ladies Amateur and won it again in 1960 and 1975. Eight times she was the Victoria City and District Champion and six times Dorothy was the BC Senior Ladies Champion. On twelve different occasions she was a BC team member.
In recent years Dorothy had been caring for her husband and therefore wasn’t playing much golf. She was a member of the Gorge Vale G&CC.
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Hickory Clubs
Hickory golf is an aspect of the game that most current golfers have not had the opportunity to experience. We have assembled approximately 20 sets of clubs with authentic bags and will be organizing some 9 holes evening events at University Golf Club, the Home Course for BC Golf House. The package will include a sleeve of period golf balls so the experience will be a complete one.
The game was played differently back then (a 100 years ago) in that the focus was less on power and more on positioning. The game was played closer to the ground with bump and run shots being the norm……remember, wedges hadn’t been invented yet!
Interested golfers are invited to register by email with the office at BC Golf House office@bcgolfhouse.com and we will announce dates and costs in the next newsletter.
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The Tradition Golf Classic
 This year, the 23rd edition of The Tradition Golf Classic will be held at the beautiful and challenging University Golf Club on Wednesday May 26th.
The entry fee is unchanged at $250 per player and participants will get to enjoy a lunch before golf, a tee gift package, a great day of golf including a golf car, on a very memorable championship course, dinner and prizes. In addition there will be silent and live auctions with some unique and interesting items available for bidding!
Registration will be available as of 11:30 AM
Lunch will be ready for 12 noon
Shotgun start at 1:15 PM
Dinner and prizes at 6:15 PM
There will be four hole in one contests including a new automobile from MCL Motors.
A “Hickory Hole” will be held with prizes for closest to the hole and a hit the green competition. Clubs will be in the 100 year old range and period golf balls will be used.
Participants will have the convenience of entering the tournament and paying by credit card through the BC Golf House secure web site. VISA, Master Card and American Express are all accepted. Entries will still be accepted the ‘old fashioned way’, via Canada Post accompanied by cheques.
On behalf of the Tradition Golf Classic Committee, I encourage everyone to gather their team and get your entries in soon so you won’t be disappointed. Single entries are always welcome.
Launch our secure form to register »
Should you have any questions please contact the BC Golf House at 604-222-4653 or bmcwha@bcgolfhouse.com
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New Supporters of
The Tradition Golf Classic
We are very excited to announce that Cleveland Golf Srixon Canada of South Surrey has become a sponsor of The Tradition as well as becoming a corporate member of the BC Golf House Society.
G&G Golf Canada based in Langley have agreed to become a corporate member as well as becoming a sponsor of the tournament.
Impact Canopies Canada of Coquitlam has agreed to become a corporate member and sponsor as well. You will see some new and very attractive hole sponsor signs this year, thank to this fine company and their talented people.
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RCGA Position on the New Groove
Regulations for Clubs
 The Royal Canadian Golf Association in affiliation with the R&A and the United States Golf Association are revising the Rules of Golf, placing new restrictions on the cross sectional area and edge sharpness of golf club grooves. The revisions are designed to restore the challenge of playing shots to the green from the rough by reducing backspin on those shots. The initial focus of the new Rules will be competitions involving highly skilled professional golfers and will have little impact on the play of most golfers.
The Rules control the cross sectional area of grooves on all clubs, with the exception of drivers and putters, and limit groove edge sharpness on clubs with lofts equal to or greater than 25 degrees (generally a standard 5-iron and above).
The Rules apply to clubs manufactured after January 1, 2010. Clubs manufactured prior to January 1, 2010 that conform to current regulations will continue to be considered conforming to the Rules of Golf until at least 2024. This includes clubs purchased after that date from manufacturers' existing model ranges. So long as these clubs continue to be conforming they may be used for establishment and maintenance of a RCGA Handicap Factor.
It is intended that the new Rules will be introduced as a Condition of Competition at top professional-level events from January 1, 2010 and at top amateur level and in other professional events from January 1, 2014. In accordance with this schedule, beginning on January 1, 2010, the RCGA, in conjunction with the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour, will enforce the new regulations through a Condition of Competition for the RBC Canadian Open, CN Canadian Women’s Open and each of their respective qualifying events. The Condition will not be in effect at CN Women’s Tour events prior to 2014. It is anticipated that RCGA amateur championships will apply the new regulations through the Condition of Competition, after January 1, 2014.
Shaping Golf's Future
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Date
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Change
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Effecting
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Jan 1, 2010
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New specifications introduced on club-face markings.
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All new models of clubs launched after January 1, 2010. Existing models of clubs will continue to conform to the Rules of Golf.
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Jan 1, 2010
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Condition of Competition will be available to Committees requiring players to use clubs with markings which conform to the new specifications.
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Strongly recommended that this Condition should be introduced only on the major Professional Tours.
All other golfers, playing in competitions where this condition has not been introduced, can and should be permitted to continue to use old model clubs which do not satisfy the new specifications.
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Jan 1, 2014
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Condition of Competition will continue to be available to Committees.
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Strongly recommended that this Condition should be extended only to lower level Professional events and expert level amateur events.
Club level golfers can and should be permitted to continue to use old model clubs, which do not satisfy the new specifications.
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Jan 1, 2024
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Earliest date that the Rules will be applied to clubs manufactured prior to 2010. This date will be reviewed in 2020 and may be extended.
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All players, all abilities, all forms of play.
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Thought you might find this interesting...
...a conversation with USGA Technical Director Dick Rugge.
Some golfers maintain that new groove rules are a poor substitute for golf-ball legislation. The real problem, they say, is a modern golf ball that goes too far.
Not so, Rugge said, with conviction. His conclusion is that driving distance has stabilized. Looking at major professional tours around the world, he cited statistics that show that average driving distance has gone up only about 1 foot in the past six years.
On the PGA Tour, for example, the average driving distance was 286.3 yards in 2003 and 287.9 yards in 2009. Driving distance on the Japan Tour actually went down by a half-yard in the same period. The LPGA tour was up seven-tenths of a yard.
Several USGA officials indicated that research on high-lofted wedges (more than 60 degrees) is slowing and likely will result in no rules changes.
The reason: With new smaller grooves being played on the 2010 PGA Tour, players appear to be abandoning 64-degree wedges. This is happening because, with less grip provided by the grooves, the golf ball slides up the face of these wedges and produces a trajectory that is higher than desired.
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Meeting Space Available
Golf groups, Committees, Board of Directors...need a place to meet...BC Golf House...the perfect place to meet (catering available if needed), have a putting contest and tour the Museum and Hall of Fame. For information, please contact Barrie McWha at 604-222-4653 or bmcwha@bcgolfhouse.com
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Patrons Needed
Patrons are the financial lifeblood of any society and the BC Golf House Society is no exception. Please visit our website at www.bcgolfhouse.com and consider becoming a member.
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