Like many of you, I’ve always been diligent about maintaining an accurate handicap. The reasons are ridiculously obvious: I want to know if my game is improving (or not) and I want to ensure that when I compete in net events, I’m being honest and equitable with my fellow competitors.

I never really thought about the mechanics of the system, perhaps because I was too lazy or disinterested to read through the ponderous Handicap Manual (now called the Rules of Handicapping). I gave full credit to the boffins who came up with the convoluted doorstop but never cared to interview the geniuses behind the curtain.

And then, this year, along came the World Handicap System.

Perhaps because of the restrictions due to COVID-19, golfers had more time on their hands. In any case, I’ve never been asked more handicap-related questions at the course or on social media. So, taking a cue from the manuals that accompany your new car or fridge or TV, here’s my version of a “Quick Start Guide” for the World Handicap System.

Why a new handicap system?

Why not? Golf now has both a globally recognized set of Rules as well as a worldwide handicap system. Even if you never travel outside Canada, you can be assured you are playing the same game as every other golfer around the world. The new system may require some tweaking after it’s been in effect for a while but it’s doubtful there will be another significant revision in the near future.

How does the new World Handicap System work?

At one of the meetings of the 23-member committee tasked with creating the new system, a USGA delegate compared understanding the intricacies of the handicapping system with air travel.

“I have no idea how an airplane works. I don’t understand jet propulsion, aeronautics and so on, but I trust that when I get on that plane, it will get me safely to the destination I intended.”*

Likewise, the process of coming up with the World Handicap System would make your head spin, so just concern yourself with the final outcome.

But if you’re in quarantine or a masochist or one of those aforementioned boffins, you can review the Rules of Handicapping here.

Has the Course Handicap calculation changed?

Yes. To your benefit. Under the old system, there might have been just a two- or three-shot difference in your Course Handicap from the front to back set of tees, despite the fact that those tee decks might be separated by 1,500 yards.

Under the new system, that difference now might be 10 to 12 shots because the par of the course has been integrated into the calculation.

Why doesn’t my Handicap Index go up when I post a high score?

Under the old system, the low 10 of your most recent 20 scores were used to calculate your Handicap Index. Under the new system, the low eight are used. So that bad score may not enter into the calculation. Similarly, using the most recent eight scores instead of 10 may have lowered your Index.

What the heck is Net Double Bogey?

“Net Double Bogey” has replaced the old Equitable Stroke Control system (ESC).

Now everyone’s maximum score for handicap purposes is net double bogey. Simply put, this is the par of the hole PLUS two strokes (double bogey) PLUS any handicap strokes you may be allowed on that hole.

If you don’t want to have to figure that out when you’re posting your score, let the Golf Canada Score Center do it for you. When you enter your score hole by hole, the Score Center automatically adjusts for net double bogey.

And for those of you complaining about posting scores hole by hole: You play the game hole by hole so why not post your score that way? It takes only a couple of minutes and provides some interesting data.

Here’s my Super Easy Quick Start Guide:

Post all your scores hole by hole immediately after your round. Let the Golf Canada Score Centre take care of the rest. And check out the new app which makes the process even easier.

(*Thanks to Craig Loughry, Director of Golf Services at Golf Ontario, for this anecdote and other invaluable assistance with this article. Loughry was the Canadian representative on the World Handicap Operations Committee.)

With ongoing uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, Golf Canada continues to evaluate all aspects of our business to make informed and responsible decisions within the best interests of our athletes, staff, volunteers, host clubs, partners and other stakeholders health and well-being.

Golf Canada has made the decision to cancel the 2020 NextGen Prairie Championship that was scheduled to be held June 12-14 at Quarry Oaks Golf Club.

The decision to cancel this competition was not taken lightly, but we believe it is the best course of action. The safety and well-being of our competitors, tournament staff and volunteers along with our host site members and staff are paramount to Golf Canada. We also appreciate that all Canadians are dealing with health and travel concerns along with more pressing matters of uncertainty.

Golf Canada has also made the decision to cancel all 2020 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge Provincial Qualifier events and this includes the Manitoba event that was scheduled for July 5, 2020 at St. Charles Country Club. Golf is only beginning to get underway in most regions of the country and it was the lack of time for facilities to run local qualifying events, combined with the current provincial restrictions on group gatherings that led to this decision.

At this time, the Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event remains on the event schedule, set for August 30 at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Golf Canada will continue to monitor the guidelines of government and health experts to assess any impact to the event. Should the National Event be hosted as scheduled, Golf Canada will operate under the previous qualifying structure whereby the top-ranked players from across the country on the online National Leaderboard, in each of the four age categories, will be invited to compete at the event.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2020 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge program schedule, which now includes 10 Provincial Qualifiers hosted at member clubs across Canada and will conclude with the 12^th edition of the Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, BC on August 29-30.

Important Dates for 2020:

• Facility Events:

July 19, 2019 – June 22, 2020 at local Future Links facilities

• Local Provincial Qualifier:

July 5, 2020 at St. Charles Country Club

• National Event:

August 29-30, 2020 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, BC

To become an official Future Links Junior Skills Challenge site, a facility must register with Future Links – providing access to program materials and online login information. Offered to golf facilities across Canada at no cost, the objective of the program is to develop key golf skills, while serving as an important introduction to competition.

Following registration, facilities can host a Junior Skills Challenge event at a date of their choosing (not required to report to Golf Canada). Once the event has been completed, players scores are entered to the National Leaderboard by the site coordinators. Participants can track their results to see how they measure up to other players in their age category across their own province or across Canada. The four age categories are 8 and under, 9 to 11, 12 to 14 and 15 to 18 years old. Future Links facilities will host Junior Skills Challenge events between July 19, 2019 and June 22, 2020.

Beginning in 2020, the program structure includes the addition of another level of qualifying events, at the provincial level. On Monday, June 22, 2020 at 12:00pm ET, Golf Canada will select the top four (4) ranked players in each province, in each age and gender category and invite them to compete in their respective Future Links Junior Skills Challenge Provincial Qualifiers. Each province will host a Provincial Qualifier between July 3, 2020 and July 20, 2020 and report scores to Golf Canada thereafter.

Following the Provincial Qualifiers, the top four competitors, in each age and gender category, with the highest scores nationally will be invited to compete in the 2020 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event, hosted by Golf Canada. The National Event will take place on August 29-30, 2020 at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, BC.

For more information and to renew your registration or to register your facility, please visit or log-in at https://futurelinks.golfcanada.ca/

Team Manitoba finished in 5th place at the 2019 Golf Canada Canadian Senior Men’s Championship that was held September 10-13 at the Ceder Brae Golf Club in Scarborough, Ontario. The team of Garth Collings (Breezy Bend Country Club), 2019 Senior Men’s Champion Mike Walker (St. Boniface Golf Club) and Bruce North (Carman Golf & Curling Club) posted a two-day team score of 297 to put them at +13 for the event and 15 shots back of the winning team from Alberta in the inter-provincial team competition.

Final team results >>

Individually, both Garth Collings and Bruce North made the cut and finished T15th and T38th respectively. Ken Warwick of Niakwa Country Club also made the 36-hole cut finishing in 66th place.

Final individual results >>

Next on the national stage, Team Manitoba heads out to the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, New Brunswick for the 2019 Golf Canada Canadian Junior Men’s Championship. Jacob Armstrong (Southwood Golf & Country Club), Neel Soni (St. Charles Country Club) and Josh Shuster (Pine Ridge Golf Club) will represent the province in the inter-provincial team championship August 12-15.

Also playing in the event and from Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario include Jack Taylor (Elmhurst Golf & Country Club), Jack Moro (Chapples Golf Club, Thunder Bay) and Jordan McDonald (Breezy Bend).

Austin Dobrescu of Shilo Country Club continued his hot play this season with a T31 finish at the Golf Canada Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship that was played August 5-8 at the Glen Arbour Golf Course and The Links at Brunello in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia. Dobrescu, a member of Team Manitoba that finished 5th in the Willingdon Cup inter-provincial team championship, was the lone Manitoban to make the cut in this year’s event shooting rounds of 76-74-72-71 for a 293 total. Equally impressive in his feat, Dobrescu was in a tie for 11th for Canadians who made the cut in what has now become a top international event on the world amateur golf circuit.

See final leaderboard >>

Adding to his impressive finish at the Canadian Amateur, Dobrescu, who plays collegiate golf for the Chicago State NCAA Division I Cougars, started the season with a win at the Golf Manitoba Match Play Championship, finished T3rd in the Elmhurst Invitational and had a runner-up finish in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship.

Upon his return to Manitoba, Dobrescu will have little time to rest as he was recently awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the 2019 Players Cup, the local stop on the PGA Tour Canada Mackenzie Tour, that will take place August 12-18 at the Southwood Golf & Country Club.

The 2019 Manitoba Senior Men’s and Women’s Championship is happening July 29-31 at the Rossmere Golf & Country Club. The first round started today with tee times beginning at 9am. Both Rhonda Orr of Southwood Golf & Country Club and Bruce North of Carman Golf & Curling Club are in the field hoping to defend their 2018 titles.

The top three men at the conclusion of the event will form the inter-provincial team that will represent the province at the 2019 Golf Canada Senior Men’s Championship that will be held September 10-13 at the Cedar Brae Golf Club in Scarborough, Ontario. The top three women at the conclusion of the women’s event will represent the province at the 2019 Golf Canada Senior Women’s Championship that will take place August 18-20 at the Osoyoos Golf Club in Osoyoos, British Columbia.

To follow the championship scores, please follow Golf Manitoba on Twitter or view the leaderboards below:

Men’s Leaderboard >> http://bit.ly/2MqaloE

Women’s Leaderboard >>http://bit.ly/2Oo4rad

The 2019 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship is officially underway.  This year’s event is being played at the Red Deer Golf & Country Club from July 23-26. Representing Team Manitoba in the inter-provincial competition are Marissa Naylor of Pine Ridge Golf Club, Veronica Vestesnik of Southwood Golf & Country Club and Hannah Diamond of St. Charles Country Club. The team of three will play 36-holes with the best two scores of three counting toward the team total.

Also in the field from Manitoba include Shannon Wales of Glendale Golf & Country Club, Bobbi Uhl of Shilo Country Club and 2019 Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Champion Greer Valaquenta who plays out of Southwood Golf & Country Club.

View the leaderboard >> bit.ly/2YccfLV

The 2019 Golf Manitoba major championship season tees off July 2-4 with the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur & Women’s Amateur Championships. Both events will be contested at the Selkirk Golf & Country Club.

Selkirk Golf & Country Club has hosted many Golf Manitoba events and championships and will be a great test of golf. The course plays anywhere from 5761-6520 yards, to a Par of 71 for Men and 73 for Women. Almost every fairway is tree lined and calls for accurate tee shots. The green speed will be a test for the field traditionally running at a speed of 10 on the stimp meter and are known for their many undulations.

Both defending champions will lead the 95+ player field. Justin McDonald of Breezy Bend will defend his 2018 Mid-Amateur title and Camryn Roadley of Southwood Golf & Country Club will defend her 2018 Women’s Amateur title.

Diamond Athletic is the host sponsor for 2019 and with that brings some event enhancements including an increased travel honouraium for those players who qualify to represent Team Manitoba in the Golf Canada Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the Golf Canada Women’s Amateur Championship as well complimentary access to the Selkirk practice facility for all competitors during the competition.

For more information about the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur and Women’s Amateur including scoring, please visit our competitive schedule page at golfmb.ca.

About Diamond Athletic Medical Supplies:

Diamond Athletic Medical Supplies is a local family-run supplier of athletic and medical supplies and has been in business since 1946. Diamond Athletic is located at 75 Poseidon Bay, Unit 185 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Learn more at diamondathletic.com.

For more information:

Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204.925.5730
jared@golfmb.ca

Winnipeg, MB – Physical Education Teachers from the Seven Oaks School Division and staff from the Lorette Golf Course are the newest members to receive PGA of Canada Community Golf Coach training. PGA of Canada golf professional and Community Golf Coach Facilitator Glen Sirkis, lead the session at the Sport Manitoba Sport for Life Centre on Thursday, May 16.

Community Golf Coach is a training program designed by the PGA of Canada in conjunction with the Coaching Association of Canada and Golf Canada to develop and educate individuals at the community sport level.

The PGA of Canada’s Community Golf Coach training workshop is designed for the individual who works with children or youth to introduce the basic skills of golf to them. The workshop helps to prepare Coaches to run Future Links, driven by Acura programs by focusing on a variety of coaching components from the basic rules and etiquette of golf, safety, equipment, using modified games and of course teaching the basic skills of golf.

The training session is a new initiative from Golf Manitoba that is focusing on sport development in the school system. By training and certifying educators and community leaders, Golf Manitoba is able to expand its Golf in Schools capacity thereby introducing more young girls and boys to the sport with physical literacy in mind. The training initiative was made possible by funding from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation.