Golf
May 2012
BRITISH COLUMBIA
GOLF
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Whistler Resort Where the world comes to play
The 438-yard par-4 18th hole at Nicklaus North Golf Course
Golf British Columbia is a regular insert of Pacific Northwest Golfer magazine
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Golf British Columbia
Fifty and counting Sometime early in the 2012 golf season will officially mark 50 years since I first swung a golf club. It wasn’t long after I started that I got my first set of from the clubs which was a hand-medirector down from my mother. In KRIS JONASSON those days we did not have British Columbia Golf Executive Director clubs specifically made for kris@bcga.org children but it was obvious that I could hit the ball much better with my mother’s clubs than with my father’s. Over the next 50 years I have invested in many different sets of clubs but I never forgot the lesson learned that being properly fitted with the right type of club will allow me to play to my full potential, no matter how inept that might be. Today we have multiples of different shafts for clubs, all with unique characteristics, and different materials for the head and even different size grips. So how is one to know which combination will work best and
allow one to perform to the best of their ability? Fortunately the answer is easy – work with a PGA professional. And that’s exactly what I did this spring to prepare for my 50th year. Technology has changed the way we perform everything we do in life today, and it’s no different in fitting golf clubs. At my club the golf professional arranges for Demo Days where all the major manufacturers bring in product. The pro shop is well stocked with all the different brands so you can look for something that pleases the eye and then book an appointment to test different configurations of the same club. Launch monitors give you measurements of spin rate, attack angle and a wide array of other stats that allow you to quickly move through different configurations to find a club that works best for your swing. Callaway Golf has gone one step further and now has indoor year-round fitting centers where you can book time and receive a written recommendation as to the correct loft, lie, shaft, grip and even golf ball that will perform best for you. If you wish to go one step further, you can book time with PGA professionals who have specialized in working with elite players. These
PGA members have received training, allowing them to evaluate your overall fitness, suggest a workout program and incorporate all of that into an equipment recommendation. I have watched PGA-trained coaches work with our elite players and seen firsthand how the proper strength and conditioning program, combined with improved nutrition, proper preparation and the right equipment has allowed performance levels to soar. These professionals have the knowledge to even work with nonathletes like me and can recommend small changes that will compensate for the physical inadequacies I have acquired over time. I plan to enjoy my 50th year in golf and I hope you enjoy your season as well. My one piece of advice to enjoy it more is to work with your PGA professional. He or she will help you be the best you can be.
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Golf British Columbia
Homeward Bound by Kent Gilchrist As an athletic munchkin of five, Anna Jane Eathorne thought her world revolved around a soccer ball. The miniature soccer pitch in Penticton, BC was where she acquired her nickname A.J. As she got bigger, her ball got smaller, but the short version of her dual first name stuck just like she used to stick her iron shots. Now she has brought her impeccably good name and zest for trying different things back home to the Okanagan from Phoenix to become the women’s teaching pro at Predator Ridge Resort. The 36-hole golf resort community above Vernon was where she practiced when she first turned pro and Dean Atkinson was her teacher and coach. Atkinson was the first head pro at Predator and A.J. his star pupil when she was closing out a successful amateur career and embarking on a can’t-miss pro career. That conclusion was easy after A.J. won three consecutive BC Women’s Amateurs from 1995-97 and the ’97 Canadian Women’s Amateur while attending New Mexico State where she was an all-American and ranked fifth in the NCAA in 1998. A series of swing changes necessitated by neck and shoulder problems turned the “can’t miss” label into a question mark and derailed a career that began with so much promise after two Futures Tour wins in 1998 and then a co-medalist finish at the ’98 LPGA qualifying school for the ‘99 tour season. A.J. finished third at the 1999 Longs Drugs Challenge for her high water mark as a pro. She also tied for sixth at the 2005 Michelob and was tied for 12th at the ’01 U.S. Women’s Open in an 11-year LPGA career. Her serious injury woes began when she had to withdraw from the du Maurier Classic, the Canadian major in 1999. A tendon injury in her wrist further complicated things in ’06. In her latest incarnation, at Predator Ridge, A.J. is being reunited with her first agent, former Canadian head of International
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Management Group, Brad Pelletier, who is vice president in charge of golf development at the resort for its owners Wesbild. Eathorne during her days as a caddie for PGA Tour player Kris Blanks. The hiring of A.J. and former two-time PGA Tour winner Richard Zokol in the last few months indicates the level of commitment to make Predator indisputably the No. 1 golf resort community in the country. They are bringing in course architect Doug Carrick to redesign the already impressive practice area of the 36-hole development. While the hiring of Eathorne had nothing to do with the planned range In 1997, Anna-Jane (“AJ”) Eathorne (second from left) received the inaugural improvements, it suggests A.J. has PNGA Women’s Player of the Year award. Among her accomplishments that stepped into a more defined career year, AJ won the BC Women’s Amateur and the Canadian Women’s Amateur. path than the ones she is leaving behind. moving here or just taking up the game and She will join Mike Soergal and Len Harvey moving here will approve and feel comfortable on the pro teaching staff at Predator and, with A.J.” because of her gender, she will concentrate For his part, Pelletier says, “A.J. is a on women players of all ages. That, of course, tremendous person. It makes a perfect doesn’t mean she would turn down male partnership and so much good sense to players who think they could learn something bring her aboard with her tremendously from her since her golf portfolio is so thick. honest perspective. With her personality it’s Passing on things she has learned, impossible not to like her.” however, is something new for her. While she The plan is to devote even more energy was involved in working on group clinics as and focus to instruction at Predator. an LPGA player and offering advice during her It is most definitely a new twist in the stint caddying for tour players Kris Blanks and career of Eathorne where the sport of golf is Brittany Lincicome (with whom she helped the only common denominator. From player win the Shoprite LPGA Classic last year) as their she became a caddie and now a teaching pro. caddie and amateur psychologist is one thing. She has gone from nearly constant traveling to She caddied on the PGA Tour for more than a staying put. full season toting the bag of American Blanks, Because the CN Canadian Women’s Open after she grew tired with the futility of trying to is in the Lower Mainland at the Vancouver Golf play regularly on the LPGA Tour. She finished Club in August, the question was would she last season helping Lincicome win. want to play in it just for old time sake? Taking on amateurs one-on-one will be “I think I have used up (all my sponsor something new, but expect her to be creative exemptions from Golf Canada) and I don’t and keep things light and interesting. think my game could be in the kind of shape it “She will be a key member of our team,” would need to be. “That doesn’t mean I won’t said general manager Rod Cochrane. “We be down there, and if someone needs a caddie think women who are golfers and thinking of or something….”
Photo courtesy PNGA Championships & Friendships
A.J. Eathorne returns to her roots to begin a new phase of her career at Predator Ridge
Golf British Columbia
She isn’t ready to say she has packed up her playing career, but she hasn’t played a tournament on the LPGA Tour since 2009 and only played in two tournaments that year. In 2008 (12 tournaments) she went over the $1 million mark in career earnings. “I don’t think I’ll ever give up the thought that I will get back to playing again,” she said after getting to Predator and being introduced to everyone and jumping right in with Soergal to get working on clinic plans. “But I’m enjoying being back in B.C. and the Okanagan. I just feel all warm and fuzzy that this is the right thing to do at the right time.” And she went home to the Penticton Golf Club on her first weekend back and discovered everyone at her old club had similar feelings she did. Kent (Cookie) Gilchrist recently retired as a five-day a week sports columnist/golf writer at the Vancouver Province newspaper. He has been writing about golf since Richard Zokol was a kid, the last 38 years at the Province.
Golf Fore Gals opens season Logo with url.pdf
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off this season at over 40 golf courses around BC, offering a full range of golf for woman of all ages and skill levels. Their mission is to provide women with a fun and safe environment to discover the game of golf, expand their skills and belong to the golf community. There are opportunities for play, lessons, networking, rules, etiquette and handicap seminars, making business contacts and developing friendships which last beyond the golf season. The club has over 200 members in three regions across the province including Fraser Valley, Vancouver and the Okanagan region. Each region offers a calendar of events that runs throughout the year. For the “snowbirds,” Golf Fore Gals also offers a fall and winter calendar with a selection of courses on Maui in Hawaii. Golf Fore Gals tees M
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There are three types of golf memberships: beginner program which features lessons, executive courses and seminars; a social membership for gals who “just wanna have fun” without a handicap factor; and a British Columbia Golf affiliated membership which includes access to the RCGA Network to establish a Handicap Factor and opportunities to compete in club and zone events. Golf Fore Gals offers women access to prime tee times at some of the best courses without having to pick up a phone – members log onto the website to choose their courses and tee times. Some courses offer regular weekday or evening play, others are destinations for weekends or out-of-town golf getaways. For more information call 866.967.9886 or visit golfforegals.com.
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Golf British Columbia
NEWS & NOTES BCG helps unveil Trout Lake Community Center
The state-of-the-art Trout Lake Community Centre in Vancouver was recently unveiled to the public. Trout Lake Community Centre boasts excellent facility attributes and programming opportunities that will be enjoyed by its East Vancouver community for years to come. Trout Lake has plans for over 200 different programs to be available to its membership, including golf. British Columbia Golf attended the ceremony to further strengthen its growing bond with the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and its commitment to the Canadian Sport for Life Strategy. Other notable attendees included the Mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson and a number of City Council members who were influential in making the idea of the facility turn into a reality. British Columbia Golf brought its userfriendly golf equipment to the unveiling. Trout Lake Community Centre provided a gymnasium that was shared with Tennis BC to showcase the indoor, facility-safe equipment sets. It was estimated that over 200 children were able to swing a golf club, many for the first time.
Richard (Dick) Lyle of West Vancouver was a recipient of Sport BC’s Presidents’ Award. Lyle, a longstanding staff member, volunteer and Director of British Columbia Golf, was honoured at Sport BC’s 18th Annual President’s Awards ceremony, held at River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond on March 8, 2012. The awards ceremony preceded Sport BC’s Athlete of the Year Awards. Lyle has been an active member and ambassador of British Columbia Golf for over 25 years, acting as a non-playing captain of four different Junior Boys’ Interprovincial Team competitions and as an official at over 100 provincial championships. Sport BC’s annual awards ceremony showcases the successes and hard work of athletes, coaches and officials in their performance and contribution to sport in British Columbia. Christopher McGrath has joined the staff of British Columbia Golf as the Manager of Communications and Marketing. Originally from Ontario, he has a Master of Science degree from the University of Memphis, and has previously worked for the Golf Association of Ontario. He is a Maple Leafs fan, and that is okay…for now.
Eric Thorsteinson of Black Mountain Golf Club in Kelowna has earned the Certified Club Manager (CCM) title with the Club Managers Association of America. The CCM title indicates that a club management professional has completed a rigorous course of study and training and shows a dedication to, proficiency and expertise in the club industry. Ann Carroll, a native of Vancouver, has been named Women’s Assistant Coach for Team Canada. She has been a member of the PGA of Canada for 20 years and is a two-time winner of the Ontario Ladies Amateur. British Columbia Golf, Curl BC and Tennis BC recently announced the creation of Sharing our Activities and Resources (SOAR), a new first of its kind partnership which will see all three Provincial Sport Organizations work together to deliver sports programming to elementary school children in remote regions of the province. For more information contact Kathy Gook, Director of School Golf at British Columbia Golf, at 604.279.2580 x135 or kathy@bcga.org.
“It is really important for us to show our support of Trout Lake Community Centre and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation,” stated Kathy Gook, Director of School Golf for British Columbia Golf. “We are trying to grow the sport of golf in British Columbia and being able to get the modified equipment into the hands of the Trout Lake community members was an excellent opportunity for us.” Trout Lake Community Centre is open to the public. Visit troutlakecc.com for more information on its programs.
This will only take a minute.
We’re convinced you’ll be smitten with Victoria’s new 18 hole championship course. Its rolling hills, stunning viewpoints and challenging dropoffs — your newest conquest. Bent grass greens, power carts with GPS, heavenly views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Olympic Mountains and downtown Victoria. You’ve fallen hard, and it only took a minute. Designated into the Top 100 Ranges in North America by Golf Range Magazine - only 1 of 3 in British Columbia.
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450 Creed Road, Victoria, British Columbia 6
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250.478.4653
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www.highlandpacificgolf.com
PREPARED FOR: HIGHLAND PACIFIC GOLF PUBLICATION: PACIFIC NORTHWEST GOLFER MAGAZINE INSERTION DATE: AUGUST
Golf British Columbia
Kathy Gook of Richmond has been named to US Kids Golf Top 50 Junior Teachers list. Kathy, the Director of School Golf with British Columbia Golf and organizer of the Playground to Fairway program (P2F), is the only Canadian recipient of the award for 2011. The P2F program is a cooperative effort between British Columbia Golf and its partners that introduces basic golf skills to schoolaged children throughout BC in a simple, safe and entertaining way. In 2011 alone, the program traveled to 141 schools in 40 different communities throughout the province. Robert Ratcliffe of Comox is the new Men’s Assistant Coach for Team Canada. A member of both the Canadian and British PGA, Ratcliffe has coached in England, Florida, Egypt, Alberta and British Columbia before joining Team Canada in 2007. He was the director of instruction at Crown Isle Resort in Courtney from 200709, and was the 2009 recipient of the BCPGA Teacher of the Year Award.
Glen Meadows Golf & Country Club Green Fees $27 thru $58 At 5,485-6,859 yds, suitable for beginners to pros. “Nine & Dine” Mon thru Wed $35
Visitors Welcome
www.glenmeadows.bc.ca
250-656-3921 1050 McTavish Road N. Saanich, BC Near Victoria, BC Ferries, and Victoria International Airport
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Photo by British Columbia Golf
Golf British Columbia
Anne Peabody and Miles Heyworth.
David Wood takes Richmond Country Club in new direction Although not without its complications, David Wood had what seemed to be one of the best jobs in Vancouver golf. True, Shaughnessy Golf David Wood and Country Club had a possibly finite future, with its lease expiring in 2032. On the other hand, as the venerable club’s general manager, Wood had presided over something of a golden decade, hosting two successful RBC Canadian Opens and providing stewardship that saw the A.V. Macan-designed layout at the mouth of the Fraser River climb into the top echelon of Canadian and North American course rankings. So, more than a few heads shook last fall when Richmond Country Club announced that it had hired a new general manager, and that this person was none other than David Wood. “Some people didn’t understand what I was doing, but I certainly did,” Wood says now. An Ontario native whose resume encompasses several aspects of the business from golf pro to food and beverage, Wood adds that he’s always been someone ready to take the next challenge. “I felt that it needed some management excellence.” Not that the Richmond club is a reclamation project. Created in 1958, and once a primarily Jewish club, it’s another A.V. Macan design that has proved itself up
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to hosting several national and regional championships. “The trees have grown up and the greens are very tricky,” says Wood of the 6,748-yard layout. Richmond CC will be the site of the CN Canadian Women’s Tour event on May 14-16 of this year (with the champion of the event being given an exemption into the CN Canadian Women’s Open). There is no waiting list currently, but membership is stable at some 900 families, which is very much the operative word. Richmond is the only full-facility country club in the province, with a pool, gym and indoor and outdoor racquet sports. “The future of golf is in families,” says Wood. “And Richmond is a family club.” Club president Malee Rubinstein had been in the position only a few months when former GM Scott Henderson handed in his resignation. She was already leaning on Wood, who has links to the club, for advice. “He planted a couple of little seeds, and I planted a couple of little seeds,” she says of his quick ascension to the top of a prospects list that included several good candidates. In the wake of Wood’s arrival the club has branded itself The Richmond Experience, and is putting together a new five-year plan. “We are delighted with the changes Dave has already made,” says Rubinstein. “The club is in a good place right now.”
– Jim Sutherland
Distinguished Service Awards given by British Columbia Golf At the recent Annual General Meeting of British Columbia Golf, Anne Peabody and Miles Heyworth were presented with a Distinguished Service Award for their unconditional support of amateur golf in the Province at the club, zone and Provincial level. Their dedicated volunteerism over the course of their careers has been unwavering and very much appreciated by everyone involved with golf in the Province.
Volunteer at the CN Canadian Women’s Open
The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. is the host venue for the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open, being held the week of August 20-26, 2012. The championship is the second of two Canadian stops on the LPGA Tour for 2012. Vancouver Golf Club, rich in history and located just 30 minutes east of Vancouver, previously hosted the LPGA Tour’s 1989 and 1991 du Maurier Classic. This is the only Ladies event to be hosted in the Vancouver area since the 2003 Canadian Women’s Open at Point Grey G&CC. In addition to funds raised for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the event is expected to generate an economic impact of close to $10 million for the province, including over $7 million in the Vancouver area. Visit cncanadianwomensopen.com or call 866-571-5742 for information on volunteering or ticket sales.