Allied Golf Association

The inaugural Allied Golf Association of British Columbia (AGA-BC) Symposium was held at the Richmond Country Club March 28, 2012 and from this meeting two committees for sport development have been created.

The logic for this is to analyze the recreational and competitive pathways for golf in the province of BC.

Overwhelming support was received from the Symposium attendees, which included numerous professionals from all areas of the golf industry to focus on moving forward with the creation of the committees.

Each will function in accordance to the guidelines provided in the Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) Strategy.

The CS4L Strategy is a framework created using the Long Term Athlete Development model, linking sport, education, recreation and health in an effort to change sport delivery in Canada.

Both committees will develop and implement their respective pathways for golf in British Columbia based on the fundamentals of the CS4L.On the creation of the committees, Doug Ferne,

President of the Allied Golf Association of British Columbia, was fully supportive and optimistic looking forward.”

The AGA-BC Board of Directors strongly supports creating and implementing sport pathways based on the Canadian Sport for Life Strategy,” stated Ferne.”The formulation of the competitive and recreational committees for sport development will greatly assist our mandate of providing ways and means to grow the game of golf in British Columbia. “Each committee was created through a rigorous screening and invitation process that targeted industry expertise and wisdom in the specific area of golf, either recreational or competitive.Doug Hastie, General Manager at Highland Pacific Golf, will Chair the recreational committee.

Other committee members will be Kathy Gook (Director School Golf, British Columbia Golf), Tara Roden (Teaching Professional, Gallagher’s Canyon GC), James Presnail (Head Professional, Gleneagles GC), Debbie Pyne (Managing Director of Player Development, British Columbia Golf), Barrie McWha (Executive Director, BC Golf House) and Drew Mitchell (Sport Technical and Performance Services, BC Sport Agency).

Fraser Mulholland, the Commissioner of the Vancouver Golf Tour, will be the Chair of the competitive committee. Other members include Debbie Pyne, Keri Moffat (Teaching Professional, Mayfair Lakes G&CC), Jody Jackson (Teaching Professional, Highland Pacific Golf), Bryn Parry (Apprentice Professional, Seymour Creek GC), Rob Anderson (Head Professional, Kelowna G&CC), Robert Ratcliffe (Golf Canada Men’s Assistant Coach), Mark Strong (Class “A” Professional, The Vancouver GC) and Marc Bowles (Athlete Development Advisor, Sport Centre Pacific).

Both committees will begin to work immediately on dissecting the Canadian Sport for Life Strategy in an effort to understand how its application to a recreational or competitive pathway will benefit golf in the province.

Great move for golf in BC.

Let’s focus on the basics and help today’s youth for a better swing from Tee to Green!!!!