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

Today (March 30, 2020), Golf Canada is announcing its decision to cancel or postpone the events listed below.

Golf Canada has cancelled the following 2020 NextGen Championships: 

• NextGen Pacific | May 14-17 | Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, Qualicum Beach, B.C.
• NextGen Ontario | May 21-24 | Listowel Golf Club, Listowel, Ont.
• NextGen Western | May 27-30 | River Spirit Golf Club, Calgary, Alta.
• NextGen Québec | June 4-7 | Owl’s Head Golf Club, Mansonville, Qué.

Golf Canada has postponed the following 2020 RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers: 

• Ontario Qualifier | May 14 | TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, Caledon, Ont.
• British Columbia Qualifier | May 19 | Meadow Gardens Golf Club, Pitt Meadows, B.C.
• Québec Qualifier | May 21 | Club de golf Pinegrove, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué.

Golf Canada has also decided to postpone the 2020 Canadian University/College Championship:

Canadian University/College Championship | May 24-28 | Club de golf Les Quatre Domaines, Mirabel, Qué.

Golf Canada has cancelled all National Rules and Course Ratings Seminars:

• National Rules Seminar (BC) | March 27-29 | Marine Drive Golf Club, Vancouver, B.C.
• National Rules Seminar (NB) | March 27-29 | Royal Oaks Golf Club, Moncton, N.B.
• National Rules Seminar (ON) | April 3-5 | St. George’s Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Ont.
• National Rules Seminar (QC) | April 24-26 | Elm Ridge Country Club, Montreal, Qué.
• National Rules Seminar (SK) | April 24-26 | Riverside Country Club, Saskatoon, Sask.
• National Course Rating Seminar April 26-27

The USGA previously announced the cancellation of local (first stage) qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Open in its current form. They are working with their Allied Golf Association (AGA) partners and International Federations to redesign qualifying going forward.

The decision to cancel or postpone these events was not taken lightly, but given unprecedented times, we believe it is the best course of action. The safety and well-being of our championship 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.

We share in the disappointment of those affected and thank all for their understanding during this extraordinary time.

A complete list of Golf Canada’s competitions is available here.

We Are Golf (The National Allied Golf Associations/NAGA) are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our members, golfers, staff, volunteers and industry stakeholders as well as every Canadian in the communities where we live, work and play.

The COVID-19 crisis is an unprecedented and difficult time for Canadians. We Are Golf fully supports the recommendations and guidelines of Health Canada, the World Health Organization and regional public health experts to stop the community spread of the virus. As leaders in an industry that employs more than 300,000 Canadians and includes nearly six million golfers from coast to coast, our priority above all else is the health and safety of our people and our communities.

Where governments have not mandated the temporary closure of golf courses, operators of those facilities should take every health and safety precaution. We Are Golf also advocates for the essential need for golf course property maintenance during any of the temporary closures to be ready for operation while taking every health and safety precaution.

We look forward to better and healthier days and when the time is right for Canadians to return to recreational normalcy, clubs and courses will be ready to welcome golfers back to the tee.

TOKYO – The Tokyo Olympics were postponed until 2021 on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation that the games could not go ahead as scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee made the decision after speaking with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and local organizers.

The IOC said the games will be held “not later than summer 2021” but they will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community,” the IOC said in a statement.

Before the official announcement, Abe said Bach had agreed with his proposal for a one-year postponement.

“President Bach said he will agree `100%,’ and we agreed to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021 at the latest,” Abe said, saying holding the games next year would be “proof of a victory by human beings against the coronavirus infections.”

On Sunday, Bach said a decision on postponing the games would be made in the next four weeks. But pressure grew as national federations, sports governing bodies and athletes spoke out against having the opening ceremony as planned on July 24.

Four-time Olympic hockey champion Hayley Wickenheiser was the first IOC member to break ranks with Bach’s stance that the games would go ahead as planned when she publicly criticized the body’s unwavering strategy.

After the announcement to postpone the game, she wrote on Twitter that the decision was the “message athletes deserved to hear.”

“To all the athletes: take a breath, regroup, take care of yourself and your families. Your time will come,” she wrote.

The decision came only a few hours after local organizers said the torch relay would start as planned on Thursday. It was expected to start in northeastern Fukushima prefecture, but with no torch, no torchbearers and no public. Those plans also changed.

“For the time being, the flame will be stored and displayed in Fukushima,” organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said.

The Olympics have never before been postponed, and have only ever previously been cancelled in wartime.

Organizers will now have to figure out how to keep things running for another year, while making sure venues are up to date for possible another 12 months.

“A lot can happen in one year, so we have to think about what we have to do,” said Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the organizing committee. “The decision came upon us all of a sudden.”

The IOC and Tokyo organizers said they hope the decision to postpone will help the world heal from the pandemic.

“The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present,” the IOC statement said. “Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.”

March 18, 2020 

Memo from the Nova Scotia Golf Association 

In light of the heightened global concerns surrounding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the NSGA is closely monitoring Health Canada and provincial resources as well as consulting with various partners including Golf Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and others. 

COVID-19 is something that the entire sport and golf community both internationally and domestically are taking seriously, especially with respect to the health and well-being of our people as well as any potential impact on our athletes or events. 

Immediate Travel, Meetings and Workplace Safety 

As an immediate precaution, the NSGA has cancelled all in-person meetings until further notice. In addition, all staff have been asked to work remotely in order to support social distancing measures. 

Educational Seminars 

To support social distancing the NSGA is developing additional online seminars for rules and handicap education and we will be exploring the capacity to conduct online testing for certifications.

Annual General Meeting

Our operations will move forward and so will our need to operate under our bylaws. As such we are required to host an Annual General Meeting which has been tentatively scheduled for the weekend of April 18 & 19, 2020. Our plan is to move forward with this date, however the meeting will be conducted via a web conference to maintain social distancing.

A final decision and further details regarding the AGM will be circulated on or before March 29, 2020.

Championships 

The 2020 championship schedule is set to open on April 1st. The following procedures have been established for all NSGA Championships during the 2020 season. We recommend competitors enter any events scheduled in which they intend to play this season. In the event NSGA cancels the championship or the competitor needs to withdraw, entry fees will be 100% refunded. 

Should the NSGA be required to cancel championships a notice to competitors will be circulated 21-days prior to the start of the Championship. In the event of a cancelation the NSGA will process full refunds to all participants within 5-days of the notice to cancel. 

Championships will be cancelled not postponed. These procedures will remain in place through the duration of the 2020 championship season. 

Preventative Measures 

The following are a number of safety precautions that all of us should take into consideration as pro-active health measures for themselves and others:

• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-hand sanitizer, 

• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, 

• If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve, 

• Stay at home when you are sick. 

These measures may seem simple, but they are very powerful ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick, especially during a heightened period where health and wellness are top of mind. 

COVID-19 Information and Resources

Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness has additional resources available for individuals including the online COVID-19 resources which can be found HERE

Further resources and information regarding the outbreak can found on the Health Canada website 

Individuals interested in learning more can also find regular global updates related to COVID-19 distributed by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Protecting Our People 

The health and wellness of our volunteers, staff, athletes, and stakeholders is our top priority. We thank everyone for their cooperation with the outlined precautionary measures as we learn more about, and react to, the ongoing developments around COVID19. 

Should anyone have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly. 

David Campbell 

Executive Director 

Nova Scotia Golf Association 

902-468-8844 ex 1 

david@nsga.ns.ca 

Mississauga, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada’s 2020 Annual Meeting culminated on Saturday, February 29 with the re-election of Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué., to serve a second term as the National Sport Federation’s President.

Beaulieu will continue to lead Golf Canada’s Board of Directors with Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont., remaining in the position of 1st Vice-President and Dale Jackson of Victoria continuing in the role of 2nd Vice-President.

Based on the report of Golf Canada’s Nominating Committee, Beaulieu, Hoffman and Jackson will be joined on Golf Canada’s 2020 Board of Directors by Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg, Man., Susan MacKinnon of Calgary, David McCarthy of Toronto, Adam Daifallah of Montreal, Jean Stone-Seguin of Ottawa and Patrick Kelly of Vancouver. Paul Beaudry of Calgary and Alison Chisholm of Rothesay, N.B. have also joined the Board as Directors at Large.

Annual Report & Financial Statements

Click here to read Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the organization’s 2019 Financial Statements, which were released during Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting.

Bill MacMillan selected as Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year

Bill MacMillan of Eastern Passage, N.S., was named the 2019 recipient of the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award. MacMillan has been a golf tournament official and major contributor to Handicap and Course Rating for more than three decades. This marks the 14th year in which the association has honoured volunteers for their efforts and commitment to grow the game in their community. Going forward, the citation has been renamed the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award in honour of Toronto native Bruce Mitchell who in 2017-18, became the first Canada to serve as Captain of the R&A. Click here for more on Volunteer of the Year honouree Bill MacMillan.

Richard Smith and Ian Hutchinson honoured as Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award

This year’s recipients are a pair of long-time contributors to the sport of golf – volunteer Richard Smith of Regina, Sask. and golf journalist Ian Hutchinson of Newmarket, Ont. Created in 1993, Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been presented annually to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada. Click here for more information on the 2020 Distinguished Service Award honourees.

Golf Canada’s 2020 Annual Meeting took place February 28-29 at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel and Suites in Mississauga, Ont. It was conducted in partnership with Golf Ontario, who scheduled their respective Annual General Meeting activities to take place in conjunction.

For a complete list of NSGA Championships please click here.

• Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championship
• Men’s and Women’s Senior Championship
• Junior Boys and Girls Championship
• Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship

• $500 per team member for the Canadian Women’s Amateur (Ile Bizard, PQ)
• $1000 per team member for the Canadian Junior Boys (Kamloops, BC)
• $500 per team member for the Canadian Junior Girls (Loretteville, PQ)
• $1000 per team member for the Canadian Men’s Amateur (Calgary, AB)
• $250 per team member for the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur (Rothesay, NB)
• $500 per team member for the Canadian Senior Women (Bromont, PQ)
• $1000 per team member for the Canadian Senior Men (Qualicum Beach, BC)

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Bill MacMillan of Eastern Passage, N.S. has been named the 2019 recipient of the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award.

A golf tournament official and major contributor to Handicap and Course Rating for more than three decades, MacMillan will be acknowledged during a dinner on Friday, February 28 as part of Golf Canada’s 2020 Annual Meeting at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel in Mississauga, Ont.

“Volunteers are the driving force behind the success of golf in this country and we are proud to recognize Bill MacMillan for his deep contributions to support the game of golf in Nova Scotia and at the national level,” said Golf Canada President Charlie Beaulieu. “Bill’s contributions to the sport, especially in the important areas of Rules, Handicapping and Course Rating have had a major impact and it is fitting that his efforts through volunteerism are being recognized.”

Beginning in 2020, Golf Canada has renamed its annual volunteer citation the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Award in recognition of Toronto native Bruce Mitchell who in 2017-18 was the first Canadian to serve as captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A). Born in Victoria and raised in Edmonton, the former president of the Toronto Golf Club and R&A member since 1988 became just the ninth internationally appointed captain of the R&A, one of the most prestigious volunteer positions in the world of golf. Duties as captain included representing the R&A as a global ambassador and aiding in the R&A’s effort to develop golf around the world.

Bill MacMillan and former Golf Canada president Roland Deveau

“Each year in Canada and around the world, thousands of committed volunteers are helping to support the game. Renaming our volunteer citation the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award is a fitting way to celebrate the distinction of Bruce’s selection as R&A captain and pay tribute to a Canadian volunteer who impacted the game both in the community and at a global level,” added Beaulieu.

Now in its 14^th year, candidates for the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth to Golf Canada for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community. 

 Bill MacMillan – 2019 Golf Canada Volunteer of the Year

For more than 30 years, Bill MacMillan has been a significant contributor to the Nova Scotia Golf Association (NSGA) working tirelessly as a Referee, Course Rater, and a board member at the Provincial and National levels.

Since 1985, he has served on the NSGA Executive Committee, working as an assistant on Rules, Handicap and as the Chair of the Course Rating committee, a position he holds to the day. In 1995 he became the first elected Vice-President of the NSGA and a year later was elected as President of the association.

During his tenure, he assisted in establishing the NSGA Player of the Year points system as well as the founding the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation Golf Tournament, an event for high school students to compete at the provincial level. From 2013 to 2018, he served as NSGA Tournament Director and in 2019, was named Chair of the NSGA Tournament Committee.

Bill’s contributions to the game have been especially impactful in the areas of Handicap and Course Rating. Over the span of more than 30 years, he has rated over 2400 holes in seven provinces and two US States. He has also been a Referee at more than 270 provincial and national championships over his lengthy career.

Bill’s involvement with golf was also felt at the national level as he has spent more than 15 years volunteering on numerous committees with Golf Canada. He was Chair of Golf Canada’s Handicap and Course Rating Committee from 2005-2009 and has continued to serve on the committee since 2009.

His contributions to the game also benefited his home club of Hartlen Point Forces Golf Club where he served on the club’s Executive Committee for the past 21 including 17 years as Rules and Handicap Chair. Away from the golf course, he worked nearly 40 years at the Geological Survey of Canada at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography before retiring in 2010. 

Congratulations to Bill MacMillan of Eastern Passage, N.S. on being named the 2019 Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year!