RCGA's AGM Winds Up In Halifax

With Files from the RCGA and Sport BC

McDonald became the Association's First Vice-President following the induction this weekend of Tom McCarthy as the 106th president of the RCGA during the National Sport Organization's (NSO) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Halifax, N.S.

McCarthy succeeds 2008 president Andrew Cook of Toronto while Edmonton native Karen Rackel assumes the role of Second Vice-President.

"I am more than privileged and deeply honoured to be appointed the 106th president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association," said McCarthy. "I want to thank the entire RCGA Board of Directors for the trust and confidence they have shown in my leadership and I look forward to great things for the organization in 2009."

Also at the AGM, Bob Wong of Pictou, N.S. was presented with the RCGA Distinguished Service Award. Created in 1993, the award has been presented annually since 1996 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada.

Lois Gilbertson was named the recipient of the RCGA Volunteer of the Year Award which recognizes individuals in the golf community whose tireless efforts and dedication help to grow the game in Canada.

Wayne Petersen of Lethbridge, Alta. was named an Honorary Life Governor by the RCGA. The 2006 president of the RCGA was honoured for his commitment and dedication during his 15 years of service with the organization.

In accepting his Distinguished Service Award, Wong said: "I am truly honoured to be receiving this award from the RCGA, although it comes as a pleasant surprise because I know there are so many people who make significant contributions to the game."

"I'm passionate about the sport of golf and that's always been my main motivation," said Wong, "although, it is nice to be recognized for your hard work."

Wong has had a renowned impact on helping to shape the game of golf in Canada. During his tenure as an RCGA Governor (1982-1991) and Associate Governor (1992-1997), he served on both the Rules and Handicap and Course Rating Committees.

In 1989, Wong made a most important contribution to the game of golf in Canada. As Chair of the Handicap and Course Rating Committee (1987-1991), he brought forth a recommendation that the RCGA adopt the USGA Slope System. The RCGA went on to approve the use of the Slope System at the 1990 Semi-Annual Meeting.

The process of Slope rating all RCGA courses began in 1991 and was fully adopted by all provincial golf associations in 1995, allowing Canadian golfers' handicaps to be adjusted from course to course.

Under Wong's leadership, the Handicap and Course Rating Committee went on to conduct Slope System training seminars across Canada, training more than 125 course raters in becoming fully versed in the Slope System.

Throughout the years, Wong was also a member of the USGA Handicap Procedures Committee where he worked closely with the USGA's "Pope of Slope" Dean Knuth. Other accolades included certification as a Rules official; refereeing at the Canadian Open; acting as Head Referee at the Canadian Junior Boy's Championship; and being one of only four individuals to serve two terms as NSGA President (1979 and 1980).

A standout golfer past and present and an endeared humanitarian, Wong is well respected in the Nova Scotia golf community and spends a great deal of his time building the junior golf program at his home club - Pictou Golf Club in Nova Scotia. He was also inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1998.

"I can't say enough how truly thankful the RCGA is for the inspired efforts of Bob Wong," said outgoing RCGA President Cook. "With a tireless passion for the game of golf, he is emblematic of how one individual can certainly make a difference. He is indeed a most worthy recipient of the 2009 RCGA Distinguished Service Award."

McDonald, a tireless volunteer over the years with both his home club and the British Columbia Golf Association, is the lone Canadian among only seven members to sit on the Joint Rules Committee (JRC) of the Royal and Ancient (R&A) in St. Andrews, Scotland and the United States Golf Association (USGA).

The committee is responsible for writing, interpreting and maintaining the Rules of Golf for the world in order to guard the tradition and integrity of the game. Every four years, after continuous, meticulous review, the two organizations jointly revise, author and publish The Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules of Golf. The latest version went into effect Jan. 1, 2004, with the next revision taking effect Jan. 1, 2008.

As a member of the JRC, McDonald is globally recognized as one of the leading authorities on the Rules of Golf and is invited to officiate at many of the world's most prestigious competitions. Since becoming the Royal Canadian Golf Association's (RCGA) Rules Chair in 2005, he has officiated at the Masters, the US Open, the British Open, the Canadian Open, and most recently at the President's Cup - perhaps the biggest golfing event to ever take place in Canada. Although, volunteering as a Rules Official often involves six or seven 12 - 14 hour days at each event, he keeps this schedule while continuing to work full-time as a professional engineer and attending the many amateur competitions that he officiates at each year.

In addition to his role as an RCGA governor and the chief Rules official in Canada, Jack McDonald is also a member of the Executive Committee of the RCGA and sits on the Championship Committee responsible for conducting over 30 national championships and developmental competitions annually. As the RCGA Rules Chair, he has been instrumental in the development of a national Rules official education program and teaches Rules seminars across the country every spring. In 2006, the RCGA Rules Committee under his leadership introduced the world's first online rules certification program. The program has since gone on to be globally recognized for its ingenuity and is now being used by other foreign golf associations to train rules officials.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA's mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, CN Future Links, Canada's national junior golf program, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada's most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women's Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.

For further information visit the RCGA