Tee 2 Green with Barry Sharpe - - March 20/2010

The PGA of BC Spring Education Seminar, held this week at Vancouver's Marine Drive Golf Club with Master Professional David Leadbetter providing keynote content in both indoor and outdoor presentations, was an outstanding success, attracting more than 140 professionals to the two-day event to hear speakers on subjects as diverse as Tweets on Twitter to payroll management.

The speakers included Kevin MacDonald and Shelley MacDougall of Clarity Success Coaching, Tom Shay of Profits Plus, Jeff Ciecko of CK Golf Solutions, Jeff Williams of ADP Canada, and Chris Baxter and Dave Longmore of Complete Golf Performance.

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The world Cup, formerly the Canada Cup in 1953, won't be held this year, however, the tournament is about to become one of the richest events in world golf, with prize money for the 28-team competition increasing from $5,500,000 in 2009 to a record $7.5 million in 2011 with the two winning team members each receiving $1,200,000.

Now called the Omega Mission Hills World Cup, the event returns to the international golfing calendar in 2011 as a biennial event at a brand new venue in the Mission Hills Resort on Hainan Island in Southern China from November 24-27 next year. The change in date follows last year's decision by the International Olympic Committee to re-introduce golf to the Olympic movement beginning in 2016.

By playing the event in alternate years from 2011, the World Cup is aligned with many of the major sports in the Olympic movement, such as the World Athletics Championships, which are contested biennially and are not in any potential conflict with the summer and winter Olympic Games.

However, the Olympic golf tournament will be staged as an individual competition in 2016, whereas the Omega Mission Hills World Cup remains the only team event in the men's professional game where players can proudly represent their own countries, thus maintaining its status as the oldest international team event in professional golf.

Canada has won the World up on three occasions, 1968, 1980 and 1985

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Teaching professional Phil Jonas of Hazelmere, much like one of his South African mentors -- Gary Player -- just does not seem to age. Jonas was instrumental in helping the Vancouver Golf Tour defeat the Vancouver Island Pro Tour in the inaugural Van Isle Cup a few weeks ago. Earlier this week he defeated 2009 VGT Order of Merit Champion Bryn Parry by two shots with a stellar round of 5-under par 67 to win the 3rd Annual Brad Garside/Paine Edmonds Open at Point Roberts G&CC.

Jonas took home $1,400 and now has the early lead in the VGT'S 2010 CLEVELAND GOLF/SRIXON CANADA Order of Merit with 1,500 points.

In the Amateur Championship side of the tournament, Fraserview's Andrew Henning outplayed Northview's Derek Wray in a two-hole playoff with a birdie on the second extra hole. Both players fired rounds of 76 (+4) on the day.

Next VGT event:
CANADA BREAD BC Match Play - Qualifying
March 27, 28th at Ledgeview GC, McCleery GC, Hazelmere GC

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Jamie Stevens, Head Professional of Granite Pointe GC in Nelson, whose 96% grade earned him the Canadian PGA's Tex Noble Award for acquiring the highest Class A exam mark in Canada in 2009, was officially presented with a framed certificate by PGA of BC president Keith Gibson, together with a cheque for $500 for the award.

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Ralph Bauer, a 2007 Ontario PGA Teacher of the Year and the Golf Association of Ontario's High Performance Coach for the past eight years, has been named by the RCGA as Assistant Men's Coach of Team Canada.

In addition to Bauer, a Class A Canadian PGA Professional, Team Canada's coaching staff includes Men's Head Coach Henry Brunton, Derek Ingram, Women's Head Coach as well as Women's Assistant Coach Robert Ratcliffe. RCGA Chief Sport Development Officer, Jeff Thompson, will continue to oversee the program working closely with Doug Roxburgh, the RCGA's Director of High Performance as well as the sports science team of Dr. Penny Werthner, Dr. Greg Wells, Dr. John Berardi and Greg Redman.

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Following this week's PGA of BC Annual General Meeting (March 16) President Keith Gibson and incumbent directors Rob Anderson and Derek Thornley have been returned to the board for additional two year terms. The association welcoms a new director, Tom Monaghan of Vancouver, HP of Fraserview GC, elected to his first term on the board.

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The PGA of BC has announced that Painter's Lodge is now the Official Holiday and Fishing Resort of the PGA of BC. Nestled on the pristine shores of Vancouver Island, at Campbell River. Painter's Lodge offers world-class B.C. salmon fishing, exhilarating wildlife and nature tours, breathtaking scenery and all the amenities one would expect from a traditional resort.

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Within the Canadian PGA the following members have made the following moves as of March 19, 2010:

Norm Jarvis has reinstated his CPGA membership and returns to the Association as a Teaching Professional at Eaglequest - Coquitlam

Mike Dern has transferred to the Manitoba Zone and goes to St. Boniface Golf Club in Winnipeg

Matt Matheson has gone to Arbutus Ridge Golf & Country Club as an Apprentice Professional

David Aarts is now at Nicklaus North Golf Course as an Apprentice Professional

Gavin Eckford returns from England and goes to Nicklaus North Golf Course as an Associate Professional

Cory Schommer has transferred to the Alberta Zone and is now an Associate Professional at Pinebrook Golf & Country Club in Calgary

Greg Pidlaski is the new Head Professional at Twin Lakes Golf Resort

Gary Campbell has transferred to BC from the Alberta Zone and goes to Tobiano as an Apprentice Professional

Paul Farkas returns to BC from the Manitoba Zone and is now an Apprentice Professional at Victoria Golf Club

Lee Alarie has transferred to the Alberta Zone and is now an Apprentice Professional at Fairmont Banff Springs

Mark Aven is now an Apprentice Professional at Vernon Golf & Country Club

Pete Hancox has transferred to the Ontario Zone and goes to Otter Creek Golf Club as an Apprentice Professional

Trevor West has gone to Valley Golf Centre as an Apprentice Professional

Chris Doyle is now a Teaching Professional at Pitt Meadows Golf Club

As of March 10, 2010

Ryan Matiushyk has transferred to BC from the Alberta Zone and is now an Apprentice Professional at Kelowna Golf & Country Club

Mike Hobson is now at Kelowna Golf & Country Club as an Associate Professional

Travis Merritt has transferred to BC from the Alberta Zone and is the new Head Professional at Shadow Mountain Golf Club

Adrien Wright is no longer an Apprentice Professional at Okanagan Golf Club and has moved to the Alberta zone

Jason Kiervin has transferred to BC from the Atlantic Zone and goes to Golden Golf & Country Club as an Associate Professional

Brad Wlasiuk has transferred to BC from the Manitoba Zone and becomes the Head Professional at Eaglecrest Golf Club

Craig Hare has transferred to BC from the Ontario Zone and is now an Apprentice Professional at the Prince George Golf & Curling Club

Mark Romanelli has transferred to the Ontario Zone and is now an Apprentice Professional at Lakeridge Golf Club in Whitbey, Ontario

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

NEW
Head Professional
Arrowsmith Golf & Country Club

NEW
Apprentice/Assistant Professional
Revelstoke Golf Club

NEW
Apprentice/Associate Professional
The Golf Club at The Rise

Pro Shop Assistant Professional
The Golf Centre - Kelowna

Golf Academy Director of Instruction
Olympic View Golf Club

Golf Academy Instructor
Olympic View Golf Club

Assistant/Associate Professional
Meadow Gardens Golf Club

2 Seasonal Customer Service Reps
Eaglequest Coquitlam

Apprentice Professional
Glacier Greens Golf Club

2 Proshop Customer Service Reps
Eaglequest - Coyote Creek

Assistant Professional
Vernon Golf & Country Club

Assistant Professional
Prince George Golf & Country Club