The British Columbia Golf Association is proud to offer the following Services to Member Clubs and Individual Members of the BCGA.
Quick Links:
Communication
Resource Center
Player Development
Championships
Member Club Enhancement
Organization
Committees & Technical Assistance
Course Rating, Slope & Handicaps
Membership
Players Golf Clubs (Member Group)
Junior Development & Golf Clinics
Partners in Golf
Initiatives of the BCGA
Taxation
Worker's Compensation Board
Liquor Control Regulations
Economic Impact Study
Benefits of Membership
- Provides primary support for the RCGA Network
- Annual distribution of BCGA/RCGA Membership Cards
- Maintains website
- Provides live scoring from championships
- Contributes to golf publications such as Golf Canada. Pacific Northwest Golfer and Inside Golf
- BCGA office serves as golf industry resource center
- Supports turf grass research
- Economic impact study
- Supports BC Golf Museum
- Provides members with rules of golf and handicap seminars
- CN Future Links
- CN Girls' Club
- High performance clinics
- Coaching programs and coach development
- Officials development
- BCGA school program
- Conducts 13 provincial championships
- Supports BC Teams to national championships
- Supports BC Teams to international championships
- Supports RCGA Handicap Network
- Provides accurate course and slope ratings
- Produces member club fixture sheets for men and women
- Provides rules of golf and handicap system expertise
- Supports tourism initiatives
- Provides BCGA website and member club links
The province is divided into 8 zones and has 18 zone committees which serve the men and women of the BCGA. The governance of the Association is in the hands of 26 elected Directors
Committees & Technical Assistance 
The various committees of the Association deal with the varied and changing aspects of club and players involvement in golf. Among the committees of the Association are:
Management - Finance - Tournament - Junior Development - Rules Handicap - Environment & Green - Slope and Course Rating - Membership - Discipline.
All committees are chaired by a BCGA Director and reflect important club and member input.
The BCGA provides, on request, technical assistance in club organization / administration / rules interpretation / handicapping/ tournaments / course design / modification / etiquette / turf grass management / and other golf related areas through its Directors and staff, or associated individuals.
Course Rating, Slope & Handicaps
The sport of golf is unique in that its handicap system makes it possible for players of all skill levels to compete on an equal basis with one another. Knowledge and application of the system is key to the competitive enjoyment of the game. Since 1994 all BC courses have been "Slope Rated". The Slope System allows for adjustment of a player's handicap for the difficulty of the course being played.
Member Clubs are entitled to an Official Course Rating, at no cost, for the purpose of calculating handicaps. The BCGA endeavors to rate courses on at least a 10-year rotation and is well equipped to measure or re-measure any course and will review course rating whenever physical change or alteration requires this service. The BCGA supplies booklets and literature on the RCGA Golf Handicap System and offers assistance in its application.
In 2006, the BCGA in cooperation with the RCGA launched the RCGA Network. The network in addition to calculating handicaps is the first web enabled golf management system in the world. It provides members with the ability to post scores through the Internet from any computer as well as advanced game tracking, communications and calendars of events.
The British Columbia Golf Association - an association of golfers, for golfers, is dedicated to the promotion of the game for the love of the game. The BCGA has over 300 Member Clubs, and over 67,000 individually affiliated golfers. Our mandate is to develop and maintain amateur golf in British Columbia. All individual members of Member Clubs receive a BCGA / RCGA membership card. Ownership of this card validates the member as a "Registered Royal CanadianGolf Club Member". This valuable distinction provides the cardholder the benefit of immediate acceptance to golf facilities worldwide, many of which restrict play to 'members only' of recognized golf associations such as the BCGA. A BCGA / RCGA membership card also provides the members with the opportunity to participate in competitive golf events including charity pro-am, the proceeds of which are directed to many worthwhile health and social causes.
There are three categories of Member Clubs; Golf Clubs with real estate (course attached); Member Groups, which are clubs without real estate; and Resort Courses, which have no membership. There are two categories of individual membership; Adult (19 years and older) and junior (under 19). A portion of the yearly adult fee is forwarded to the RCGA for the promotion of golf at the national and international levels. Junior fees, in part, are returned to the Zone Committees to support their junior programs.
Since 1994 the BCGA has offered membership to those golfers who do not belong to a golf club and who play regularly at daily fee (public facilities). By joining a regional Players Golf Club of British Columbia, an individual will become a member of the BCGA and as such will have access to the RCGA Network for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an RCGA Handicap Factor. Each BCGA Player Club in the province is autonomous and has an independent handicap committee which is overseen by the BCGA Zone.
The BCGA is committed to serving its members, and will respond when members communicate their needs and wishes to the association. It is not the association's intent, however, to become involved in internal club issues. Clubs and/or their affiliated members are invited to contact the BCGA office or its Directors at any time to provide us the opportunity of being of service to you - our membership.
Junior Development & Golf Clinics
Recognizing that junior golfers are the future of our sport, the BCGA devotes a significant effort and budget to the development of tomorrow's members.
Throughout the years your Association has developed mutually beneficial relationships with the following:
- BC Professional Golfers Association
- Royal Canadian Golf Association
- British Columbia Golf House Society
- RCGA Foundation
- Club Managers Association
- Golf Club Owners Association
- Golf Course Superintendents Association
- Int'l Association of Golf Administrators
- National Golf Foundation
- Pacific Coast Golf Association
- Pacific Northwest Golf Association
- Western Turf Grass Association
The generosity of the Corporate Sponsors, Partnerships and Member Clubs assures the ongoing contribution of your Association to golf in the Province of British Columbia. Their assistance is vital to the daily operations of the Association and is greatly appreciated. See contact list at the end of this manual for address and telephone listings.
The BCGA has from time to time represented golf and it's Member Clubs on issues relating to the business of golf. Advocacy has been a small part of our history but will be a greater part of our future, as regulatory requirements are demanded in such areas as environment, taxation and land usage.
Should your club have a problem or regulatory issue please feel free to contact the BCGA for any assistance we may be able to provide.
The BCGA has been an advocate in the following:
In 1969 the British Columbia government made some taxation changes that had the potential for a huge taxation increase for our Member Clubs. The BCGA established a taxation committee that worked closely with Member Clubs and their management to educate government on the punitive nature of these proposals. There is no doubt that the financial impact would have been severe if the issue had not been resolved. Recently, the BCGA and the RCGA have been active in areas of taxation relating to the deductibility of business expense meals at Member Clubs, as well as the deductibility of green fees. The ability to issue tax receipts for charity golf events is another major issue facing the industry.
In the year 2000 the BCGA is involved with a committee to establish a set of guidelines for Member Clubs to help them comply with the Workers Compensation Act. This initiative sees the BCGA working closely with allied Associations such as The Club Managers Association, The PGA of BC, National Golf Course Owner Association and the Superintendents Association.
In the year 2000 the BCGA represented the Member Clubs as stakeholder in the Sirak Commission hearings related to liquor licensing issues. As a result of these hearings the approval for the operation of beverage carts on golf courses was approved.
In 2006, the BCGA released a report which measured the economic impact that the sport of golf has on the provincial economy. Copies of the report are available from the BCGA.
- The central organization (BCGA) benefits its member clubs in that the Association endeavors to develop and maintain unity, consistency and effectiveness for the good of the sport of golf and for the good of all member clubs.
- Each member of each member club has an official BCGA/RCGA handicap, which is recognized internationally. Handicaps are devised under the Slope System to equalize golfers of all calibers in order that each might enjoy good fellowship and fair play.
- Each BCGA member club, upon request, is officially course rated or re-rated on a gratis basis, and of course, handicaps are related to course ratings.
- A BCGA membership card and an officially certified handicap are required in order to participate in zone, provincial, Canadian or International tournaments, and are also required for participation in major tournaments conducted by other BCGA member clubs.
- In the event of a disagreement regarding a rule or a definition of a rule, the member club may write to the BCGA for clarification.
- Each year the BCGA compiles and distributes a tournament schedule listing the major tournaments being played at BCGA clubs. This schedule also includes the Canadian, British Columbia and Zone Championships.
- Each year the BCGA supplies member clubs with an up-to-date list of member clubs with the zone location, mailing address, and course rating of each member club.
- The BCGA prepares and distributes to member clubs the Club Captain's Manual for guidance and assistance.
- The BCGA has made presentations to and has audiences with appropriate Provincial Government Officials in regard to tax relief for golf courses. Member clubs have been kept up to date on all taxation proceedings.
- The BCGA, with approval of the RCGA, conducts a handicap service for golfers not affiliated with a member club i.e. public player. A fee is charged for this service by the BCGA.
- Juniors affiliated with BCGA member clubs have official handicaps.
- The BCGA endorses and supports junior development throughout the Province.
- The BCGA encourages junior development at the club level through rules, seminars and assisting with organizing junior clinics.
- The BCGA gives financial support to junior development at the zone level.
- The BCGA keeps member clubs informed on pertinent golf matters such as changes in rules, course rating, handicap, taxation etc.
- Teams: Each year the BCGA selects and sends an amateur team to compete in the Willingdon Cup Interprovincial Team Matches, a mid-amateur team in Mid-Amateur Interprovincial Team Matches, a junior team in Junior Interprovincial Team Matches and a senior team in the Senior Interprovincial Team Matches. In addition the BCGA sends women's teams to the National Junior, Senior and Amateur Championships.
- Each year the BCGA selects and sends a junior boys' and a junior girls' team to compete in the BC Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Juvenile Team Matches.
- Each year the BCGA selects and sends a junior team to compete in the Eddie Hogan Team Matches in Portland, Oregon.
- Each year the Association sends a junior girls' team to the North Pacific Team Matches and Girls' Junior Americas Cup.
- Each year the BCGA selects and sends amateurs to compete in the Morse Cup team event and in the Pacific Coast Amateur, and may qualify for other International events.
- The BCGA works in cooperation with the RCGA & PNGA to assist deserving juniors in obtaining scholarships to continue their education into colleges and universities.
Without the RCGA/BCGA there would be:
a) No set of uniform rules.
b) No uniform course rating system.
c) No national handicap system.
d) No uniform amateur status.
e) No junior development on an organized basis.
f) No organized national, provincial or zone tournaments.
g) No organized system of provincial team selection.
h) No publicity of the game through the various news media.
i) No way of popularizing the game in order that clubs could attract from the general public membership and green fee play upon which rests their financial success.
j) No taxation representative working on behalf of all member clubs.
k) No tournament schedule supplied publicizing tournaments being played at member clubs.
l) No organized liaison between clubs provincially, nationally or internationally.