Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/68546
THE FINAL WORD BY CHRIS MCGRATH being of individuals. In an effort to accomplish this vision, British Columbia Golf supports the recreational golfer. Whether you are 5 years old or 95 years old, golf is a game you can play. Regardless if you can drive the ball 300 yards, 200 yards or 100 yards, golf will not discriminate. And whether you like to play in organized competitions with rules officials, scoring tables and handicap indexes or simply organize a friendly competition amongst your friends, no one is going to mind. Golf truly is a sport for life. There are no age restrictions, set blueprints for play or minimum skill level requirements to tee it up. If you want to play, you can play. If you prefer to hit the ball down the middle of the fairway, flirt with the odd pond or like to dodge a tree limb or two, it doesn't matter. Golf is a game that anyone can play and all who do can reap its benefits. British Columbia Golf, as the Provincial Sport Organization for golf in British Columbia, has a full competition schedule for upcoming and current elite level athletes in the province. In these events, one must play by the rules and follow strict guidelines in order to vie for the top accolades that come with winning a championship. We do however, as an organization, equally support the golfer who does not want to play competitively but simply wants to play for the fun of playing. If you enjoy playing because hitting the ball makes you feel good about yourself, walking the course is great exercise and being in the company of good friends is important to you, we encourage you to play. We want you to play. Our vision as an organization is to provide the people of British Columbia with the opportunity to participate in a lifetime activity that promotes the physical, mental and emotional well- We support a number of programs that seek to bring golf to the masses. For example, the Tee it Forward program, a PGA and USGA joint initiative supported by the Professional Golfer's Association of Canada and Golf Canada, empowers golfers to play from a set of tees that matches their ability. If you have more fun playing the game from a closer set of tees, go for it. Why would you force yourself to play from a yardage that is too difficult? Move closer to the hole, make as many birdies and pars as you can and have some fun. Another program that has the full support of British Columbia Golf is 'It's Okay' golf. If you want to play the hole by teeing it up in the middle of the fairway, go ahead. If you are stuck behind that big bush and are thinking to yourself "how on earth am I ever going to get out of here?", pick the ball up and put it in the fairway, be our guests. 'It's Okay' encourages you to have fun at golf and if being stuck in a sand bunker for what seems like an eternity doesn't sound like fun, pick the ball up, throw it onto the fairway and have some fun. For the golfers who haven't picked up the game but want to recreationally, a program called "Get Golf Ready in 5 Days" guided by the PGA of Canada and the National Golf Course Owners Association, can help you do just that. In 5 simple lessons, a golfer will be introduced to the fundamentals of the game in a fun and educational manner. After graduation from the program, the golfing-world is the golfer's oyster. As an organization, British Columbia Golf supports the Long Term Player Development guide, created by Golf Canada and PGA of Canada, with the support of Sport Canada. This guide serves as a framework and direction tool for athletes in the sport of golf in reaching their maximum potential. For those interested in playing highly competitive tournament golf, there is a pathway for that. For those looking to make it professionally and excel at that stage, there are guidelines on how to get there. For those who simply want to use golf as a way to be 'Active for Life', golf is a great avenue to accomplish this and there is also a pathway for that. All of the aforementioned programs will not make a difference to golf unless 94 If you are stuck behind that big bush and are thinking to yourself "How on earth am I ever going to get out of here?", pick the ball up and put it in the fairway, be our guests. we have new recreational golfers to enjoy them. Having said that, think back to when you first started swinging golf clubs. Was it because your mother or father put the clubs in your hand? Was it a friend who encouraged you? Was it shear intrigue of personal ability? Did you have more time in retirement? Regardless of what the reason was, you made the choice to play golf and you have made the choice to continue playing. We want to put a challenge out to everyone involved in golf, whether you are a player, professional, manager, superintendent, administrator, fan or anyone in between, to encourage non- golfers to pick up the game. It is no secret our game could be stronger in regards to participation and as stewards of the game, it is everyone's duty to communicate why golf is such a great game to take up. Advocate for the game because if fingers continue to be pointed as to why we need more recreational golfers, whose fault it was that we have lost participation and whose job it is to get them back, we will have no one left to point at. Let us all take responsibility for our own actions and together, we can drive golf back to where it should be. Chris McGrath is the Manager of Communications & Marketing with British Columbia Golf. An alum of the University of Memphis, Chris has a passion for social media marketing and progressive idea generation. He can be reached at chris.mcgrath@bcga.org and followed @bc_golfer. IMAGE COURTESY BC GOLF