Junior Golf in BC
 
The Junior Development Program has evolved over the years into an integrated program that covers all categories of Junior Golfers. The program is successful because of the hard work carried out by many interested people working within different organizations. These include: the Royal Canadian Golf Association the British Columbia Golf Association, the British Columbia Canadian Ladies Golf Association, the British Columbia Professional Golf Association, amateur golfers and parents or guardians. The program covers a variety of areas involving Beginners to Advance golfers. The program is designed to promote fun in golf while attempting to explore and bring out the talents of good golfers.
 
The main sections of the program are:

• Participation and promotion
• Development and training
• Advanced golfer development
• Tournament and competition

The program is administered by the British Columbia Golf Association through the Junior Development Committee that is made up of interested BCGA Directors and the Junior Development Sub-Committee that is made up of the Zone Junior Development Chairperson from each of the ten zones plus a representative of the British Columbia Canadian Ladies Golf Association and British Columbia Professional Golf Association.

Provincial Tournaments are:

BC Junior Championship
BC Junior Match Play
BC Junior Masters
BC Juvenile Championship
BC Bantam Championship

Zone Tournaments: Each Zone run a varying number of tournaments that makes up their Zone Tour and Championship tournaments.
 
Clinics: The BCGA, RCGA, BCCLGA combine effort and fund Regional Clinics. Regional Development Champs to be run in 5 different areas of the Province:

• Vancouver Island and Lower mainland: 1 - Day Clinic 3 times per year (12 players)
• North, Kootenay, and Okanagan: 2 - Day Spring Clinic (12 players) in each region

Regional Camps are not intended to replace or compete with existing Zone Clinics.
 
They may involve participants recommended by the CLGA.

Each Zone runs at least one clinic in their respective zone annually.

Entry into the BC Junior Championship - Regional Qualifying Proposal

INTRODUCTION
Regional qualifying is recommended as the preferred mechanism to establish entry into the BC Junior Championship. It offers all junior (male) golfers a fair and equal opportunity to gain entry into the BC Junior Championship while solving problems of the past, including oversubscription and determining entry based on handicap factors.

PLEASE NOTE: Successful qualifiers will be required to submit the Entry Fee ($214.00 includes GST) for the BC Junior at the Regional Qualifier. Where payment is not possible at these locations, payment must be made prior to play commencing at the BC Junior.

FORMAT

• 3 regional qualifying tournaments will be held in the following geographic areas – Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland and Kamloops.
• Qualifying tournaments will be 18-hole, stroke play, gross competitions.
• Players with the lowest gross scores will be awarded spots in the BC Junior Championship until all spots available at each regional qualifying tournament are awarded.
• Ties for the final qualifying spot(s) will be decided by a sudden death playoff, stroke play, gross competition.

FIELD LIMIT

A maximum of 80 players at each tournament site – 240 entrants in total.

• If more than 400 entries are received then the BCGA will decide to either limit the field by instituting a handicap criterion or seek additional spots from clubs hosting qualifying tournaments.
• The field at a tournament site will not exceed 80 players, unless there are full fields at all qualifying events.
• The BCGA will endeavor to balance, as best as possible, the number of players at each qualifying tournament.

ELIGIBILITY

• Male amateurs that will not have reached 19 years of age by midnight of the last day of the BC Junior Championship.
• Be currently eligible to participate in BCGA events.
• Meet any other criteria that may be established by the BCGA from time to time.
• A player may only play in one regional qualifying event.

EXEMPTIONS

The following juniors will receive automatic entry into the BC Junior championship, provided they meet the eligibility criteria:

• Members of zone teams (40).
• Top 10 players and ties from previous year’s BC Junior Championship that meet the eligibility criteria.
• Top 5 players and ties from previous year’s BC Juvenile Championship that meet the eligibility criteria.
• Previous year's Bantam Champion
• Medallist from the BC High Schools "AAA" and "AA" championships
• Up to 3 chairman’s exemption (Whitehorse may apply for 1 of the chairman’s exemption).

Exempt players may not participate in regional qualifying events.

QUALIFYING SPOTS

• The total number of available qualifying spots will be the difference between the maximum size of the field at the BC Junior (162 players) less all exemptions.
• The number of qualifying spots available at each regional qualifying tournament venue will be determined as follows:

1. Total # of entries (all qualifiers) ÷ total # of spots available = X.
2. # of players in a qualifying tournament ÷ X = # of qualifying spots.
3. For example, if there are 400 players participating in qualifying events and 100 spots open for the BC Junior, X would equal 4. So for every 4 players in a qualifying tournament, that tournament would get 1 spot in the BC junior. A qualifier with a full field of 80 would get 20 spots, a qualifier with 60 players would get 15, and so on.

ENTRIES

• All juniors wishing to try and qualify must submit an entry form to the BCGA office.
• Entry deadline: June 2nd
• $56.20 includes GST entry per player.
• Each player will prioritize their top 3 preferred qualifying sites on their entry.
• The BCGA will provide refunds to all juniors who submit an entry but end up exempted from having to qualify.

ASSIGNING QUALIFYING LOCATIONS

The following guideline, for internal use, will be used to assist the BCGA in assigning entrants to a qualifying location.

1. Top 100 from previous years BC Junior Order of Merit.
2. All juniors that made the cut at the previous years BC Junior Championship.
3. Top 25 from the previous years BC Juvenile Championship.
4. Juniors from Zones 1E, 1W, 7, 8N and 8S.
5. The BCGA may also take other considerations into account when assigning qualifying locations:

• Top 10 juniors from age groups 14-16 and 17-18 from the previous years CJGA Order of Merit.
• Top 10 juniors from age groups 15-16 and 17-18 from the previous years WCJGT Order of Merit
• Junior Club Champion
• Handicap Index.

The BCGA reserves the right to make decisions with respect to assigning entrants to qualifying tournament locations.

2004 Junior Fixture Card

The Junior fixture list for 2004 will be available in the new year.

2004 Tournament Registration

In previous years juniors could register up to one half hour before their tee times.

In 2004 junior must register the day preceding the start day of the tournament. The tournaments affected are the BC Junior, BC Juvenile, BC Bantam and BC Junior Masters Championships. i.e. Juniors must register on Monday July 5, 2004 for the BC Junior Championship. Exemptions may be granted if the BCGA has been contacted prior to the registration day. Contact person is Dale Jackson Managing Director of Tournaments and Rules (djackson@bcga.org)

2004 BC Junior Championship

In 2004, entry into the BC Junior Championship must be gained through a regional qualifying tournament. There will be 3, one-day tournaments held throughout BC. Players will list their 3 preferred sites to play at, and the field for each site will be decided by those preferences and players’ past performances. The top finishers, based on the number of qualifying spots available at each tournament, will be granted a spot in the field at the BC Junior Championship. The only exemptions will be for members of zone teams (40), the top 10 (age eligible) and ties from the previous year’s BC Junior Championship, the top 5 and ties from the previous year’s BC Juvenile Championship, the previous year's BC Bantam Champion, Medalists from the BC High schools “AAA” and “AA” championships plus up to 3 chairman’s exemptions.

Be sure to check the BCGA website at www.bcga.org or ask your zone junior development coordinator for details about entering a regional qualifying tournament.

BC Junior Match Play

The field for the BC Junior Match Play has been reduced from 32 to 16 players. Invitations will be extended to the top finishers at the BC Junior Masters until the field is filled. As you can see on the schedule, the BC Junior Match Play has been schedule immediately after the BC Junior Masters, and at the same course.
For information on RCGA and AJGA tournaments check their websites at www.rcga.org and www.ajga.org
If you have any questions, please contact your zone junior development coordinator.