The British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA) has cancelled and rescheduled some Junior Tournaments in Kimberley this month in response to a lack of participation.
John Ough, BCGA Zone 1 - East Kootenay Chair says that in his four years in this position, it is the lowest turnout for Junior golf tournaments he has seen.
“We are getting very few entries for events. We assumed it was because of holidays or the long weekend, but that does not appear to be the issue. We’re not sure exactly why the turnout is so low right now, but some of the general feedback we’ve received is that hockey seems to be a general draw for kids in this area, and some of those commitments are ongoing,” said Ough.
He explained that two tournaments were cancelled or rescheduled not only because of the lack of participation, but also because it would not be enough people to move on to the BCGA Provincials.
The Junior tournament originally scheduled for Sunday, May 13, 2018 at the Kimberley Golf Club (KGC) has now moved to Saturday, June 9, 2018.
The Junior tournament for Sunday, May 20 at Trickle Creek Golf Club was cancelled.
There is a tournament scheduled on Sunday, May 27 at the Fernie Golf Club, and another scheduled for Saturday, June 2 at the Cranbrook Golf Club.
Ough says that they are encouraging Juniors to enter all of the scheduled tournaments, and expects participation levels to rise as the summer sets in.
“I think we are seeing a new cycle of golfers, a lot of golfers that started out as Juniors have since become very good and moved on,” said Ough. “There are a number of different initiatives and programs aimed at younger kids. The tournaments are typically nine holes, and it’s really a developmental program. There are some really attractive rates for juniors at most of the courses as well.”
One of the programs that Ough pointed to is the SNAG program that recently took place at Kimberley Elementary schools through the KGC. The program is brought to the schools by SNAG Golf, BC Golf, and Pacific Sport.
This year, Director of Golf at the KGC saw 1000 kids come through the program, which is up hundreds from last year. The program is designed to help children from Kindergarten to Grade Three learn how to golf.
If you wish to learn more about Junior programming in the East Kootenay area, or sign up for a Junior Tournament, contact Ough at Z1EastBCGA@gmail.com.