Golf Awareness Day April 28 in Victoria - Everybody's Invited

For the third time in five years, the Allied Golf Association of British Columbia (AGA-BC) will be in the province’s capital to pitch, putt and drive golf's attributes home to provincial politicians.  The big difference for 2015 is that everyone in the industry is invited.

With the invitation, AGA-BC President Trevor Smith stated, “Together we will relay key messaging that our industry is a valuable part of the provincial economy, that we are good environmental stewards and that golf is a sport for life worth supporting,” adding, “AGA-BC proudly unites the various golf associations in British Columbia to provide one cohesive voice for the Golf Industry and looks forward to our involvement on April 28th.”  

The first provincial ‘Golf Industry Awareness Day’ took place in May of 2011.  NAGA-BC was only a few months old at the time but working hard to represent stakeholder interests across British Columbia’s somewhat disconnected golf industry sectors. 

With financial assistance from the National Allied Golf Association (NAGA) and spurred by the potential for an outright pesticide ban in the province, representatives from the BC Golf Association, National Golf Course Owner’s Association, BC Golf Superintendents, BC Golf Professionals, Canadian Society of Club Managers and the Western Canada Turfgrass Association, with help from a professional lobbyist firm from Ontario, presented economic, social and environmental benefits of the game to a cross-section of MLA’s through an evening reception that included hands-on opportunities to swing a club and breakout meetings the following day with individual caucus members.  The event started with an introductory breakfast chaired by then Minister of Tourism, Pat Bell, 4 handicap and junior golf coach, who set an encouraging and welcoming tone for the group’s visit to Victoria.  One resounding comment, “You guys are way bigger than the film industry and look what we do for them.”

Three years later, after a Liberal victory, a subsequent no-pesticide-ban decision and decidedly much stronger relationship with provincial politicians, AGA-BC once again headed to Victoria.  By now the group had expanded to include the BC Golf Marketing Alliance and with that, had a far greater ability to present itself.  Meanwhile the Environmental Advocacy Committee had a good handle on its priorities and NAGA national was able to commission its second economic impact study thereby providing further testimony to golf’s scale across the country.

2014 messaging was similar but with far greater presence and organization.  Steered by Mark Jiles of Bluestone Consulting, AGA no less than aced its 2014 golf industry golf lobby day, with testament from MLA, Eric Foster, who concisely acknowledged golf’s contribution in parliament along with AGA members proudly on-hand.

As before, a chance to try the game was offered, this time during an AGA-BC hosted luncheon that included 35+ MLA’s, Ministers and many of their support staff.  The ‘Golf Industry Scorecard’, a clever summary of golf’s achievements, was unveiled with its three pillars and a tidy, minus 2 score over 9 holes. 

The action included a group of local school aged kids performing a live SNAG golf demonstration for interested MLA’s.  AGA also showed off the First Green program, presented an insightful environmental benefits of golf video and arranged for MLA’s to take home a little bit of golf schwag!

AGA-BC representatives Trisha Larson (left) and Trevor Smith (right) flank Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism Naomi Yamamoto during a luncheon held for MLA's

During the visit, high profile meetings took place with Environment Minister Mary Polak, Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Coralee Oakes, Linda Reimer, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton.

Driven by earlier success and the need to continue promoting golf in BC, AGA would like to see a large contingency of golf industry personnel joining the AGA-BC Board members and fellow golf industry leaders for an opportunity to network over lunch with our honourable Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly.   

Event details are included on the invitation above, click on the image to purchase tickets.  Note that lunch tickets must be purchased by April 20, 2015.

Further information about the Allied Golf Association of British Columbia is available at www.aga-bc.org or by emailing info@aga-bc.org