Robert Ratcliffe of Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community has been named the 2013 PGA of BC Coach of the Year.
The Oct. 17 announcement comes one month after Ratcliffe was named one of four regional recipients of the honour. The other regional winners were Todd Spring of University Golf Club, Jeff Hollman of Penticton Golf & Country Club and Jeff Wiggins of Mountain View Golf Club.
As B.C. winner, Ratcliffe will be the PGA of BC's nominee for the PGA of Canada national coach of the year award.
The high performance golf coach at Crown Isle, Ratcliffe has been a national team assistant coach since January 2007. He coached Team BC to a sweep of the golf event (boys and girls individual gold as well as team gold in both genders) at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que.
The Ratcliffe Golf Elite Junior Academy (which operates at Duncan Meadows Country Club as well as Crown Isle) website notes Ratcliffe is originally from South Africa and "draws on a wealth of experience from having played and coached golf all over the world.
"A member of both the Canadian and British PGA, Robert … has received several awards for his work over the years, including the 2009 PGA of BC Teacher of the Year Award, as well as the 2011 and 2012 PGA of BC Coach of the Year Awards.
"Robert previously coached at a provincial level with Alberta Golf (2004-2006) as well as at the intercollegiate level as men’s head coach with the University of Alberta (2003-2006). He also spent four years as touring professional (PGA MasterCard Tour) from 1997-2000."
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