By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kent Gilchrist covered just about everything in a sportswriting career that spanned more than 40 years, but he had a particular affinity for golf. Not just the game, but the people who played it. 

Gilchrist, known as Cookie to his countless friends, died at his New Westminster home Wednesday night after a lengthy illness. He was 72. Cookie was larger than life. He could light up a room and fill it with laughter. He seemed to know everyone.

Patrick Weeks Managed To Hang Onto His Lead Going Into The Final Round At The B.C. Amateur - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CAMPBELL RIVER -- Patrick Weeks has had considerable success closing real estate deals in recent years. He knows closing out the B.C. Amateur Championship figures to be more difficult. 

“Well, I have closed over a thousand real estate deals and I have only closed a couple of tournaments,” the 42-year-old Vancouver realtor said after Thursday’s third round.

“So it’s going to be a lot harder than what I do every day for a living. But also more fun.”

One Is A 13-time Winner Of The B.C. Amateur, That Would Be Doug Roxburgh On The Left, And Another Is A 13-Year Old Competing In His First B.C. Am, That Would Be Hunter Auramenko In The Orange Shirt On The Right With His Brother And Caddy, Zack - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CAMPBELL RIVER -- On the ninth green Wednesday afternoon at Storey Creek Golf Club, Hunter Auramenko and his older brother Zach both got down on their bellies a la Camilo Villegas to read a putt. Hunter and Zach were grinding to make the cut in the 119th playing of the B.C. Amateur Championship. 

Hunter, at age 13 the youngest player in the field, ended up missing by a single shot. But he is not going to let that spoil a special experience at the course he and his brother have grown up playing on.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CAMPBELL RIVER -- Matt Hamilton acknowledged his golfing pals at his home course might be a tad surprised when they see his name at the top of the B.C. Amateur Championship leaderboard. 

“I think people might be a little shocked to be honest,” Hamilton said with a laugh after carding a seven-under 65 at Storey Creek Golf Club. “I think my group was a little shocked as well.” 

The 29-year-old Hamilton, who plays out of Crown Isle in Courtenay, rode a hot putter as he recorded nine birdies on the day.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Steve Berry, a British Columbia Golf Hall of Fame member whose amateur golf career included victories at the 1981 B.C. Amateur and 1972 B.C. Junior Boys Championships, died recently at his Vancouver home.

Berry, who was 68, was a longtime member of Marine Drive Golf Club and contemporary of B.C. golf legend Doug Roxburgh. “We had some good battles,” Roxburgh said of his friend.

“We were good teammates together as well. I’ve known Steve for a long time. I am about a year and half older than Steve. He joined the club the day he was 12 and I joined when I was 13. We called him Little Stevie Berry, he was a small, little kid and then he shot up to 6-foot-3 or 6-4.” 

Berry was found deceased in his Vancouver apartment after family and friends became concerned they had not heard from him in a few days.

viaSport is working with the Province of British Columbia and the amateur sport sector to support organizations to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All sport activities in B.C. must follow B.C.'s Restart plan Step 3 and the PHO Order on Gatherings and Events.

Step 3 of B.C.’s Restart plan is in effect as of July 1st.

B.C.’s Restart is the Province’s step-by-step plan to bring us back together. Please remember, the intention of the Restart is to slowly return to activities. Organizations are asked to turn the dimmer slowly when planning sport programming.

Gavyn Knight Is The 2021 BC Junior Boys Champion Winning At His Home Course, Morningstar GC - image credit Duncan O'Brien/fairwayvision.com

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- In the hundreds of rounds that Gavyn Knight has played over the years at Morningstar Golf Club, he has learned where to hit the ball and, perhaps more importantly, where not to hit it. He used all that local knowledge to his advantage and won the biggest tournament of his life Friday, the B.C. Junior Boys Championship. 

“I had no big numbers,” Knight said. “I kept myself in the tournament the whole week.” Avoiding those big numbers really was the difference. There’s lots of trouble to get into at Morningstar and Knight did a better job than the rest of the field in avoiding those mini-disasters. He had nothing worse than a bogey in his final round of one-under 71 that left him one-under for the tournament.

Jennifer Gu Has A Right To Smile Now That She Is The BC Junior Girls Champion - image credit Duncan O'Brien/fairwayvision.com

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- Jennifer Gu played 'catch me if you can' all week with the rest of the field at the B.C. Junior Girls Championship. It turns out no one could.

The 18-year-old from West Vancouver went wire-to-wire to win the championship at Morningstar Golf Club as she bounced back from a tough runner-up finish at the recent B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship in Summerland. 

“I lost last week and I had a lot of people telling me to go win,” Gu said after her round. “So I am happy with myself, I am happy I met those expectations. The pressure was definitely good. I used it and played solid.”

The provincial skills challenge is being held July 27th at Northview Golf & Country Club in Surrey. Registration begins at 7:30 am and the challenge runs from 8:45am – 11:00am. The field is limited to 32 kids.

For kids to play they have to pre-register through British Columbia Golf's Participation Manager, Tyler McKay by July 23rd using the form found HERE

Gavyn Knight and Jennifer Gu Are Chasing The BC Junior Boys and Junior Girls Titles at Morningstar GC - image credit Duncan O'Brien/fairwayvision.com

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- Gavyn Knight swung his first golf club on the driving range at Morningstar Golf Club when he was three or four years old. 

He’s worked at the course the past couple of summers, washing power carts, picking the range and doing pretty much anything else that needs to be done. He’s also logged innumerable rounds of golf at Morningstar.

“Uncountable” he says with a smile. “A lot. High hundreds.” He’ll play another one today as the leader heading into the final round of the B.C. Junior Boys Championship.

COVID-19 Resources for the British Columbia Golf Industry

Please click here for the most recent comprehensive provincial update, as provided December 30th, 2022

Please Click HERE to see AGA-BC Covid-19 resources page

AGA-BC Best Practices Manual For BC Golf Operations Amidst COVID-19
(These were still in effect and current as of February 1, 2022)

Please click HERE to view Allied Golf Association (AGA) Best Practices Manual For BC Golf Courses.

Jennifer Gu Leads The Girls Competition, While Ryan Vest (Shown Here) And Gavyn Knight Share Boys Lead - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- The golf course is winning through two rounds of the B.C. Junior Boys and Girls Championships. Morningstar Golf Club is proving to be a difficult test for a collection of this province’s best young players. Par has been a good score at Morningstar. In fact, no one is under par through 36 holes.

Vernon’s Ryan Vest and Gavyn Knight of Parksville share the lead on the boys’ side at one-over par. Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver leads the girls’ competition at even-par.

West Vancouver's Jennifer Gu - Image Credit Jerome Goddard/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- Jennifer Gu bounced back nicely from some double trouble early on her back nine and grabbed the first-round lead at the B.C. Junior Girls Championship with a two-under par 70 at Morningstar Golf Club.

Gu, who finished second at last week’s B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship in Summerland, doubled the par 4 12th hole after hitting her tee shot into a penalty area.

The 18-year-old from West Vancouver didn’t let that bother her as she quickly birdied the next two holes to get her round back on track.

Vancouver's Leah John Is The 2021 B.C. Women's Amateur Champion - image credit Jerome Goddard/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- A win is sometimes that much sweeter when it has been preceded by so much hard work and occasional setbacks. Perhaps that’s why Leah John seemed so delighted with her win Friday at the116th playing of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Summerland Golf Club.

Like that noted philosopher Ringo Starr, John knows better than most that moments like this one don’t come easy.

Perseverance paid off for the 21-year-old Vancouver resident, who plays out of Marine Drive Golf Club and collegiately at the University of Nevada. John had come oh so close on a couple of previous occasions at British Columbia Golf championships.

Leah John Has Grabbed The Lead After Round 3 At The BC Women's Am - image credit Brad Ziemer

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- The wind can really howl at times in Reno, where Leah John plays her collegiate golf at the University of Nevada. 

So when it began to blow hard in Thursday’s third round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Summerland Golf Club, John didn’t get flustered. Far from it. The 21-year-old Vancouver native flourished in a stiff wind that blew especially hard on the back nine.

John matched the low round of the tournament with a three-under par 71 and will take a two-shot lead over Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver into Friday’s final round of the 116th playing of the championship.

With the 2021 British Columbia Junior Championships starting June 29th, the host venue, Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville on Vancouver Island, are prepared to offer a solid challenge to the top junior golfers in the province. 

In the video below Director of Golf John Randle, with the help of junior Brendan O'Brien, previews the difficult par 5 9th hole at his club in advance of the British Columbia Golf Boys & Girls Junior Championships.

Jennifer Gu Continues To Lead The BC Women's Amateur After Round 2 At Summerland GC - Golf Canada/CRussell/file photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- Jennifer Gu is a bit of a free spirit so when things got off to a shaky start in the second round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, she decided to try something a little different to snap out of it.  After a pair of sloppy bogeys to open her day, Gu planted herself down on the third tee block and . . . did some yoga. 

“I did some Sun Salutations,” the 18-year-old West Vancouver native said with a smile after her round.

“It’s kind of like a circuit of stretches, but is very calming. . .I was doing anything to keep me calm. The heart was pulsating a little bit. Hey, it’s the B.C. Am, kind of a big deal out here.”

West Vancouver's Jennifer Gu Leads The BC Women's Amateur After Round One At Summerland GC - image credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- Summerland Golf Club is set up as a par 74 for this week’s 116th playing of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, but Jennifer Gu tried not to pay attention to that number in Tuesday’s first round. 

The 18-year-old West Vancouver resident had a rather simple formula she tried to follow and it seemed to work wonderfully as recorded a three-under 71 to grab the early lead. “I did not look at the pars on any of the holes,” Gu said after her round.

“I just tried to get the ball in the hole as quick as possible because I know the par 5s are very gettable and if I maybe think of a hole as a par 5 I will play it a little different, which I don’t want to do. I just want to get the ball in the hole as fast as I can.”

Nanaimo's Sandy Harper Is Seen Here Teeing Off In The 2018 Canadian Men's Mid-Amateur At Victoria Golf Club - Image Courtesy Golf Canada/Chuck Russell

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Sandy Harper has always taken pride in the way he has conducted himself on the golf course, where his excellence over many years earned the Nanaimo resident a place in the British Columbia Golf Hall of Fame. 

No matter if he had registered a birdie, par, bogey, double-bogey or worse, Harper remained unflappable.

That has become more difficult in the past 10 months as the 64-year-old Harper recovered from a stroke he suffered last August. Don’t get Harper wrong. He feels blessed by his recovery.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbia Golf’s championship season tees off June 22-25 when Summerland Golf & Country Club plays host to the 116th playing of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship. 

A new champion will be crowned as Vancouver’s Michelle Liu, who at age 13 became the youngest winner of the championship last summer at Campbell River Golf Club, is not defending her title.

It would not be surprising to see another teenage winner hoist the Flumerfelt Cup as the field includes several top junior players.