Former Junior Star Jisoo Keel From Coquitlam Has The Lead At  The Halfway Point Of The B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship At Beach Grove Golf Club - Image Credit Brad Ziemer

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

A funny thing happened when Jisoo Keel accepted a golf scholarship from Stanford University. She discovered there was more to life than golf. 

The now 20-year-old Coquitlam resident, who graduated from Gleneagle secondary and enjoyed a stellar junior career, headed south three nearly three years ago to chase her LPGA Tour dreams.

But lately, golf has taken a back seat to Keel’s educational ambitions. “I haven’t played much competitive golf the past two years,” Keel said Wednesday. “I have been more focused on school. I really want to make the most out of my Stanford education. I am heading into my senior year and hopefully I will be starting my Masters degree the following year.”

Coquitlam's A.J. Ewart Jumped Into The Halfway Lead At The BC Junior Boys Championship With A Bogey-Free 6-under 64 - Image Credit Bryan Outram

By Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

What a difference a day makes. Round two of the BC Junior Boys Championship at Arbutus Ridge Golf Course in Cobble Hill was played under beautiful blue, calm, sunny skies following an overcast, damp, windy and mostly cool opening round.

The change in the weather obviously agreed with many of the young guns in the field for the 71st edition of this championship as evidenced by some of the big turnaround scores posted.

The reversal of fortune was led by 2015 BC Juvenile Boys Champion A.J. Ewart who fashioned a bogey-free round of 6-under 64 to jump into the lead at the halfway point sitting at 3-under (137). 

Surrey's Hannah Lee, Shown Above Playing In The 2016 BC Jr. Girls Championship, Led A Group Of Six Girls From BC Who Have Qualified For The U.S. Jr. Girls Championship - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

The 2016 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will take place at the A.W. Tillinghast designed Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. from July 18-23. Eligibility for the event is for any female who has not turned 18 as of July 23 and whose Handicap Index does not exceed 18.4. 

U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship 18-hole qualifying took place at several locations around the United States during the month of June and six girls from British Columbia took advantage of those opportunities to grab spots in one of the most prestigious Junior tournaments in the world.

Sagebrush Golf Course Is Getting Closer To It's Much Anticipated Re-opening - Image Courtesy Facility

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Sagebrush will re-open. It’s just taking a little longer than the new owners of the highly regarded Merritt-area course had hoped. James Cronk, president of Newmark Properties’ Golf Group, said rather than rushing the re-opening of Sagebrush, the company is determined to do it right. And if that means taking some extra time, so be it. 

“What we have been telling people is that we have a lot of construction going on to get Sagebrush to the level of experience that we’re excited about and we just don’t want to show it before it’s ready,” Cronk said in an interview.

PGA TOUR Player Adam Hadwin Returned Home To Help Promote The Vancouver Golf Tour's Premier Event, The Vancouver Open - Image Credit Brad Ziemer

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The best player in the field won the Vancouver Open, but it wasn’t as easy as you might think for Adam Hadwin. The PGA TOUR regular from Abbotsford needed five back-nine birdies to take command of the Vancouver Golf Tour’s marquee event at Pagoda Ridge Golf Course in Langley.

Hadwin completed his Vancouver Open hat trick with a 54-hole score of seven-under par 207. That was two shots better than Mission’s Kevin Stinson and Riley Wheeldon of Courtenay.

Recently the Allied Golf Association of British Columbia (AGA-BC) distributed its inaugural industry newsletter.

The Allied Golf Association of British Columbia is a provincial organization that contains representation from each of the Regional Golf Industry Associations that are dedicated to providing one cohesive voice for the golf industry of British Columbia.

The 'Thoughtful, Scenic' Arbutus Ridge Golf Course In Cobble Hill On Vancouver Island Will Host The Best Junior Boys In The Province For This Year's BC Junior Boys Championship - Image Courtesy Arbutus Ridge

by Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

The 2016 BC Junior Boys Championship is set to tee off on Tuesday, July 5th at Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. Arbutus Ridge, owned and operated by the GolfBC Group, is located in the seaside community of Cobble Hill within the Cowichan Valley amongst nine of Vancouver Island’s finest wineries and 10 minutes from the cultural city of Duncan and just a scenic 40 minute drive from Victoria or Nanaimo.

A Bill Robinson design built in 1987, Arbutus Ridge was specifically routed to offer some of the most stunning views on Vancouver Island amongst the characteristic Arbutus trees. The front nine weaves alongside a seaside community while the back nine climbs a ridge overlooking the Satellite Channel.

Surrey's Michelle Kim Will Be Looking To Defend The Title She Won Last Year In The BC Women's Amateur Next Week At Beach Grove Golf Club - Image Credit Alfie Lau/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

We are about to find out what Michelle Kim is going to do for an encore. Last year, Kim got what was a super summer started by winning the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows on Vancouver Island.

The Surrey resident finished the 72-hole event at three-under par and beat her older sister Taylor by one shot. She followed that up by capturing the B.C. Junior Girls Championship at Cordova Bay in Victoria and then winning the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Yorkton, Sask.

Victoria's Naomi Ko Has A Couple Of Very Big Weeks Coming Up As She Tees It Up In Two LPGA Tour Tournaments - Image Courtesy USGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Naomi Ko hopes these next two weeks will offer a taste of her future. The 18-year-old amateur from Victoria will tee it up in two straight LPGA Tour events, starting Thursday at the Cambria Portland Classic in Oregon. It will be her LPGA debut and she won’t have long to wait for her second stop, which is an even bigger event.

This Summer Vancouver's Doug Roxburgh Will Play In His 50th Consecutive British Columbia Men's Amateur. Shown Above Being Interviewed For His Induction To The PNGA Hall of Fame In 2011, Roxburgh Has Won The Bostock Trophy, Displayed To His Right, As The B.C. Amateur Champion 13 Times - Image Courtesy PNGA/YouTube

via British Columbia Golf Communications

Please join us for a very special celebration honouring one of the great achievements by one of the true gentleman champions in the game of golf. On July 12th at Pheasant Glen Golf course in Qualicum Beach, Vancouver's Doug Roxburgh will tee off in his 50th consecutive British Columbia Men's Amateur.

An evening dedicated solely to celebrating Doug's outstanding career and this particular milestone is being held at his home course, Marine Drive Golf Club on Sunday, July 17th.

A Member Of The Rather Exclusive '59 Club' Paul Goydos Was On Hand To Help Promote This Fall's Pacific Links Championship At Bear Mountain In Victoria - Image Credit Bryan Outram

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VICTORIA -- Bear Mountain hopes its first Champions Tour event won’t be its last. The Greater Victoria resort is preparing, on very short notice, to play host to the Pacific Links Championship on the 50-and-over circuit. The 54-hole, $2.5-million US event goes Sept. 22-25.

And Bear Mountain’s owner, Ecoasis Developments, has made it clear it would love to have a permanent spot on the Champions Tour schedule. “We want this to be successful in 2016,” David Clarke, chief financial officer of Ecoasis, told a news conference this week. “But not just 2016 . . .we would really love to see this as a fixture on the Champions Tour schedule going forward.”

SFU Sophomore Chris Crisologo Added Antoher Honour To His Stellar 2016 Golf Season Being Named To The NCAA Division II PING All-America Third Team - Image Courtesy British Columbia Golf

Courtesy Steve Frost/SFU Athletics

NORMAN, Okla. – Simon Fraser University sophomore Chris Crisologo of Richmond, BC, was today named to the NCAA Division II PING All-America Third Team by the Golf Coaches Association of America. 

Crisologo, a Third Team selection, was among 24 student-athletes from NCAA Division II named to either the first, second or third teams.

Top-ranked Jared du Toit picked up 10 spots in the world rankings to sit at a career-best 57th in the world. The Golf Canada National Team member is coming off a win at the Glencoe Invitational. He became the first player from the host club, The Glencoe Golf & Country Club, to win the tournament since 1995.

A.J. Ewart (L) And Khan Lee Made It A Clean Sweep For British Columbia In The U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier Down In Spanaway, Washington This Week - Image Credit Brad Ewart

Coquitlam's A.J. Ewart was joined by Surrey's Khan Lee as the two qualifiers at a 36-hole U.S. Junior Amateur qualifying event held at the RMG Club at The Classic Golf Club in Spanaway, Washington on June 21st.

Ewart had to overcome a severe case of jet-lag having just returned from the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup at the Chukyo Golf Club Ishino Course in Japan where he posted a 3-under par score for the 72 hole event finishing in 19th spot competing against the best junior golfers in the world.

Lee also had some overcoming to do as he opened the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier with a 79 but bounced back nicely with a round of even par 72.

The 2016 Golfer’s Red Book offers over $17,000 in golf savings with over 525 coupons at over 110 participating courses throughout BC.

The book is now available online to British Columbia Golf members only for a promotional rate of $21.95 plus tax, includes shipping.

This is a 37% savings off the regular online rate with shipping of $34.95.

To order your book now please CLICK HERE  

Once you're there you'll need the coupon code which is: bcgolf

Please expect 4-5 business days for delivery. In the event of any disruption of service by Canada Post the Red Books will instead be sent via a courier service.

The Inter-Club Matches Between Seattle GC And Victoria GC Have Been Taking Place For Over A Century - Images Courtesy Facilities

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It’s not so much about winning or losing, but playing the game, which is something members of Victoria Golf Club and Seattle Golf Club have been doing at one another’s course for more than a century.

This weekend, 40 male members from each club will gather in Victoria to continue a tradition that began way back in 1903. That’s how long the annual inter-club matches between the two golf clubs have been going on.

The Target In The Swing Net Was A Big Hit With The Youth Who Came Out To Participate In National Aboriginal Day At Musqueam - Image Credit Gino Cutri

By Gino Cutri

The day began with the opening ceremony in the Musqueam Centre gymnasium. Young girls dressed in traditional Musqueam clothing entered the room singing hymns passed down from their elders. 

The display reminded those in attendance of the importance of National Aboriginal Day, and what it means to Musqueam Nation. As the opening ceremony concluded, the block party ensued. Music, and barbecue filled the surrounding area with the sounds and smells of a block party celebration.

Vancouver's oldest 18-hole public golf course turns 90 next week. The club is celebrating its special day on Sunday, June 26th all day long with lots of activities and contests. Come out and celebrate with them and you could win 26 rounds of free golf as your 'gift bag' prize!

Kimberley's Jared du Toit Will See How He Stacks Up Against The Pros In This Week's SIGA Dakota Dunes Open - Image Courtesy Jared du Toit/Twitter 

B.C. Amateur Champion Has Spot In This Week’s Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Event In Saskatoon

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Fresh off a big win at Calgary’s Glencoe Invitational, Jared du Toit will get his first taste of pro golf at this week’s Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event in Saskatoon. Du Toit, the reigning B.C. Amateur champion from Kimberley, has been granted a sponsor’s exemption to play in the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open. 

It will be the first professional tournament for du Toit, Canada’s top-ranked amateur player.

UFV Coach Chris Bertram (L) Is Joined By Famed Ledgeview Alumni Ray Stewart, James Lepp & Nick Taylor For Their Annual Fundraiser - Image Courtesy UFV/Twitter

Under The Guidance Of Coach Chris Bertram, UFV Has Become One Of The Top Teams In The Country

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

ABBOTSFORD -- Nick Taylor will always bleed the purple and gold of his Washington Huskies, but he also has a soft spot for another university. Taylor has become a big supporter in recent years of the University of the Fraser Valley, in particular the Abbotsford-based school’s golf program.

On Friday, Taylor once again took time out of his PGA TOUR schedule and gave back to his Abbotsford roots by playing in the Algra Brothers UFV Cascades Pro-Am presented by Cleveland/Srixon at Ledgeview Golf Club.