Padraic O'Rourke, The 2021 PGA of BC Club Professional Champion, Is Heading To Marine Drive As The Venerable Club's New Director Of Golf - PGA of BC Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Padraic O’Rourke grew up on the west coast of Ireland and had the opportunity to play many of the famed links courses in his homeland.

He quickly gained an appreciation of the game’s history, something he said was top of mind in accepting the position of director of golf at Vancouver’s Marine Drive Golf Club. “The history of the club was definitely an attraction,” said O’Rourke, who has spent the past nine years as head professional and director of golf at Chateau Whistler Golf Club.

“It’s known for producing some great players and having a very active playing membership. I’ve met lots of Marine Drive members over the years working at the Chateau and I always found them to be very, very pleasant to deal with.

In a very well done short documentary aired by Skratch, Erik Anders Lang travels to Bald Eagle GC in Point Roberts, WA, a formally 'unreachable' course to find out what happened to so completely isolate the facility in this episode of Adventures in Golf, presented by United Airlines.

Golf boomed during the pandemic...everywhere except here. Two years later, it's finally making its comeback. Bald Eagle GC has a unique story of being virtually abandoned during the pandemic, which was far from unique in the U.S. and Canada at the time, but is slowly making a comeback thanks to the local volunteers who are helping as they play.

To see Brad Ziemer's recent story and interviews on Bald Eagle's comeback click here. 

Vancouver's Stu Macdonald Celebrates His Ace In The GolfBC Championship - PGATourCanada Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kimberley’s Jared du Toit and Chris Crisologo of Richmond both played their way into PGA Tour Canada’s season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship and Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald recorded his ninth hole-in-one. 

Those were the British Columbia highlights of the $200,000 GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club in Kelowna. Du Toit tied for 18th at 14-under par and Crisologo tied for 45th at nine-under.

Those finishes were enough to keep them inside the top 60 on the points list, which also makes them fully exempt for the 2023 PGA Tour Canada season.

Clockwise From Top Left: Pierre-Alexandre Bédard, Gordon Burns, Kevin Stinson and Branson Ferrier To Represent PGA of Canada professionals at Kyalami Country Club In South Africa - PGA of Canada Image

Courtesy PGA of Canada

The PGA of Canada is set to take on teams from the PGA of South Africa, PGA of Australia and PGA of New Zealand from August 31-September 4 in the inaugural Four Nations Cup.

The team from the PGA of Canada was chosen based off the PGA of Canada Points Rankings and ability to attend.

“The team is so excited to be competing this week in South Africa,” said PGA of Canada Championships Manager Matt Mueller, who is joining the team in Johannesburg. “It isn’t often that players get to compete in a team-based format, so for some of our top players to have the opportunity to represent our country and the PGA of Canada will be a phenomenal experience.”

Triple Title Winner Shelly Stouffer - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Shelly Stouffer keeps winning golf tournaments and making history. The Nanoose Bay resident not only defended her Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur title at Breezy Bend Country Club in suburban Winnipeg, she also won the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master championships that were being played concurrently.

Call it golf’s version of a hat trick.

Stouffer becomes just the second Canadian to win the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and the Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur Championship in the same year. World Golf Hall of Famer Marlene Streit was the first to do it in 1995.

Golf Canada

(September 1, 2022) – Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are committed to providing opportunities for people with disabilities to experience the physical, psychological, and social benefits golf can offer.

As part of this commitment, the national golf organizations have launched the EDGA 359 Pilot Project, presented by Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada, partnering with EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association) on coach training designed to demystify adaptive golf and give coaches the confidence needed to launch and develop programs for golfers with disabilities across Canada.

“Through this coach training, we are eager to increase support for golfers of all abilities and make our sport inclusive of more Canadians,” said Laura Wilson, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Safe Sport for Golf Canada.

Click HERE for complete article...

View Of The 13th Hole At Bald Eagle From 2019 - Image Courtesy Facility

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It’s hard to argue that the Covid-19 pandemic has been a boon to the golf industry. Golf courses have never been busier and prime time weekend tee times have become something of a precious commodity.

Golf has undergone a renaissance of sorts as the pandemic brought new people to the game and those who already played logged even more rounds. 

It’s been a great time to be in the golf business pretty much everywhere but the border community of Point Roberts, Wash. The golf boom never materialized at Bald Eagle Golf Club, which was forced to close for more than two years during the pandemic due to border restrictions.

Photo Courtesy Golf Canada/Youth On Course

By Brad Ewart

Casper the friendly ghost would make a good golf parent.

As an invisible ghost he could always remain out-of-sight and out-of-mind allowing his golfer to play without distraction.

Often when parents think they are helping or doing what’s best for their player — they are doing the opposite. Negatively getting into their player’s mind and disruptively into their game.

Perhaps as a parent-spectator you don’t realize that you could adversely affect your golfer and their result. Let’s hope that moving forward you will begin to help and not hinder your player.

Gallagher's Canyon GC Will Host This Week's GolfBC Championship - Image Courtesy Tourism Kelowna

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbians Stuart Macdonald and Jared du Toit have some momentum on their side heading to this week’s GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon in Kelowna on the PGA Tour Canada circuit.

Both players recorded top-25 finishes at last week’s CRMC Championship in Brainerd, Minn. Macdonald, a Vancouver native who spent this past year on the Korn Ferry Tour, tied for 16th at 17-under par, while Kimberley’s du Toit tied for 24th at 16-under.

Golf Industry Guru Gurus, Scott Masse (L) And James Cronk (R) - Image Courtesy GIG Website 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Golf is not only a hard game, it’s also an extremely difficult business. Think about it. There’s a lot more to operating a golf course than simply ringing in green fees. There’s the food and beverage side of the operation. There’s the agronomy side of the business. There’s staff to recruit, manage and retain in today’s challenging environment and so much more.

“It’s really complicated,” says James Cronk. “As a manger, a general manager, as an owner, you have to have some understanding of how to run a restaurant, how to grow grass, how to sell and market, how to deal with human resources.”  

Cronk and partner Scott Masse have started a business designed to help golf course operators and their staffs. Golf Industry Guru is now in its second year of operation and has close to 100 clients (golf courses) signed up. They make up what Cronk likes to call GIG Nation.

Cordova Bay Golf Course's Nate Ollis Hoists The William Thompson Trophy As He Claims The 2022 PGA of BC Championship Presented By Axis Insurance At Pitt Meadows Golf Club - PGA of BC Photo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(AUGUST 24, 2022) PITT MEADOWS, BC (PGA of British Columbia) – Nate Ollis of Cordova Bay Golf Course birdied the third playoff hole on Tuesday at Pitt Meadows Golf Club to capture the 2022 PGA of BC Championship presented by Axis Insurance.

The Victoria, BC-native fired back-to-back rounds of 2-under par 70, including a final round on Tuesday that came bogey-free to claim his first PGA of BC victory.

After the completion of 36-holes, Ollis and Seymour Creek Golf Centre’s Bryn Parry (69-71) found themselves tied at 4-under par and heading to a sudden-death playoff.

From L-R: Vanessa Zhang, Gianna Clements And Michelle Liu - Golf Canada Photo

Courtesy Golf Canada

OTTAWA, Ont. – When Michelle Liu qualified for the 2019 CP Women’s Open at 12 years, 9 months and 6 days old, it was a record that many thought would last for the foreseeable future.

Then came Lucy Lin.

On Monday, Lin earned a spot in the 2022 CP Women’s Open via a 3-for-1 playoff in the Final Qualifier at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. and when she tees it up at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club on Thursday at the age of 12 years, 7 months and 12 days, she will become the youngest female ever to qualify for Canada’s National Women’s Open.

Michelle Liu Holds The BC Women's Amateur Trophy At Age 13 - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She isn’t exactly all grown up quite yet, but Vancouver’s Michelle Liu is feeling like she’s much better prepared for her second appearance at the CP Women’s Open.

Three years ago as a 12-year-old, Liu made headlines when she became the youngest player to tee it up in a Canadian LPGA Tour event.

She has some great memories of that tournament, held at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., but she also remembers being somewhat overwhelmed by the length of the course. Physically, she wasn’t quite ready to handle it.

Ilirian Zalli Holds The Trophy After Winning The Vancouver Open - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Vancouver Golf Tour commissioner Fraser Mulholland has a video he shot 11 years ago when now PGA TOUR regular Adam Hadwin won the Vancouver Open in a playoff at Fraserview Golf Course.

In that video, you’ll see a youngster watching the action rather intently. That kid was Ilirian Zalli and on Sunday he became the latest Vancouver Open champion.

He did so in rather dramatic fashion. The former B.C. Junior champion, who grew up just blocks from the first tee at Fraserview, birdied his final four holes to force a playoff and then won that playoff with Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald on the first extra hole.

Reigning Canadian Senior Women's Champion Shelly Stouffer - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Shelly Stouffer has been waiting almost a year to enjoy one particularly nice perk she received for winning last summer’s Canadian Senior Women’s Championship.

The wait is finally over. Stouffer is ready to cash in her exemption and tee it up at this week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open in Kettering, Ohio. Stouffer acknowledges she may feel a little star-struck this week.

The 120-player field is chock-full of LPGA Tour legends.

The Triumphant Golf Squad From British Columbia - Image Credit Ryan McCullough/Media Release

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Solid gold. That would be an apt description of British Columbia’s performance at the Canada Summer Games golf competition. 

B.C. swept both individual titles and also won the mixed team competition at the Summer Games in the Niagara region of southern Ontario. Tina Jiang of Richmond won the female competition and Vernon’s Cooper Humphreys was the winner on the male side.

All four members of the B.C. team — Jiang, Humphreys, Surrey’s Lauren Kim and Ethan Posthumus of Coquitlam — earned gold medals in the mixed team event.

Courtesy Golf Canada

(August 18, 2022) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce today the six athletes that will represent Team Canada at the 2022 World Amateur Team Championships, conducted by the International Golf Federation in France, outside the capital city of Paris.

Representing Canada on the women’s side will be Lauren Kim, 17, of Surrey B.C., Nicole Gal, 17, of Oakville, Ont, and Brooke Rivers, 17, of Brampton, Ont. The trio will compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy in the 29th playing of the women’s competition, August 24-27 at Le Golf National (Albatros Course) and Golf de Saint-Nom-de-la-Bretèche (Red Course).

Donning the red and white for the men’s team will be Johnny Travale, 21, of Stoney Creek, Ont., Garrett Rank, 34, of Elmira, Ont., and A.J. Ewart, 23, of Coquitlam, B.C. – the three highest ranked Canadian men on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The Canadian squad will vie for the Eisenhower Trophy during the 32nd edition of the men’s tournament, also being contested at Le Golf National (Albatros Course) and Golf de Saint-Nom-de-la-Bretèche (Red Course), August 31 – September 3.

Recently the storied Huntting Cup celebrated its 100th anniversary as the competiton was held at Victoria's Gorge Vale GC.

The long history of the Huntting Cup is somewhat unique (see the background story by Brad Ziemer HERE) and the women who have played in it over the years have come to cherish the privilege of taking part. 

One of those who has been a regular participant for some 25 years is former provincial champion Karen Pultz.

Karen took the time to put together a special historical tribute to the event in honour of its 100th birthday this year. Enjoy. 

Rose Chen Fired A 2-under 70 Take The Early Lead In The BC Bantam Girls Event At Shadow Ridge GC In Kelowna - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Rose Zhiyan Chen had a feeling it might be her day when she chipped in for birdie on her first hole at the B.C. Bantam Girls Championship at Shadow Ridge Golf Club in Kelowna.

Not that the 13-year-old Langley resident was standing over the shot feeling particularly confident about pulling it off. “No, I was standing over my ball thinking how to not screw up this chip,” she said with a laugh.

“And I hit it way too hard, but it hit the pin and went in. I was like, ‘okay, I’ll take that.’”

Norm Jarvis Is Seen Here After His Win In The 2018 PGA of BC Srs. Championship - PGA of BC Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

No one loved golf more than Norm Jarvis, the longtime Vancouver-area pro who died last week following a lengthy illness. 

“I can tell you he lived for golf, more than anyone I know,” said fellow pro and close friend Muncie Booth. “You didn’t go anywhere with Norm without talking about golf.”

“He absolutely lived for his golf,” echoed former PGA TOUR regular Ray Stewart, another close friend. “His whole world was immersed in golf and his family. Norm was a fighter, he has been fighting for a long time.” Jarvis, who was 70, passed after suffering a major stroke a few months ago.