Golf is never easy and it becomes even more difficult when faced with all the off-course distractions the men’s and women’s golf teams at the University of B.C. are currently facing.
The Thunderbirds begin their 2025-26 seasons next week without a head coach and a regular place to practice. Longtime head coach Chris Macdonald, who led the teams to multiple NAIA and Canadian championships over the past two decades, parted ways with the university just over a week ago.
Assistant coaches Keir Smith and Jeff Buder are attempting to fill that void, which has been made more challenging by the fact UBC presently does not have access to Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club for practice rounds.
“It’s never a smooth road in golf,” said Smith, who is leading the men’s program. “This is a little extreme to start the year, but we just have to put it aside and control what we can control. That’s doing our best, being prepared and coming with the best attitude that we can.”
The T-Bird men and women open their seasons Sept. 8-9 at the Wine Valley Invitational in Walla Walla, Wash. Smith and Buder acknowledge it has been a difficult time for the players. It hasn’t helped that both programs are heading into a major rebuilding year.
“I think the worst thing is the kids are stuck in between,” Buder said. “That’s the unfortunate part. If it was the senior group we had last year it wouldn’t be as devastating, but we lost nine seniors last year so it’s a bit of a rebuilding year.
"The kids are edgy, but we carry on day-by-day. We are trying to be super-open. We are telling them everything. If we know some golf-related information, we relay it to them and their parents. That’s all we can do.”
The fact that Buder and Smith are able to step in and help guide the program through these tumultuous times is a positive. Both are seasoned pros and highly respected instructors. Buder was a longtime head pro at Point Grey Golf & Country Club before becoming a full-time instructor.
Smith is a former director of golf at The National Golf Club of Canada in Woodbridge, Ont., and now teaches out of Eagleview Golf Centre in Surrey.
“I am just supporting the men’s team as best I can through this transition,” Smith said. “It seems to be a very fluid situation. And Jeff is doing the same on the women’s side.
"We have been telling the kids they are here for a reason. Coach Macdonald had a great eye for talent and has obviously brought the program to where it is and we believe in them and we have to put the noise aside and use our competitive instincts to get through this.”
The loss of Shaughnessy as a practice facility — hopefully temporarily — hasn’t made it easy to get the players prepared for the season.
“We are going to all of the tournaments so it is just about trying to find places to practice and play in the meantime,” Buder said. “We are fortunate in that probably half of the girts are members in town so they have places to play and can bring guests to play, so we have been doing that.”
Brian Mossop, general manager and chief operating officer at Shaughnessy, said Macdonald’s departure created some issues for the club. He recently met with UBC Athletics leadership in the hope of finding a solution.
“The sudden coaching change, which was just days before the start of the season, has created some challenges for a few stakeholders, including those at our club,” Mossop said.
“For many years, the head coach has been essential in welcoming new players, coordinating their access to facilities, managing the players when they are on-site and working closely with our professional staff. And, without that kind of hands-on leadership, the transition has been more complex.
“Our focus remains squarely on supporting the student-athletes and we’re optimistic that a plan will be in place soon to welcome them back in the right environment.”
Buder has the luxury of having Vancouver’s Jessica Ng returning for her senior year. Ng was the individual medalist at the 2025 NAIA Championships and helped lead the T-Birds to their eighth NAIA team title in program history.
“She’s so solid, she’s a great captain for us,” Buder said of Ng. “She’s been trying to reassure the girls coming in and helping them adjust to school.”
Nanaimo’s Manpreet Lahl was UBC’s top recruit on the men’s side. “I’m looking forward to getting to know him a lot better,” Smith said. “Manny has got a great, easy-going personality. He is just getting his feet wet.
"He is in the engineering department, so he is climbing through the first week of that, which can be overbearing, but he has the head to handle all of this. We just hit balls again yesterday and he has an incredible ball flight, high and has good control over it.”
Smith and Buder are trying not to put too much pressure on their players heading to Walla Walla.
“We are all slightly rusty,” Smith said. “We haven’t had the on-course reps, but hopefully we can challenge in the first one and move forward from here. But this is not the way we drew it up.”
CHIP SHOTS: Lahl, Jake Houston, Aneesh Kaura, Forrest Van Alstine and Leighton Wright will be UBC’s starters in Walla Walla. Hunter Auramenko will play as an individual. Ng, Sienna Harder, Keira Hou, Katherine Hao and Sarah Yang will be the women’s starters. Raina Rimi will play as an individual.