History Of The Bostock Cup
The trophy being sought after by the competitors this week has a storied history that stretches back to the 1800s...
Its history began in November 1894 when Senator Hewitt Bostock donated $50 to purchase a trophy for a men’s amateur championship on the condition that it be used for the Amateur Championship of British Columbia.
The then named Bostock Cup, was to be presented annually to the BC Amateur Champion. Perhaps the businessman, politician and new owner of The Province newspaper anticipated his trophy would enhance the growth of his new publication.
The Cup was to remain the property of the Victoria Golf Club, and could not be won outright by any winner. Hence, this trophy is “on loan” from the Victoria Golf Club to British Columbia Golf for the presentation each year to the Amateur Champion.
While the actual trophy is presented to each year’s Champion, this Champion is also given a keeper trophy and the Bostock Trophy is returned to British Columbia Golf, inscribed with the name of the Champion.
Only 4 players have won the Bostock Trophy more than twice: Harvey Combe (8) and William E. Oliver (3) at the turn of the last century, Doug Roxburgh (13) over a 27-year period from 1969 to 1996 and James Lepp (4) who took the title every year from 2002 to 2005. Other notables who have hoisted the Cup are Fred Couples in 1979 and Course Architect A.V. Macan in 1912 and 1913.
The Bostock Trophy was placed on display at the BC Sports Hall of Fame until 1989, after which it was moved to its current home at the BC Golf House Museum.
Today the Bostock Cup is the oldest original trophy for golf competition at the state, provincial, or national championships in North America. All the other trophies are replicas because the originals were lost in fires at various clubs in North America.