Duncan Meadows Golf & Country Club Is No Stranger To Hosting Championships - Image Courtesy Facility

by Alfie Lau

Sixty of the province’s best female amateur golfers are set to tackle Duncan Meadows Golf & Country Club from June 30 to July 3 for the British Columbia Golf Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championship.

Leading the field of contenders are defending champion Taylor Kim of Kent State University; defending Mid-Amateur champion Christina Spence Proteau; Team Canada development team members Michelle Kim, Naomi Ko and Alisha Lau from British Columbia and Jaclyn Lee from Alberta; Alison Murdoch and Jessica Luciuk, who competed in the Mid-Master, Senior and Super Senior championships at Cowichan; and promising young juniors Susan Xiao, Mary Parsons, Hannah Lee, Vivian Lee and Shirin Anjarwalla.

CN Future Links Coordinator Stephanie Wong Works With Kids At The Cn Future Links And British Columbia Golf Exhibit At Cloverdale’s Park Play Palooza In Cloverdale - Image Credit Alfie Laui

by Alfie Lau

Jim Ingutia was holding two soccer balls in hand when he brought his four kids to Cloverdale Athletic Park on June 27 for Park Play Palooza.

Jason, 9, Jacob, 6, Janel, 5, and Joe, 3, were going to kick balls around with dad when they noticed the bright targets, balls and golf clubs in the lacrosse box where CN Future Links coordinator Stephanie Wong and her assistants, Eizza “Izzy” Hernandez and Kit Mung were showing hundreds of kids golf fundamentals using SNAG equipment.

The Ingutia family then spent the better half of their lunch hour launching tennis balls, putting, chipping and generally having a fun time learning that golf is accessible to all kids.

June 26, 2015
Bryan Outram (British Columbia Golf)

Canadian Direct Insurance (CDI) part of the Canadian Western Bank Group, has been named the Presenting Sponsor for the Junior Boys Championship held July 7 - 10th at the Osoyoos Golf Club - Park Meadows.

The event will be known as the 2015 BC Junior Boys' Championship presented by Canadian Direct Insurance.

Shelley Stouffer Overcame A Three-Stroke Deficit In The Last Three Holes To Win The Mid-Master Division Of The British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship At Cowichan - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

Sitting three shots behind Alberta’s Jessica Luciuk with only three holes to go, Fairwinds Golf & Country Club’s Shelly Stouffer saw the BC Mid-Master title slipping through her fingers.

But a clutch birdie on the 16th and pars on the final two holes were enough for Stouffer to come away with the big prize from the British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship at Cowichan Golf & Country Club.

The Picturesque 8th Hole At Sahalee Country Club - Image Courtesy Sahalee CC

For Immediate Release

(Sammamish, Wash.) – An impressive field of world-class amateur talent will converge on the Pacific Northwest and Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. for the 22nd Sahalee Players Championship (SPC), to be played June 29-July 1, 2015.

The championship will be contested over 72 holes of stroke play, with 36 holes being played the first day, 18 the second, and 18 on the third and final day. This year the SPC field will consist of 66 of the top amateur golfers from around the world.

A qualifier to fill the final three spots was held Monday, June 22 at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash., with the three advancing to the championship proper being Adam Barker, a freshman at Olympic College in Bremerton, Wash.; R.J. Manke of Lakewood, Wash.; and Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver, B.C., a senior from Purdue University.

Shelley Stouffer Shot An Even-Par Round Of 72, The Best Round During Round Two Of The British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship At Cowichan - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

While Alberta’s Jessica Luciuk maintained the lead in the Mid-Master division at the British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship at Cowichan Golf & Country Club, the biggest move during Round 2 came from Fairwinds Golf & Country Club’s Shelly Stouffer.

Holly Horwood Has The Lead In Three Categories After Round One Of The British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship at Cowichan Golf & Country Club - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

A sprinkle of rain wasn’t enough to dampen the hot rounds put up by Shaughnessy’s Holly Horwood and Alberta’s Jessica Luciuk at the British Columbia Golf 2015 Mid-Master, Senior & Super Senior Women’s Championship at Cowichan Golf & Country Club on Wednesday.

Horwood and Luciuk each shot (+2) rounds of 74 on the challenging par-72 track and lead defending champion Jackie Little of Nanaimo – North Zone 6, who shot a (+4) round of 76.

Luciuk and Horwood share the lead in the Mid-Master category while Horwood leads the Senior and Super Senior Championships.

BC Tourism Industry Conference
October 19-21, 2015

The BC golf industry is invited to join 400+ tourism industry peers in Vancouver, October 19-21 at a conference designed just for you! The BC Tourism Industry Conference will bring together the varied sectors of the province’s tourism industry for two days of connecting, learning and celebrating. Get up to speed on industry trends and issues, make new connections and return to your business with the skills and tools you need to make a positive, measureable impact.  Golf travelers are an important segment of many course's market and participation in the conference will provide information on how best to attract more golf travelers.

 Click here to learn more.

Brown Is The New Green As Evidenced By This View Of The Chambers Bay Layout For The 2015 U.S. Open - Image Credit Kris Jonasson

by Kris Jonasson, Executive Director - British Columbia Golf

Tuesday I attended, along with my friend Dana Prince, my first golf event in many years strictly as a spectator.

Here is what I learned and what you should know before heading down to the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf and intrepid BCG reporter

Never has the U.S. Open been closer to home for British Columbians, but that only intensifies the pressure for us media types covering the event.

Having covered six U.S. Opens for Inside Golf, the 2015 version, at Chambers Bay, presented a variety of unique challenges.

While the course was a manageable 4-hour drive away from Vancouver, securing suitable accommodation close to Tacoma proved quite challenging.

Chris Crisologo Puts Together Some Snag Equipment For International Olympic Day At The Richmond Oval - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

When the doors opened at 10 a.m. Monday for International Olympic Day at the Richmond Olympic Oval, hundreds of schoolchildren rushed through the doors and headed for specialized sports areas such as volleyball, athletics, basketball and tennis.

But the biggest rush was to the golf area run by the CN Future Links team led by Stephanie Wong and her team of Winnie Hyun, Chris Crisologo, Eizza Hernandez, Curtis Chan and Quilchena assistant pro Tom Flockhart.

The Richmond Olympic Oval Will Be The Site Of International Olympic Day Celebrations On Monday, June 15th And Golf Is Playing A Major Role - Image Courtesy Richmond Olympic Oval

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf

Monday, June 15 looks like any other Monday, the beginning of another work week and the last spring Monday of 2015.

But look a little deeper and you may discover it’s the biggest day in British Columbia golf.

Let’s start with an event that’s not just about golf, but is important nevertheless. Golf will return to the Olympics in Rio in 2016 and International Olympic Day will be celebrated from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Richmond Olympic Oval, with British Columbia Golf and CN Future Links playing a big part in this event.

Jordan Belton Of The Vancouver Golf Club Receives His Trophy And Awards From David Atkinson, President Of British Columbia Golf - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

Relentless rain at Talking Rock in Chase, BC cancelled the final round of the 2015 British Columbia Golf Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master championship on Thursday.

“The course was unplayable. There was excessive water in the fairways,” said Susan White, Senior Manager, Field Operations for British Columbia Golf. “To have played would have not been good for the course or the players.”

White and her tournament team surveyed the course just before 6 a.m. Thursday and notified the players via email just before 6:30 a.m. The respective leaders after the second round were awarded the titles at a presentation ceremony Thursday morning.

The Vancouver Golf Club’s Jordan Belton won the Mid-Amateur title, with a winning score of (-1) 143. Coming in a tie for second, two strokes behind, were Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club’s Patrick Weeks and Tobiano Golf Club’s Adam Kernan.

Lance Lundy Leads The British Columbia Golf Mid-Master Component Of The Mid Amateur Event At (+2) 146 After Two Rounds At Talking Rock - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

A steady rain provided some challenges during Round 2 of the British Columbia Golf Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master at Talking Rock Golf Course in Chase on Wednesday.

The British Columbia Mid-Amateur is for players age 25 and older while the Mid-Master is for players age 40 and older. The 54-hole event has a cut to top 70 and ties after 36 holes.

Talking Rock played to 6,620 yards on Wednesday, with only two players breaking par. Jordan Belton and Mark Heinrich, playing in the same group, both shot (-1) rounds of 71, while Kamloops’ Adam Kernan came in at even par 72.

Belton leads the Mid-Amateur standings with a (-1) total of 143. He’s two strokes ahead of Kernan and first-round leader Patrick Weeks, who shot (+3) 75 on Wednesday.

Patrick Weeks Of Shaughnessy Is The First-Round Leader At The British Columbia Golf Mid-Amateur At Talking Rock In Chase. Weeks Shot A (-2) Round Of 70 - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

The first tournament of the British Columbia Golf calendar kicked off Tuesday at Talking Rock Golf Course in Chase with the Men’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master. The British Columbia Mid-Amateur is for players age 25 and older while the Mid-Master is for players age 40 and older.

The 54-hole event – cut to top 70 and ties after 36 holes – opened under grey skies and some rain, but that didn’t stop three golfers, of the 97 who started the tournament, from breaking par on the par-72 6,641-yard track.

Current British Columbia Men's Amateur Champion Jordan Lu Will Lead A Strong BC Morse Cup Team In The Pacific Coast Amateur

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf

The Pacific Coast Amateur, being held at Eugene Country Club July 28-31, is coming up fast and British Columbia Golf has just named its Morse Cup team for that event.

Mid-amateur Kevin Carrigan of Victoria, University of Washington freshman and current British Columbia Amateur champion Jordan Lu, and University of Idaho sophomore Jared du Toit, will be carrying the BC colours in the team portion of the PCA.

At 15 Years Of Age Khan Lee Is The Youngest Member Of The Boys Team - But He May Be The Most Outgoing - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf

Three months from now, the best 16-and-younger golfers will compete at the Western Canada Summer Games in Wood Buffalo, AB and British Columbia will be ably represented by 8 of the best young golfers in the country.

Head coach Matt Palsenbarg officially named his team after the CN Future Links event in Qualicum Beach earlier this month and the teams feature a girl’s team of all 15-year-olds and a boys team of 3 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old.

Nick Sherwood Smiles As He Receives His Ticket From Susan White Of British Columbia Golf To Play In The PC Financial Open At Point Grey After Monday Qualifying At Swaneset Bay Resort - image credit alfie lau

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf

For Albany, OR’s Nick Sherwood, it was the longest afternoon of his golf career.

After shooting a morning round of (-3) 69 at Swaneset Bay’s Resort Course during the Monday qualifier for the PC Financial Open, Sherwood had to wait hours to see how the rest of the other 129 players who had forked out $250 to play for one of 10 spots into the first PGA TOUR Canada stop at Point Grey would do.

Just before 7 p.m., Sherwood got the word he was looking for from British Columbia Golf’s Susan White, who was happy to give Sherwood one of 10 pieces of paper telling him his next steps, which included what awaited him at Point Grey.

The Downhill 180 Yard 12Th At Portland Golf Club Is Called Bridge And Is Protected By Four Green Side Bunkers - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf

It may be the most prestigious amateur title in U.S. women’s golf, but don’t tell that to the myriad of Canadian women who will be trying to hoist the Robert Cox Cup at Portland Golf Club on August 16.

Portland, Ore. – The 12-person team representing the Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) took a slim lead into the second day’s play and held on to win the 10th PNGA Cup.

The Ryder Cup-style matches were held at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Ore., and featured 48 of the finest amateur golfers representing the Washington, Idaho, Oregon and British Columbia golf associations.