Victoria's Chelsea Truong Leads The BC Women's Amateur - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

COBBLE HILL — There were a lot more bogeys than birdies in the first round of the 118th B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship on a challenging Arbutus Ridge Golf Club layout.

Chelsea Truong made three of each en route to her even-par 72 that gave the Victoria teenager a one-stroke lead. For that, she thanked her putter. “My putting was pretty good, but my ball-striking wasn’t the best,” said the 17-year-old Truong, who is just completing Grade 11 at Oak Bay Secondary. “But I kept it in the fairway.”

That really is the key to scoring at Arbutus Ridge, where there is lots of trouble lurking off many of the tees.

BC's Victoria Liu Will Play In The CPKC Canadian Women's Open In August - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A record-setting round helped Victoria Liu play her way into the CPKC Women’s Open and the 20-year-old is more than a little excited about teeing it up in her first LPGA Tour event an her home course.

“I play out of Shaughnessy so it’s very exciting,” Liu said after winning the Glencoe Invitational in Calgary. “I was really hoping to get to play in that tournament and so I’m happy I have earned a spot.”

Liu, who just finished her second year at Princeton University in New Jersey, opened the Glencoe with a course record eight-under 64 that she called the round of her life.

Men's Overall Stroke Play Champion, Matthew Hallat Tees Off At McCleery GC - All Images Credit BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Like all good golf tournaments, this one came down to the 18th hole.

Matthew Hallat of North Vancouver won the inaugural B.C. All Abilities Championship at Vancouver’s McCleery Golf Course with a clutch par on the final hole.

Hallat, a former Paralympic skier who is now high performance director, para-alpine, with Alpine Canada, said events like the B.C. All Abilities Championship are an important first step in growing the sport and improving access for people with health conditions or impairments.

British Columbia Golf and the entire golf community were saddened to learn of the passing of long time official and volunteer Bill Klein after a hard fought battle with cancer.

Bill had been designated as an Honorary Host Chair for the BC Amateur. A tireless volunteer in many roles with both Golf Canada and British Columbia Golf, Bill was a very familiar face to many and in particular at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. 

All of us join in sending our heartfelt condolences to Bill's family and friends. Please take a moment to read the In Memoriam on the Pheasant Glen Resort website which so eloquently chronicles what Bill contributed and meant to not only the game of golf but the people in and around it. 

In Remembrance Of William ‘Bill’ Klein: A Great Friend And A Good Man

Sport organizations in British Columbia are committed to creating a sport that is accessible, inclusive, respects their participant's personal goals and is free from all forms of Maltreatment.

As part of British Columbia Golf’s commitment to Safe Sport, our staff and board have completed “Commit to Kids” training.

British Columbia Golf has approved and adopted the British Columbia Universal Code of Conduct (BC UCC).

The code can be found here:

BC Universal Code of Conduct

Golf Canada is committed to Safe Sport. Their commitment can be found here:

https://www.golfcanada.ca/safe-sport/

Shelly Stouffer Wins Her Fourth Straight BC Senior Women's Trophy - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHRISTINA LAKE — Shelly Stouffer is not just winning golf tournaments, she is making a little history along the way.

Stouffer became the first player to win four straight B.C. Senior Women’s Championships and she did it in style, winning by eight shots at Christina Lake Golf Club.

That eight-shot margin was the exact same cushion she started the final round with. Stouffer felt like she had the tournament in hand, but couldn’t help think about what happened at this same tournament in 2021 at Revelstoke Golf Club.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE OKANAGAN REGIONAL ID CAMP IS SOLD OUT

British Columbia Golf is holding a Regional ID performance camp taking place Saturday, June 24th at The Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna.

Register for the BC Regional ID Camp - Okanagan, being held at The Okanagan Golf Club hosted by BC Golf and Performance Coach Conner Kozak on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

Registration Closes: Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 09:00 AM

Registration is now open, click HERE to register for the Okanagan ID Camp.

See itinerary below: 

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE VANCOUVER REGIONAL ID CAMP IS SOLD OUT

British Columbia Golf is holding a Regional ID performance camp taking place Sunday, June 18th at Lago Golf Academy in Coquitlam.

Register for the BC Regional ID Camp - Vancouver being held at Lago Golf Academy in Coquitlam hosted by BC Golf and Performance Coach Patrick Lago on Sunday, June 18, 2023.

Registration Closes: Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 09:00 AM

Registration is now open, click HERE to register for the Vancouver ID Camp.

See the itinerary below:

Head Pro And GM At Christina Lake, Kevin Maffioli - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHRISTINA LAKE — Life for many club pros can be a transitory existence that involves bouncing from one course to the next.

Kevin Maffioli considers himself one of the lucky ones. He’s been at Christina Lake Golf Club for 27 years and counting. He’s had opportunities — good ones — to move on to greener pastures, but chosen to stay put.

Maffioli, the club’s head professional and general manager, lists multiple reasons why he has never been tempted to leave Christina Lake. “It’s a beautiful golf course and the membership is fantastic,” he says in an interview.

Shelly Stouffer Stretched Her Lead From Six Shots To Eight Following The Second Round Of The BC Women's Senior Championship - Image Credit Kathryn Riley/USGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf 

CHRISTINA LAKE — For a while, it looked like Shelly Stouffer had run out of birdies. The back nine changed that.

Stouffer recovered nicely from a shaky start to her second round with three birdies on the back side of Christina Lake Golf Club that helped give her a hefty eight-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round of the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship.

Nanoose Bay's Shelly Stouffer Is At It Again As She Leads After Round One Of The BC Senior Women's Championship At Christina Lake - Image Credit Kathryn Riley/USGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHRISTINA LAKE — As players sit down at the scoring table after their rounds at the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship, many of them are asking the same question.

“What did Shelly shoot,” they want to know. The answer Monday was a three-under 70 at Christina Lake Golf Club that included seven birdies.

Shelly Stouffer shows no signs of slowing down after a record-setting 2022 season. In fact, she thinks she may be even playing better than last year.

In this video, from Coach Shayain's YouTube site, we're thrilled to share clips & interviews from B.C.'s first-ever Indigenous golf tournament.

This groundbreaking event brought together golfers of all ages from across the province, showcasing the inclusivity and progressiveness that the sport is striving for.

Traditionally seen as an elitist sport with limited access, golf is now embracing a new era of openness. Over 100 Indigenous golfers representing 80 different nations gathered at the beautiful Nk'Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in the southern Okanagan Valley for this historic tournament.

To see Brad Ziemer's wrap-ups and interviews with the inaugural tournament champions click HERE and HERE.

Check out Coach Shayain's video, interviews and overview below. 

BC's Lauren Kim Warmed Up For Her U.S. Women's Open Start Next Month With Some Fine Play At Liberty National In New Jersey -  Photo Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Rose Zhang didn’t make a birdie Sunday as she made history by winning in her LPGA Tour debut. Surrey teen Lauren Kim had eight of them as she played the same Liberty National course from most of the same tees.

The inaugural Mizuho Americas Open featured 24 of the top players from the American Junior Golf Association, who competed in their own tourney opposite the LPGA field. In the final two rounds, one AJGA player played with two LPGA players.

Kim was one of four B.C. juniors invited to the event, along with Luna Lu of Burnaby and Michelle Liu and Vanessa Zhang, both of Vancouver.

Randall Mackus (L) Proudly Wears A T-Shirt With His Own Motto On It

With the inaugural All Abilities Golf Championship for British Columbia coming up shortly, BC Golf CEO Kris Jonasson took some time to express just how important and impactful just such an event is for all golfers in our province - ed

By Kris Jonasson, CEO/British Columbia Golf

Full disclosure, I am not very good. That’s not to say I am horrible, just an honest assessment of my golfing ability. My handicap index is 14.5 which means on most days I can break 90, if only by a stroke or two. The average male handicap index reputably is between 14 and 17; women range between 25 and 28.

Recognizing most golfers do not maintain a handicap, and therefore do not track scores, it is likely the average male golfer struggles to break 100. Women would be higher. I guess ‘good’ is a relative concept.

In early June, British Columbia Golf will conduct the inaugural All Abilities Championship and by any measure, the men and women who play will be good.

Port Alberni Resident Christina Spence Proteau Not Only Chaired The Tournament, She Won It - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — Christina Spence Proteau’s impressive golfing résumé includes three B.C. Women’s Amateur championships, six B.C. Mid-Amateur titles, six Canadian Mid-Amateurs crowns and two Canadian University individual championships.

But perhaps none of those are as meaningful as the Port Alberni resident’s latest victory. This one felt different and brought with it emotions Spence Proteau had never experienced on the golf course.

You must understand that Spence Proteau did much more than play in the inaugural B.C. Men’s and Women’s Indigenous Championships at Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.

Christina Lake's Austin Krahn Is The Inaugural Men's Champion For The Indigenous Championship British Columbia - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — Growing up in their hometown of Christina Lake, Austin Krahn and his older twin brothers, David and Mitchell, never had trouble getting a tee time.

Their family owns the Cascade Par 3 Golf Course in Christina Lake and, not surprisingly, the three boys were handed clubs at a young age. All three of them quickly fell in love with the game and have become good players. However, the little brother is the golfing star of the family as 15-year-old Austin now regularly beats his 17-year-old brothers.

Austin bested his two siblings again — and everyone else in the field — to make some history by winning the inaugural B.C. Indigenous Men’s Championship at Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in Oliver.

Summerland Native Rachelle Nielsen Earned A Degree In Mechanical Engineering While Playing Collegiate Golf In Texas - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — Some students on athletic scholarships take the ‘easy’ route when it comes to declaring their academic majors. Not Rachelle Nielsen.

The Summerland native majored in mechanical engineering when she headed south to Texas A&M University-Kingsville. It was quite the balancing act, trying to juggle a competitive golf schedule at an NCAA Division II school with the demands of an engineering degree. But Nielsen persevered.

It took her five years — not unusual for a varsity athlete — but Nielsen earned her degree in mechanical engineering and graduated in May of 2020.

Kylie Jack Tees Off In The Inaugural Indigenous Championship - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — The inaugural B.C. Indigenous Championship is a family affair of sorts for Kylie Jack and her parents, Sharon and OJ. And they did not need any yardage books to help them navigate their way around Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.

“I grew up on this course,” said Kylie, who honed her golfing skills at Nk’Mip and went on to play collegiate golf for Simon Fraser University where she earned a degree in criminology.

Her mom Sharon plays 45 to 50 rounds of golf a year and most of them are at Nk’Mip. And dad OJ is no stranger to the course, which is owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian band.

When they heard about the first Indigenous Championship being played at Nk’Mip they didn’t hesitate before signing up.

BC Golf Past President Patrick Kelly Envisioned An Indigenous Championship Years Ago - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 29, 2023) — Before the first shots were even struck at the inaugural British Columbia Indigenous Championship, Patrick Kelly was ready to call the event a success.

He could see it on the faces of the 114 participants, ranging in age from 14 to 80. Everyone was smiling, perhaps none as widely as Kelly himself.

This championship likely would not have happened if Kelly had not planted the seed about 15 years ago.

There's No Looking Back Now As Coquitlam's AJ Ewart Is Turning Pro - Golf Canada Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Call it a slightly disappointing ending to a brilliant collegiate career. Coquitlam’s A.J. Ewart and his Barry University Bucs were knocked out in the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II championship tourney at Avalon Lakes Golf Club in Warren, Ohio.

Ewart, of course, was hoping to end his career with an NCAA Championship, but can reflect on a remarkable four years at the Miami-area school where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications with a sport management minor.