Past President Of BC Golf, Patrick Kelly (Left) Presents Sandy Harper With The BC Seniors' Trophy

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf 

VICTORIA - For the past two years, golf was a constant reminder to Sandy Harper that his life had changed and he was not the same person he once was.

Harper, one of this province’s most decorated amateur players, suffered a stroke in 2020 and the road back has not been easy. Especially when it comes to his golf, the game he has played so well that he earned himself a spot in the British Columbia Golf Hall of Fame.

“The funny thing about my stroke is the hardest thing has been the golf,” Harper said.

BC Senior Men's 2nd Round Leader Stewart Scott

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VICTORIA -- Before immigrating to Canada from England nearly 14 years ago, Stewart Scott had quite a distinguished amateur golf career that included representing his country at international events.

Then he joined the Army and while enlisted won the Army Championship. Long before that he had learned that the golf ball doesn’t follow orders and Scott has had an on-and-off affair with the game for the past three decades or so. “I have given up golf three or four times,” Scott says. “Every now and then I say I should try it again.”

Big Sky GC's Lance Lundy Is The First Round Leader At The BC Senior Men's Championship - Image Credit Sarah Magyar/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Uplands Golf Club proved to be a rather inhospitable host during Monday’s first round of the B.C. Senior Men’s Amateur Championship.

The venerable Victoria layout’s tight, tree-lined fairways and lightning-fast greens proved to be a considerable challenge to the 156-man field. No one broke par in the opening round of the 54-hole event.
Pemberton’s Lance Lundy emerged as the leader after firing an even-par 70 that included three birdies and three bogeys.

Image Courtesy George Sasaki/BC Summer Games

The 2022 BC Summer Games held in Prince George went off beautifully these past few days and more tremendous memories and friendships were made by people from all over our great province.

British Columbia Golf would like to acknowledge the medallists from the Golf Competition in the Girls, Boys and Mixed Team events.

BC's Interprovincial Women's Team Champions L-R: Ha Young Chang, Victoria Liu & Leah John - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbia won the interprovincial team title and Surrey’s Lauren Kim tied for third at the 108th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ont.

The B.C. team of Leah John of Vancouver, Victoria Liu of Vancouver and Ha Young Chang of Surrey beat Quebec by five shots in the 36-hole team competition. It was British Columbia’s first interprovincial team title since 2018 and the 21st since the competition began in 1947.

The 2022 BC Summer Games are officially underway in Prince George. 

Of course one of the main sports being contested is golf and you can follow the live scoring by clicking on the link below.

Doug Roxburgh Is Set For The B.C. Senior Men's At Uplands Golf Club In Victoria - BC Golf File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Doug Roxburgh is heading to the B.C. Senior Men’s Championship feeling good about his game and the course the tournament is being played on. 

Roxburgh has some pleasant memories, albeit well-aged ones, of Uplands Golf Club in Victoria. Roxburgh won his sixth of 13 B.C. Amateur Championships at Uplands in 1978, beating Brent Murray of Portland by six shots.

All Photos By British Columbia Golf

The Junior Skills event at Northview G&CC was a huge success this year. A total of 29 kids (23 boys and 6 girls) between the ages of 8 and 18 competed in driving, chipping, and putting on a beautiful July summer day in BC....

Bill Hobbis Was Made A Lifetime Member At Royal Colwood in 2020 - Images Courtes Royal Colwood

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Bill Hobbis, a member of the British Columbia Golf Hall of Fame and a life member of Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, died July 15 after a lengthy illness. He was 80 years old.

Hobbis represented British Columbia on two Willingdon Cup teams and was part of B.C.’s national championship team in 1975. He also played one Willingdon Cup for Alberta in 1978 when he worked in that province. 

Hobbis won more than 60 invitational, open or amateur championships over his career. He won the Saskatchewan Amateur Championship in 1978 and the New Zealand Senior Championship in 1979. Hobbis collected many wins in northern B.C. while living in Prince George, including three Simon Fraser Opens.

Jackson Rothwell, Shown Here With Christina Lake GC President Butch Besaro, Is The 2022 BC Amateur Champion Winning In A Playoff Over Tony Li - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Winning seldom seems to come easy, something Jackson Rothwell can certainly attest to after capturing his second B.C. Amateur Championship title.

The 21-year-old from Victoria began the final round at Christina Lake Golf Club with a three-shot lead courtesy of a pair of 67s and a 66. The way Rothwell had played the first three rounds, it seemed unlikely he was going to be caught.

Except he was. And it didn’t take long. By the time Rothwell got to the fifth tee, that three-shot lead was history and he was instead down by two shots to Langley’s Caleb Davies.

Victoria's Jackson Rothwell Is Looking For His 2nd BC Amateur Title - BC Golf File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Par is not your friend at the 120th B.C. Amateur Championship at Christina Lake Golf Club. Birdies are what’s needed to contend for the title. Lots of them.

Heading into the final round, six players are already double-digits under par. Everyone is chasing Victoria’s Jackson Rothwell, who is well positioned to win what would be his second B.C. Amateur.

BC's Doug Roxburgh 'Hung On' To Shoot 5-under 67 - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski/JKam Photos/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Doug Roxburgh is no different from the rest of us mere golfing mortals in at least one respect. When he’s having a particularly good day on the course, Roxburgh starts thinking about his score.

So when Roxburgh birdied the par 5 11th hole at Christina Lake Golf Club in the third round of the 120th B.C. Amateur Championship to go four-under par for the day, it’s safe to say it got the attention of the 70-year-old Hall of Famer.

2019 BC Amateur Winner Jackson Rothwell Has The Lead After Two Rounds In 2022 - BC Golf Photo 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jackson Rothwell’s first two rounds at the 120th B.C. Amateur Championship at Christina Lake Golf Club yielded identical scores. But the 21-year-old Victoria resident will tell you his back-to-back 67s that have him in the lead at 10-under par could not have been more different. 

“It was a little less exciting today, in a good way,” Rothwell said. “It was a little bit less stressful, for sure.”

Rothwell’s 67 in Wednesday’s second round included six birdies and just one bogey. In other words, it was pretty much smooth sailing.

By John Gordon (Courtesy Golf Canada)

The game of golf is booming like never before and, if you’re reading this, you likely are one of the thousands who are taking up the game for the first time.

The allure of golf is obvious: it’s fun exercise, it’s a chance to enjoy the outdoors and it’s very social. Like any sport or recreational pastime, it requires you to learn a bit about the fundamentals and to practise if you want to enjoy the game to its fullest.

Here are nine tips to help you enjoy the game. (Coincidentally, nine holes is just the right number for beginners.)

West Vancouver's Manu Gandhi - File Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Manu Gandhi says he didn’t get much out of his game at the recent B.C. Junior Boys Championship, where the 17-year-old from West Vancouver finished sixth. 

He felt like he was playing better than his score indicated. Finally, in Tuesday’s first round of the 120th B.C. Amateur Championship, Gandhi says his score reflected his solid play. The Seymour Golf & Country Club junior member fired a six-under 66 at Christina Lake Golf Club to grab the first-round lead.

Christina Lake GC, Site Of The 2022 BC Amateur -Image Courtesy YouTube/Christina Lake GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It would be difficult to find another course in the province that has played host to more British Columbia Golf championship events the past two decades than Christina Lake Golf Club.

B.C. Juvenile and Junior championships, B.C. Senior Men’s and Women’s championships, the B.C. Mid-Amateur and B.C. Women’s Amateur have all been contested on the scenic layout. Now, Christina Lake is getting its biggest event as it prepares to play host to the 120th B.C. Amateur Championship, which goes July 12-15.

BC's Jace Minni Is The Washington State Amateur Champion - Image Credit Vinny Fiorino/WSGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

South Delta’s Jace Minni is having himself quite the summer. A couple weeks ago, Minni shot a nine-under 63 at Kings Links in Delta and followed that up with a five-under 66 at his home course, Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, to win the Vancouver City Amateur by five shots.

This past week, Minni followed that up by winning the Washington State Amateur Championship at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland, Wash.

The 20-year-old Minni, who just finished his sophomore year at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., would like nothing more than to make it a hat trick of sorts by winning the B.C. Amateur Championship, which goes July 12-15 at Christina Lake Golf Course.

 James Lee Is The 2022 BC Junior Boys Champion - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

OLIVER -- At the beginning of the week, there was some discussion among players and tournament officials who all wanted to know, who is this James Lee from Whistler. 

Well, now they know. He’s the new B.C. Junior Boys Champion. 

The 15-year-old dual-citizen, who spends about three months a year in Whistler but lives in the San Francisco area, was something of an unknown quantity when the tournament began at Nk’mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.

 Luna Lu Holds The BC Junior Girls Championship Trophy - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

OLIVER -- This time, there was no heartbreak on the 18th hole. Instead, Luna Lu was just about perfect in the final round of the B.C. Junior Girls Championship at Nk’mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.

The 15-year-old Burnaby resident shook off the final-hole disappointment at the recent B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship and played a near flawless round, a bogey-free five-under 68, to win the championship for girls under the age of 19.

And yes, this one will most definitely help Lu forget about that quadruple-bogey on the 18th hole that cost her a chance to win the B.C. Women’s Amateur two weeks ago at her home course, Pitt Meadows Golf Club.

Ryan Vest Is The 3rd Round BC Junior Boys Leader - Photo Credit: Jeff Vogan/SPORTDAD Sports Photography/Golf Canada 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

OLIVER -- Ryan Vest bogeyed the first hole of Thursday’s third round of the B.C. Junior Boys Championship and that turned out to be a good thing. “I hit it to 10 feet on No. 1 and three-putted,” Vest said. “That gave me some fire and I just kept fighting. I kept fighting over every shot.”

He fought very well. The 15-year-old from Vernon fired his second straight five-under 67 and will carry a three-shot lead into Friday’s final round of the championship at Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.

Tina Jiang of Richmond leads the B.C. Junior Girls Championship, which is being held concurrently with the boys’ championship.