By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CAMPBELL RIVER -- There are lots of things general manager Amanda Raleigh takes pride in about what she and her team have created at Campbell River Golf & Country Club.

The par-70 Graham Cooke-designed course is in immaculate condition and a pleasure to play. The Velocity Lounge and Driving Range with its Top Tracer technology has become a hit with golfers and given many non-golfers their first taste of the game.

The lounge has eight bays, each equipped with comfortable sofas and TV monitors to track your shots. Lots of good food and beverages are available to accompany your swings. A couple of weeks ago, the course opened its new pro shop and clubhouse that features about 2,500 square feet of retail space. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Lauren Kim Overcame A Sore Neck Issue To Shoot 69 And Sits Tied For The Lead In The 2020 B.C. Women's Amateur - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CAMPBELL RIVER -- Lauren Kim came close to withdrawing after injuring her neck while warming up, but decided to play hurt. And, it turns out, to play well. Beware the wounded golfer.

The 15-year-old from Surrey sucked it up and shot a one-under 69 Wednesday and shares the lead with Vancouver’s Michelle Liu heading into Thursday’s final round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Campbell River Golf & Country Club.

Vancouver's Leah John Is Competing In The B.C. Women's Amateur This Week...And Taking Online Classes For University - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CAMPBELL RIVER -- Leah John is not only contending for the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship this week at Campbell River Golf & Country Club, she’s attending the first week of her classes at the University of Nevada. Talk about multi-tasking.

“Monday was my first day of class,” said John, a 20-year-old from Vancouver who is starting her sophomore year at Nevada.

Those classes are being held on-line and John was told she could not be skipping them to compete this week. So John has tried to arrange her tee times so she can rush back to her hotel, dial up Zoom and ‘attend’ her class.

Bonnie Zhai Shares The First Round Lead Of The 2020 BC Women's Amateur With Leah John -Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

- Diane McFarlane of Surrey leads Senior Championship, while Christina Proteau of Port Alberni and Nonie Marler of Vancouver share Mid-Amateur lead -

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CAMPBELL RIVER -- Leah John shot an even-par 70 Tuesday, which seemed odd because at times it felt like she wasn’t making many pars in the first round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship.

John called her roller-coaster round at Campbell River Golf & Country Club “crazy.”

It turned out to be more like crazy good as it earned the 20-year-old Vancouver native a share of the lead with Surrey’s Bonnie Zhai.

Blind Golfers Have A Coach/Guide Who Can Line Up The Club Behind The Ball For The Player - Image Courtesy Western Canadian Blind Golf Association

An inaugural 'Cloud' Blind Golf Championship took place at various golf courses across the country last week and proved to be well received.

With the hard work of Creston, BC's Darren Douma, who is the President of the Western Canadian Blind Golf Assoc. and the Vice President of Blind Golf Canada, along with Doug Hastie from British Columbia Golf, sight-impaired golfers from BC to Ontario were able to play rounds at a home course or one near to their residence and submit scores to be compared on the basis of the course rating.

The B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship begins Tuesday at Campbell River Golf & Country Club. This year’s event is 54 holes, not the normal 72, with no cut.

The Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Women’s championships are also being contested at Campbell River. The tournament will adhere to strict COVID-19 protocols that include no caddies and no spectators.

BC Golf's Brad Ziemer looks at 10 players who figure to contend in their respective categories. Here they are in no particular order:

Michelle Liu Is The 2020 BC Bantam Girls Champion - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHEMAINUS -- There is such a thing as a good bogey and Michelle Liu made one of those on the first hole of the final round of the B.C. Bantam Girls Championship.

The 13-year-old from Vancouver hit her second shot out of bounds but managed to escape with a bogey she was, “pretty proud of.”

That OB shot was about the only mistake Liu made Wednesday at Mount Brenton Golf Club as she shot a one-under par 70 to win by six shots.

Daniel Bennett Holds The Trophy High After Winning The  2020 BC Bantam Boys Championship - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHEMAINUS -- When his eagle landed on  the second hole of Wednesday’s final round, Daniel Bennett figured he might be in for a good day. Make that a great day.

The 14-year-old from Saanichton scorched Mount Brenton Golf Club with a seven-under 64 to win the B.C. Bantam Boys Championship by six shots.

Image Credit PGA of Canada

Courtesy Golf Canada

This year has been a unique one – to say the least – but a big positive that’s come from the lengthy break from event-planning has seen Golf Canada accelerate meaningful initiatives that will benefit the future of the sport.

The Golf Canada Women in Coaching Program, launching this week, is one of those initiatives – an exciting partnership between Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada that will put the sport on the path to further balance between sexes at a high level, coaching-wise.

Victoria's Nolan Thoroughgood (L) Took Home The Royal Colwood Club Championship Over Oregon State Teammate Keaton Gudz On The Weekend - Images credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Evan Holmes won the opening event of the Canada Life Series with a score of eight-under par on the Bear Mountain resort’s Mountain Course. He thinks he’ll need to go lower than that as the series shifts this week to Bear Mountain’s Valley Course.

“I would say the Valley course is definitely easier,” said Holmes, a former standout with the University of B.C. golf team. “You can get some big numbers on almost every hole on the Mountain course. I feel like you can have a few different strategies on some of the holes on the Valley Course. The Mountain is more target golf. I think the Valley is a really good test. It should be fun.”

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- Surrey’s Angela Arora knew she needed a birdie and some help. She got both on the 18th hole to win the B.C. Juvenile and Junior Girls Championships at Cowichan Golf & Country Club. After a bogey on the par 4 17th hole, Arora walked to the 18th tee trailing Luna Lu of Burnaby by two shots.

Lu put her drive into the right rough, while Arora found the fairway. Then things got interesting.

- Third annual business summit to inspire empowerment will be held online Tuesday, September 1, with complimentary admission -

- Panelists include CP Ambassadors Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane; Olympians Marnie McBean and Perdita Felicien; as well as executive and educator, Candy Ho and CP executive Pam Arpin -

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) — Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP) has announced the third annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit will take place virtually on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, with complimentary access.

The intent of the CP Women’s Leadership Summit is to bring together like-minded female business leaders for an opportunity to network, as well as inspire empowerment and philanthropy among women. This year’s Summit will feature four sessions, running from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT, and will be hosted by TSN anchor Lindsay Hamilton.

The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will also help raise funds for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, the primary charity partner of the 2021 CP Women's Open, with online donations supporting the health and wellness of children at the BC Children’s Hospital.

Victoria's William Bishop Is The 2020 BC Boys Juvenile Champion - All Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- William Bishop rolled in six birdie putts, made a couple of great par saves and won going away Thursday at the B.C. Juvenile Boys Championship at Cowichan Golf & Country Club.

The 16-year-old from Victoria has had quite the summer. Thursday’s win followed his triumph at the B.C. Junior Boys Championship in late July at Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course in Kelowna.

“Oh yeah, it’s been an enjoyable summer,” said Bishop, who shot three rounds in the 60s at Cowichan’s A.V. Macan-designed layout and beat North Vancouver’s Niklas Jaakkola by four shots.

image courtesy Blind Golf Canada

The British Columbia Golf Blind Open 'Cloud' Championship tees off from various locales this weekend around the country.

Organized with the hard work of Western Canada Blind Golf Association President and Blind Golf Canada Director, Darren Douma from Creston, BC, the event will allow players who qualify within the categories recognized for Blind Golf to play at their home course or one they choose and still compete against one another using scoring comparisons from the facility's slope rating.

Victoria's William Bishop Is Looking For His Second Provincial Title In As Many Months At Cowichan G&CC - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- Young golfers normally win the B.C. Juvenile Championship before adding the B.C. Junior Championship to their resumés. William Bishop is taking a different approach.

The 16-year-old from Victoria won the B.C. Junior Boys Championship last month at the Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course in Kelowna. On Thursday, he has an opportunity to hoist the B.C. Juvenile Boys’ trophy at Cowichan Golf & Country Club.

Niklas Jaakkola Is The 1st Round Leader In The BC Juvenile Boys Championship In Cowichan - JKam Photos/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- Despite a swing and a miss from a difficult lie on the final hole, North Vancouver’s Niklas Jaakkola shot a three-under 67 Tuesday to grab the first-round lead at the B.C. Juvenile Boys Championship at Cowichan Golf & Country Club.

Jaakkola, a 16-year-old who plays out of Seymour Golf & Country Club, was five-under for his round when he arrived on the 18th tee. But a wayward tee shot led to something of an adventure and an eventual double-bogey to end his round.

All Images Courtesy First Tee - Canada

Via Golf Canada

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada and First Tee announced on August 10th a new partnership to launch First Tee – Canada. First Tee’s Board Chairman, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, shared the news during a global announcement that the Presidents Cup will return to Royal Montreal Golf Club in 2024.

Together, the partnership will bring First Tee’s youth development emphasis to strengthen Golf Canada’s junior golf activities – previously conducted under the Future Links brand – that reach kids in schools and at golf facilities.

Vancouver's Nonie Marler Won The Ontario Women's Mid-Amateur And Will Be In The Field At The B.C. Women's Amateur/Mid-Amateur Later This Month - Photo Courtesy PNGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

In a normal year, Merritt’s Roger Sloan would be playing for his PGA TOUR life at this week’s regular-season finale, the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. Of course, this year has been anything but normal and Sloan has nothing to worry about.

When the PGA TOUR was forced to take a lengthy hiatus this spring due to COVID-19, it decided that players would retain their current status through the end of the 2020-21 season.

The new Golf Canada app sets the stage for a greatly enhanced digital experience

Written by Brent Long/Courtesy Golf Canada

Canada’s largest golf community is about to become more connected with the launch of the new Golf Canada app.

The user-friendly app launched August 5 is now available to all golfers nationwide to record and track their scores, trace where they have played and provide detailed game statistics as a game improvement tool. The app is free to download and can be used by golfers at any level of skill.

Vancouver's Stuart Macdonald - Image Courtesy Golf Canada/Graig Abel

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It wasn’t quite the round he hoped for, but Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald still posted his best-ever finish on the Korn Ferry Tour on Sunday.

Macdonald closed with a two-over 73 that left him in a tie for 20th at the Pinnacle Bank Championship in Omaha, Neb. Macdonald’s six-under total was five shots behind winner Seth Reeves.

The Point Grey Golf Club product had started the day in a tie for sixth spot. The finish earned Macdonald $7,300 and moved him up 21 spots on the Korn Ferry Tour points list to 128th. Macdonald has made the cut in six of seven starts this year.