• Move To Burnaby Gives Haywood Golf Room To Grow

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    It all started six years ago in a friend’s garage, which is where Haywood Golf built its first clubs. Back then, the Vancouver-based company was a one-club specialist that produced wedges only. Lots has changed since then.

    Haywood can now fill your golf bag. They manufacture full iron sets, drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, a driving iron and putters. Oh, they can now sell you that golf bag, too. The company’s remarkable growth forced Haywood out of that garage four years ago and into their own facility in North Vancouver. It was tiny, but it was a place of their own.

    Now, Haywood has moved again into larger digs in Burnaby that company founder Josh Haywood says better fits its needs for the future.

  • Six Canadians Including Two From BC Given Exemptions Into RBC Canadian Open

    Team Canada members Matthew Anderson, Stuart Macdonald and Jared du Toit along with Michael Gligic and Richard T. Lee and David Hearn join previously announced exemption recipients, four Regional Qualifying medalists and eight Canadian PGA TOUR members as part of 25-player Canadian contingent for the 113th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship at Hamilton Golf and Country Club

    (May 22, 2024) Golf Canada and RBC have confirmed the names of six Canadians who have accepted exemptions into the 2024 RBC Canadian Open, May 28 – June 2 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ont.

    Leading the way are three members of Team Canada. Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont. has earned an exemption and will be competing at Canada’s National Open Championship for the second time of his career. Anderson has also enjoyed a strong season on PGA TOUR Americas this year, with a win at the 69th ECP Brazil Open last month and three top-five finishes in six events. Anderson is currently ranked no. 1 on the Fortinet Cup 2024 Standings.

    Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver, B.C. has earned an exemption for his strong start to the season on PGA TOUR Americas, highlighted by a win at the Diners Club Peru Open. Macdonald has also competed in two events on the Korn Ferry Tour and finished in the top-25 at the Mexico Open on the PGA TOUR in February. This will mark Macdonald’s third appearance at the RBC Canadian Open. Macdonald is currently ranked no. 4 on the Fortinet Cup 2024 Standings.

    Jared du Toit, of Kimberley, B.C. will be making his fifth appearance at Canada’s National Open. This season, du Toit has earned a top-10 and a top-25 finish in six events on the Korn Ferry Tour. du Toit also earned a top-10 finish at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open on the Asian Tour in February.

    Click HERE to see complete article on Golf Canada website.

  • National Golf Day Highlights Golf’s Positive Impact on Canadians

    - New Economic Impact Study Released -

    For Immediate Release

    OTTAWA, May 23, 2024 – After a four-year pause due to COVID-19, the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) are on Parliament Hill leading National Golf Day and discussing with Parliamentarians the many positive benefits of golf for Canadians.

    The golf industry representatives are also releasing the results of a new Canadian Golf Economic Impact Study highlighting golf’s financial contributions and incredible popularity as the number one participation sport in Canada.

    National Golf Day also celebrates golf’s physical and mental health benefits, its safe sport attributes, social merits, environmental stewardship, diversity, life skills for youth, and economic value to the business community.

    National data indicates that hundreds of thousands of Canadians have entered the sport since Covid-19, totaling six million Canadian golfers and further strengthening golf’s status as the number one participation sport in the country.

  • Junior Golf Booming At Sheep Pasture Golf Course In Lillooet

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Things get a little busy late Wednesday afternoons this time of year at Sheep Pasture Golf Course in Lillooet.

    In addition to the herd of 80 or 90 sheep and lambs grazing on the course, there are almost as many kids swinging clubs on the nine-hole layout. “We have created a bit of a monster,” club president Bob Sheridan jokes as he discusses the club’s popular junior golf program.

  • Women's Golf Day Week Long Celebration Underway

    The 2024 Women's Golf Day celebration, with events being held in various locations from May 28th - June 4th this year, is now underway.

    British Columbia Golf is pleased to direct anyone wishing to take part at a facility event to the posters below. We will add more as they become known.

    Meanwhile, everyone can find out information on the WGD website HERE.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: UBC women settle for 3rd at NAIA championships; B.C. Juniors shine in New Jersey & much more...

    UBC's Women's Golf Team Finished 3rd At This Year's NAIA Championship

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    You can’t win them all, which the University of B.C. women’s golf team discovered last week in Illinois. The Thunderbirds entered the NAIA national championship tourney at TPC Deere Run looking for what, officially, would have been a three-peat.

    Unofficially, they were attempting to win their fourth straight title. In addition to their 2022 and 2023 crowns, the T-Birds also won the national championship in 2019. The event was not played in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic and UBC was not permitted to travel to the tournament in 2021.

  • Whistler Couple Give New Meaning To Breaking 100

    Doug And Janet O’Mara Crossed The Century Mark Of Their Epic Golf Journey Deep In The Amazon Rainforest In Manaus, Brazil

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Doug and Janet O’Mara really didn’t set out to play golf in 100 different countries. It kind of just happened.

    The Whistler couple love to travel and are also avid golfers. After a number of different trips to all corners of the globe, it suddenly occurred to them that they had played a lot of golf in a lot of different places. So they started counting.

  • Golfer Jared McMillan Recognized With Premier’s Regional Award

    - Regional Recipients Announced For Premier’s Awards For Indigenous Youth Excellence In Sport -

    Traditional Territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples / Victoria B.C. (May 14, 2024) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is pleased to announce the regional recipients of the 2023 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Sihota on bubble in Colombia; UBC women go for 3-peat at NAIA Championships...and much more

    Victoria, BC's Jeevan Sihota - Image Credit: Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    The Latin American portion of the PGA Tour Americas circuit concludes at this week’s Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship in Bogota, Colombia, where Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota must make the cut to secure his playing privileges for the tour’s North American swing.

    Sihota enters the tournament ranked 61st on the Fortinet Cup points list. The top 60 players after this week’s event will be exempt for the nine Canadian events and one U.S. tournament on the North American swing that begins next month in Victoria.

  • Jake Lane Eagles His Final Hole To Earn Spot In RBC Canadian Open

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Jake Lane grew up in the northern B.C. community of Charlie Lake and caught the golf bug playing Lake Point Golf & Country Club.

    Like all kids, Lane dreamed big. During those countless summertime rounds at Lake Point, when the sun didn’t set until late into the evening, Lane would imagine maybe becoming good enough to play professional golf and one day competing in a tournament he watched on television every year.

    The RBC Canadian Open was a major in his eyes and now Lane is going to play in it.

  • UBC’s Una Chou Conquers Her Nerves And Wins PGA WORKS Championship

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    It was a day later and Una Chou was still thinking about the putt that won her the individual women’s title at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship at the famed Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass.

    “It still feels surreal,” said Chou, who is completing her third year as a member of the UBC Thunderbirds golf team. “I have been looking back at that putt I made on 18 and saying, ‘How did I make that putt?’ It was like a six-foot slider and I knew I needed to make it for the win. I just tried to trust my routine. I was thinking, 'if it goes in, great, if it doesn’t it’s fine.'”

    It went in, of course, and Chou picked the ball out of the cup and looked up toward the heavens. “I just felt so relieved,” she said. “It was just like a big sigh of relief.”

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Matthew Wilson wins NextGen Pacific title; Scutt new head pro at Royal Colwood; Redwoods to reopen this week; Mission Golf Club to host senior men’s tourney; UBC sweeps Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships

    Matthew Wilson File Photo - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Matthew Wilson wants to end his junior golf career on a high note and the Nanaimo native is off to a terrific start. Wilson kick-started his final round with a pair of chip-in eagles on his front nine at Summerland Golf Club and won the NextGen Pacific Championship by one shot over Joshua Ince of Surrey.

    “I have put in a lot of work this off-season and one of the things I really wanted to do, especially with this being my last year of junior golf, is get my game in a good spot to win a lot of golf tournaments,” Wilson said.

  • Gary Pike Hopes He Can Help End B.C.’s Lamey Cup Drought

    British Columbia's Gary Pike - Image Courtesy PNGA

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Gary Pike made his PNGA Lamey Cup debut last year and is delighted he will be back for a second opportunity to play in the annual Ryder Cup-style competition featuring teams from the British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho golf associations.

    “It was a blast,” says Pike, a Victoria resident who won the B.C Mid-Master Championship last spring. “You are representing British Columbia and it’s a pretty cool experience. The event was very well run and meeting other players there was fun. It was a real privilege to play.”

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Macdonald and his dad win in Peru; SFU women, men head to NCAA regionals; Ewart earns first pro win; Summerland Golf Club set to host NextGen Pacific Championship

    BC's Stuart Macdonald And His Caddie, Father Rob, With The Diners Club Peru Open Trophy - Image Courtesy PGA TOUR Americas

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    When it was over, after Stuart Macdonald had tapped in a short putt to win the Diners Club Peru Open, he accepted congratulations from his two playing partners and then hugged his caddie. And wouldn’t let go.

    Macdonald’s caddie was his dad, Robert, who after battling a serious illness, had travelled from Vancouver to South America to carry his son’s bag.

    Stu Macdonald will never forget that emotional father-son embrace that followed a win that could change his professional golfing life.

  • Sagebrush GC Prepared For A New Season

    (Photo By Colby Johannson/Par Six Golf)

    By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf

    QUILCHENA, British Columbia –  A course now named as a top play in British Columbia, Sagebrush Golf Course, is prepared to welcome guests with an ever-expanding line-up of amenities.

    Sagebrush Golf Club will open for the season on May 3, 2024, and they are ready for those looking for a unique golfing experience. Located in Quilchena, just outside of Merritt, the revamping of this facility will overwhelm guests whether they choose to simply come to play or decide to spend a few days taking on this golfing challenge.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: UBC women primed for run at another national title; Victoria Liu wins second Ivy League Championship; Jeevan Sihota top-25s at Brazil Open; Lauren Kim third at Big 12 Championship

    The UBC Men's & Women's Golf Teams Were Both Victorious In The Warrior Invitational - Image Credit Toby Kerr (UBC Communications)

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Officially, the University of B.C. women’s team has won two straight NAIA golf championships. But factor in the two years UBC was forced to miss the national tournament because of Covid, the Thunderbirds have won the last three national titles they have been able to compete in.

    Don’t bet against them making it four straight when the NAIA Championships go May 14-17 at TPC Deere Run in Silvas, Ill.

  • BC Sports Hall Of Fame Opens The Door To World’s First Fully Immersive Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery

    Images Courtesy: BC Sports Hall Of Fame 

    Help Us Open The Door For The Next eneration Of Indigenous Athletes & Coaches With A State Of The Art Virtual Reality Experience

    For immediate release
    April 15, 2024

    Vancouver, BC – The Indigenous Sport Gallery at the BC Sports Hall of Fame is the largest known permanent gallery in the world dedicated to Indigenous sport and with the unveiling of one of the most comprehensive digitization projects in sports history, it can now be experienced through virtual reality by visitors from across British Columbia and across the world.

    The Digital Indigenous Sport Gallery (DISG) is designed to increase the accessibility of the Indigenous Sport Gallery and highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Indigenous athletes, coaches and builders who have had a profound impact on sport history and culture – and bring their stories to life.

  • Registration Is Now Open For All British Columbia Golf Provincial Championships

    Ledgeview GC, Site Of The 2024 BC Amateur - Image Courtesy Ledgeview GC

    We hope you are all enjoying the off-season and are ready for a packed summer of golf. Please see the information regarding the 2024 British Columbia Golf Provincial Championships below.

    As the 2024 golf season nears, we are eager to host our Provincial Championships across British Columbia.

  • Amelia Garvey And Madison Young Play Their Way Into U.S. Women’s Open At Vancouver Golf Club Qualifier

    New Zealand's Amelia Garvey Tees Off On No. 10 At Vancouver Golf Club - BC Golf Image

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    There just seems to be something about Kiwis and Vancouver Golf Club. New Zealand’s most famous golf export, Lydia Ko, has won a pair of LPGA events at the Coquitlam layout and now Christchurch native Amelia Garvey has produced a little magic of her own.

    Garvey dominated a 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open qualifier, shooting rounds of 69 and 71 to finish four shots clear of the field. “I guess I should have called Lydia for some advice,” Garvey said. “I didn’t know she had won on this course.”

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Adam Niles gets first collegiate win in final regular-season event; Taylor & Hadwin to team up again in New Orleans; Three T'birds to play in PGA WORKS Championship; SFU’s Muanyam a winner in California

    Adam Niles Wins RJGA Palm Valley Classic In Goodyear, Ariz. - Image Courtesy Josh Brown/WNMU Assistant Athletics Director

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Back in the fall of 2020, Adam Niles finished second in his first event at Western New Mexico University and remembers thinking that maybe collegiate golf wasn’t going to be as tough as he thought it might be.

    The 21-year-old Kamloops native chuckled as he recalled that memory following his first collegiate win at last week’s RJGA Palm Valley Classic in Goodyear, Ariz.

    “It has been a long time coming,” Niles said in a phone interview. “As a freshman I came second in my first event and that kind of set the expectations pretty high. After that, it was like, okay, maybe I can actually do this and compete with the guys out here. I have just been trying to get better each day I have been here.”