Callum Davison Displays His Unique Cross-Handed Grip (Inset) - YouTube Image Captures

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Blair Bursey won the tournament, but Callum Davison earned the big prize as the Mackenzie Tour concluded its season with the playing of the Reliance Properties DC Bank Open presented by Times Colonist at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria.

Davison’s ninth-place finish in Victoria was enough for him to clinch the No. 1 spot on the points list and earn exempt status for the 2022 season. The 21-year-old Duncan native also earned one other big perk, an exemption into the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.

The LPGA Amateurs Vancouver Island Chapter is excited to announce a two-player women's best ball event taking place at Duncan Meadows GC on Friday, October 22nd. Lots of on-course games and prizes and a welcoming environment for LPGA Amateur members and guests.

The registration deadline is Tuesday, October 19th. See the poster below for more details.

2021 PGA of BC Women's Champion Kat Kennedy - Image Courtesy PGA of BC

Via PGA of BC Press Release

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 - SURREY, BC (PGA of British Columbia) -– Kat Kennedy’s steady play over two days at Northview Golf & Country Club led to her first professional victory on Wednesday as she captured top spot in the PGA of BC Women’s Championship presented by Dexim Golfwear.

Despite a windy and rainy final round to the 36-hole, stableford-scoring tournament, Kennedy (Point Grey Golf & Country Club) matched the 33-point performance she put up in Tuesday’s opening round to take the title with a 66-point total. Under the stableford format, players earn one point for a bogey, two points for a par, three points for a birdie and so on.

“It feels amazing,” said the 26-year-old, whose last win came in the 2018 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a win and doing it while playing amongst some great ladies was a great experience for me out there.”

Image Courtesy Province of British Columbia

On September 30, 2021, individuals and communities honoured Orange Shirt Day, as well as the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The individual and collective journeys of Truth and Reconciliation are enduring. It isn’t a destination, but rather a lifelong path of reflection, learning and understanding.

BC's Callum Davison Won The GolfBC Championship At Gallagher's Canyon GC - Photo: Brad Ziemer 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

His golf game has taken Callum Davison on one long emotional roller-coaster the past three months. Suddenly, that ride is fun again.

The 21-year-old from Duncan became the first multiple-winner on the Mackenzie Tour this season when he captured the GolfBC Championship this past weekend at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club in Kelowna.

The win was worth $18,000 to Davison, a former B.C. Bantam Boys champion who now leads the Mackenzie Tour points list heading into the season-ending tournament in Victoria this week.

NextGen Fall Series Winner Tina Jiang - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

Powell River, B.C. — The final round of the NextGen Fall Series West Championship wrapped up on Saturday at Myrtle Point Golf Club with Tina Jiang securing a convincing nine-stroke victory in the Girls division and Hyunjun Lee earning the win in the Boys division.

The final round of the tournament was scheduled to conclude on Sunday Sept. 26, but the weather in Powell River, B.C. had other ideas. Due to an impending storm in the forecast the final 36 holes were all played on Saturday. 

The early start didn’t phase Tina Jiang, who hails from Richmond, B.C. The 16-year-old cruised to the win on the strength of an opening-round 67 (-5) that set her up for the wire-to-wire win at 10 under par.

Ron Russ (Right Inset) Is The Master Artist Who Designed The BC Golf Haida-Themed Medals - Medals Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Latash Maurice Nahanee

Ron Russ is a Haida master artist known for creating exquisite and intricate one-of-a-kind pieces of art in argillite, yew wood, gold and silver. He was chosen by British Columbia Golf to design a beautiful motif for their awards medals.

Mr. Russ was an avid golfer and considered turning pro, he has shared his golf techniques with many golfers.

When commissioned to design the BC Golf medal, he thought of how difficult it is to get an “eagle” when playing golf. He is from the Raven Clan in Old Massett, Haida Gwaii, BC. On the medal an eagle is depicted holding a golf ball with an engraving of the BC Golf logo. The design on the medal represents excellence in the game of golf.

PGA of BC Club Professional Champion Padraic O'Rourke - PGA of BC Photo

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 - VICTORIA, BC (PGA of British Columbia) – Padraic O’Rourke (The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club) tamed a challenging Royal Colwood Golf Club with a second-consecutive 69 Tuesday to secure a convincing win in the Nike Golf PGA of BC Club Professional Championship presented by Oakcreek Golf & Turf LP.

The only player to break par in the 36-hole tournament open to all Head, Executive and Head Teaching Professionals within the Association, O’Rourke’s 2-under total left him five strokes clear of co-runners-up Dave Zibrik (Point Grey Golf & Country Club) and Jesse Crowe (Overlander Golf & Events Centre) as he claimed his first victory in a PGA of BC championship event.

By Latash Maurice Nahanee

Golf is a game that is both fun and challenging. Golf can be a game of leisure and/or demand the best of a great athlete. One element that differentiates this sport from contact sports such as soccer or football is the etiquette.

“First Tee – British Columbia, is a youth development program offered by Golf Canada that introduces the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. We teach values such as integrity, respect and perseverance through the game of golf,” says Shayain Gustavsp, Manager, First Tee - British Columbia.

Through after school and in school programs, First Tee – BC instills character development as a fundamental element of Golf Canada’s junior golf program.

The Pat Fletcher Foundation Has Now Donated A Total Of $800,000 To 565 Recipients - YouTube Image Capture 

TORONTO, CANADA Fall 2021 – The Pat Fletcher Foundation, whose purpose is to provide financial assistance to deserving young Canadian students on their journey to obtaining a university degree, announced recently the awarding of 25 new scholarships from across Canada, including five recipients from British Columbia.

“We are so proud of this year’s recipients. They demonstrated leadership and character in their submissions, and we wish them the best of luck as they head back to university and college this fall,” said Ted Fletcher, Founder and Chairman of Mint Green.

“These are outstanding young people – hard-working, well-rounded leaders in their communities. They share our desire of “making a difference” and we are proud to have played a small role in helping to shape their future.”

Langley, BC's James Allenby - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

James Allenby made seven of eight cuts on the recently concluded Forme Tour, so he certainly did not play badly. But as he reflects on his two-month adventure down south, Allenby has the bills to prove it was far from a rip-roaring success.

With purses set at $110,000 US each week, players pretty much had to finish inside the top 10 each week to cover expenses. Allenby’s best finish was a tie for 12th and the Langley resident made a grand total of $7,670. That didn’t come close to covering his expenses. “I didn’t go crazy adding everything up, but I estimated that I came out with about a $9,000 loss for the season,” he said.

Talking Rock (Shown Here) Along With Nk’Mip Canyon Desert And St. Eugene Are Just Three Of A Growing Number Of Indigenous Facilities In The Province - Image Credit Talking Rock

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHASE -- It opened quietly without much fanfare back in 2007, this golf course built by a small Indian band with big dreams. Initially, Talking Rock Golf Course seemed to almost get lost amid some of the more high-profile courses that were opening at the time in British Columbia.

“Talking Rock was one of those projects that was a bit under the radar because it was being developed at about the same time Tobiano (near Kamloops) was,” says golf architect Wayne Carleton, who along with Graham Cooke designed Talking Rock for the Little Shuswap Indian Band. “Tobiano was getting all the raves.”

But a funny thing has happened in the nearly 15 years since Talking Rock welcomed its first players. It has gone from being a course many had not heard of to being one nearly everyone wants to play. It is not a stretch to suggest that Talking Rock, located on the south shore of Little Shuswap Lake, is regarded by many as one of British Columbia’s top resort courses.

Nanoose Bay Resident Shelly Stouffer (L) Has No Regrets After She Dropped A Close Semi-final Match To Ellen Port (R) At The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship - Image Courtesy Judith Kyrinis/Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Disappointed? Of course she is. But Shelly Stouffer is also justifiably proud of the run she made at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship in Clear Point, Alabama. 

That run took the Nanoose Bay resident all the way to the semi-finals where she lost a hard-fought match on the 18th hole at The Lakewood Club to a woman who is something of a United States Golf Association legend.

Stouffer had a blast. “It was amazing,” she said over the phone from Alabama. “I can’t complain about anything. I had a fabulous time, the people were amazing, the course is awesome. It was just lots of fun.”

Registration for programs is now open and taking place on the First Tee - BC website. Programs are starting the week of Sept. 20^th and run for 6 weeks to the end of October.

They are $120 for 6 classes and the financial assistance will be live on the website.

 Click HERE to register for First Tee - BC programs.

All the information is there and if you have any more questions please email firstteebc@golfcanada.ca

Michell Liu (Centre) Was The BC Women's Amateur Champion In 2020 While Lauren Kim (Left) Was Runner - Up. Also Pictured At Right Is 3rd Place Finisher Luna Lu - Image Courtesy BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Lauren Kim and Michelle Liu are back at their respective high schools and if their teachers happen to ask them to write one of those ‘What I did on my summer vacation’ essays, both will have quite the story to tell.

The two talented teen golfers spent their summers south of the border where they made quite the impression.

Kim won three American Junior Golf Association events and Liu won two. Both qualified to play in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and Kim also qualified for the U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

Image Courtesy St. Eugene Resort

The Historic St. Eugene Mission Building Houses Both A Haunting Past And A Powerful Future

By Latash Maurice Nahanee (Uslahan, Squamish temiwx)

Located on 300 acres along the winding St. Mary River and nestled between Purcell and the Kootenay Rocky Mountains, St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino is surrounded by stupendous vistas. The resort offers world-class golf, casino nightlife and is also close to the region’s national parks and ski areas.

However, the beautiful Spanish-colonial-styled resort hotel you see today sitting on the St. Eugene Mission property was not always the site of holiday visits, great rounds of golf and memorable weddings. The red brick building was once the St. Eugene Mission residential school for First Nations youth and has a powerful history that has undergone and is indeed, still experiencing…. an equally powerful evolution going forward.

image credit Marco Verch/Creative Commons License

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Vaccine passports won’t be required to play golf in British Columbia, but courses are reminding their guests that proof of vaccination will be required to use other services. 

In an email to members and guests, Golden Eagle Golf Club in Pitt Meadows says proof of vaccination will be required for indoor and outdoor dining at the club.

“Staff have been instructed not to serve any group that has one or more individuals that will not show proof of vaccine,” the club said in its email. “Any abuse verbal or otherwise towards staff or other guests will not be tolerated.”

Kelowna's Jessica Claggett With Past BC Golf President Patrick Kelly - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jessica Claggett of Kelowna has been declared the winner of the B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship after Victoria’s Alyssa Herkel was disqualified due to a rules infraction.

Tournament director Doug Hastie said Herkel contacted him over the Labour Day weekend to discuss a shot she attempted on the seventh hole during the final round of the event, which was held Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria.

Herkel told Hastie she “whiffed” a chip shop attempt from the rough on the par 5 hole.

Former British Columbia Golf President Peter Bentley Is Shown Here With Current President Michelle Collens - Image Courtesy Michelle Collens/Twitter

British Columbia Golf is saddened to learn of the passing of past BC Golf President, Peter Bentley (March 17th, 1930- September 6th, 2021). 

Peter John Gerald Bentley OC, OBC, LLB (Honorary) died peacefully in his sleep in Vancouver, B.C. September 6, 2021 at the age of 91. He is survived by his wife Sheila (nee McGiverin) and their 5 children, Barbara Hislop (John), Susan Kololian (Vahan), Joanie Ball (Mik), Michael Bentley (Lesley) and Lisa Turner (Terrence), 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Peter, highly respected in the BC golf & hockey communities, was named to the order of Canada in 1983 and later also became a BC Sports Hall of Fame WAC Bennett Award winner, and served as the Hall's chair in 1974-75 as well as being a long-time board member.

via Press Release

Vancouver, BC – Par Fairwood Publishing Inc. is excited to announce the official release of Ruby and Pals: Tee Off with Manners.

The first in a series, this book is now available on Amazon Kindle in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Punjabi.

Children’s storybooks about golf are a rare sight to behold, but that is about to change with the release of the Ruby and Pals series by Par Fairwood Publishing Inc.