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.

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.

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.

BC's Adam Svensson - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Any disappointment Surrey’s Adam Svensson feels over a stumble down the stretch at the Barbasol Championship should be tempered with the knowledge he has secured his PGA TOUR status for next year. 

After contending all week, Svensson finished a career-best solo sixth at the Barbasol. Svensson was done in when he only managed to par the easy par 5 15th hole in the final round and then took a double-bogey on the par 4 17th when he was forced to take an unplayable lie after an errant drive.

Svensson finished the event at 19-under par, six shots behind winner Trey Mullinax.

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.

The Huntting Cup Teams From 1922- Image used with permission courtesy The City Of Victoria Archives #M08036

Front row, L-R: Mrs. Nixon; Mrs. B.R. Philbrick (Captain and B.C. and City Campion for many years); unidentified; unidentified. Middle row: Dr. G.M. Luden; Mrs. C.E. (Dolly) Wilson; Mrs. Leslie Hadley; Jean Allen (?); Vera Hutchings; unidentified; unidentified; Eunice Mitchell. Back row: unidentified; Aileen Benson; Betty Fitz-Gibbon; unidentified; Constance Sheffield; unidentified; Ruth Jones (daughter of Dr. O.M. Jones); Nora Patterson (daughter of Harvey Coombe, founder of Victoria Golf Club); unidentified; Vivian Cousland (?); Mary and Helen Campbell (father owned Campbell's Drugstore).

The Annual Huntting Cup Competition Brings Together Top Female Players From Metro Vancouver And Lower Vancouver Island

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Some of the memories have faded with time, but when Donna Thompson reflects on playing in the Huntting Cup, she thinks about the great friendships that were forged along the way in the annual competition that features some of the best female players from the Metro Vancouver and Victoria areas.

“We got to know a lot of the girls from Victoria and the Island,” says Thompson, a three-time B.C. Senior Women’s Amateur champion. “I remember meeting Margaret Todd, Dorothy DeGirolamo, all those gals. It was a great experience, a lot of fun. It was nice to get to know them and play against them. It was a very friendly atmosphere.”

Thompson chuckles when one other memory comes to mind from what she believes was her first Huntting Cup.

Nk'Mip Canyon Desert GC, Oliver - Image Credit Steve Austin

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Gayvn Knight of Parksville will defend his title at this week’s B.C. Junior Boys Championship, but a new champion will be crowned in the B.C. Junior Girls Championship. Both competitions are being held at Nk’Mip Desert Golf Course in Oliver.

Last year’s B.C. Junior Girls champion, Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver, is no longer age eligible for the junior competition, which is open to players aged 18 and younger as of Aug. 1, 2022. Gu just completed her freshman year at Kent State University.

Leah John Is The 2022 BC Women's Amateur Champion - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

 In a final round that had more twists and turns than the Sea to Sky Highway, Vancouver’s Leah John emerged on top and successfully defended her B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Pitt Meadows Golf Club.

Dramatic. Crazy. Unpredictable. Surprising. Pick an adjective. They all describe a final round at Pitt Meadows that included a number of lead changes and plenty of ups and downs. John won it thanks in no small part to a dramatic shot she holed out of a greenside bunker for birdie on her 17th hole.

Prince George will host the 2022 BC Summer Games July 21-24 in venues throughout the community and surrounding area. Volunteers are working to put details into place and finalize the plans to host over 3,000 participants this summer.

The 2020 BC Summer Games were originally scheduled to take place in Maple Ridge but were cancelled due to Covid-19. Maple Ridge is on tap to host the games in 2024.

The volunteer recruitment team can be seen all over Prince George and on June 5 from 10 am-4 pm they held a VOLUNTEER-A-THON at Canadian Tire.

British Columbia Golf is fully invested in doing all we can to assist and promote golf as an accessible sport for all.

As part of this committment we are circulating this survey intended to gather information to enable further gains to be made in creating and improving accessiblity to golf and golf facilities for those who may themselves have or know others with physical or cognitive limitations.

Please click on the link below to take part in a short survey. As is requested in the opening question, if you are not someone who has physical or cognitive limitations as identified by EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association), kindly pass along or inform anyone you may know who could be interested. 

Survey Link

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VFX5W9J

BC's Lauren Kim Is Off To The U.S. Women's Open At Pine Needles In North Carolina - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The email informing Lauren Kim she has a spot in next month’s U.S. Women’s Open came in the middle of the night. Her dad, an early-riser, saw it first.

“My dad woke up really early and just looked through his email and was like, ‘oh my gosh, Lauren just got into the U.S. Open,’ a delighted Kim said Tuesday.

“But he didn’t say anything because I was sleeping. Then my mom woke up around 6:30 and she came into my room screaming, ‘you just got in!’ It was a nice wake-up call.”

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She’s a senior golfer now, but Shelly Stouffer likes her chances as she prepares to tee it up with the ‘kids’ at the B.C. Mid-Amateur Championship at Talking Rock Golf Course.

Stouffer, the reigning B.C. and Canadian Senior Women’s champion, has never laid eyes on Talking Rock. But these days, her golf game is travelling well. She’s never felt more confident about her swing.

“I am feeling pretty good,” Stouffer says. “I like my chances. I don’t know if I have ever hit it this well. I have hit it farther before, but not as consistently straight and in play all the time. I feel like my swing is a lot better than it has been. And I am putting well. It’s great. I love where my game is at. I am just much more consistent.”

Kim Cowburn Plays A Shot During The Official Opening Of The Back 9 At Hirsch Creek Golf Club in 1991 - Image Courtesy Kim Cowburn-Evans

By Kim Cowburn-Evans

I grew up in Kitimat, a small, isolated town in Northwestern British Columbia. Winters were exceedingly long and gargantuan snowfalls were the norm. Summer seemed to stop by for a short visit and then disappear as quickly as it arrived.

I wasn’t quite 11 in the spring of 1978 when golf was introduced to me. I most definitely did not display any natural talent for the game at all, but it would soon become the centre of my universe.

I've never been the sun worshipping type. The pursuit of a tan was not conducive to my pasty, fair skin and blue eyes. As it happens, chronic sun exposure and playing golf go hand-in-hand. I have burned, blistered and peeled so many times that it’s a wonder that I have any skin left.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Greg Moody has a rather simple explanation for why he spends considerable time giving back to the game of golf. “I just enjoy volunteering,” Moody says. “I think you’re either born with a volunteer gene or you’re not.”

Moody clearly has his. A highly respected rules official and a longtime champion of junior golf, Moody is the new president of British Columbia Golf. Moody was officially elected by the BC Golf board on April 3rd. He jokes that it is not a position he expected or coveted.

“I never aspired to this position,” says Moody, a North Vancouver resident who has been a member of Seymour Golf & Country Club since the mid-1980s. “I just like volunteering. This is something I started to do when I retired and I have especially enjoyed working with the kids.”

Two BC Amateur Champions, Tristan Mandur (L) & Nolan Thoroughgood (R) ReceiveTheir Team Silver Medals At The 2017 Canada Summer Games - Image Credit: 2017 Canada Summer Games/Anthony_Fernando-Golf-1715

The  British Columbia Golf selection committee will use the NextGen Pacific Championship, taking place at Nanaimo GC May 13 - 15, 2022, as a competition to start the process of selecting the top performance juniors for the 2022 Canada Summer Games to represent British Columbia in Niagara Falls in August. 

BC Golf File Photo

by Lindsay Knowlton, Iron Lady Golf (via SIRC)

I started playing golf for the hot dogs. As a 14-year-old girl, I wanted to make friends with the other kids at my golf club. My major motivation after 9 holes was celebrating with friends over a hot dog and a chocolate milkshake. Flash forward 25 years, and golf is my passion. I’ve played and competed around the world. I’ve also taught more than 10,000 women how to play golf.

Like me, these women are almost always interested in more than learning how to play golf. They learn to be included in their work events or to spend more time with their partners and families. They learn to find new friendships and travel companions, to exercise, spend time in nature or get some fresh air.

Now more than ever, golf is about much more than just the game. Community is the glue that makes golf stick. In this blog, I offer strategies and tips, based on research and my own experiences, to help golf clubs and organizations create inclusive, welcoming environments that help women say “yes” to golf.

Please click HERE to read complete story on SIRC....

About the Author(s)
Lindsay Knowlton is the founder of Iron Lady Golf and a member of the PGA of Canada. She’s passionate about helping more women say “yes” to golf and building communities. Lindsay was the Captain of the Ohio State Women’s Golf Team, a 3-year Member of Canada’s National Team and a Silver Medalist at the 2004 World Championships. She has also recorded 3 holes-in-1!

Hannah Lee At The 2018 Canadian Women's Amateur At Marine Drive GC - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

For many years growing up, Northview Golf & Country Club was Hannah Lee’s home away from home. She pounded balls on its driving range, spent countless hours on its putting green and gained an intimate knowledge of the Ridge and Canal courses at the Surrey facility. 

Northview helped Lee develop into one of British Columbia’s top junior players. She became a member of Golf Canada’s national junior team and earned herself a scholarship to play collegiate golf at the University of Oklahoma.

And now she’s back at Northview, beginning a new kind of golf journey, not knowing quite where it will take her. Lee has just joined the PGA of Canada as an apprentice professional at Northview and is now seeing golf from a new perspective.

BC Golf Senior Contributor Brad Ziemer recently spoke with Michelle Collens who has sat on the British Columbia Golf's board since 2013, the last two years as President...

Victoria's Jeevan Sihota Has His Eyes On Turning Pro This Spring - Image Credit: Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When a field of about 120 players gather at Crown Isle Golf Resort in Courtenay in late April for the seventh and final PGA Tour Canada spring qualifying school, the youngest competitor figures to get lots of attention. Highly regarded Victoria junior Jeevan Sihota, who turns 18 in March, has entered Q-school and will turn pro if he plays well enough to earn his card.

Sihota’s dad, Jas, confirmed his son’s plans in an interview this past weekend. The family has spent considerable time weighing the options. Jeevan has been inundated with offers from several top universities to play collegiate golf south of the border.