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BC's Adam Hadwin and his wife Jessica started a non-profit organization in May of 2020, The Hadwin Family Foundation following the successful IVF (In vitro fertilization) that produced their daughter Maddox. The two felt they could help assist other couples struggling to conceive a child and thus started the foundation and Maddy’s Miracle Grant. Canadian golf writer Adam Stanley has a wonderful story on how it all came to be and an update on where things are now. 

Written by Adam Stanley
@adam_stanley

Jessica Hadwin looked out a plane window in the spring of 2019 to see a unique double rainbow. There were two vertical strips of colour coming out of a collection of clouds, straight toward the ground – a bright splash through the darkness. She needed that. She wondered if it was a sign.

About a year later – nine months, to be exact – that double rainbow represented their baby girl Maddox. Their fighter. A glimpse of light after years of darkness.

A “Rainbow Baby” is a term for a child born to a family after experiencing previous child loss.

Click HERE to read full story. 

BC's Lauren Kim Warmed Up For Her U.S. Women's Open Start Next Month With Some Fine Play At Liberty National In New Jersey -  Photo Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Rose Zhang didn’t make a birdie Sunday as she made history by winning in her LPGA Tour debut. Surrey teen Lauren Kim had eight of them as she played the same Liberty National course from most of the same tees.

The inaugural Mizuho Americas Open featured 24 of the top players from the American Junior Golf Association, who competed in their own tourney opposite the LPGA field. In the final two rounds, one AJGA player played with two LPGA players.

Kim was one of four B.C. juniors invited to the event, along with Luna Lu of Burnaby and Michelle Liu and Vanessa Zhang, both of Vancouver.

Port Alberni Resident Christina Spence Proteau Not Only Chaired The Tournament, She Won It - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — Christina Spence Proteau’s impressive golfing résumé includes three B.C. Women’s Amateur championships, six B.C. Mid-Amateur titles, six Canadian Mid-Amateurs crowns and two Canadian University individual championships.

But perhaps none of those are as meaningful as the Port Alberni resident’s latest victory. This one felt different and brought with it emotions Spence Proteau had never experienced on the golf course.

You must understand that Spence Proteau did much more than play in the inaugural B.C. Men’s and Women’s Indigenous Championships at Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.

Christina Lake's Austin Krahn Is The Inaugural Men's Champion For The Indigenous Championship British Columbia - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — Growing up in their hometown of Christina Lake, Austin Krahn and his older twin brothers, David and Mitchell, never had trouble getting a tee time.

Their family owns the Cascade Par 3 Golf Course in Christina Lake and, not surprisingly, the three boys were handed clubs at a young age. All three of them quickly fell in love with the game and have become good players. However, the little brother is the golfing star of the family as 15-year-old Austin now regularly beats his 17-year-old brothers.

Austin bested his two siblings again — and everyone else in the field — to make some history by winning the inaugural B.C. Indigenous Men’s Championship at Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in Oliver.

Kylie Jack Tees Off In The Inaugural Indigenous Championship - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — The inaugural B.C. Indigenous Championship is a family affair of sorts for Kylie Jack and her parents, Sharon and OJ. And they did not need any yardage books to help them navigate their way around Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.

“I grew up on this course,” said Kylie, who honed her golfing skills at Nk’Mip and went on to play collegiate golf for Simon Fraser University where she earned a degree in criminology.

Her mom Sharon plays 45 to 50 rounds of golf a year and most of them are at Nk’Mip. And dad OJ is no stranger to the course, which is owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian band.

When they heard about the first Indigenous Championship being played at Nk’Mip they didn’t hesitate before signing up.

BC Golf Past President Patrick Kelly Envisioned An Indigenous Championship Years Ago - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 29, 2023) — Before the first shots were even struck at the inaugural British Columbia Indigenous Championship, Patrick Kelly was ready to call the event a success.

He could see it on the faces of the 114 participants, ranging in age from 14 to 80. Everyone was smiling, perhaps none as widely as Kelly himself.

This championship likely would not have happened if Kelly had not planted the seed about 15 years ago.

There's No Looking Back Now As Coquitlam's AJ Ewart Is Turning Pro - Golf Canada Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Call it a slightly disappointing ending to a brilliant collegiate career. Coquitlam’s A.J. Ewart and his Barry University Bucs were knocked out in the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II championship tourney at Avalon Lakes Golf Club in Warren, Ohio.

Ewart, of course, was hoping to end his career with an NCAA Championship, but can reflect on a remarkable four years at the Miami-area school where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications with a sport management minor.

Sonja Tang Led The UBC Women T'Birds With Her T4 Finish - Image Courtesy UBC/Bushnell Athletics

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

For a while, it looked like it might be close. Turns out, it wasn’t. The University of B.C. women’s golf team rebounded nicely after a second-round hiccup and repeated as NAIA champions with a resounding 29-stroke victory at the TPC Deere Run in Silvas, Ill.

The Thunderbirds did what they were expected to do, which often isn’t as easy as it sounds. They entered the tournament ranked No. 1, but after a poor second round trailed Keiser University by one shot.

The UBC T'Birds Are 2023 NAIA Champions - Photo Credit Dan O'Connor (UBC T'Birds Communications)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

For just the second time in program history, the University of B.C. men’s golf team has captured the NAIA national championship. The T-Birds surprised even their coach by winning the 72-hole tournament at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.

“To be honest it’s a big surprise and it’s a big upset,” said longtime UBC coach Chris Macdonald. “We were the 12th-ranked team coming in, so a lot of things had to go right.”

Summerland's Nathan Ward Is The 2023 BC Men's Mid-Amateur Champion - All Images Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

HARRISON MILLS — Every golf round seems to bring with it that moment of adversity when a player’s character and resolve are put to the test.

For Nathan Ward, that moment came on the par 5 13th hole during the final round of the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championships at Sandpiper Golf Course.

Ward made a mess of the hole, walking off the green with a double-bogey seven. That very easily could have been the end of Ward’s chances, but the 37-year-old Summerland resident wasn’t about to give up.

Nanoose Bay Resident Shelly Stouffer Captured Both The B.C. Women's Mid-Amateur & Mid-Master Championships At Sandpiper GC In Harrison Mills - All Images Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

HARRISON MILLS — For those of us wondering what Shelly Stouffer was going to do for an encore, she provided an answer at Sandpiper Golf Course.

Apparently, the Nanoose Bay resident is going to just keep winning.

After a stellar 2022 campaign, Stouffer began her 2023 season by capturing both the B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master titles at the scenic Harrison Mills layout.

Lauren Kim (L) And Gabriela Ruffels Were The Two Qualifiers For The U.S. Women's Open At VGC - Image Courtesy Golf Canada/Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Lauren Kim’s one and only visit to California’s Monterey Peninsula occurred a few years ago when she and her family were driving home from a junior golf tournament in the San Diego area.

Kim, all of 11 or 12 years old at the time, vividly remembers what a beautiful spot it was. “We went to all of the golf courses in the area and picked up every scorecard,” she says. “And then we went to the beach and dipped our toes in the water.

“I bought one of those bouncy balls that had a big Pebble Beach logo on it. And it had golf ball dimples on it. I thought this is really cool, I want that.” She also decided right there and then that she’d one day play Pebble Beach.

On Monday, that dream became a reality. Kim will not only play Pebble Beach, she’ll play it in this summer’s U.S. Women’s Open.

SFU Red Leafs Men's Golf Team - Image Courtesy SFU/Sonoma State Athletics

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The solid play of senior Aidan Goodfellow (Centre In Team Photo Shown) and a pair of clutch 18th-hole birdies by Michael Crisologo and Jordan Bean helped the Simon Fraser University men’s golf team earn a spot in the NCAA Division II national championship tourney for the first time since 2015.

The Red Leafs tied for fourth at the West/South Central regional tourney in Rohnert Park, Calif., where the top five teams earned spots in the national championship tourney.

It was a nail-biter of a final round as only seven strokes separated the top nine teams.

Sandpiper GC Is Set To Play Host To BC's Men’s & Women’s Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master Championships - All Images Courtesy Sandpiper GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It has been well documented that the Covid-19 pandemic created a golf boom of sorts and perhaps no course has reaped the benefits more than Sandpiper, the stunningly scenic and serene layout on the shores of the Harrison River.

Located about 30 minutes east of Mission in the tiny community of Harrison Mills, Sandpiper has weathered some tough times since opening in 1998. But Covid and the vision of new ownership have changed things.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Thanks in no small part to the work of Ledgeview Golf Club General Manager Brad Clapp, a spot in next month’s RBC Canadian Open field will be up for grabs at a regional qualifier at the Abbotsford course on May 12.

Golf Canada rules stipulate that a minimum of 120 players must compete in a regional qualifier in order for that coveted pass into the Canadian Open to be made available to the winner.

Clapp, a former winner on the PGA Tour Canada circuit, made it his personal mission to see that the Ledgeview field cracked that magic number. He is happy to report that nearly 140 players have now committed to play in the regional qualifier.

In keeping with the tradition of offering top-level coaching and support for aspiring young golfers in BC, British Columbia Golf is pleased to present the latest additions to the High Performance team with British Columbia Golf. 

Debbie Pyne, BC Golf's Managing Director of Player Performance - and recent recipient of Sport BC's In Her Footsteps...Celebrating Women In Sport Award, identified a need for regional representation for the Performance Coach positions and as such now welcomes Patrick Lago as the Vancouver-based Performance Coach and Conner Kozak as the Okanagan-based Performance Coach.

Image courtesy pexels/pixabay

OTTAWA, May 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) launches its month-long Sun Awareness Month campaign, urging Canadians to learn about the causes and early warning signs of skin cancer.

“With melanoma being the 5th most common cancer type found in youth and young adults (15-29) and 4th most common cancer type found in middle-aged adults (30-49), it should be a priority for Canadians to learn how to conduct a skin cancer self-examination and know the warning signs,” says National Chair of the CDA Sun Awareness Working Group and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Sunil Kalia.

For the full month of May, the CDA is dedicated to sharing important sun awareness messages and resources for Canadians, including steps to conduct a self-examination and preventative actions across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, the CDA website, media, and more.

The 2nd Annual GolfBC GROUP BC WOMEN’S OPEN Presented by Boyd Autobody & Glass is a 36-Hole Stroke Play Championship contested at Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club on June 10 & 11th, 2023.

The event is open to both Female Professionals and Female Amateurs with a registered Golf Canada or USGA handicap of 26.0 or less.

A tremendous opportunity for female golfers of all abilities, the event features very generous prizing expected to be over $10,000 in value for both the professional and amateur divisions (based on full field entry for both divisions).

See below for more details and how to enter.

Spring is here and we are looking ahead to the 2023 CP Women’s Open. In its 49th playing, Canada’s National Women’s Open is coming to Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver for the first time ever!

British Columbia Golf, in partnership with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and the Osoyoos Indian Band owned Nk’mip Canyon Desert Golf Course, announce the launch of the inaugural Indigenous Championship British Columbia.