‘Hidden Gem’ Golden Golf Club A Tough Test In First Round Of B.C. Mid-Amateur Championship
GOLDEN, B.C. (July 16, 2024) - Golden Golf Club proved to be a stern test in the first round of the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and that came as no surprise to director of operationsGraeme Kreiner.
“It’s playing tough now with our greens,” Kreiner said. “They are not Augusta-fast, but there is so much slope and we do have a nice speed on them now. You certainly have to pay attention when you have the putter in your hands.”
The same could be said about your driver. Golden is a tree-lined layout and narrow in spots. Stray too far off the fairway and you’re in trouble.
“If you are off the fairway it is pretty unforgiving,” said Kreiner, who has been at Golden since 2012. “If you do find your golf ball, you typically don’t have a great shot.”
Wyatt Brook of Heffley Creek posted the day’s best score, a three-under 69 that has him one shot ahead of Edward Bellrose of Campbell River. The 25-year-old Brook came to Golden on something of a roll after finishing third at last week’s B.C. Amateur Championship at Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford. Brook’s round was highlighted by an eagle on Golden’s par 5 12th hole.
A field of 110 players are competing in the Mid-Amateur, which is open to players aged 25 and older. A Mid-Master competition is also being held concurrently for players aged 40 and over.
They are playing a Golden course that is highly regarded, yet still something of an undiscovered hidden gem for many British Columbia golfers. Because of its proximity to the B.C. - Alberta boundary, a large percentage of Golden’s out-of-town play comes from the Calgary and southern Alberta area.
Kreiner said one of the reasons for playing host to the B.C. Mid-Amateur is to expose the course to a large number of good players who may be seeing it for the first time. He knows they will spread the word.
“As a small-town club a little bit off the beaten track for some people who are driving along Highway 1 and they think it’s just a gas stop,” he said. “But then when they actually get out here and play they are just blown away.
“So by having 110 players here — and 108 of them are from out of town — gets our golf course known to that many more people. I know all 108 will probably go back home and tell 15 or 20 friends just how good the golf course is and then that word spreads. We do rely pretty heavily on word of mouth. These kind of events are huge for us just to continue to expose the golf course to more people.”
Golden Golf Club officially opened in 1986 as a nine-hole course. Les Furber added the back nine in the early 1990s. “Unless you knew there are two different designers, I don’t think you’d notice a difference at all,” Kreiner said. “They flow together nicely.”
Tucked between the Rocky and Purcell Mountain ranges, Golden Golf Club offers some spectacular views. It also boasts some attractive green-fee rates and a couple of daily specials that will have some British Columbians wanting to hop in their cars and head east.
Their daily rack rate is $99.95 (including power cart and taxes). The walking rate is $79.95. The Monday-Tuesday rate is $69.95 including power cart.
On Titleist Thursdays, if you tee off between noon and 4 p.m., your $99.95 green fee gets you an 18-hole round, power cart and a dozen Pro-V1s. From 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. every Wednesday, a $164.95 green fee gets you golf, power cart and a pair of FootJoy golf shoes.
Bryan Toth and Alex Cartwright, both of Victoria, were the only other players to break par in the first round of the B.C. Mid-Am. Both shot one-under 71s. Toth, who won the 2005 B.C. Amateur Championship at Golden, leads the Mid-Master category.
Michael Kennedy of North Vancouver is alone in fifth after shooting an even-par 72. Defending champion Nathan Ward of Summerland opened with a five-over 77.
The top three players after Thursday’s final round will represent British Columbia in the inter-provincial team competition at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, which goes Aug. 20-23 at Carleton Golf & Yacht Club in Manotick, Ont.
Click HERE for complete first round scoring.