Head Pro And GM At Christina Lake, Kevin Maffioli - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHRISTINA LAKE — Life for many club pros can be a transitory existence that involves bouncing from one course to the next.

Kevin Maffioli considers himself one of the lucky ones. He’s been at Christina Lake Golf Club for 27 years and counting. He’s had opportunities — good ones — to move on to greener pastures, but chosen to stay put.

Maffioli, the club’s head professional and general manager, lists multiple reasons why he has never been tempted to leave Christina Lake. “It’s a beautiful golf course and the membership is fantastic,” he says in an interview.

Shelly Stouffer Stretched Her Lead From Six Shots To Eight Following The Second Round Of The BC Women's Senior Championship - Image Credit Kathryn Riley/USGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf 

CHRISTINA LAKE — For a while, it looked like Shelly Stouffer had run out of birdies. The back nine changed that.

Stouffer recovered nicely from a shaky start to her second round with three birdies on the back side of Christina Lake Golf Club that helped give her a hefty eight-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round of the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship.

Nanoose Bay's Shelly Stouffer Is At It Again As She Leads After Round One Of The BC Senior Women's Championship At Christina Lake - Image Credit Kathryn Riley/USGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHRISTINA LAKE — As players sit down at the scoring table after their rounds at the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship, many of them are asking the same question.

“What did Shelly shoot,” they want to know. The answer Monday was a three-under 70 at Christina Lake Golf Club that included seven birdies.

Shelly Stouffer shows no signs of slowing down after a record-setting 2022 season. In fact, she thinks she may be even playing better than last year.

In this video, from Coach Shayain's YouTube site, we're thrilled to share clips & interviews from B.C.'s first-ever Indigenous golf tournament.

This groundbreaking event brought together golfers of all ages from across the province, showcasing the inclusivity and progressiveness that the sport is striving for.

Traditionally seen as an elitist sport with limited access, golf is now embracing a new era of openness. Over 100 Indigenous golfers representing 80 different nations gathered at the beautiful Nk'Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in the southern Okanagan Valley for this historic tournament.

To see Brad Ziemer's wrap-ups and interviews with the inaugural tournament champions click HERE and HERE.

Check out Coach Shayain's video, interviews and overview below. 

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.

Randall Mackus (L) Proudly Wears A T-Shirt With His Own Motto On It

With the inaugural All Abilities Golf Championship for British Columbia coming up shortly, BC Golf CEO Kris Jonasson took some time to express just how important and impactful just such an event is for all golfers in our province - ed

By Kris Jonasson, CEO/British Columbia Golf

Full disclosure, I am not very good. That’s not to say I am horrible, just an honest assessment of my golfing ability. My handicap index is 14.5 which means on most days I can break 90, if only by a stroke or two. The average male handicap index reputably is between 14 and 17; women range between 25 and 28.

Recognizing most golfers do not maintain a handicap, and therefore do not track scores, it is likely the average male golfer struggles to break 100. Women would be higher. I guess ‘good’ is a relative concept.

In early June, British Columbia Golf will conduct the inaugural All Abilities Championship and by any measure, the men and women who play will be good.

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.

Summerland Native Rachelle Nielsen Earned A Degree In Mechanical Engineering While Playing Collegiate Golf In Texas - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — Some students on athletic scholarships take the ‘easy’ route when it comes to declaring their academic majors. Not Rachelle Nielsen.

The Summerland native majored in mechanical engineering when she headed south to Texas A&M University-Kingsville. It was quite the balancing act, trying to juggle a competitive golf schedule at an NCAA Division II school with the demands of an engineering degree. But Nielsen persevered.

It took her five years — not unusual for a varsity athlete — but Nielsen earned her degree in mechanical engineering and graduated in May of 2020.

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.

BC's Tanelle Bolt Uses A Swing-Assist Cart At Langara GC In Vancouver - BC Golf Photo

BY REBECCA BLISSETT/Writer for Rick Hansen Foundation

For Anthony Brummet, like many of the 1 in 5 Canadians with a disability, his medical condition wasn’t something he had planned for. Anthony, or Tony as he is called, developed a health issue in his senior years that affects his legs to the point he can no longer stand.

British Columbia Will Go For Six Straight At The North Pacific Junior Ladies Team Matches Championship In Corvallis, Oregon

This international competition, created by Washington Junior Golf Association (WJGA) founder, Joan Teats in 1987, has featured a rotation of sites in recent years between the competing golf associations comprising British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

The 2023 edition of the North Pacific Junior Ladies Team Matches is being held at Trysting Tree GC in Corvallis, Oregon and will see the contest taking on a slightly different look as Team BC goes for their 6th consecutive victory in the event.

With Idaho not competing this year, Oregon and Washington have combined to form one team (6 girls each), which will take on 5-time defending champion British Columbia who will be bringing 12 players to the event, creating a 'Canada vs U.S.A.' approach to this year's competition.

L-R: Lauren Kim, Michelle Liu & Luna Lu Finished As The Top 3 In The 2020 BC Women's Amateur. They Will Be Joined By Vanessa Zhang (Far Right) In The Upcoming Mizuho Americas Open

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Four B.C. junior golfers will be playing alongside some of the biggest stars on the LPGA Tour at the upcoming Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

Burnaby’s Luna Lu, Lauren Kim of Surrey and Michelle Liu and Vanessa Zhang, both of Vancouver, are among 24 American Junior Golf Association players who have qualified to play in the inaugural event, which goes June 1-4.

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.

Tina Papatolis Is The Leader After Two Rounds Of The BC Women's Mid-Amateur - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

HARRISON MILLS — Tina Papatolis wasn’t about to let a horrible ending to her round spoil what she had accomplished the previous 17 holes.

Papatolis, a Canadian who now lives in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, arrived at the 18th tee at Sandpiper Golf Course one-under for her round. But after driving her tee ball left into the trees and then dunking her third shot into the pond fronting the green, she had to settle for a triple-bogey seven.

Still, her two-over 74 is the low score posted through two rounds of the B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championships. And it gave Papatolis a three-shot lead heading into Thursday’s final round. The event is being held concurrently with the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championship.

Richmond's Mike Aizawa (Shown Here In The Recent PNGA Lamey Cup) Is One Of Five Tied For The Lead In The BC Men's Mid-Amateur At Sandpiper Resort - Image Courtesy PNGA

HARRISON MILLS — Sandpiper Golf Course proved to be a stern test in Tuesday’s opening round of the B.C. Women’s and Men’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championships.

Canada is home to some of the world’s finest public golf courses, but many go unrecognized in ScoreGolf's biennial Top 59 Public Courses ranking, which they are set to publish again later this summer.

That is where you come in. Submit up to 10 of your favourite public courses in your province by clicking on the link below.