Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Hannah Lee begins different kind of golf journey at Northview; Golf community mourns loss of George Faithfull; Taylor ties for 14th at Pebble Beach
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.
“As a junior golfer or a collegiate golfer I only saw it from a golfer’s standpoint,” Lee said. “It’s cool because I now get to see how golf courses operate and function because before I was just there to solely play golf. Now I am seeing things from a different perspective. It has been a bit of an eye-opener.”
Lee graduated from Oklahoma with a communications degree last May and began working at Northview late last summer. She recently decided to join the PGA of Canada and begin her apprenticeship as a pro. “I have been working with these Class A professionals here the past few months and learning so much,” Lee said. “I just thought this would be a good opportunity for me to learn more. I feel like if I get my teaching education with the PGA of Canada I could learn more about the game and put myself in a good position to open my options up to possible career opportunities.”
Northview head professional Greg Pool said Lee has a been a great addition to his staff. “Hannah is a huge asset in our golf shop right now,” Pool said. “Our whole team loves her and she is awesome with guests.”
Image Courtesy Hannah Lee
Lee enjoyed her time at Oklahoma, where she said she learned a lot about herself. “It was bittersweet leaving because I loved my time there,” she said. “It wasn’t just about golf. I learned a lot about myself as a golfer, but also I grew as a person there, too. It was a great four years for me. I was super excited to be done with school, but also a little sad to leave.”
The golf didn’t always go as well as she had hoped, in large part due to some injuries she suffered. “Truthfully, I didn’t have the collegiate career I had always wanted to have, but there’s nothing I can do to change it,” she said. “I had never really had injuries throughout my junior golf so in that sense I was very lucky. And then I got to college and I started having a lot of lower back issues and I had some knee problems as well. Everything started piling up on top of each other. I couldn’t play some tournaments because my back was hurting too much.”
Still, she called her four years in Oklahoma a wonderful experience she’ll always cherish. About the only thing she won’t miss is the wind. “Coming from Vancouver I was used to playing in the rain. In Oklahoma the winds are just crazy. I definitely won’t miss the wind and tornadoes.”
Lee hasn’t lost her itch to play. She plans to work hard on her game this spring, perhaps play in some Vancouver Golf Tour events and maybe enter LPGA Tour qualifying school late this summer. “I am just excited to see where my future in golf takes me,” she said.
FAITHFULL REMEMBERED: The British Columbia golfing community lost a good friend last week with the passing of George Faithfull. Faithfull, a life member of Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, was a past president of British Columbia Golf who spent countless hours serving as a volunteer at golf events throughout the province. Kris Jonasson, chief executive officer of British Columbia Golf, credited Faithfull for being a mentor to so many golfers.
“George Faithfull was a wonderful leader and a real asset to British Columbia Golf,” Jonasson said. “Although naturally quiet, he was well listened to when he spoke. He was a tireless volunteer, passionate about the sport, and a strong mentor to a generation of junior golfers in the Victoria area.
“British Columbia Golf is a better organization thanks to his leadership and he will be missed. We extend our condolences to the family. Thank you for allowing George the time and freedom to make a lasting impact on golf in British Columbia.”
In 2014, Faithfull received British Columbia Golf’s Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the game. B.C. Golf Hall of Fame member Doug Roxburgh said Faithfull made a big impact in his support of junior golf in B.C. “George always had a smile on his face and was very friendly,” Roxburgh said. “He made a huge contribution to junior golf. He was always around, encouraging the kids. He put in hours and hours of his time.”
MONTEREY MAGIC: Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor seems to feel right at home on California’s Monterey Peninsula. Taylor closed with a bogey-free three-under 69 to finish 11-under par and tied for 14th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Taylor, of course, won the event two years ago. He earned $163,125 on Sunday and jumped 30 spots to 95th on the FedEx Cup points list.
Fellow Abbotsford product Adam Hadwin also had a solid tournament. Hadwin shot a 69 Sunday and tied for 16th at 10-under. He made $119,842 and moved up 22 spots to 62nd on the FedEx points list. Surrey’s Adam Svensson, who was tied for second after two rounds, ended up tying for 49th at five-under. Svensson made $21,089 and dropped four spots to 93rd on the points list.
HOME GAME: Taylor and Hadwin get to sleep in their owns beds this week as the PGA TOUR visits Arizona for the WM Phoenix Open. The two Scottsdale residents will be joined by fellow British Columbian Roger Sloan of Merritt at the event, which attracts massive galleries to the TPC Scottsdale. Ontario native Corey Conners is the other Canadian in the field.
BURSARY BUCKS: Jared du Toit of Kimberley and Rebecca Lee Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ont., are the latest recipients of bursaries awarded to young professionals by the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. Du Toit and Bentham will each receive $3,000. The bursaries are sponsored by Mackenzie Investments and Golf Town.
SALE PENDING: Kelowna Springs Golf Course is about to be sold to a Vancouver developer who plans to turn the course into industrial land. Castanet News reports that a contract of purchase and sale has been signed and the purchaser plans to eventually close the 32-year-old course. The golf course, located not far from the Kelowna Airport, is zoned industrial and is not in the Agricultural Land Reserve. It will remain open for at least the next year.
CHIP SHOTS: Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald tied for 56th at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Panama Open. The Korn Ferry Tour visits Bogota, Colombia this week for the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard. . .A familiar face is returning to Bighorn Golf & Country Club in Kamloops, where Ian Henson has rejoined the facility as head professional.