BC Golf Museum & Hall of Fame - May Newsletter

The May 2009 NEWSLETTER

From the office of Barrie McWha, Executive Director,
BC GOLF MUSEUM and HALL OF FAME

The objective is to raise the level of awareness of the activities and the importance of this wonderful asset to the golfing community in British Columbia. Remember, golf is the game of a lifetime! Encourage a friend or relative to learn to play this year!

The Tradition 2009 at Marine Drive Golf Club

This year's edition will feature some very interesting items in the Live and Silent Auctions. How about an autographed hockey sweater from Vancouver Canucks great, Trevor Linden, OR... a Taylor Made R9 driver, OR... a 3 day fishing trip for two to Nootka Island Fishing Lodge on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, OR... golf for 4 at the beautiful brand new Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club with Dick Zokol as your host. In addition to the above, The Green Room and Callaway Golf, have both provided fitting sessions as auction items.

There is still room for a few teams so if you, or anyone you know, are interested in a great day of golf at a world class golf club, please register online or contact the Museum office at 604-222-4653

Golf Course History Project

One of the activities that the Museum has ongoing is to record the history of British Columbia golf courses, whether they still exist or not. At some point in the life of every golf course there comes a time when knowing the history becomes important and relevant. There are almost 70 binders full of information on golf courses around the province. In some cases the information might only be a page or two, and in other cases there is substantial information. We try to collect copies of newspaper clippings, routing plans, details of significant events and people.

We have been fortunate to 'acquire' the services of a couple of volunteers who have begun the task of contacting by phone all of the courses in the province to make the golf courses aware of this facility, to engage in conversation about the golf course and to hopefully identify one or more people at the course who are interested in the course history so that we can establish an on going dialogue.

Museum volunteers watch local newspapers to spot information on golf courses and players but in regions outside the lower mainland we could certainly use more eyes.

It goes without saying that this is a project where there is more to do than there are people to do it, so we are always on the lookout for more volunteers.

Reflections Back to May 6th, 1989

- - - The Opening of the BC Golf Museum

Arv Olson, Vancouver Sun golf reporter: "Memories can be jogged and eyes can be feasted on a myriad of artefacts, books, photographs, trophies, and memorabilia. The shelves will display much more than wooden shafted clubs, feathered balls, and musty books. (Dorothy) Brown has developed unique period settings, to be frequently changed, in presenting golf's rich heritage in B.C. and internationally.

The building itself is a showcase. Resurrected to original specifications it sparkles as brightly as the day it was opened. Thirty-three corporations donated building materials."

Kent Gilchrist, Vancouver Province golf reporter: "The B.C. Golf House is finally open. PGA Tour veteran Dave Barr made it official yesterday afternoon amid fanfare and ceremony.

Thanks to three years of effort, a small grant from the provincial government as well the use of the land and refurbished building, and the generous monetary support of the likes of George Yen, Norm Edgar, the Hunt Corporation, and the Poldi Bentley family, the museum with more than 3,000 pieces of history opened at 2:00 PM yesterday.

You will visit Tom Morris, the most famous golf pro of his day in the 1870's and see the padded shoes horses wore so they didn't damage fairways when they were pulling the mowers."

Dick White, BC Golf House Society's first president: "I do remember parading next to the fence in our yellow sweaters. A number of dignitaries on the porch included the CLGA in their red jackets particularly Grace Mohl. Father Brown gave the blessing. I recall Dave Barr striking a feather ball with our old iron & wishing that Dunc Sutherland had been there as well. Bag Pipers were in attendance, plus a TV crew. Steve Armitage was the master of ceremonies making a superb speech and I felt proud to have been a part of the effort. Kim Campbell, MLA and former Prime Minister, also spoke praising our efforts."

Mike Riste, Volunteer Historian: "Reflecting back on that sunny Saturday afternoon many thoughts come to mind. Why we chose Saturday afternoon rather than Sunday afternoon I cannot remember.

At the last meeting, before the opening Dorothy informed the Board she had selected the piper to officially commence the ceremonies. She then insisted upon the Board members assembling near the large trees on the left of the 17th fairway. With the sun shining brightly overhead, the piper commenced the long march with all the directors trailing behind. The group included: Dick White, Harry White, Ken Atkinson, our lawyer, Donna Thompson, Bert McCabe, Michael Bentley, Ernie Brown & Les Paterson, our golf tournament chairmen, and Mike Riste.

With the shrill of the bagpipes filling the air, with all the assembled guests and visitors waiting on the porch, and with the golfers on the course standing like statues on the course the directors slowly proceeded down the fairway. My mind began to reflect back to the day I entered the building for the first time after obtaining the keys from the Endowment Lands and Forest Office.

That first step into the building on that cold November evening is forever etched in my mind. There was no power; no heat and the building interior reeked of this pungent odor. Over the next hour, this striking odour captivated me. What was causing it? Of course, it dawned on me. One smells that odor in a public washroom. It is the smell of the red liquid soap that is contained in every metal dispenser next to the basin- the one you push to dispense the liquid soap.

The mold covered walls and the many rooms strewn with junk seemed endless. Obviously, someone departed leaving all disposable items on the floor. We would send 10 thirty-yard containers to the landfill before we even commenced the actual renovation.

A sudden cold fear gripped me. Mike, are you actually capable of renovating this building into a Golf Museum or have you undertaken an insurmountable task?

As we neared the porch where Dorothy patiently waited to greet the Board, I felt this great satisfaction - we did it. We renovated this dilapidated old building into a functioning contributing facility for golf. The greatest satisfaction at that moment and still exists today is a very simple fact. We renovated this building with volunteer labour, donated funds, and donated building materials. Whenever we reached the final last dollar in our bank account or we required our materials to be restocked, someone in the golf community came through with the necessary assistance. Materials came from suppliers in Vancouver, but also dimension lumber traveled hundreds of miles to the little Museum that desperately needed assistance. To this day the Golf Museum still relies on the generosity of the golf community."

Meet our Volunteers

Peter Young, current Treasurer

What does a retired Chartered Accountant do with his spare time? He volunteers with an endless number of groups and events. Peter Young retired as a Partner in the accounting firm of Ellis Foster in 1999.

Before he retired he was a volunteer soccer coach for eight years during the 1980's and since retiring he served as a Hole Captain for the GVO / ACC PGA Tour event in Vancouver for 7 years, and a Hole Captain for both the Canadian Women's Open at Point Grey and the Canadian Open at Shaughnessy.

He has been a member of the Men's Club at McCleery since 1987, serving 6 years as their Treasurer (what else would a CA do), and as a Director from 2006 to 2008. He was the Match Play Champion in 1997 and the Senior Champion in 2001.

In 2000 he became a Certified Rules Official with the BCGA, a role that is ongoing, and he became Treasurer of Zone 4 of the BCGA in 2004.

He has served as Treasurer of the BC Golf Museum since 1997 and served as its President in 2000 and 2001.

His latest project is to sign on as a Tourism Vancouver Volunteer for the 2010 Olympics in 2009 and 2010.

Peter devotes countless hours to the various golf activities he works on behalf of, but still finds time for his first love.....soccer. A Vancouver Whitecap season ticket holder since day one, he even takes a pilgrimage to the UK in the fall just to watch his beloved Chelsea FC in some live action!

It has been said that much of what we enjoy in our society is because of the volunteers within that society. This profiles another of those people that help make life in our society just a little bit better!

Acknowledging our Patrons

Coast Hotels
Coast Hotels have long been a supporter of the BC Golf Museum with their contributions to the annual Tradition Golf Classic, both with a team and contributions to the prize table.

CK Golf Solutions
Jeff and Tara Ciecko, CK Golf Solutions provide golf management consulting services to the golf industry. Among their clients are the City of Vancouver Parks golf courses, the National Golf Course Owners Assn and others. They very kindly have provided distribution services for the BC Golf Museum e-newsletter and we thank Jeff and Tara sincerely.

West Coast Golf Group
The employees of the West Coast Golf Group held a fundraiser recently to raise money in support of several of their favourite programs. The BC Golf Museum and Hall of Fame was the recipient of a financial donation and is most grateful to the thoughtfulness and effort of those folks at Swaneset G&CC, Belmont GC and Hazelmere G&CC.

What's Happening Around the Museum

The BC Golf Museum was pleased to be the site for a Media Conference on April 20 announcing the creation of a new golf event by the BCGA, and to unveil the new trophies for competition by the BC Secondary Schools golf program in May.

The Fresh Egg Cups, three works of art created by Emily Carr graduate artists Tomoki and ...... and supported by BC Egg Marketing Board, were unveiled by the artists and will be awarded to A, AA, and AAA division winners. The trophies will be displayed at the Museum year round.

The BC Fresh Egg Scramble, another initiative of the BCGA, sponsored by the BC Egg Marketing Board, will be held at the University GC August 30. The format will be a net scramble with teams from golf courses throughout Zone 3 and 4 of the BCGA. Teams will be made up of a professional and four amateurs (male, female or junior) from participating courses.

The Ladies Club at Greenacres GC celebrated the 45th anniversary of their golf course by holding a reunion tournament and the BC Golf Museum was on hand to provide hickory shafted clubs, the latest in technology from 100 years ago, for play on one of the par three holes, the 15th. Eighty women participated and enjoyed a beautiful day of golf, and got to experience hitting a golf ball with hickory shafts. The participants also contributed to a financial donation to the Museum that is most appreciated.

Trivia Contest for May

Prize:
A golf cap and towel with a our BC Golf Museum logo.

Background:
It used to be that one player could position his/her ball between their competitor and the hole and not be required to mark it, resulting in what was called a 'stymie'. The competitor would be forced to chip their ball over, or putt around the other ball. In the Museum, currently on display, is a hickory shafted putter that can become a chipper by adjusting the face angle.....we believe it to be the only one of its kind!

Question:
In what year was the rule changed, eliminating the stymie, and requiring a player to mark their ball when so requested. What was the primary reason for the change?

Click here to enter your answer. We'll announce the winner in next month's newsletter.

April Trivia Winner
The correct answer for last months' trivia question ......name the Canadian with the most top ten finishes in The Masters...... it was Stan Leonard with four. George Knudson had three and some day it is possible that Mike Weir will surpass both, but no guarantees for sure! Stan played in the Masters ten times, an impressive record to finish in the top ten 40% of the time.

The April winner of the Trivia Contest, again selected by random choice among those with the correct answer, is Barry Sharpe, the editor of www.bcgolfnews.com. Barry wins golf for two at Swaneset Bay G&CC.

For questions or comments please contact us at:
office@bcgolfmuseum.org or 604 222-4653. Our Website: www.bcgolfmuseum.org
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