A Baxter Original Commissioned For Vancouver Golf Club

Established in 1910, The Vancouver Golf Club's 18-hole Championship course, located in suburban Coquitlam, is one of the most beautiful and challenging courses in Western Canada, sprawling over a woodland park setting of over 176 acres. The Vancouver Club is considered one of the most upscale private golf clubs in Canada and has been the host on many occasions to PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour championships as well as numerous National championships staged by the Royal Canadian Golf Association.

Baxter's golf art is displayed in many of the world's most renowned golf clubs including St. Andrews Old Course, Augusta, Pebble Beach, Dubai Creek, Valderrama, Mission Hills, Pine Valley - China to mention only a few. The Vancouver Club will now become part of this impressive list.

"Private golf clubs are always trying to find innovative ways to increase their prestige and more importantly their member's appreciation of the facility. It seems that clubs do the same thing over and over with Member-Guest tournaments and dinner events," states Gord McCormack, a popular Vancouver Club member who had an instrumental part in the commissioning process.

"On the eve of our 100th anniversary, what we at the Vancouver Club wanted was an event that would set a new threshold in this regard. Being the first golf club in the greater Vancouver area to commission a Graeme Baxter original has accomplished this goal. It will be a novel event and smart business decision too."

"I am getting a lot of credit for this commission," says McCormack, "but the real credit belongs to our beautiful golf course and its great membership."

The reason Graeme Baxter was chosen by the Vancouver Club is due to his reputation as the best golf artist. He continues to be the official artist to more international tournaments than any other golf artist; including The Ryder Cup, The Open, The Presidents Cup, World Golf Championship and The Kraft Nabisco Championship as well as the Official artist to the PGA and European Tour.

"It was an absolute pleasure to meet and play golf with member Gord McCormack, the Club's Captain Andy Fitzpatrick and their golf pro Randy Smith," said Baxter. "Their overwhelming hospitality and assistance allowed me to take the hundreds of photographs needed to capture the feeling of the course to paint an original work of art that reflects the true character and beauty that is The Vancouver Club."

"I'm truly privileged to have a career that allows me to work with great people in beautiful surroundings and enjoy my favorite hobby… playing golf," says Baxter. "My Vancouver experience was exceptional in this regard."

As an added feature, Baxter has announced that The Vancouver Club's original painting will be one of only a handful worldwide, which will grace the label of one of the world's top whisky distillers, Bruichladdich Distillery, located in Scotland. Some of the others in this very exclusive group include St. Andrews Old Course, Carnoustie, Torrey Pines, Turnberry and Augusta, home of the Masters.

The limited bottling release will be just in time for the Winter Olympics being hosted in Canada.

"We have been extremely pleased with the success of the Commemorative whisky program and feel that Graeme's superb golf landscape art has a lot to do with the success of distribution in worldwide markets" says Andrew Gray of Bruichladdich.

Baxter will personally unveil the Vancouver Club's original painting during a private party this summer; the exact date has yet to be determined.