History

In the first decade of the new 20th Century Vancouver was booming. The only golf course in the area was the nine-hole Jericho Golf and Country Club (disbanded in 1942) on English Bay, and it was overcrowded. A group of expat British golfers decided that something needed to be done.
On November 11th, 1910, the five men – Philip Brooks (lumberman), Ewen Robertson (barrister), Fred Furnival (broker), James Duncan (broker) and John Brown (retired) – met in the offices of McEvoy, Whiteside and Robertson in the Carter-Cotton Building at 56 Hastings Street in Vancouver, and put their signatures to “The Articles of Association of the British Columbia Golf Club Limited”. The Club was registered under the Companies Act of 1910 on November 19th, 1910.

The BC Golf Club founders wisely opted to buy land that they would own outright rather than lease, in contrast to many other BC clubs (Jericho G&CC was founded on land leased from the Federal Government, and Shaughnessy Heights G&CC on land leased from Marathon Realty / Canadian Pacific). The property that they decided upon was a former 200 acre sheep farm in Coquitlam on the west side of Blue Mountain, then owned by William Austin, half of which was already cleared.

It took only two months to ready the first nine holes for play, and the BC Golf Club officially opened on June 24th, 1911. In a nine-hole exhibition match featuring Alex Duthie and Jimmy Yellowlees (the eventual first and several time Club Champion), Duthie amazingly scored back to back holes-in-one at the third and fourth holes.

The building of the second nine holes through virgin forest was a much longer and more arduous task, but well worth the effort. It took place under the watchful eyes of Jericho Pro Alex Duthie, a Carnoustie transplant, and H.T. (Mike) Gardner, an engineer originally from Skelmorlie in the West of Scotland, who brought with him the VGC’s first greenskeeper, S.H. Cowan from Ayrshire.

At the June 17th, 1912 Directors’ Meeting in Vancouver, Yellowlees moved that “the name of the playing club occupying the premises at the B.C. Golf Club Ltd. be known as ‘The Vancouver Golf and Country Club.’ In 1942, the Club was renamed the Vancouver Golf Club.

Timeline

2020's

2021 An unprecedented heat dome (lasting five days) resulted in 100-year record temperatures in British Columbia. We recorded 41.7 degrees at VGC on Monday, June 28th. Only 17 golfers braved the afternoon heat that day and the granite tee blocks burned the grass underneath them.

2021 The 3rd wave of COVID-19 hits B.C. as the first dose of vaccinations occur. The Clubhouse is closed to indoor dining and meetings/events for another five weeks in April/May. Fortunately patio dining and take-out service was not interrupted. The golf course remained open.

2020 A. J. Ewart wins the Men’s Club Championship by 8 shots over Brent Heasman. His 67, 70, 71 - 208 is the lowest winning score since the event began playing from the Black Tees ("Tips")

2020 Grace Killins wins the Ladies and Junior Girls Club Championship by 11 shots over four time Ladies Champion, Tricia Rachfall. Grace shot 76, 77, 78 - 231. Bryan Killins and Grace become the first father/daughter winners of the Men's and Ladies Championships at VGC.

2020 Brian Alexander won his fourth Senior Men’s and second Super Senior Club Championship with a score of 71, 72, 76 - 219. Newcomer Mike Marino was the runner up at 221.

2020 A. J. Ewart shoots a final round 66 for third place at the 118th B.C. Men’s Amateur in Kelowna and is the first VGC Member to be named to the prestigious Willingdon Cup Team since Adam Cornelson in 2010.

2020 The COVID-19 virus spreads around the world causing the closure of the complete facility. The golf course (only) opened after 34 days and the Clubhouse partially opened after 39 days.

2020 VGC celebrates 110 years of history and tradition.

2020 Long time Head Golf Professional, Randall Smith, retires after 19 years of service and is awarded an Honorary Life Membership.

2020 VGC Welcomes Sean Thompson, PGA, as our new Director of Golf.

2010's

2010 The Vancouver Golf Club celebrates 100 years with a grand themed Centennial party complete with vintage automobiles and costumes as well as a published VGC Centennial Book.

2010 Long time Member, Mickey Hahashi sets a record at the BC Summer Games by winning his seventh Gold Medal for golf

2011 Adam Cornelson graduates Q School to the Canadian MacKenzie Professional Tour

2011 A Ram Choi wins the Ladies' Club Championship with a record score of 221 (+2)

2011-2012 Ron Petersen wins the 2011 BC Men’s Super Senior and the 2011 and 2012 WSGA Men’s Super Senior Championships

2012 VGC hosts the CN Canadian Women’s Open won by amateur Lydia Ko, 15 years old, shortly after winning the US Amateur

2012 Rhea Lees wins her 9th Ladies’ Club Championship to tie her with Flo Heritage; only Gail Harvey Moore (15) has won more

2012 Paul Batchelor wins the BCGA Zone 4 Senior Men’s Championship

2012 Kevin Vigna wins the PNGA Junior Boy's Championship by defeating fellow VGC Member Lucas Gatto in match play

2013 Ron Petersen wins the BCGA Zone 4 Senior Men’s Championship

2014 Jaya Rampuri wins the Ladies’ Club Championship and at 14 years of age becomes the youngest winner in history at VGC

2014 Michael Belle wins the BCGA Zone 4 Men’s Amateur Championship

2014 John Gallacher wins the BCGA Zone 4 Senior Men’s Championship

2015 The Canadian Pacific Women’s Open returns for a fourth time and is won again by Lydia Ko, now an accomplished Professional

2015 John Gallacher wins his second BC Senior Men’s Championship at Swan e Set GC defeating Doug Roxburgh by four shots

2015 John Gallacher wins his third BCGA Zone 4 "Senior Golfer of the Year"

2016 Tricia Rachfall wins her fourth Ladies Club Championship tying her with Jenny McCranor in all time wins, behind Flo Heritage (7), Jo Chapple and Rhea Lees (9) and Gail Harvey Moore (15)

2016 Brian Graham wins the BCGA Zone 4 Senior Men’s Championship

2016 Adam Cornelson wins the Bayview Place DC Payable Open on the Canadian PGA Tour and finishes 5th in the Order of Merit gaining him status on the Web.com PGA Tour. (Adam has won three professional events in North America, competed on the Canadian and Latino America Tours and won three VGC Men’s Club Championships as well as the BCGA Zone 4 Men’s Amateur)

2016 Long time Member, John Buchanan, celebrates 50 years coaching the Simon Fraser University Soccer and Golf Teams. He is named an Honorary Member of the Club.

2016-17 John Gallacher wins the 2016 Golf Canada Canadian Super Senior and the 2017 PNGA Super Senior Championships and the 2017 Washington State Super Senior Championship

2017 Jarod Boddy wins his fifth Men’s Club Championship to move into 3rd place in all time wins behind Gary Puder (10) and Frank Proctor (7)

2017 A major addition to our short game practice area was completed with a new chipping green and a bunker practice green

2017 A major expansion renovation to our downstairs “Ko’s Deli” was opened for business in March, providing a friendly and bright family atmosphere with new menu items generated by brand new cooking appliances to expand our variety of fresh food available to Members. Upgrades were also completed for the Men’s and Ladies’ Lounges with new carpets, furniture, TV’s and trophy cases

2018 Kyle Bradbury is promoted to Greens Superintendent after Dave Kennedy retires due to health issues

2018 Bryan Killins wins his 5th Men’s Club Championship to tie Jarod Boddy for the 3rd most wins in the Club’s history

2018 The BC Senior Team (Doug Roxburgh, John Gallacher, Al Jensen) win the Interprovincial Team Event at the Golf Canada Canadian Senior Championships in Bathurst

2019 Michael Belle ties for 6th in th PGA Mackenzie Tour Qualifying to obtain his Card to compete on the 2019 Professional Tour

2019 Major project to convert all course bunkers to the "Better Billy Bunker" system, with new Tour quality sand, completed in May

2019 Jaya Rampuri, four time VGC Ladies Champion, becomes the first Simon Fraser Golf Team member to play in the NCAA Div. 2 National Individual Championships at the PGA National Golf Club and finishes in a tie for 7th

2019 Jarod Boddy wins his 6th Men's Club Championship, to move him to third place all-time, behind Gary Puder (10) and Frank Proctor (7)

2019 Paul Batchelor wins his 6th Men's Senior Championship, to move him to second place all-time, behind Gary Puder (8)

2000's

1998, 2000, & 2001 Matt Makinson Club Champion – 2001 wins B.C. Amateur at Royal Colwood.

1999-2002 Rhea Lees is Women's Club Champion. Repeats in 2005.

2001 Gary Puder wins the BC Men’s Mid-Amateur and his second BC Senior Men’s Championship (Gary’s remarkable career includes wins in all three of the BC Men’s categories, three BC Willingdon Cup Teams and his 10 VGC Club Championships, plus being runner up 8 times is unprecedented by any past member)

2001-04 Gary Puder wins the BCGA Zone 4 Senior Men’s Championship 4 times

2002 Randall Smith is hired as Head Golf Professional after Ray Dodson retires.

2002 Major renovation and expansion of the 1964 clubhouse, including new locker rooms and lounges

2002-2004 Jarad Boddy is Men's Club Champion.

2003 Scott Rodgers, Assistant Pro (67, 67 – 134) wins BCPGA Assistant Trophy.

2003 Redesigned state-of-the-art driving range/practice facility opened.

2004 Dave Kennedy is promoted to Greens Superintendent when Darren Holt resigns to take a posting at Belvedere G& CC in P.E.I.

2004 Gail (Harvey) Moore inducted into BC Sports Hall of Fame and BC Golf House Hall of Fame.

2005 John Gallacher wins the BC Master 40 Championship

2006 VGC wins BC Champion of Champions tournament.

2007 Zach McDougall wins the BC Junior Boys Championship

2007 John Gallacher wins the BC Senior Men’s Championship

2007 Yani Tseng turns Pro and wins her first professional tournament, the CN Canadian Women's Tour Event, at VGC. The following year, she is the LPGA Rookie of the Year.

2008 Brian Alexander wins the BCGA Zone 4 Senior Men’s Championship

2008 Adam Cornelson wins his first Men's Club Championship with a record score of 197 (-19) from the Blue/White Combo Tees (Blue at that time was the "Tips")

2009 Adam Cornelson wins the BCGA Zone 4 Men’s Amateur Championship and wins the VGC Men’s Club Championship in 2008, 2009 and 2010

1990's

1990 BC Open – Brandt Jobe 203, S. Chapman 206. Future Open Champion Todd Hamilton is in the field.

1991 LPGA DuMaurier Classic – winner Nancy Scranton.

1996 Installation of new Irrigation system; development of 3 million gallon reservoir, making Club completely independent of city water; new turf care centre built, incorporating state-of the-art machinery.

1996 Gary Puder wins the B.C. Senior Men’s Championship

1997 Herb Fritz inducted into PNGA Hall of Fame:

Canadian Senior Amateur Champion (over 65) 1988
PNGA Men's Master-40 Amateur Finalist 1977
PNGA Senior Men's Amateur Runner-Up 1981 & 1983
BC Senior Men's Amateur Champion 1986 and 1988
RCGA Governor 1978-1979
PNGA President 1983-1985
BCGA President 1978-1979
PCGA Trustee 1985-1992

1998 Gary Puder wins his 10th men’s Club Championship

1998 Gail Harvey Moore inducted into RCGA Hall of Fame:

1969 Pacific Northwest Golf Association Runner-Up
1966 World Amateur Team Member (Runner-up finish)
1968 World Amateur Team Member
1970 World Amateur Team Member
1979 Commonwealth Team Member (Winning Team)
1967 Commonwealth Team Member
1971 Commonwealth Team Member
1958 Canadian Junior Girl's Champion
1959 Canadian Junior Girl's Champion
1960 Canadian Junior Girl's Champion
1970 Canadian Ladies' Amateur Champion
1963 Canadian Ladies' Amateur Runner-up
1964 Canadian Ladies' Closed Champion
1965 Canadian Ladies' Closed Champion
1963 Canadian Ladies' Closed Runner-up
1968 Canadian Ladies' Closed Runner-up
1970 British Columbia Ladies' Championship
1962 Quebec Ladies' Championship
1960 Ontario Junior Ladies
1959 Ontario Ladies' Amateur
1958 Ontario Junior Team
1959-1966 Ontario Inter-Provincial Team Member
1968-1972, 1977-1980, 1982, 1983, 1991 British Columbia Inter-provincial Team Member

1998 Matt Makinson wins the BC Junior Boys Championship

1998 George Yen wins the BCGA Zone 4 Senior Men’s Championship

1998-99 Matt Makinson wins the BCGA Zone 4 Junior Boys Championship

1999 CPGA Seniors Open – Ken Girard ( London, Ont.) 144, Bob Panasik (Windsor, Ont.) 145

1980's

1980 Lynn Cooke wins Women's PNGA title at Uplands GC in Victoria.

1981 Gary Puder on Willingdon Cup Team, repeats in 1987.

1982 Former VGC and City of Vancouver Women's Junior Champion, Janine Lee Getty places 11th in the Women's Canadian Amateur, ahead of Gail Moore, Dawn Coe, Patty Grant and Lynn Cooke.

1983 RCGA Canadian Junior Championship at VGC – winner Brent Franklin.

1985 Senior PGA DuMaurier Classic – winner Peter Thompson.

1986 Fumi Limoli is BC Women's Senior Champion.

1987 Gary Puder wins BC Amateur Championship at Rivershore GC, Kamloops – at age 49 is oldest winner.

1988 LPGA DuMaurier Classic – winner Sally Little.

1989 Al Nelson retires as Head Golf Professional after 35 years. Ray Dodson is promoted to the new position.

1970's

1970 Jo Chapple and Herb Fritz win Women's' and Men's Trophies at the Totem Trophy, Jasper Park. Herb Fritz repeats in 1971.

1970 Doug Reid wins BCPGA Tournament.

1972 After major re-design of many holes, especially #17 and #18, course hosts BC Open again. Terry Small wins.

1973 Lynn Cooke wins the B.C. Junior Girls Championship

1974 Joe Limoli wins the B.C. Juvenile Boys Championship

1974 BC Amateur – Bob Mitchell 287, Cec Ferguson 290.

1976 Joe Limoli wins the B.C. Junior Boys Championship

1977-2000 VGC hosts Sandy McLeod Pro-Am Charity Golf Tournament in memory of young Scottish Professional, Sandy McLeod, who was an assistant at Point Grey Golf Club, dying at an early age of cancer. In 1992 Ray Dodson (Head Professional 1989-2001) receives Commemorative 125th Anniversary of Confederation Medal for his part in organizing the tournaments which contributed over $300,000 to Charities over the tournament's lifespan.

1978 Lynn Cooke wins BC Women's Amateur at VGC. Two years later she loses in the final to Lisa Young at Shaughnessy.

1979 PNGA Junior Tournament held at VGC. A Young Fred Couples is in the field. Todd Erwin defeats Kirk Triplett in the final

1960's

1961 BC Amateur – Bob Kidd repeats winning 1-up from Joe Jeroski.

1961-1979 VGC hosts Dogwood Invitational Tournament over Labour Day weekend.

1962 PNGA Held at VGC – Kermit Zarley wins (later, on leading 1st round of US Open at Pebble Beach in 1972, dubbed by Bob Hope as "The golfer from the Moon!").

1962 October 12 Typhoon Frieda – trees on back nine fall "like matchsticks" – over 1,500 trees lost. VGC hardest hit of all golf courses by a factor of ten times. Longtime greenskeeper Manny Gueho works wonders in returning course to play.

1963 Doug Reid on Willingdon Cup Team.

1964 Fourth Clubhouse opens. Club hosts BC Open in 1964 and 1965. Ken Still and Al Mengert respective winners.

1965-Present The annual Spring Pro-am Tournament – now styled as the MCL Motors Classic (since 1994), but originally begun as The Fogg Motors Pro-Am (begun by the late Bill Hill and continued until 1990 by son Jim) is host to the most distinguished of BC's Professionals, partnered with Club Members in a tournament that is widely regarded as being the best perennial Pro-Am in the Province.

1967 Manny Gueho retires after 45 years as the Greens Superintendent

1966 & 1968 Herb Fritz wins Empress Hotel Tournament in Victoria.

1969 Gail (Harvey) Moore runner-up in Ladies PNGA Championship at VGC. Known as the "vichyssoise" championship, loses to Shelley Hamlin.

1960s & 1970s Jo Chapple Women's Club Champion 9 times.

1950's

1950-54 Ernie Tate is hired as the Head Golf Professional

1955-1988 Al Nelson is Professional – distinguished record in City Amateur Match Play, BC Open, and numerous Pro-Am Tournaments. President of BCPGA on three occasions, 1964, 1965, and 1974. He is known as a great innovator, and a man of diplomacy and great charm. Designs VGC Dogwood Logo. Holds course record of 64 for three decades.

1950s Mrs. Doug (Flo) Heritage Women's Club Champion 6 times. In 1960 founds Tee Shots along with husband as first editor. In 1985 she aced "the mousetrap" – the 20th hole.

1957 BC Amateur won by Bob Kidd, who defeats VGC member Frank Proctor, 7 and 5.

1957 BC Open won by Bill Mawhinney 140, Ron Willey 141.

1940's

1939-1945 (World War II) Twenty-five members enlist. Many distinguished future members serve, including Squadron Leader Ken Matheson, Captain Larry Story, Flight Lieutenant Art Butler and Wing Commander Bill Barker.

1941 Name change to "The Vancouver Golf Club."

1941 With the Club in financial distress and the loss of many members to World War II, the VGC was not able to pay Donald and Hamish Sutherland. However, they both stayed on and fixed clubs, gave lessons and were still a fixture at the Club until the early 50’s.

1942-1970 New Westminster Amateur Open Stroke play tournament played on first Sunday in June – attracts high-calibre field since it is a qualifying tournament for the BC Willingdon Cup Team. 1959 Canadian Amateur Champion Johnny Johnston wins 8 times over the years. Course known as "Johnston's Alley". Trophy donated by Fred Hume, a sometime member, and the only man to have been Mayor of both New Westminster and Vancouver.

1948 BC Amateur played at VGC – won by Percy Clogg, former VG&CC caddy of the 1930s.

1930's

1930 B.C. Amateur Championship held at VG&CC again – Freddy Wood defeats Ken Black 10 and 8 (over 36 holes).

1930 PNGA held at VG&CC – 20 year-old Eddie Hogan (a former caddy from Waverley GC) wins. Goes on to distinguished professional career in Oregon.

1933 Club hosts BC Open. Phil Taylor (Victoria) triumphs (283) over favourite Don Sutherland (287) who, nevertheless, shoots a new course record of 65.

1935-1937 Marcia ("Mashie") Moss is three times Women's Champion on BC Provincial Team – sadly, dies in 1938 at age 26.

1937 November Colonial Clubhouse completely destroyed by fire.

1938 Third clubhouse rises.

1920's

1920 PNGA Tournament held at VG&CC – the most prestigious tournament in the Pacific Northwest. At the time the largest ever registration for a golfing event, with over 500 players in several categories. The format developed then served as the template for subsequent PNGA tournaments until it eventually split into several stand-alone tournaments. Won by Davie Black (Shaughnessy). Amateur Champion was H. Chandler Egan (two-time US Open Champion and noted golf architect).

1920 Ms. Violet Henry-Anderson wins her third VGC Ladies and her fourth Vancouver Ladies Amateur Championships

1921 Exhibition match – Jimmy Huish (VG&CC) and Davie Black (SHG&CC) triumph over Joe Kirkwood and Vic East.

1922 Ms. Violet Henry-Anderson wins the inaugural Vancouver Ladies City Championship and is runner-up in the PNGA Ladie Championship

1922 BC Amateur Championship held at VG&CC for first time, in an all VG&CC final – Bob Bone defeated Jimmy Yellowlees 3 and 2 (over 36 holes). During the Championship the BC Golf Association is formed by representatives of all existing British Columbia Golf Clubs in meeting held at Coquitlam.
1925 Cec Coville runner-up to Bon Stein (Seattle GC) in BC Amateur held at Colwood GC.

1926-1928 Capt. C.H. Perkins is Professional, an Englishman via Brantford, Ontario. Son Jackie shoots new amateur record of 67.

1926-1929 Freddy Wood is four time Club Champion. Together with Cec Coville he plays on the first two BC Willingdon Cup teams (1929 and 1931). Places second to Robert Gardner of New York in 1929 Canadian Amateur at Jasper Park GC, both Wood and Coville laying waste to the best of the Eastern golfers who had never played out west before. Turns professional, ending up at Shaughnessy 1945-1972.

1929 Don Sutherland, with brother Hamish as assistant, arrives from Dornoch as Head Professional. A quiet man of exceptional ability, Sutherland distinguishes himself in major tournaments – BC Open Champion in 1934. In October 1935 as President of the BCPGA he partners Davey Black against Bobby Jones and Ken Black at Shaughnessy where he and his partner triumph over their opponents, playing outstanding golf. Characterized by Royal Dornoch GC historian Donald Grant as "the best golfer to come out of Dornoch".

1910's

1910 November 11 Foundation of The British Columbia Golf Club Ltd.

1910 November 22 First Board of Director’s Meeting, attended by the five founding members

1911 June 24 Official opening of first nine holes.

1912 Mr. J Cowan is hired as the first Groundskeeper

1912 June 17 The Playing Club on the premises of the British Columbia Golf Club Ltd. is named "The Vancouver Golf and Country Club". Of the first 200 Shareholder members over 90% have Vancouver addresses.

1913, 1914, & 1916 The Vancouver Golf and Country Club teams win the Punch Bowl Trophy and get to keep the trophy. Third hole renamed "Punch Bowl". The Bowl later becomes part of Vancouver GC logo in 1941.

1914-1918 (World War I) Over 80 members enlist. Eight pay the ultimate sacrifice, including two Directors, one of whom, Harry McInnes Hepburn, was the engineer responsible for drilling the wells that have served the course so well over all these years. Angus McAlister, first Club Captain, loses arm from injuries suffered in France.

1915 Opening of new Colonial-style Clubhouse.

1917 May Second nine holes open for play.

1917 Ms. Violet Henry-Anderson wins her first VGC Ladies and the Vancouver Ladies Championships. Ms. ANderson has won the Canadian Ladies Amateur in 1909 and runner up in 1910 playing out of the Royal Montreal GC.

1911-1920 Golf Professionals include Chas Locke (ex of "Westward Ho" and Tacoma), Tom Gallop (Hunstanton, England), Dave Craig (St. Andrews) and Jimmy Huish (Musselburgh).