Early Golf in the Fraser Valley
Like other areas in British Columbia after the opening of multiple golf courses in Chilliwack, Mission and Maple Ridge the club executives met to form a regional golf association – the Fraser Valley Golf Association. The purpose was two fold: to hold a regional championship and to promote golf in their area. (To date this blog has produced the records for the Inter- Club Golf Committee formed in 1913 in the Vancouver region and the Crow’s Nest Golf Association formed in 1920 for golf clubs located along the Crow railway line from Cranbrook to Lethbridge)
Chronological Dates for the Fraser Valley Golf Clubs
1924 June 24, 1924 Chilliwack
1925 April 23, 1925 Mission (original course)
1925 September 25, 1925 Maple Ridge
1926 September, 22, 1926 Harrison
1927 May 4, 1927 Clayburn
1928 Spring Peace Portal
1929 March 21, 1929 Beach Grove
1933 July 6, 1933 Meadowlands
1948 July 1948 Newlands
1958 September 4, 1958 Chilliwack (present course)
1961 April 4, 1961 Ledgeview
1961 October 25, 1961 Mission (present course)
1963 June 8, 1963 Pitt Meadows
1963 June 1963 Hazelmere
1964 July 1, 1964 Hope
1968 August 1968 Meadow Gardens
1970 April 22, 1970 Guildford
1971 August 1, 1971 Shamrock (Tall Timbers)
1971 Summer 1971 The Fort
1971 June 12, 1971 Surrey
1974 July 20, 1974 Poco Valley (Carnoustie)
1975 spring 1975 Delta
1980 March 1, 1980 Nico-Wynd
1983 April 23, 1983 Iron Mountain (Eighteen Pastures)
1991 May 21, 1991 Royalwood
1993 August 21, 1993 Swan-e-Set
1993 October 8, 1993 Belmont
1994 July 1, 1994 Redwoods
1994 August 31, 1994 Northview
1995 June 3, 1995 Golden Eagle
1995 July 1995 Morgan Creek
1995 August 1995 Westwood Plateau
1996 June 1996 The Falls
1998 July 1, 1998 Sandpiper
The BC Golf Museum is seeking information and memorabilia (photographs, trophies etc.) for the early clubs.
Fraser Valley Men’s Championships
The Fraser Valley Golf Association (FVGA) conducted the Fraser Valley Men’s Championship from 1934 to 1969. The FVGA then ceased operation. The British Columbia Golf Association zone 3 committee conducted the regional championships for Men and Juniors after 1969.
Fraser Valley Men’s Closed Championship (restricted to residents only)
Trophies: McLennan, McFeely&Prior Low Gross Champion
Tiernan Cup Low Net Champion
YEAR DATE WINNER VENUE
1934 Sept. 23 Reg Stone Maple Ridge
1935 Sept 8 Reg Stone (Play) Peace Portal
1935 Sept 8 Jim Burnett
1936 Sept 2 William Keyes Meadowlands
1937 Sept 1 Harry (Buck) Berry Chilliwack
1937 Sept 1 Reg Stone
1938 Aug 28 George Blake Maple Ridge
1939 Sept 10 Bill Watson Beach Grove
1940 Sept 8 Buck Berry Meadowlands
1942 Sept 6 Buck Berry Maple Ridge
1943 Sept 12 Jack Moryson Peace Portal
1944 Sept 17 Jack Chidlow Peace Portal
1945 Sept 9 Jack Moryson Meadowlands
1946 Sept 16 Bill Watson Maple Ridge
1947 Sept 14 Bert Davies Peace Portal
1948 Sept 12 Tom Molyneaux Vancouver
Fraser Valley Amateur (Competition open to all players)
1949 Sept 18 Bill Mawhinney Meadowlands
1950 Sept 13 Ian MacFarlane Meadowlands
1951 Sept 16 Bill Watson Maple Ridge
1952 Sept 14 Bill Watson Newlands
1953 Sept 7 Dave Spalding Peace Portal
1954 Sept 12 Dick Dunlop (play) Meadowlands
1954 Sept 12 R. Koch
1954 Sept 12 Frank Proctor
1955 Sept 19 Bert Davies Maple Ridge
1956 Aug 26 Frank Proctor Vancouver
1957 Sept 13 Bryan Copp Beach Grove
1958 Sept 7 Bert Davies (play) Peace Portal
1958 Sept 7 Bill Howcroft
1959 Sept 19 Bob Freeborn (play) Meadowlands
1959 Sept 19 Frank Proctor
1960 Sept 17 Frank Proctor Maple Ridge
1961
1962 Sept 12 Jack Prowse (play) Chilliwack
1962 Sept 12 Bob Wright
1963 Sept 8 Jack Moryson Beach Grove
Fraser Valley Open (Amateurs and professionals)
1964 July 6 Lyle Crawford Beach Grove
1964 July 6 Tom Storey (A)
1965 July 5 Harry Umbinetti Beach Grove
1965 July 5 Gord Mackenzie (A)
1966 May 30 Lyle Crawford Pit Meadows
1966 May 30 Gord Mackenzie (A)
Fraser Valley Amateur Open
1967 May 29 Bob McCusker Peace Portal
1968 Sept 7 Everette Dick Hazelmere
1969 May 4 Cancelled
Note: Vancouver Sun May 9, 1969
“The Fraser Valley Amateur Open was cancelled last Sunday due to wet conditions at Hazelemere. The two low amateurs residing in the Fraser Valley Zone 3 who would have qualified from this tournament for the BC Invitational in late July will now be chosen from the low resident amateur at the Mission Open and the Coquihala Open at Hope.”
The BC Golf Museum is seeking information and memorabilia from these events.