SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 

 

HARRY WALLACE WHITE

May 8, 1945 – January 2, 2018.

Vancouver, British Columbia

It is with great sadness the BC Golf Museum announces the passing of Harry White, one of the original founders of the BC Golf House Society, overseer of the BC Golf Museum, Archives, Library, and Hall of Fame of BC. Brother Frank, and sisters, Pat Byrne and Gerri Tarchuk, survives Harry.

FUNERAL MASS ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 11TH, 2018, 11:00 AM AT ST ANTHONY OF PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1345 WEST 73RD AVE., VANCOUVER, BC.

During his lifetime, Harry touched all aspects of golf. The British Columbia Golf Museum will deeply miss Harry’s support. In 1985, Harry, his brother Dick, and Mike Riste commenced the journey to create North America’s first provincial or state golf museum. The BC government signed a lease with a local golf group to operate the University Golf Course. The lease instructed the new group to construct a new clubhouse and upgrade the course. As work progressed on the new clubhouse, the three founders slowly assembled a group to convince the government to allow the original 1930 clubhouse to be transformed into a golf museum for BC.  “To preserve BC’s rich golfing heritage” became the governing goal for the group. Harry attracted, Ken Atkinson, fellow member of Marine Drive GC, to act as the group’s solicitor. Ken diligently assembled the necessary papers to create the BC Golf House Society (1987). Ken also painstakingly negotiated a sub-lease with the new University GC operators. Dick attracted Ron Okada, an accountant, to the group. Ron convinced Revenue Canada the Museum concept was a viable entity. In 1989, the fledgling Society received charitable tax status.

Thanks to the diligent work of Kim Campbell, our newly elected MLA, the museum founders and volunteers celebrated success in November 1986. Kim presented the keys to the abandoned building. Then, the daunting task to transform the abandoned structure into a golf museum began. Again thanks to Harry’s efforts, George Yen, George Williams, and Norm Edgar commenced their monetary contributions to the ambitious project. Ken attracted Peter Bentley to supply funding.

Over the next three years, volunteers slowly created the Museum. Whenever the workers required materials; such as dimension lumber, insulation, drywall, paint, and carpet, Harry knew whom to approach in the golf community. The materials always arrived – no charge.

As the project progressed, everyone knew the Society required regular and predictable funding. Harry, Fred Wellsby, Ernie Brown, and Les Patterson conducted our initial charity golf tournaments. Today, The Tradition Golf Classic today contributes $20,000 – $40,000 each year to the Museum operation. In 1987, charities conducted golf tournaments to supply funding to their organizations. The BC Golf House Society had no tournament date and no golf course commitment to host the event. Again, Harry came through. At that time, Harry and Fred conducted a charity event to support their Junior Masters Golf Tour. This tour gave children from eight to twelve years old an opportunity to play golf. Harry and Fred allowed the Society to use their date and venue – the Richmond Country Club.

After the Museum opened on May 6, 1989, Harry continued to support the Golf Museum in many ways. This past summer, Harry again showed his generosity exhibited towards the Museum.  It could easily be said over his fifty-year golf career, Harry never discarded anything. The collection included books, photos, clubs, training aids, scorecards, medals, trophies, and correspondence.

Harry began his playing career in the early 1960s. He followed his older brothers, Frank and Dick, to Marine Drive GC. Harry’s father, Percy White, joined Marine in the early 1930’s. In 1948, Percy saved the Marine Drive Golf Club from closing. The club required funding to pay off their mortgage. Percy found a benefactor and negotiated the sale of the land to the Marine Drive membership. Harry’s passing marks the end of an era at the Marine Drive GC.

Harry experienced success during his playing career. He was the qualifying medallist in the 1969 BC Men’s Amateur Championship. On his way to the championship title, Doug Roxburgh, defeated Harry in the semi-finals. He experienced success again in the 1972 BC Men’s Amateur Championship, finishing third behind Doug Roxburgh and John Russell.  For these successes, he represented BC on the Men’s Willingdon Cup team both those years. In 1969, he won the Vancouver & District Men’s Championship. Judging by the numerous trophies Harry donated, he experienced successes in many local tournaments such as: Golden Ears, Last Chance, Amateur Tour events, Marine Drive Club Championships, and Iron Man Champion. As a graduate of St George’s School, he won many of their alumni tournaments.

Harry made contributions to golf in all areas. His legacy will include his contribution to junior golf. In 1971, he and Fred Wellesby began holding junior events in the Lower Mainland at the private golf clubs. One of the perks of these tournaments for the juniors was the opportunity to be part of the BC Team that played in the Junior America’s Cup matches. This organization was comprised of all the state golf associations on the west coast as well as Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Hawaii, Alberta, and Mexico.  The BC juniors had the opportunity to compete against the best juniors in the western United States. Today, BC’s promising juniors are exposed to the golf coaches for the best universities in the United States. Well known participants have included Fred Couple, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods. At the same time, Harry and Fred began sending BC junior teams to the Optimist Junior World Tournament in San Diego, CA.

Without doubt, Harry’s greatest contribution to junior golf in the Lower Mainland was the introduction of the Zone Junior Tour. Harry convinced the local private clubs to host a junior tour event at their club once per year. Sixty to seventy junior golfers had the opportunity to play a private club course. The only requirement for a junior to participate was to carry a 15 or under handicap. The juniors did not need to be a member of any club. Harry recruited the promising juniors to the Marine Drive GC.  Marine allowed the juniors to join without their parent’s being members. These Marine Drive juniors became some of the best juniors in the country. The Zone program developed many provincial and national junior champions. The tour concept trained the local juniors how to compete in tournaments. In order to compete against the Lower Mainland juniors, other zones in the province began similar junior tours in their areas. Harry served as Chairman of the Zone Committee for thirty years.

During the 1970s, Harry and Fred became the guiding force for a program that focused on children aged six to twelve years old. These aspiring golfers competed on the Junior Masters Tour. These children played several events during the summer at the pitch and putt complexes in the lower mainland. Today, this program is known as the Junior Linksters. Many of the top BC junior golfers, boys and girls, trace their beginning golf careers to the Junior Linksters program.

To recognize Harry’s dedication to junior golf, the Marine Drive GC Board recently named their junior club championship trophy in his honour. When a junior golfer needed assistance, the junior knew Harry would assist. The assistance came in many forms: assistance with expenses to a tournament, a set of golf clubs or equipment, composing a letter of recommendation to a college, or letters of support for a job. It would be difficult to know how many juniors Harry recommended for a junior membership at Marine. Similarly one could probably speculate Harry played a role in the golfing career of the majority of the promising junior golfers for over fifty years. In short, it would be difficult to name another individual who has contributed more to junior golf in British Columbia than Harry White.

He will be missed.  Harry’s friends now have the challenge to make certain his legacy to junior golf does not die.

 

 

GOLF HALL OF FAME OF BC 

2017 INDUCTION CEREMONY AND DINNER

The Board of Directors of the BC Golf House society would like to thank everyone who supported the 2017 Golf Hall of Fame of BC dinner and induction ceremony. 

We extend a special thank-you to Adam Zubeck, the General Manager, and  the Board of Directors of the Point Grey Golf & Country Club for hosting our ninth Hall of Fame Induction. 

Thank-you to Brad Bell, the clubhouse manager,  and his staff at Point Grey for their ingenuity to fit 155 guests into their banquet space. They created an intimate, friendly space for the guests. Thank-you to  Kelly Murray and his wife for traveling from Florida to attend. Thank-you to Rick Gibson and his wife for traveling from Malaysia.

Thank-you to Jay Janower for being the Master of Ceremonies for the Induction Ceremony. Using his excellent communication skills as well as his golfing knowledge he added flow to the festivities. 

Over half the guests had never attended a previous induction. From the many comments since the October 18th, 2017, everyone enjoyed the dinner and the ceremony.  

The next Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be in 2019. Nominations are now open. Please go to the nomination form to nominate outstanding BC players. 

2017 INDUCTEES TO THE GOLF HALL OF FAME OF BC

NEWS RELEASE 

HALL OF FAME OF BC 2017 INDUCTEES

The BC Golf House Society would like to announce the 2017 Inductees to the Golf Hall of Fame of BC:

1979 WILLINGDON CUP TEAM, PATRICK FLETCHER, BRENT FRANKLIN, HOLLY (BOTHAM) HORWOOD, AND COLLEEN MCCULLOCH

 

1979 BC Willingdon Cup Team (Winner)

Steve Berry

Rick Gibson

Kelly Murray   

Doug Roxburgh

 

 

 

Pat Fletcher

PLAYING RECORD

Professional

Alberta Open runner-up 1946

Alberta Open runner-up 1947

Saskatchewan Open Champion 1947

Saskatchewan Open Champion 1948

Winnipeg Jubilee runner-up 1949

Saskatchewan Open Champion 1951

Canadian PGA Champion 1952

Saskatchewan Open runner-up 1952

Saskatchewan Open runner-up 1954

Canadian Open 1953 Low Canadian Professional

Canadian Open Champion 1954

Saskatchewan Open runner-up 1955

Quebec Spring Open Champion 1956

Quebec Spring Open tied 2nd place 1957

Bermuda Professional Championship Winner 1957

CPGA Seniors runner-up 1968

 

TEAM RECORD

World Cup Team Member 1952, ’53, ’54, ’55

 

Brent Franklin

 PLAYING RECORD

Amateur

BC Juvenile Boys Champion 1982

Vancouver and City District Junior Champion 1983

BC Junior Champion 1983, ’84

Canadian Junior Champion 1983, ’84

BC PGA Steel Brothers Match Play Champion 1983

Canadian Amateur Champion 1985, ’86, ’87

Alberta Amateur Champion 1985

Sun Devil Phoenix Thunderbird Individual Champion 1985

Cougar Golf Classic Champion 1985, ’87

Fresno Golf Classic Individual Champion 1986

Fresno State Pepsi Golf Classic Champion 1986

 

Professional

CPGA Champion 1988

Blue Light Pro-AM Champion 1989

Alberta Open runner-up 1989

Canadian TPC runner-up 1989

du Maurier Ltd. Order of Merit third place 1989

Qualified for Japan PGA Tour 1990

Acom International runner-up 1991

Suntory Open third place 1991

Dunlop Open runner-up 1992

Japan Open runner-up 1992

Chunichi Crowns runner-up 1992

BC TEL Pacific Open runner-up 1994

 

TEAM RECORD

BC Junior Team Member 1982, ’83, ’84

World Junior Team Member 1983

Alberta Willingdon Cup Team (winning team) 1985, ’86, ’87

First-team All-American 1986

World Amateur Team (winning team) 1986

World Cup Team 1988, ’92

Dunhill Cup Team 1992

 

Holly (Botham) Horwood 

PLAYING RECORD

Amateur

BC Junior Girl’s runner-up 1966

PNGA Junior Girls runner-up 1969

BC Junior Girl’s Champion 1970

Canadian Junior Girls Champion 1970

Vancouver City & District Champion 1971,’73

BC Senior Women’s Champion 2006, ’07,’16

Zone 4 Amateur Champion 2010,’14,’15

Zone 4 Senior 2010,’14,’15,’17

Alberta Senior Women’s runner-up 2012,’16

PNGA Senior Women’s Champion 2012

BC Senior Women’s runner-up 2014, ’17

BC Super Senior Women’s Champion 2014, ’16

BC Super Senior Women’s runner-up 2017

Canadian Super Senior Women’s Champion 2016

 

TEAM RECORD

BC Junior Girls Team -1966, ’69,’70  (Winners of the Ada Mackenzie Trophy in 1970)

BC Senior Women’s Team 2002,’03, ’06, ’07 (winning team), ’14, ’16, ’17

BC PNGA Cup member 2007,’08,’16

 

Colleen McCulloch

 PLAYING RECORD

Amateur

Canadian Ladies Open 1961 medallist

Canadian Senior Women runnerup 1975

BC Women’s Amateur Champion 1956

BC Women’s Amateur runnerup 1958, ’60, ’61

Vancouver City and District Champion 1961

BC Senior Women Champion 1978, ’79, ’81, ’82, ’85

Vancouver City and District Senior Champion 1984, ’88, ’89

 

TEAM RECORD

BC Women’s Team 1958, ’59 (winners of Low Net Crockett Trophy), ’61 (winners of the Low Gross RCGA Team trophy), ’62, ’63

Canadian Open Club Team Match Point Grey Team 1961 (winners of RCGA Club Team trophy)

BC Senior Women’s Team 1975, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’81, ’82, ’85, ’87 (winners of the K.   Helleur trophy in ’75, ’76, ’77)

Join BC Golf House

 

We encourage everyone to support the BC Golf House Society by purchasing an individual membership for the new price $25.00. (Each member will receive a full $25 tax receipt.)

British Columbia’s Golf History
The British Columbia Golf House is a registered non-profit, created in 1987 with the express purpose of preserving, recording and displaying the history of golf and the golfers of the province. The Society is able to issue tax receipts for donations, both financial and for golf items of historical significance. It is membership based and looks to golfers in British Columbia for support through memberships and donations.

Support our efforts “To preserve BC’s rich golf  history”. Purchase your 2015 membership now at the new price $25 for individuals……Join Now!

Situated in the original clubhouse of the University Golf Club in Vancouver, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the building is actually the province’s oldest building built for golf and still used for that purpose.
When a new operating lease was awarded in the mid-eighties, the golf course, designed by A. V. Macan, a prolific west coast resident golf course architect and built in 1930, underwent a renovation that involved the creation of some new holes, and a driving range and a new clubhouse. That made the original clubhouse, in its location adjacent to the new 17th tee, somewhat redundant. Discussions were held as to what to do with the building which had fallen into disrepair. One suggestion was to turn it into a neighbourhood pub. That didn’t go over well with some local residents.

A group of volunteers, some of whom were golf collectors felt it would be perfect golf museum and they set about to convince the province and city of the wisdom of such an idea. The fact that no one had budgeted for demolition costs gave them sufficient time to raise both money and support. The plan was to establish a place where all the golf associations could come together under one roof. For a variety of reasons that did not come to pass, however the name stuck and the BC Golf House was created.  In  May of 1989, PGA Tour star and BC resident, Dave Barr, used a ‘track iron’ from the late 1700’s and a feathery ball to officially tee off and open the BC Golf House. Since that day the Golf House has weathered the storms of financial hardship that all such organizations must endure, to emerge as the only independent golf museum and library in any province or state in North America. On display is an extensive collection of clubs (dating back to 1790), bags and golf balls. Imagine a golf club that is adjustable for both loft and length, as well as right or left handed! One club is all you would need to play golf! It is on display in the Museum! There is also a library of over 5000 volumes of collectible books, reference books and general interest titles. There are 52 categories of ‘collectibles’ on display throughout the Museum.

Keeping record
An important function of the Museum is the maintenance of a reference library filled with information on virtually every golf course that has ever existed in British Columbia, along with over 1500 player biographies, and the tournament records from all events with a history of greater than 25 years.

Honouring our greatest competitive achievements
In 2001 the Golf Hall of Fame of BC was created to honour golfers, whose competitive achievements brought honour and recognition to themselves and to British Columbia. Every odd numbered year there is a Hall of Fame Induction and to date there are 34 Honoured Members and 1 team  in the Hall of Fame.

The Golf Museum and the Golf Hall of Fame of BC are both integral to the fabric of the game in British Columbia and are housed within the BC Golf House.