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Oak Bay course marks 100 years of golf at Uplands

Celebrations this weekend includes Sunday car show

Friday’s living flag on the 12th hole kicks off a weekend of celebration for the Uplands Golf Club which turns 100 this year.

Golf was first played at Uplands on July 1, 1922, with the official opening two months later.

Each year the club celebrates with Uplands Day. This weekend that event takes on some grandeur with a photo spelling out ‘100’ in humans and a horse race Friday followed by a Saturday morning shotgun scramble, food and family games, then wrapping with a car show Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“The public are welcome to come and walk around and have a look,” membership manager Jan Allen said.

With more planned to come, a variety of fun events this year included a June 16 Canada-wide virtual golf tournament with more than 30 clubs celebrating centennials, organized by Thornhill Golf Club in Ontario.

“Every province had people playing and scoring in real-time on that Thursday, it was pretty fun,” Allen said.

Uplands’ head professional Ian Stone came out on top of the professional division.

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Among the centennial celebration tournaments and events is the launch of a book written by author and club member Frank Wilson. A Walk in the Park - Uplands Golf Club 1922-2022 was designed by Phil Robbie with photographs by Leo Mah.

Wilson embarked on the book about two years ago at the suggestion of the general manager at the time.

In it he shares tidbits of history, for example not many know that a little schoolhouse was on what is now the 18th tee.

He also notes how quickly the course came to be, in part because the land had already been opened up and grazed on what became the first nine or 10 holes.

“By and large it was something they could do by hand and in horse labour and find themselves with a course in 18 months,” Wilson said. “It was rough and ready and they still made hay at the side of the course.”

Events run all year to mark the anniversary with an event to mark the official birthday in September.

Learn more about club celebrations at uplandsgolfclub.com and Wilson at frankwilson.ca.

c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca