Ken Mariash’s commitment to golf continues to grow.
The local developer and title sponsor of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada stop in Victoria suggested at a news conference last year — acknowledging his ongoing financial backing of the Bayview Place DC Payments Open, presented by the Times Colonist — that junior golf was his next plan of attack.
That came to fruition on Friday as the Bayview Place and Roundhouse master developer announced his $75,000 investment to expand the Vikes Junior Golf Tour and develop a new Vikes Performance Tour.
That performance tour creates a series of events where Island professionals, top amateurs and now juniors will play with and against each other and replaces the previous Vancouver Island Pro Tour. The top player in each category — pro, amateur and junior — will receive an exemption into the 2017 PGA Tour Canada event at Uplands Golf Club.
Mariash’s plan was to bring together as many golf clubs as possible in the Greater Victoria area. Upwards of 20 tournaments (some are still in the planning stages) will be held, the first of which is slated for Feb. 19 at Pheasant Glen in Qualicum Beach, although Mother Nature might ultimately have a say in that one.
Cordova Bay, Bear Mountain, Royal Colwood, Gorge Vale, Victoria Golf Club, Olympic View, Cedar Hill, Cowichan, Arbutus Ridge and Ardmore clubs will all be included in the circuit.
Mariash was not on hand for the announcement, but Paul Corns, the communications manager for Bayview Place, stressed how important the investment is for growing the culture and community of the sport.
“This would be a very important day for him,” Corns said, sending his regrets from the absent Mariash, who took the factors of youth development, leadership, learning and competition into this decision. “We’re really proud of the partnership and opportunity that’s been provided to us and acknowledge the great work the UVic has done to get us to this point, and we’re inviting everyone into that relationship to grow the game and culture within the golf community in Victoria.”
Two juniors who have benefited greatly from the now 10-year-old Vikes Junior Tour are Nolan Thoroughgood, 16, and Akari Hayashi, 14, who were both on hand for the announcement.
“It’s meant a lot for me. I’ve developed so much through it. It provides me with competition, I get to meet new people and play [different] courses,” Thoroughgood said of joining the tour at age 13. He is now the reigning B.C. Men’s Amateur champion, having earned the title of the youngest ever to win it in its 114-year history last summer.
“When I first started I was able to meet new girls. I was able to meet Naomi Ko and she mentored me and she inspired me to be more of an established golfer and be where I am now. I want to be able to do that for other girls. It’s like a community of golfers and I love that and appreciate that,” said Hayashi, the current B.C. Bantam girls champion.
“We strongly believe we’re not just creating golfers, we’re creating citizens,” Vikes Junior Tour director Bob Russell told the large group gathered for the announcement.
Tour commissioner Jim Goddard, of Cordova Bay Golf Course, also talked of the history of the program, which will now greatly benefit from the investment.
“In my experience, the more times a junior golfer can tee it up with a scorecard and a pencil, the faster they feel comfortable in a tournament situation. When they feel comfortable they play better and, ultimately, they learn to win,” he said.
The Vikes Junior Tour also incorporates the Little Vikes program that allows children as young as four onto local golf courses.
“At present we have close to 200 children participating in our various programs. At least half of them are 12 years of age or younger and, of those, almost half are girls,” added Goddard.
As for the pro side of the event, former VI Pro Tour commissioner Jeff Palmer, of Ardmore Golf Course, said this new partnership is: “Innovative, it’s exciting and we really appreciate the partnership. I think it will be recognized nationally as a progressive growth of the golf movement.”
So Mariash’s vision of carrying the success of the PGA Tour Canada event into the junior ranks has come to fruition.
“Ken didn’t believe that it [the PGA Tour Canada support] was enough, he wanted to create more to the junior side of things. That’s why we’re here today. It’s something he’s so passionate about,” said Bayview Place project manager Chris Reiter. “The Vikes Junior Golf Tour fit and was something he could sink his teeth into.”
