Junior Golf Victoria and Vikes Junior Tour

Mission

To create and support junior golfers by providing supervised golfing opportunities for juniors at area courses.

Background

The Bayview Place Vikes Golf Tour is a not-for-profit group committed primarily to helping youth, regardless of economic or social background reach their potential through the game of golf!

Since 2008 in partnership with the University of Victoria Department of Athletics the Vikes Junior Tour hosted junior golf tournaments throughout the Victoria area. While the tournaments had a competitive aspect, competition has never been our main focus. We are committed to mentoring these youngsters in proper golf etiquette, respect for the traditions of the game, sportsmanship, and most of all citizenship.

With Bayview Place joining us in 2017 as a title sponsor we will be able to extend our junior programs to include more tournaments, more clinics, a bursary program for qualifying Junior Tour grads attending the University of Victoria and introduce a “Performance” Tour for our better junior players to participate in a more competitive environment with the Island’s best amateurs and professionals.

The Tour is run by Jim Goddard, Cordova Bay's Director of Golf along with a dedicated group of former junior golfers who want to provide young Victorians with the same opportunity to experience this great game that they were fortunate enough to play growing up. The University of Victoria's Department of Athletics sponsors the "Vikes Award" - an annual award to that individual who best exemplifies the values we try to teach. Members of both the Men's and Women's golf, many of whom are former Vikes Tour members provide volunteer support to the tournaments, particularly the Little Vikes program.

Golfing Opportunities for Juniors

1. Up to 20 tournaments are held each year at area courses where established junior golfers will be supervised by volunteers who will provide them with support and instruction in regards to at least the following:

2. "Little Vikes" is a special series of golfing opportunities for youngsters who are new to the game. Before entering they only need to demonstrate an enthusiasm for the game. The purpose of "Little Vikes" is not to teach them how to hit a golf ball but how to "play golf". New golfers will be provided with entry level participation (maybe just 9 holes or less to begin) where they will be instructed on the basics of being a golfer:

Participants will be graduated from "Little Vikes" to join the tournaments for established players when they are deemed ready.

Bayview Place Vikes Performance Tour

By including developing junior players, strong amateur golfers and members of the PGA of Canada a culture of fellowship, mentorship, and leadership can be established to ensure the long-term development of the game of golf on Vancouver Island.

Vancouver Island is the best environment to train for golf and develop the game in all of Canada.  It has produced some of the finest players in BC and Canada in recent years.  The opportunity to further develop the game of golf on the Island exists through a collaborative approach.  The Bayview Place Vikes Performance Tour aims to eliminate some of the previous boundaries which kept certain groups of players from competing against each other.

With the great success of the Junior Tour over the past several years there is a need for a strategy to scale the efforts and time of the Junior Tour organizers.  A partnership between the Junior Tour and the PGA of Canada professionals from Vancouver Island will enable further growth and impact on the growth of junior golf.