In many ways, the Uplands Golf Club course is the perfect spot for the Royal Beach Victoria Open, the 40th time the PGA Tour sa国际传媒 event has been in Greater Victoria.
The course has been there for a century, a testament to the rich history of golf in this area. Yet despite its age, the course reflects current thinking about golf course design: Not too complicated, not too difficult and welcoming to golfers of all levels.
That’s not to say that the pros in the Open will have an easy time this week. Golf courses have ways to make things tougher when the elite players arrive. Tournament pin placement, for example, could turn most of us into three-putters.
The Royal Beach Victoria Open is the longest-running professional golf tour event in sa国际传媒, and let’s hope we are back in the groove. Last year’s event was the first since 2019, thanks to the timeout forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Victoria event carries the same name as last year, thanks to the sponsorship of Reliance Properties and Seacliff Properties, the companies behind the Royal Beach development in Colwood.
The sa国际传媒 has helped sponsor the tournament since it was started in 1981, and for a few years, the event was known as the sa国际传媒 Open. We remain heavily involved as the presenting sponsor, as well as sharing media sponsorship with CHEK.
It takes a community to put on an event such as this. The Open depends on the support of about four dozen local businesses — if you head to Uplands this week, please note the names — as well as about 250 volunteers.
The Royal Beach Victoria Open will raise money for the Salvation Army, which will mean lasting value to the community after the last putt has dropped into the hole.
In 1981, the first time the tour stopped here, Canadian Dave Barr had the low score, and the Open was played at Glen Meadows.
Uplands was the host course for the first time in 1984. After rotating between different courses, the event has been at Uplands since 2008. This year marks the 21st time it has been there.
Thanks to everyone for your help and support for the Royal Beach Victoria Open. It is sure to be yet another outstanding tournament.
And to the golfers, their families, tour officials and everyone else here for the tournament — on behalf of the sa国际传媒, welcome to Victoria!
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