Bootleg Gap Golf Course is gearing up for an exciting season ahead, and has emerged from the winter looking great. This year, the course is set to host the 123rd BC Amateur Championship, featuring top players competing from July 14 to 18.
鈥淏ootleg Gap is one of our Province鈥檚 strongest courses and a true hidden gem in the eastern edge of British Columbia,鈥� said Jerome Goddard, BC Golf director of rules and competitions in an article on britishcolumbiagolf.com. 鈥淭he BC Amateur will be a thrilling week for our players and the Kimberley community as we showcase all that the area has to offer as a golf destination.鈥�
There will be a Supplemental Qualifier event held at Purcell Golf on July 13 for players who aren鈥檛 previously exempt and are unable to qualify through their zones. Purcell will also host the St. Mary鈥檚 Open on June 7 and 8, an amateur tournament which will have five spots available to qualify for the BC Amateur.
鈥淗osting the BC Amateur is an incredible honour for Bootleg Gap,鈥� said Trevor Simkins, Bootleg's general manager and head golf professional. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to showcase our course and facilities while welcoming some of the finest golfers in the province. We鈥檙e thrilled to support British Columbia鈥檚 next generation of golfing talent.
"We鈥檙e definitely happy with the golf course the way it wintered, because we need to prepare for the Amateur and it鈥檚 just getting the golf course in the best possible shape that we can, because we鈥檙e going to be showcasing it to some of the best players from around the country.
"There鈥檚 been PGA players that have played in the B.C. Amateur, so it鈥檚 pretty cool, you never know who鈥檚 going to play here and go on to win the tournament. You never know where they鈥檒l be next year or in future years, if they may make it onto the PGA Tour."
The course has emerged from the winter looking better than it has in years, which is great for local golfers and due to the fact that they will be holding such a prestigious tournament this season.
"The golf course wintered extremely well, so we鈥檙e very happy and looking forward to a busy start," Simkins said. "Obviously the winter was a little bit more of a normal winter 鈥� we didn鈥檛 have a lot of freezing and melt. We had a nice early snowfall in November and then it never really got warm, so we didn鈥檛 battle the ice conditions that we did the previous winter."
Simkins added that this year they also invested in some tarps and ventilation systems for some of the greens, which helped the greens winter that much better.
"It's just buying a little insurance policy for us and moving forward we鈥檙e going to tarp the greens and use this new ventilation system to keep the ice off the greens," he said.
He added the course had very successful fall and winter leagues on the indoor simulators, with the restaurant busy throughout the winter as well. He suspects the start of the TGL Golf league, started by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in partnership with the PGA Tour, may have increased interest in golf simulators.
As of April 5 the range and all the practice greens are now open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then on April 18 the Championship 18, the Rec 9 and the restaurant will all open for the season.
Helping get the course looking good as it possibly can is the course's new superintendent, Owen Perrin.
"We鈥檙e super excited to have a young, local Kimberley resident taking care of our golf course," Simkins said. "We鈥檙e excited to have Owen on board and to see what he can do with the golf course moving forward."
The course was previously tended to by superintendent Pat McTeer for many years, until his tragic, sudden passing in January 2024.
Perrin brings a wealth of experience and local knowledge to the role, having worked with Trickle Creek Golf Resort for around 21 years.
"I started working on the grounds at Trickle when I was 14,鈥� Perrin said. 鈥淪o I don鈥檛 know how many years that is, but there wasn鈥檛 one year where I didn鈥檛 put in one shift. So I kind of claim that I鈥檝e worked there since then."
"There was always times when they would say 鈥榃e鈥檙e really short, we鈥檙e doing this thing, do you think you can come in, we鈥檒l give you some rounds.鈥�
"For sure, I鈥檒l be there."
Perrin said the opportunity at Trickle initially came about through family; his mom helped get him the job there when he wanted a to start working as a kid.
"Over time Ray, who was the superintendent at Trickle at the time, he just kept giving me opportunities and giving me more and more responsibility," Perrin said. "He used to push me all the time to go to school for turf, but I never ended up going until later in life and went for turf school as a mature student."
After completing the two-year Turfgrass Management Diploma at Olds College, Perrin returned to Trickle Creek as the assistant superintendent.
"Then this job [at Bootleg] popped up and however amazing and lucky it is that I was able to get that, and I鈥檓 super excited to get the opportunity to work as a superintendent in my home town," he said. "I鈥檓 pumped for this year, it鈥檚 looking really good out there.
"I love Trickle, they treated me so good, but you can鈥檛 just pass up opportunities to grow in your career and role. They were awesome to me."
With Bootleg hosting the prestigious BC Amateur tournament this year Perrin said that while the goal is always to have the course looking as good as it possibly can, there is a bit more added 鈥渢hought and consideration to everything they鈥檙e doing.鈥�
"Especially once we get in contact with them and get some goals on what sort of expectations they鈥檙e looking for," Perrin said. "But for the most part, we鈥檙e going to run as good as we can, no matter what.
"We鈥檝e come out of winter really good this year, which is really nice. It鈥檚 good weather and lots of good investment on the course鈥檚 behalf to put in place the systems to make things and to keep things alive and green."
Visit bootleggapgolf.com to stay up to date on everything happening at the course and to book your tee times for another great season of golf.
