The Little Course That Could
By DAN KINVIG
Abbotsford News
Jul 22 2006

Every year, it seems, Abbotsford produces a handful of top-flight young golfers, and 2006 has been no exception.

Nick Taylor’s victory at the B.C. Junior Boys championship last week was just the latest in a string of great accomplishments by locals this season. Lucas Bogdan was named to the B.C. Golf Association team for a world challenge tournament in China, and won the Lower Mainland’s Champion of Champions tournament. Josh Taylor won the B.C. Match Play Championship earlier this year. Adam Hadwin (University of Louisville) and Colby Lindsay (University of Texas at El Paso) both continue to hone their games south of the border in the NCAA.

And that’s just a sampling. Factor in the thriving high school program at Yale secondary, which won an unprecedented two straight B.C. titles in 2005 and 2006, and it’s clear that Abbotsford is a junior golf factory.

Lest you think this is a recent phenomenon, consider this: former PGA Tour pro Ray Stewart, 1980 B.C. Junior champ Glen Bannister, Canadian Tour golfer Andrew Smeeth, and 2005 NCAA champ James Lepp are among the luminaries who call Abbotsford home.

This history of success begs a simple question: Why?

Pose the question to Yale golf coach Tom Hall, and he quickly points to the common denominator in the development of all of the stars listed above: Ledgeview Golf and Country Club. Hall refers to the local par-70 facility as “the little golf course that could."

“It’s phenomenal, the number of good golfers coming out of Ledgeview,” Hall said. “It’s a great challenge. You can never take a shot for granted."

The local course isn’t long by today’s standards – it totals just 6133 yards from tee to green – but it’s a tricky little layout that forces golfers to master the fundamentals.

Most holes play either uphill or downhill, so players have to learn how to hit in a variety of stances and lies. The undulating greens challenge golfers to learn how to read putts, and the shorter yardage of the course motivates players to work on their short game.

“If you learn to play at Ledgeview, you learn to play a wide variety of shots,” asserted Ed Tougas, who was the head pro at Ledgeview between 1984-2000. “There’s a lot of different lies and angles because it’s such a hilly golf course. It’s just a good golf course for kids to learn to play on."

“If you learn to play well at Ledgeview, you can play well anywhere,” agreed club president Erv Froese. “It’s probably the toughest par-70 in B.C. On every hole, there’s different challenges."

If the course layout breeds solid golfers, Ledgeview’s history of success multiplies that impact.

“Success begets success,” Hall said, noting that the high level of competition at Ledgeview has served to sharpen his high school squad. “That sort of thing spurs kids on.”

Smeeth agrees with that point. During his junior days, Bannister helped him get a scholarship to his alma mater, Weber State University in Utah. And every time he plays with Stewart, he picks up tips that help his game.

“When I grew up there, it was an absolutely ideal spot, because it wasn’t as busy as it is now. I could go up there and play 45 holes a day if I wanted to,” Smeeth said. “Ledgeview is just a perfect course to grow up on, because it’s short enough that you can learn to make good scores, but it still tests every club in your bag.”

There are, of course, other factors in Abbotsford’s remarkable production of golfers – the hard work of the players themselves foremost among them. But you can’t argue with results, and Ledgeview, the little golf course that could, has those in spades.

CHIP SHOTS:

* Nick Taylor was in contention at the B.C. Amateur in Golden as of press time. Heading into Friday’s final round, Taylor (70-68-73=211) was one stroke behind leader Bryan Toth of Victoria.

* Stewart is off to the Senior British Open Championship next week. The event runs from July 27-30 at the Westin Turnberry Resort in Scotland. Stewart earned an exemption to the event by posting a strong ninth-place finish in 2005.

* Lepp missed the cut at the Canadian Tour’s stop in Winnipeg last week, the MTS Classic. He shot a four-under 67 in the second round, but it wasn’t enough to save him after he opened with a 79.