History

HISTORY OF THE HARRIS - ERICKSON

2024 marks the 72nd Anniversary of the Victoria & District competition for ladies with handicaps of 13 and under, commonly known as “the 13 & unders”. It began in 1951, an idea proposed at an annual BC CLGA meeting at Marine Drive Golf Club, which Mrs. (G.E.) Peggy Harris of the Victoria Golf Club attended. The first event was played in 1952.

At this meeting a report was given on the “Sweeny Cup”, a competition for ladies in Vancouver with handicaps of 10 and under. Peggy Harris was so impressed that she thought a similar competition in Victoria would stimulate interest in improving the caliber of ladies’ golf here. She enlisted the help of Mrs. Helen Erickson of Uplands Golf Club, who was Teams Chairman for the Vancouver Island Division of the BC CLGA. Between them, they worked out a format which was presented to the Board of the Vancouver Island Div. 1. The proposal was enthusiastically received, and under the sanction of the Division, was launched in the Spring of 1952.

In 1951-52 the Executive Members of the Vancouver Island Division. of the BC CLGA, as it was known then, were: 

·       Mrs. (Bert) Helen Crowe of Royal Colwood, 2nd Vice President of BC CLGA and Chairman of the Vancouver Island Div.; 

·       Mrs. (Art) Isobel Dowell of Royal Colwood, Assistant Handicap Chairman; 

·       Miss Ruth Jones of Victoria Golf Club, Honorary Secretary-Treasurer; 

·       Mrs. Erickson 

·       Captains of Uplands, Victoria, Gorge Vale, Royal Colwood, and representatives from up -Island clubs.

The basic format adopted then is still followed today with a slight change: a factor limit of 15.0, 16 - 19 rounds of stroke play in a season with winners of each round being declared on both Low Gross and Low Net scores. A silver bowl, competed for annually, was donated by the CLGA for the seasons’ Low Gross winner. Later a silver bowl was donated for the Low Net winner.

In those early days Vancouver Island was one division and therefore players with 15 and under handicaps from up island could compete. When the island was divided into two districts, District 6 (Up Island) and District 1 (Lower Island), only those players from District 1 were eligible to compete. Also in those days only Uplands, Victoria, Gorge Vale and Royal Colwood courses were available for the competition. Today we have the privilege of playing at Gorge Vale, Royal Colwood, Victoria, Uplands, Highland Pacific, Bear Mountain, Olympic View, Cowichan, Duncan Meadows, and Ardmore.

Although under the sanction of the BCGA, the members of the 15 & under group run their competition with a Chair and Vice Chair elected each year. An official name was adopted for this competition, “The Harris- Erickson Trophy,” to honor the founders, Peggy Harris and Helen Erickson. Their idea introduced so enthusiastically over 70 years ago is now firmly entrenched as one of our district’s important events. It continues to inspire lady golfers to improve their game to enable them to become a “15 & under” member, and it’s from this group that players are chosen for the Huntting Cup Team, an annual match dating back to 1922 between Victoria and Vancouver.

Harris- Erickson History Part 1