By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Shelly Stouffer’s Drive for Five will come at high altitude. Sun Peaks Golf Course near Kamloops is playing host to the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship, where Stouffer will attempt to win her fifth straight title.

The mountainside layout should provide the big-hitting Stouffer with even more length. Sun Peaks markets itself as British Columbia’s highest-elevation golf course. “Our signature hole is the par 4 16th, which is the highest tee deck elevation in all of B.C. at 1,333 metres,” says Lauren Fine, golf operations manager at Sun Peaks.

“It has beautiful views of the valley. It’s a downhill, slight dogleg left and some players can drive the green on that hole.”

Stouffer will definitely be one of those players in the field trying to do just that. The 54-year-old Nanoose Bay resident loves the risk-reward of drivable par 4s.

“I have gotten a bit shorter in my old age, but maybe at elevation, I can still get there,” she said with a laugh. “They had one of those drivable par 4s at the recent B.C. Women’s Amateur at Balfour and it was fun. Obviously, it becomes a birdie hole and maybe you get a chance for an eagle if you get it on the green.

“I am looking forward to playing Sun Peaks. I skied there a long time ago, but have not played the golf course.”

The Sun Peaks community is delighted to be the site of the B.C. Senior Women’s tourney, which goes July 2-4. “We are very excited about it,” Fine said. “It is something we haven’t had before. It’s an opportunity to showcase the fact that our course is a strategic layout that can challenge players of a higher calibre.

"It will be a very busy (Canada Day) long weekend here at Sun Peaks, so we are excited to keep that buzz going. We do hope it opens the door to a few more opportunities for us to showcase the golf course.”

Sun Peaks is a Graham Cooke design and opened its front nine in 1996. The back nine was completed in 2005. The two nines have a very different feel to them. Players attempt to survive the tighter, more difficult front nine and then hope to take advantage of the more forgiving back side.

“The front nine is definitely a bit more narrow with a lot of risk-reward,” Fine said. “The back nine is more open and is a little more forgiving, but is a bit longer.”

Sun Peaks Golf Course sits on a valley floor, surrounded by three mountains — Tod, Sundance and Morrisey. One of the challenges facing the field will be avoiding being distracted by some amazing vistas while they tour the course.

Jerome Goddard, director of rules and competition with British Columbia Golf, decided to bring the championship to Sun Peaks after visiting the golf course and community last summer. “Sun Peaks has taken great steps to elevate their profile as a four-season resort and golf is a major part of this initiative,” Goddard said.

“The superintendent, Keith Lyall, is a driving force for improvements to the course’s conditioning, playability and sustainability, and the layout sets up as a great test for the senior women. Additionally, the resort’s amenities make this the ideal venue for this championship. Players, families and guests are in for a fantastic week.”

With Goddard running the B.C. Junior Boys and Girls Championships at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club in Kelowna next week, British Columbia Golf Events Manager William McKenzie will be serving as tournament director of the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship. McKenzie is appreciative of the support he has received from the Sun Peaks community.

“Sun Peaks has put in countless hours preparing to host the top senior women golfers from across the province,” McKenzie said. “The resort has gone above and beyond to ensure a memorable experience for all participants, offering a picturesque but challenging course and an endlessly determined team. We look forward to a week of competitive play, camaraderie, and celebrating the incredible talent of our senior women golfers.”

Stouffer has won the last four B.C. Senior Women’s Championships by a combined total of 20 shots. Two of them were lopsided wins. She won by 12 shots in her senior debut in 2020 at Campbell River Golf Club and by eight shots last year at Christina Lake Golf Course.

She needed a playoff to beat Jackie Little in 2021 at Revelstoke Golf Course and again in 2022 when she defeated Sandra Turbide at Fairwinds Golf Course in Nanoose Bay.

“I haven’t really had too many of these streaks but it’s fun,” Stouffer said of her championship run. “I think I will try to ride this wave as long as I can.”

CHIP SHOTS: A Super-Senior Championship title for players aged 60 and older and a Super Super Senior category for players 70 and older will also be contested at Sun Peaks. Jackie Little of Procter is the defending Super Senior champion, while Holly Horwood of Vancouver will be back to defend her Super Super Senior title.

Follow the tournament leaderboard HERE.