Victoria appoints Mackenzie & Ebert to develop master plan

Victoria Golf Club in Oak Bay, Canada, has appointed architects Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert to develop a master plan for renovating the club’s course. 

The club is one of Canada’s oldest and is historically known as the Oak Bay Golf Links. Golf has been played at the seaside property on cliffs overlooking the Strait of Juan de Luca on the southern tip of Vancouver Island since 1893. Between the 1920s and early 1950s, the course was significantly improved by Irish-Canadian golf architect AV Macan, who was also a member of the club until his death in 1964. It was also upgraded by Canadian architect Jeff Mingay between 2009 and 2012. 

Mackenzie and Ebert have an extensive portfolio and have been named as architects for 22 of the top 100 courses in the world outside the USA (by Golf Digest in 2022). They have worked on eight Open Championship venues, including 2024 Canadian Open host, Hamilton Golf & Country Club. 

“Our decision to collaborate with Mackenzie & Ebert was driven by their exceptional track record and their deep understanding of seaside golf courses,” said Richard Ingle, club general manager. “We are confident this collaboration will bring significant improvements to the club as we develop our next course master plan that will enhance the playing experience for our members while preserving the unique character of our course.” 

Victoria is one of several coastal golf courses Mackenzie & Ebert has worked on. “We are delighted to have been appointed to advise such a prestigious club as Victoria,” said Ebert, director at Mackenzie & Ebert International Golf Club Architects. “As every golfer knows, the game of golf started by the coast, and Victoria’s seaside holes are absolutely stunning. At Mackenzie & Ebert, we are very fortunate to have a number of classic seaside courses within our portfolio and we are extremely proud that Victoria will now join that list. We very much look forward to using our experience to assist the club in taking the course, which AV Macan contributed so much to, up to an even higher level. During that process, we hope to build a strong relationship with the club and its members. We would like to thank the club for having the confidence in us to make this appointment.”  

Club president and recent BC Hall Golf Hall of Fame inductee Craig Doell said: “Since taking over as president, the most exciting decision that I have been a part of is the hiring of Mackenzie & Ebert to be our new architects. They impressed us with their outstanding reputation and their amazing design and restoration work at some of the most highly ranked golf courses in the world, we look forward to working with them.”