GOLF GUIDE
Where to hit the links in B.C. this season
The Island Highway that runs between Victoria and Campbell River can, on the right day, provide the perfect glimpse into British Columbia’s scenic beauty.
The blue of the sky reflects off the ocean, while wondrous mountains arise in the background, allowing for a snapshot into what draws so many people to this part of the world every year. This same stretch of highway not only connects a number of communities of Vancouver Island but a variety of golf courses up and down this approximately 250-kilometre trail along the east coast of the island.
“The most unique thing about Vancouver Island … is that it truly does offer the opportunity to step back in time a little bit, slow it down,” Trisha Larsen, director of marketing for Golf Vancouver Island said this week.
“You’re playing on island time. Sure, tee times are every nine minutes as they are everywhere else, but life is just a little bit slower than it is on the mainland. That in itself is kind of a unique thing, too, with the golf experience in that it’s enjoyed at a more leisurely pace.”
Along the trail, golfers can find a wide array of courses that fuse a challenging and fun golfing experience with the natural abundance of nature, from tremendous forests and wildlife to stunning views that come from a course carved onto a hillside.
The city of Victoria is host to five different courses — Arbutus Ridge Golf Club, Bear Mountain’s valley and mountain courses; Highland Pacific Golf Course, and Olympic View Golf Club.
Bear Mountain Resort, which is home to the 18-hole mountain and valley courses, has become internationally recognized over the years. Jack Nicklaus, one of the legendary figures of the game, designed both courses, with the mountain course playing host to the PGA Tour Champions Pacific Links Championship last September.
The event returns to Victoria and the par-72 mountain course from Sept. 11-17.
“We’re pretty lucky to have two golf courses. The valley course is known as more of the forgiving, serene course in the forest,” said James Fry, director of sales and marketing at Bear Mountain Resort.
“The mountain … it’s known as more of a challenging course. But we have a membership base of just over 400 members — they’re split, 50-50, on which course is their favourite.
“The big differentiator between the two is the mountain definitely offers more elevation and more slope but it also offers more scenic vistas and has five signature holes.”
That includes, says Fry, the mountaintop hole that provides a 180-degree view of Victoria.
The experience, however, goes beyond just the golf course. Over the years, Bear Mountain Resort has begun to expand its amenities to provide people with even more activities. That includes the pending opening of a brand-new red clay tennis court. Proximity to the city of Victoria and all it has to offer — fine dining, nightlife, whale watching tours, and fishing tours — is also an attractive quality for the local courses.
“We’re 20 minutes out of a metro city centre, so accessibility is huge for us,” said Fry, adding the resort also offers a shuttle service into downtown Victoria.
“What I’ve been talking to people about … is to use Bear Mountain as more of a jumping-off point for the southern Vancouver Island experience. You’ve done Victoria before, you’ve done the inner harbour. You’ve gone on a whale watching cruise. What else is there to do? Well, come to Bear Mountain, experience everything we have to offer, but then within 15 to 20 minutes, you can get up to Cowichan Valley and experience the beautiful wineries and cideries.”
Golfers can then head north to find even more prestigious playing options, like Duncan Meadows Golf Course and Cowichan Golf and Country Club in the Cowichan Valley; Fairwinds Golf Club, Morningstar Golf Club, Nanaimo Golf Club, Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Nanaimo and Parksville; and Crown Isle Resort, Storey Creek Golf Club and the nine-hole, par36 Quadra Island Golf Club — which is worth a “double lap” said Larsen — further north.
Crown Isle Resort, an 18-hole par-72 championship course in Courtenay once again hosted the final stage of Mackenzie Tour — PGA Tour Canada Q -school, which is the last opportunity to earn a tour card for the upcoming 2017 season and a potential shot at graduating to the Web.com Tour in the fall. But all of these destinations allow for golfers to hit the course at one point in the day, then finish the round and head off to their next outdoor activity like sport fishing, which is hugely popular in a place like Campbell River.
“Vancouver Island is very lush and very green. It’s very beautiful,” said Larsen. “And even for those that don’t care to jam a downrigger and go after the Tyee salmon, even a wildlife adventure — show me a whale and a bear, an eagle. It’s an experience that is unlike any other in the province.
“There is great golf everywhere. But it’s those other destination differentiated factors that leave those incredible memories.”