Deep Cove to Squamish drives golfers’ yearnings
The drive from Deep Cove to Squamish is stirring and scenic. That same stretch offers golfers some of the most-spectacular places to hit drivers, too.
From Seymour and Northlands in North Vancouver, to Gleneagles in Horseshoe Bay and up the Sea to Sky Highway to Furry Creek, and on to Squamish Valley Golf Club, the North Shore/Howe Sound corridor is a haven for golfers with terrific options not far from downtown Vancouver.
Seymour Golf Club boasts the newest nine holes in Metro Vancouver, with the semi-private layout overlooking Indian Arm slated to reopen its back nine in early June.
The tree-lined course with a premium on accuracy has undergone a complete redesign of its inward holes during the past year. While the footprint is the same, the transformed holes will offer members and the public a new experience in a familiar surrounding.
“It’s going to follow the same layout, but it’s going to have a completely different visual look,” says head professional Dale Schienbein. “So when you’re standing on any given tee, you’re going to find that you’re challenged a lot more, there’s going to be a lot more options and different ways to play the hole.
“The greens are all a good deal larger and you’re going to find there is a lot more variety in terms of pin placements. As I walk around out there and look at the changes, I don’t think they’ve made the course any easier. I think they’ve added a good deal more variety to the play of each hole.”
Schienbein figures the par-4, 13th hole, which has been transformed into more of a dogleg, and the uphill par-3, 14th have undergone the most dramatic transformations during the renovation. Seymour is open to public play on the Mondays that aren’t statutory holidays.
Just a seven iron from Seymour, nearby Northlands Golf Course feels like it’s a world away offering a completely different approach to North Shore golf. The public course celebrating its 20th year of operation is cut into the base of Mount Seymour and offers dramatic elevation changes and natural hazards throughout the property forcing players to think twice about club selection before every shot.
With lakes, a spectacular waterfall fronting the fourth green and an abundance of wildlife on the property, Northlands makes it easy to forget the hustle and bustle of city life not far away. With a pair of par-5 holes to finish, golfers of all calibres have a chance to finish their rounds in style.
West Vancouver’s only fulllength public golf facility is Gleneagles — the venerable par-35, nine-holer that’s not too far from the ferry terminal in Horseshoe Bay. Rated as one of the best ninehole courses in Canada by Canadian Golf Course magazine, Gleneagles is a great place for those new to the game, but offers enough of a test to those who have played golf for a lifetime.
From Cardiac Hill to Apple Valley, the holes have names that reflect the challenge and charm of the facility.
Perhaps the most scenic golf course in the country is situated on the Sea to Sky Highway 25 minutes from Gleneagles and just 40 kilometres from downtown. Furry Creek Golf and Country Club is a must-play for anyone looking for a true taste of B.C. golf.
Offering spectacular vistas of Howe Sound and beyond throughout the property, Furry Creek winds its way up and down the hillside near Lions Bay before arriving at the signature hole — the par-3 14th, which is a forced carry to a well-bunkered green jutting out into the ocean. They don’t have holes — or courses — like this on the Prairies!
At the north end of the North Shore golf trail is Squamish Valley Golf Club. The only golf course in Squamish sits in a parkland setting beside the Mamquam River and challenges players with five lakes. It has become a favourite destination for North Shore residents and those looking for a place to squeeze in a warm-up round on their way to a Whistler golf-getaway. With top green fees of $73 in peak season, SVGC won’t hurt your wallet or your ego.
“People don’t want a course that beats them up and this one doesn’t,” says Squamish Valley general manager Brian Avey. “They want a course that challenges them, but one they know they can handle week in and week out. And walkability is critical. I hear from a lot of avid golfers who don’t want to take a cart until they have to.”
There are so many fantastic golf destinations throughout B.C. and the North Shore to Squamish stretch might be one of the most underrated because the courses are often overshadowed by the scenery.
You can get the best of both worlds and enjoy the sights and the challenges of some spectacular places for long drives — all just a short drive from home.