Vancouver Island Golf Trail is well worth the hike
Looking for a new option to consider when planning this year’s golf getaway with friends? Why not consider Vancouver Island?
“We really pitch the region as ‘The Vancouver Island Golf Trail,’ a 250km-long trek featuring 13 signature golf courses where you can travel from one end to the other or you can break it out regionally,” explained Chris Elder of Golf Vancouver Island.
Owned and operated by a collection of 13 courses, Golf Vancouver Island is a one-stop shop for turning your thoughts and ideas into a fully realized excursion to play some of the most challenging and memorable courses on the island.
“One of the big things that Golf Vancouver Island has worked really hard at is to work with all of our partner golf courses and accommodations partners and rental car providers so that you can have one call to action,” said Elder. “You can make one phone call and take care of your entire trip.
“Whether that’s doing the entire Golf Trail, a weekend golf escape to one of the regions or a customizable trip where you say, ‘I want to play one in Victoria, one in Parksville and two up in Courtney and Campbell River,’ our sales team can put together any type of package for them.”
Part of what makes Vancouver Island an great getaway idea for golfers of all ages, ambitions and skill levels is that each different region offers not only their own range of courses, but also various unique off-the-course options as well.
Looking for an urban setting with plenty of nightlife and restaurant choices? Consider Victoria, where rounds at the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa or Highland Pacific Golf Course can be followed by an evening in Downtown Victoria, which the New York Times recently heralded as a “lush, urban jewel that celebrates the area’s many cultures.”
Thinking of something a little more low-key? The Cowichan Valley combines courses like Arbutus Ridge and the Cowichan Valley Golf Club with wine tasting and local, artisanal food offerings.
“The big experience in the Cowichan Valley is to go wine tasting and have more of the culinary experience,” said Elder. “Go play a round of golf and then go taste some wine and try some of the local cheeses.”
The Nanaimo/Parksville/Qualicum region offers a chance to chase your round with a stop at one of the top rated resorts in Canada, plus a fun option for settling any unresolved wagers that may have been made on the greens.
“You have some great golf courses, you have an incredible beach setup there and one of the best resorts and spas in Canada — and really North America — in the TighNa-Mara Seaside Resort and Spa.
“It’s not so much about what to do on the course, it’s about what to do off the course. Go up to Coombs, get some samples there and if you want to settle a bet off the course, go settle up at one of the mini-putt courses.”
At the northern end of the Vancouver Island Golf Trail are Courtenay and Campbell River, where a day on the links can be combined with a day on the river. Later this year, it will also offer a chance to play the newly re-designed Campbell River Golf & Country Club, the first “new” course to open in the province in a number of years.
“We have some unique ‘Fins & Skins’ packages,” explained Elder. “You can combine your golf with a fishing excursion where you go out in the morning and go fishing and then in the afternoon, get nine holes in at Quadra Island Golf Course or do a day of fishing and then the next day go play at Crown Isle or Storey Creek.”
So whether you’re looking to spend a week traversing the entire trail or getting a few rounds in over the weekend in one specific region, Vancouver Island offers something for every golfer.
For more information, please visit golfvancouverisland.ca.
GREAT OPTIONS IN EACH REGION
Asking Chris Elder to pick his favourite course from the Golf Vancouver Island collective is like asking him to pick his favourite of 13 children — unfair, impossible and an exercise no one really wants to undertake.
He did, however, offer up some thoughts on a few of the courses scattered along the Vancouver Island Golf Trail.
Storey Creek: “I love for it’s wilderness experience. You don’t have any homes and you very rarely see the other holes on the golf course. You feel like you’re in your own little wilderness golf experience. I love it there.”
Arbutus Ridge: “It’s nice and easy to get access to, great restaurant and you have wineries right across the street, so you can go do a wine tasting literally right across the street.”
Nanaimo Golf Club: “A really highly underrated golf course experience is the Nanaimo Golf Club. It’s a private golf course, but they have joined the Vancouver Island program and they do offer times for the public to get out and play. It’s a very traditional private golf course experience, but it’s a fun, easy round of golf.”
Highland Pacific: “It really looks different than all the other courses; it’s a Highland-esque experience. You get little glimpses of Downtown Victoria that you wouldn’t expect when you’re playing this golf course. It’s quite elevated.”