Arbutus Ridge Golf Course
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club is must play on the Vancouver Island Golf Trail. The golf course is directly surrounded by nine wineries and offers some of the most stunning views on Vancouver Island amongst the characteristic Arbutus tree in the foreground. The front nine weaves alongside the seaside community of Cobble Hill and the back nine climbs a ridge to overlook the Satellite Channel. Arbutus Ridge is a terrifically scenic 20 minute drive north from the outskirts of Victoria in the heart of the Cowichan wine region and a 40 minute drive south from Nanaimo.
Your finale at Arbutus Ridge is punctuated by the knee-rattling 214-yard par 3 island green on the 17th hole. Head straight to the Satellite Bar & Grille and be sure to enjoy one of BC’s most scenic patios overlooking the 18th hole. Inside the clubhouse you will find a relaxing lounge and upscale dining room. The handsome, glass-fronted clubhouse juts over a hill, looking out to nearby islands.
Highland Pacific Golf Course
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria’s newest public golf course is just a short drive from downtown Victoria. It is an 18-hole championship golf course that is the perfect test for all golfers. The course is routed through rolling hills with stunning viewpoints and punishing drop-offs. Island Golfer Magazine says they have “some of the best vistas seen anywhere on any golf course as well as some of the best looking holes on Vancouver Island.”
Imagine hitting golf balls over sparkling water hazards...and then imagine the splash when your shot doesn’t quite make it. Highland Pacific Golf course has built plenty of targets and hazards into their driving range. After all, what’s the point of practicing your shot making without the real challenges that face you on the golf course? The range features a two-tiered tee line, heated stalls and lights in the evening. Natural turf tees, practice bunker and an expansive short game practice area offer maximum real play simulation. Don’t forget your big club...as the driving range is over 300 yards deep.
Mountain Bear Resort — The Mountain Course
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Bear Mountain Resort is home to Vancouver Island’s only Jack and Steve Nicklaus co-designed golf course — The Mountain Course at Bear Mountain.
Bear Mountain Golf and Country Club is a wonderful example of a Jack Nicklaus design. After opening in the summer of 2003, the Mountain course was rated the #1 new course in Western Canada and 2 years later, #1 golf course in all of Canada. One can only imagine its new sister course — the Valley Course will be a perfect complement to the Mountain Course.
Located twenty minutes north of downtown Victoria, the stunning, 1500-acre property is a natural wonder of rocks, rivers, valleys, forests, and mountain peaks, and Nicklaus has stamped the landscape with his indelible paw print. At Bear Mountain, Nicklaus has accomplished the rare feat of making the course a tough challenge for the low handicappers while offering the ordinary golfer an enjoyable test.
Keep an eye out for the tiny treat that Jack Nicklaus devised while making a site inspection. He discovered a tiny spur of land that jutted out above the fourteenth green, figured it was the perfect spot for a betting hole, and shoe-horned in a wonderful 141-yard, par three — Bear Mountain’s nineteenth hole. The green seems to float in between some of the Island’s most spectacular scenery, ringed by the Pacific Ocean, the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker, and the city of Victoria, that’s quite a foursome.
Mountain Bear Resort — Valley Course
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
The Valley course meanders through forest, borders lakes, and traverses creeks and rivers throughout its 18 holes, while offering spectacular view of British Columbia’s beautiful landscape.
In contrast to the existing Mountain course, the par 71 Valley course measures 6807 yards from the Golden Bear tees — around 400 yards shorter than its sibling. Factor in elevated tee boxes, more generous fairway widths, fewer bunkers and larger greens, and the Valley course will likely be considered a “friendlier” version of the original. Rolling through terrain at elevations of between 300 and 500 feet above sea level, there is still plenty of challenge, and many holes that could be considered the signature hole.
Olympic View Golf Course
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Imagine being surrounded by the magnificence of the Olympic Mountains, the roar of two spectacular waterfalls, and the tranquility associated with twelve lakes. Eagles soar overhead. Black-tailed deer feed at the forest’s edge. Now imagine a club in your hands and 18 holes of challenging championship fairways stretched out before you. Welcome to Olympic View Golf Course.
Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, the golf club offers expansive views of surrounding landscape including the Pacific Ocean and Washington State’s Olympic Mountains. Situated just west of Victoria’s downtown core, the club is easily accessible from world class accommodations such as the renowned Empress Hotel. The mild winters and warm breezy summers make Victoria a wonderful place to visit and Olympic View a great course to play any time of the year.
Big Sky Golf Club
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Opened in July 1994, Big Sky Golf and Country Club offers a premier golf experience for all skill levels. The course flows around seven lakes joined by a serpentine creek at 600 feet above sea level, roughly 1,600 feet lower than the nearby ski village of Whistler.
The golf season runs from mid-April through mid-October, downright lengthy by British Columbia interior standards. Laid out in a broad meadow free of development, Big Sky is a flatland course set amongst the mountains, not on their slopes. As such, it’s easy walking. Course conditions are excellent: The bent grass greens, tees, and fairways are beautifully manicured.
With four sets of tees ranging from 7,001 to 5,208 yards, Big Sky presents a risk-reward challenge at every hole and successfully grafts old and new schools of design. In fact, the layout doesn’t impose strategy, but rather presents options for players to develop their own. Course designer Bob Cupp, kept the tree planting to a minimum so as not to impede panoramic views of the Coast Mountains, notably 8,450-foot Mt. Currie which stands sentinel over the south end of the links.
In addition to a fine and varied quartet of par threes, Cupp sprinkled his design with solid par fours. Much like Royal Troon in Scotland, the long holes play into the prevailing wind, the short holes play downwind, bunker placements are strategic throughout, and greens range in size from tiny to enormous. At more than a few swales, improperly played shots bleed off the green into large, grassy hollows. A clever chip is usually required to get back in play.
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Whistler has become one of the premier golf destinations in Canada and the Chateau Whistler Golf Club is most certainly one of the reasons why. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1993, the par 72, 18-hole course offers a golf opportunity unmatched in the region. By allowing nature to dictate the path without constraints of commercial influence, the course traverses creeks, ponds, stands of ancient Douglas Firs and granite rock faces, which testify to the fact that this magnificent course follows closely the natural state of the rugged terrain.
Winding its way through some of the most interesting terrain in Southwestern British Columbia, the course provides enough fun and challenge for everyone. Carved out of the Coastal Mountain slopes, with elevation changes of more than 400 ft. overall, this magnificent golf course is generous to the eye. The terrain being rugged but balanced by this serene manicured course. Remember to bring your camera as well as your clubs to enjoy this course to its fullest.
Furry Creek Golf & Country Club
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Furry Creek is not a course that one merely plays — it is an enriching adventure to be savoured. Considered one of the most beautifully landscaped playgrounds in British Columbia, Furry Creek delivers an unforgettable experience with its breathtaking beauty, dramatic play and first-class facilities. Be sure to visit the Sea to Sky Grill — serving the best in West Coast cuisine. As British Columbia’s most scenic golf course, Furry Creek perfectly captures the most spectacular qualities of this part of the country. This par 72, 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Muir Graves and built in 1993 offers panoramic ocean views and encounters with abundant wildlife.
Nicklaus North
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Snowcapped peaks. A brilliant emerald-colored lake. Majestic fir trees. Fresh, invigorating mountain air. This is the setting that inspired the great Jack Nicklaus to create a course as unique as himself. This par 71, 18-hole course winds along a gentle valley floor offering you a spectacular setting as your golfing skills are tested to the fullest. Just minutes from cobblestone walkways and street side cafes of the resort town of Whistler, Nicklaus North stands out as one of the great courses in North America. It’s no wonder this is only one of a few rare golf courses in the world bearing Jack Nicklaus’ name.
Situated in Whistler valley, just minutes from Whistler Village, and surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery on every side, Nicklaus North is only 2 hours from Vancouver yet a world away.
Northview Golf & Country Club
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Northview is the proud home of the most exciting and challenging golf courses in British Columbia. Designed by the incomparable Arnold Palmer, the two layouts reflect his dashing “go for broke” style tempered by his true respect for the game.
The pleasant trip up Payne Stewart Drive will remind you why Northview Golf & Country Club has earned a reputation for quality worldwide. The clubhouse is spectacular with its soaring post and beam western cedar and granite motif. Culinary delights await in your choice of Duffey’s Sports Grill or the casual elegance of the Palmer Room.
The Ridge Course — 6,900 yards of gently rising terrain, meandering streams and deep, cold lakes. Although tough enough for the PGA Tour and rated among the top 14 conditioned tour destinations, the Ridge is a rewarding test for players of all skill levels. Choose from four sets of tees starting at 5231 yards. Or if you dare, venture back to the Palmer tees, but make sure you bring your “A” game.
The Canal Course — 7,100 yards of serene golf in the tradition of the old links land. Wide fairways and undulating greens await players who prefer their golf to be challenging, yet undisturbed from the sounds of everyday life. With tees ranging from 5314 yards to the Palmer Gold tees at just over 7100 yards, the Canal Course is a perfect fit for everyone’s game.
Whistler Golf Club
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
The Whistler Golf Club is a par 71, 18-hole golf course winding past gentle mountain streams and nine lakes that easily exceeds the expectations of the most discriminating golfer.
Snowcapped peaks. Majestic fir trees. Invigorating mountain air. The occasional brown bear and her cubs sauntering across the green — this is the setting that inspired Arnold Palmer to choose the Whistler Golf Club as his first Canadian design.
The moment you approach the Clubhouse you know you are in for a special “Whistler” day — classic rock and roll is piped out from the entrance, a guest host sporting a wide grin and a friendly attitude greets you, introduces herself, takes your clubs and acquaints you with our facility. For the rest of your day — from the high-five you got from the starter on the first tee, to the Player’s Assistant who tended your flag, to the bartender at the patio bar who commiserated with you after your round — you’ll notice that a game of golf at the Whistler Golf Club is truly something different.