Take your Clubs to the Okanagan
by Jane Lang
You tee off to a background of birdsong and, as you follow your drive along the hillside fairway, you look out over a picturesque lake. The air is warm and the blue sky promises a perfect day for golf. This dream of a day takes place in Osoyoos, a pretty town in the southern Okanagan and an ideal stepping-off-point for a golf vacation. The Thompson Okanagan region boasts more than 50 golf courses, so throw the clubs in the car and head for the Okanagan.
Osoyoos Golf & Country Club, located in the heart of Canada's only true desert, may be idyllic in its setting but it is no piece of cake when it comes to making par. The 27-hole course has elevation changes that result in hidden and tiered greens. This challenging course is an apt starting point for a wonderful golf-filled week. Of course, on a short getaway you'll only be able to play a sampling of the cornucopia of courses offered. It's a matter of picking and choosing.
Heading up the highway to Penticton, you may wish to stop at Twin Lakes Golf & RV Resort. The 18-hole course is named because of its proximity to Skaha and Okanagan Lakes and has a clubhouse, pro shop and driving range.
Summerland Golf & Country Club offers excellent variety. According to one local, the front nine are "open and easy". However, the more-recently-added back nine will add spice to your game. Even die-hard golfers need other activities and there are plenty. In Summerland, board an historic steam train to experience a slice of yesteryear on the Kettle Valley Railway. And if you are a wine-lover - if you aren't you'll become one here - there are over-35 wineries in the Okanagan region. You will be sampling some award winning labels and, like choosing golf courses, decisions on what to purchase will be difficult.
If there is a heaven for golfers, then surely it is Kelowna. This thriving city offers a dozen courses and several are championship ones. Just opened is the Jack Nicklaus-designed Bear Course, an addition to The Quail Course.
Gallagher's Canyon Golf & Country Club is THE course to test your mettle on as well as THE course to say you played. From the moment you tee off you'll be challenged by some narrow fairways and lightening fast greens. The test to your golf prowess is matched by the visual beauty of the course, which was designed by Bill Robinson and Les Furber. Views of the canyon on the 8th and 9th holes make it difficult to keep your eye on your ball. There are many reasons for Gallagher's big reputation.
The same could be said for Predator Ridge Golf Resort in Vernon. Also designed by Furber, it is one of the few links courses in Canada. Don't take anything for granted -- the front nine plays like it looks as the wide-open terrain makes for comfortable shots. However, the tree shrouded back nine is a whole new golf game.
If you desire courses a little less daunting - perhaps you are fairly new to this sometimes frustrating but exhilarating sport - there are lots of options. Kelowna Springs is a flat, enjoyable course to walk. Well priced, this course's sand-traps call for some innovative shots. In Kamloops the 18-hole Pineridge Golf Course pleases all calibres of golfers.
To combine golf with other activities, head for Wells Gray Golf Course in Clearwater. Nearby Wells Gray Provincial Park is home to the thundering Helmcken Falls - they are twice as high as Niagara! Another option is Sun Peaks Resort, near Kamloops, where you can enjoy a stellar nine-hole course plus all the amenities of the alpine village. You can't beat central BC for a golf vacation.
