A Valley of Golf Delights
by Hal Quinn
Most countries, provinces or states around the world can proudly boast of one golf destination within their borders that is worthy of the attention of the most avid and discerning of golfers.
The situation in British Columbia, Canada, is quite different. Within the borders of Canada's most westerly province, the attention of golfers from around the world is divided between five bona fide golf destinations - the Thompson Okanagan, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Whistler, and the Kootenay Rockies - that rival the best anywhere.
As the game of golf has grown exponentially around the world over the past decade, so too has the sophistication of the travelling golfer. Just a few years ago, the handful of 'golf destinations' in North America merely had to designate their courses 'championship' in calibre and golfers accepted it. All that has changed.
Today's golfers who travel just to play, and those who travel with their families and are looking for a variety of activities, can now choose between so-called golf destinations all over the globe and at virtually every dot on the map of North America. The choices are seemingly limitless, but so too is the hype in this increasingly competitive market. Amid the hundreds of 'golf destinations' clamouring for golfers' attention, BC's quietly stand out.
With limited fanfare, yet more than capable of exceeding any hype, the Thompson Okanagan, in south central British Columbia provides everything a great golf destination can offer, and more. The golf courses are many and superb; the scenery is varied and unsurpassed; the non-golf recreational options are edifying and invigorating; the climate is dry, sunny and inviting; the accommodations range from commodious to five-star; and the prices are shockingly reasonable.
The Thompson Okanagan region stretches north from the Washington State border. Easily accessible by road or air, the area offers some of Canada's most dramatic scenery and some of its finest works of golf architecture.
The hub of the Thompson Okanagan is Kelowna, just 90 miles north of the US border, on the scenic shores of Okanagan Lake. The 100,000 residents enjoy more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and great golf courses just minutes from downtown.
Known as the fruit basket of Western Canada, the Okanagan Valley is one of the world's finest grape growing and wine producing areas, and so the beautiful Harvest Golf Club is aptly named. Designed by Graham Cooke, the award-winning course winds through more than 1,000 fruit-bearing trees and runs alongside a vineyard. The Harvest sets the tone for the cornucopia of golf delights in the Okanagan.
Gallagher's Canyon G&CC traces the dramatic canyon that gives it its name. It is a wonderful test of golf. So too are the courses - The Bear and The Quail - that make up The Okanagan Golf Club. The Bear is still a cub at just a few years old but has teeth fully developed by Jack Nicklaus' Golden Bear Design company. The Quail, by Les Furber, traces a rugged ridge through Ponderosa Pines.
Kelowna is also home to the beautiful and enjoyable Sunset Ranch G&CC, Kelowna Springs GC with spring-fed water hazards on 11 of the 18 holes, and the classically-designed Kelowna GC that opened in the heart of the city in 1920.
Then, as now, the fruit industry (the first apple trees were planted more than 150 years ago) is a vital part of the community. Throughout the summer there are local farmer's markets, fruit and wine festivals, and tours of the orchards and wineries, many of which include sumptuous meals and tastings. Visitors can also enjoy professional theatre, symphony orchestra, museums, art galleries, casino, superb spas, cultural centres and a wide selection of excellent restaurants and resorts.
For golfers and non-golfers, the fresh water lakes and sun-filled days throughout the valley are ideal for every water sport plus hiking, biking, horseback riding, para-sailing, hang-gliding, or even just plain old-fashioned relaxing. The 90-mile long Okanagan Lake, stretching north from Penticton to Vernon, dominates the Valley. Not surprisingly, there's great golf along the way.
One of the most stunning courses is Vernon's Predator Ridge Golf Resort, another Furber design. It has some of the most scenic and challenging golf holes to be found in any 27-hole facility. Predator Ridge has hosted some of the game's best golfers, including Mike Weir who entertained the crowds during the 2000 Skins Game.
Two other excellent courses include Vernon G&CC, a charming lush course near Kalamalka Lake and the uniquely named Spallumcheen G&CC just north of the city is a parkland delight. Historic O'Keefe Ranch, located cross the street offers a glimpse of the pioneer family and cattle barons who settled this area in the 1800s.
A jog in the highway north toward the Shuswap Lake district takes travellers into a completely different climate zone with lush forests and sparkling lakes but the courses are the same high quality.
The dramatic new Hyde Mountain on Mara Lake Golf Course joins the BC gem Salmon Arm and Shuswap Lake Estates. Then in and around the city of Kamloops there are no fewer than 15 golf facilities. The legendary Robert Trent Jones designed the celebrated Rivershore, while The Dunes at Kamloops and Sun Rivers Golf Resort have become instant classics. They are joined by the scenic and challenging Eagle Point G&CC, the Kamloops GC and a beautiful nine-hole course at the base of Sun Peaks Resort.
Travelling south from Kelowna along Highway 97 on the western shore of the Lake, golfers can stop in at 14 more courses before reaching the US border. There are short ones, such as the par 63 Vintage Hills in Westbank; full-length ones set in the hills high above the Lake, like Summerland and Twin Lakes; and parkland ones with views of the Lake and Valley, like Penticton and Fairview Mountain. And the further south in the Valley, there are courses amid the arroyos and cacti like the stunning Inkameep Canyon Desert GC and the 27-hole Osoyoos G&CC.
The city of Osoyoos boasts Canada's only true desert, the northern extension of the Sonora Desert that reaches all the way to New Mexico. The semi-arid climate and the geography defined by rolling hills and freshwater lakes are a vacationer's and golf course designer's dream.
The remarkable diversity of the Valley topography, and thus the courses themselves, is only rarely matched anywhere in the world. The best part is that a tour of the Thompson Okanagan is merely an ideal entree to other great golf destinations of British Columbia.
