Travel – Vancouver Island Golf Trail
The westernmost part of Canada is closer than you think.
Vancouver Island – situated between the respective U.S. and Canadian landmasses – proves its country’s warmest region, a tenet which translates to Canada’s most diverse playground. Across an island on which one can literally ski, surf, golf and fish – all in the same day — those seeking clubs in-hand all year ‘round will be well-sated with a 40-course array of opportunity.
Guests seeking a curated experience will want to get swinging on the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, which presents a dozen choice public plays in concert with a full lineup of Trail packages and lodging partners.
Set across four different regions of the island, the Trail spreads along 155 miles of awaiting turf terrain (or, 250 kilometers, eh). Starting the journey in the charming capital of Victoria, B.C., running yonder north along the island’s west coast to a full bounty of wilderness and extending along the island’s indigenous roots to Campbell River, a stop in each respective region finds unique island character, history, aesthetic and golf diversity.
With a healthy American exchange rate ($1 U.S. = approx. $1.35 Canadian) now finding a Vancouver Island getaway one of the continent’s best value visits, guests heading North of the Border can experience a full activity palette, on and off course.
Victoria
Play: The twin tracks of the Mountain and Valley Courses at Bear Mountain Resort serve as the island’s premier public plays. A one-time training home of the Golf Canadian National Team, the property’s 800-acre spread of high-end housing, hotel and resort amenities make for a must-stop on the Golf Trail. Across both courses, well-wooded tests meet championship challenges and a host of postcard holes.
Nearby Plays: Olympic View Golf Club and Highland Pacific Golf Course.
Talk: “The Valley Course gives you all of that beauty and nature; a ton of elevation changes with a little more of that ‘wild feel’ with the rock outcropping and some very cool tee box builds,” says Chris Andrews, manager of golf & tennis sales at Bear Mountain Resort. “The Mountain is going to give you a little more length, a little more subtlety on the greens.”
More Talk: “Golf can be the motivator for your trip, but there’s just so much activity on the island,” adds Andrews. “You’ve got your world-class salmon fishing, all these great beaches, culture and historical sites, and then all the energy of the city in Victoria. If you’ve got the time, you can explore so much here and experience the character of all the different communities along the way.”
Off-Course: The province capital of Victoria is a mere 20 minutes away from Bear Mountain and serves as one of the world’s great small cities. Clean, walkable and romantic across its streets and waterways, the city’s stately Parliament buildings stand sentry over ample drink-and-dine opportunities (check out a craft beer pub crawl by way of Pickle Boat), along with an awesome Inner Harbour, inviting Old Town, horse-drawn carriage rides and historic Chinatown.
Cowichan Valley
Play: Traveling 45 minutes north of the destination’s Victoria activity hub, guests will start to sense an island evolve, as city streets abate, and an aesthetic of forest and agriculture take hold. With a highly localized island pride, the Cowichan Valley Region sports over 700 working farms, and, for imbibers, 13 wineries, four breweries, three distilleries and two cideries.
A centerpiece for such bounty may be found at Arbutus Ridge Golf Club, where wine and ag signage denotes its entryway. On course, the mellow environs and scenic design offer views of the Satellite Channel adjacent on five holes, an impressive back-nine climb, along with wilderness sightings ranging from deer and elk to the occasional bear.
Nearby Play: Cowichan Golf Course.
Talk: “We’re not long – but this course plays longer than its yardage, and scoring can be a challenge,” says Andrew Hajer, head golf professional at Arbutus Ridge GC. “This really is a second-shot golf course, as you’ve gotta’ put the ball on the proper areas of the greens to have realistic scoring chances.”
More Talk: “All the courses have the island’s welcoming, laid-back vibe; you’re not going to find pretensions along the Golf Trail,” continues Hajer. “We recognize the value of our island visitors, and you’ll find it quite common for people at the courses to offer travel and activity suggestions for guests. And, especially with the rate of exchange right now, this has become a really affordable option for our American guests. I honestly think that golf on Vancouver Island is the most value you can find in the country.”
Off-Course: Prior to the round, while en route to Arbutus by way of Trans-Canada Highway 1, be sure to make time for a stop at the Malahat Skywalk, where a stellar nature trail leads the way to the inspired heights of the winding, 850-foot on-site tower.
Post-round, oenophiles will want to pop into one of the myriad wineries surrounding the course, or grab a nig breakfast or some serious sandwiches at nearby Brunch on 3rd in Duncan (note: very busy during the weekends). For those aiming to walk off the drink and dine, a sight-see of Duncan’s famed Totem Tour (more than 40 poles all told) will prove an artistic and educational stroll to experience some of the island’s indigenous history.
Parksville • Qualicum Beach
Play: Another 90 minutes up the island’s eastern coast, fun with Furber will be found at a pair of plays from prolific Canadian architect, Lea Furber.
With testy greens and some “Wait, where am I going?” par 5s, Morningstar Golf Club proves a game play for all levels, and first-time visiting sticks may be well-advised to pass on the 7K tips during a maiden go.
Talk: “The course was designed to host tournaments of excellence, and I’d like to think that’s our reputation. But the really nice thing about the golf course is that it’s a fun round and appeals to all levels of ability,” says Barrie McWha, general manager at Morningstar. “And our designer was really known for his green shapes; so, players really experience the mounding, the bunkers cut into mounding and a lot of movement in the surfaces. We let them run around nine or 10 on the Stimp – if we sped them up a little more, then it’s a whole different game out here.”
More Talk: “What I’ve seen over the years is that much of the island has gone from what was kind of a ‘backwater’ part of the world to something which has changed,” McWha says. “And it’s had to change, because the people who have moved here were leaving bigger places where they were used to having it all; and Vancouver Island didn’t used to have it all. It used to be mostly farming and fishing. Now, it’s totally evolved here.”
Nearby Fairwinds Golf Club presents further Furber, and a design which far belies its mere 6,151-yard card. Shot placement proves paramount across a tight front side, before a burly latter nine allows the big stick to growl. The course and Fairwinds community further offer the unique opportunity to arrive by boat, with waterway guests simply docking in nearby Fairwinds Marina before getting scooped up for a two-minute shuttle ride to the golf grounds.
Talk: “We’re a community-based course, but one that plays a lot bigger than it might appear. It’s a track that is shorter on yardage but plays a lot longer in areas because of some forced lay-ups and some narrow landing areas,” says Travis Busch, head golf professional at Fairwinds GC. “But, at the same time, if you find a lot of fairways, you’ll have several wedges coming into greens.”
More Talk: “A great, full day and something unique to our region,” says Busch of a dual golf and fishing experience. “We call it a ‘Fins & Skins.’ Especially for guys who like to go out and have some fun with it by knocking strokes off your golf score by counting how many fish you catch.”
Off-Course: A pair of choice area lodgings will be found at both the Fairwinds Residences and the nearby Beach Club Resort. For what the former offers in cozy condo accommodations and marina-front setting, the Beach Club presents in aptly named views of the shore and ocean adjacent, and a prime patio perch which menus a host of local beers, flavors and purveyors (along with a Marrow starter which, for the brave, can be enhanced with a thru-bone bourbon luge).
Island golf guests aiming for some angling, whale watching or sunset fun will be well-sated by a day with Haida Gold Fishing Adventures, where a former golf pro long ago traded in wedge for water.
Haidi heads out of Schooner Cove in Nanoose Bay and through the Salish Sea channels which run between the Vancouver Island and the mainland; tiny islands of the Ballenas-Winchelsea archipelagos abound upon these calm but sporty waters, which are well-protected from chop by the surrounding land masses and offer some of the world’s top salmon fishing from late spring to early autumn.
“And it’s a real short run out (from the dock) to the fishing grounds, says one-time golf professional Mike Bellis, now boat captain, co-owner and guide for Haida Gold. “Just about 10 minutes and you’re fishing for numerous species, whether it be salmon, crab, prawns or bottomfishing for rock cod or that kind of thing. And these really are protected waters, where you don’t get the big winds and swells that you might on the west coast of the island. Traditionally, these waters are quite calm. And, on most days, it’s clear; you can see forever, and the wildlife is strong, whether it’s whales or seals or sea lions or an eagle – there’s always something to see out here.”
Bellis knows well the allure of a golf getaway which includes a full day of swings and reels.
“We’re surrounded by a real variety of courses on the island,” says Bellis “and whether you play an early 18 and then come out with us for a sunset cruise, or start your day on the water for the morning bite, get in a nice lunch and then head out for a twilight round – I mean, I just look at that as the perfect day.”