Northview’s Ridge Course A Chance To Walk Where The Pros Played
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- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2026-09-29
(Part 2 of 4 of Surrey, B.C. Courses)
By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf
When a public golfer gets the chance to tee it up at a spot where a PGA TOUR event once took place, the eyes widen and the butterflies churn into action. In Surrey, B.C., that happens at the Northview Golf Course, the former home of the Greater Vancouver Open and where Canadian golf icon Mike Weir claimed his first-ever PGA victory at the Air Canada Championship.
So yeah, there’s that anticipation of taking on the track the pros played with hopes of maybe, just maybe, carving out the round of your life. Or, as is often the case, just having the opportunity to tour the same grounds the best in the world walked. And at Northview on the Ridge Course, that’s exactly what one gets. As such, it’s a walk unlike most others, given the sea-level yardage of over 7,000 yards from the tips.
Scott Cranston, the Director of Golf, noted that his 36-hole layout, which includes not only the Ridge Course but the Canal as well, tees up two different styles of challenge.
“The Ridge Course is our PGA course from back in the day. It’s a little more hilly, a little more of a challenging of a course,” he began about the differences one finds in the two Arnold Palmer designs. “The second course we have is the Canal, a true links-style golf course. It’s probably a little more forgiving for most golfers.”
(Photo By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf)
With play split almost equally between the two layouts here, Cranston was asked about how best to approach these layouts. “I think it’s where you put the ball on the green, especially on the Ridge side,” he explained, about limiting the number of putts one needs to hole out there. “The Canal is a little flatter, a little wide open, a little more forgiving. They are just two different experiences.”
One thing players will take note of here is the care the grounds crew takes in turf management. The fairways are lush, bunker lips are sharp, the greens are speedy and essentially clear of ball divots, so overall, it’s a pleasure just to take in what’s in front of you, or behind you, as you tour these courses.
“Our head superintendent and his crew do an amazing job of attention to detail that we’re looking for. Then we have quite a large crew of player assistants who help with green maintenance, fixing ball marks, those types of things,” Cranston ended about what you get for your green fee dollar.
Despite being a busy public play facility, the pace of play at Northview, regardless of which course you decide to challenge, is usually about four and a half hours, the pro said. As such, taking on a course that the pros played and seeing how you stack up, is a pleasure to take on from start to finish.