Courses I’d Play, If Only I Could Get Out Of The House
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-04-13
By GORD MONTGOMERY, Inside Golf
I don’t know about you, but I’m slowly losing my mind — what’s left of it anyway — during this self-isolation period thanks to COVID-19.
You see, I’ve been sheltering in place for a month now, only leaving home to go for a walk or to wander out to my garage to try and figure out how to set up a virtual reality golf game. And yes, I did take the vehicles out before pacing off swing distances.
With boredom reaching new heights, I finally decided it was time to have my mind swing into action and put together a list of golf courses in Western Canada that I’d like to play. Now as a golf writer I’ve gotten to play quite a few neat layouts in my time but there are always those that escape one’s divot digging. So here’s my wish list that hopefully comes into play sooner rather than later.
We’ll start this dream trip off in British Columbia where I have been fortunate enough to play many great courses, with the majority of those in and around the Okanagan Valley up into the Kamloops area as well as the southwest corner of the province. This isn’t to say I don’t love all those tracks, but as we golfers always tend to think … “Geez, I wonder what they have to offer over there?”
So here’s my list of wanna-plays that hopefully, someday, come true.
The One Course I'd Really Like To Tee It Up At Is The Beautiful Victoria Golf Club With Their Stunning Ocean-Side Holes.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Victoria Golf Club
Often referred to as the Pebble Beach of the North, this private layout is one I’d love to take a shot, or a hundred at, sometime in the not too distant future. Since most of my golf is in Alberta, ocean views are pretty scarce — although I might add I do get to stare at water on golf courses quite a bit! However, in the gorgeous city of Victoria, with this layout running alongside the Pacific for a bit, that would more than fill my carry bag with enough memories, and photos, to last though several rounds in ocean-dry Alberta. This island area is rich with golf gems but to me, this exclusive track is one that beckons every time I’m in the area. Since this is a private place, hopefully some kind, warmhearted, generous member will let me ride on their coattails for one day at least. For more, go to www.victoriagolf.com.
Big Sky
Another course I’ve heard a lot about but never played, or even seen for that matter, is Big Sky in Pemberton. I once wrote a piece on this layout for a friend who runs a tee time booking site, and my appetite was whetted through that telephone conversation. This mountain course looks beautiful from the photos I’ve seen and again, I wouldn’t mind digging up some of their turf if ever given the chance to swing the sticks out there. Check it out at www.bigskygolf.ca.
Salmon Arm G&CC
I’ll move a bit further east for the next B.C. track, the well-known Salmon Arm G&CC to whack away on the Champions Course. Why I’ve never played here is beyond me — I spend quite a bit of time in the surrounding area each summer and while I’ve lost balls at courses around this beauty, this track has never had the ‘pleasure’ of having me deposit missiles into their ponds/trees/parking lot, etc. Hopefully this summer this personal drought comes to an end and I get to experience a fine Les Furber track that’s been overlooked, by me at least, for far too long. To see for yourself, go to www.salmonarmgolf.ca.
Sagebrush Golf Club
This course that was designed by my new friend, Richard Zokol, is of course closed, but that doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t want to wander around its fairways and see what all the hype was about when it first popped onto everyone’s golfing radar. And this venue must be good — after all, it was ranked in Canada’s Top 100 at one point — and it wasn’t even open! Located outside of Merritt, this is a tantalizing golf carrot that dangles just out of reach.
The Hawk Course At Priddis Greens Is Another Wanna-Play Candidate, As It Offers Scenic Holes Even When The Nearby Rocky Mountains Aren't In The Picture.
ALBERTA
Priddis Greens G&CC
While for the most part I’ve played all the great courses in my home province, from links style to parkland to mountain courses, there are a still a couple of layouts I’d like to put to the test, starting with the Raven Course at Priddis Greens G&CC, located just outside of Calgary. I’ve played half this 36-hole gem, the Hawk, but would like to take my hacks on the other half and since I know the the head pro and the associate head pro there (that’s you, Ron and Kenny!), maybe they can sneak me onto the tee sheet at this private layout alongside some very understanding members. For more, go to www.priddisgreens.com.
Black Bull Golf Resort
This next track may catch everyone off-guard and think that the isolation factor has finally eaten away what was left of my cerebral matter, but hang on a second. The Black Bull Golf Resort, located near Pigeon Lake just a bit south of Edmonton, flies so far under the radar it doesn’t even have its own website (at least that I could find). There are listings under golf blogs and such, but don’t let the lack of a dedicated website fool you. This, I hear, is one of the toughest courses one can play, especially from the back tees. It features a slope rating of over 75, so it’s a formidable layout and worthy of a visit. Check them out on Facebook.com/BlackBullGolfResort.
While Some May Scoff At Southern Saskatchewan As A Golf Destination, There Are Many Great Layouts Tucked Away In This Province, Like The White Bear Lake Golf Course.
SASKATCHEWAN
Surprisingly, the flatlands of Saskatchewan offer up a great variety of golf tests (and of course, the all-mighty Roughriders!). It’s been a long while since I ventured onto the fairways of my birth province, but it’s never too late to renew acquaintances at some great tracks I’ve yet to play.
Waskesui GC
The one place I’ve got to get to, and I tell myself this year after year, is the Waskesui GC. Located in the northern part of the province, this is a Stanley Thompson design, so that fact alone moves it to the top spot of anyone’s golfing must-play list. The Lobstick Golf Course is one of the old gems of the province’s golf world, having been built in 1935 and still virtually harbouring the almost original design from back then. Apparently like any Thompson design, there are hazards on the fairways and green side, but they are always visible making for an enjoyable play. And my thoughts here are that if my game isn’t anything to brag about at the end of the day, I can always jump in a boat and go looking for a record-sized northern pike in the lake to set my mind at ease. For more, go to www.waskesuigolf.com.
White Bear GC
Heading further south, back to near where I grew up and first swung golf sticks, is the White Bear GC, located in Carlyle. Now, I do have memories of this little town, but not golf-related. Rather those focus on weekend lake parties/grad weekend blowouts but those are other stories altogether. As to the course, it’s always had a bit of an appeal for me, simply because it came into being long after I moved to Alberta. The track is built in old-growth forest, features white sand (an unheard of touch in windy southern Saskatchewan) and of course, the lake is always there in which to cast a line after I cast a few balls there first during my appointed rounds. They are online at www.whitebeargolf.com.
With those playdates out of the way, at least in my mind’s eye, that leaves only Manitoba where I’ve never once teed it up. But since I only know one person who grew up there, I’ve never really head about any outstanding tracks. Thus, I’ll end my journey at this point and time and head back out to the garage to see if I can really replicate a game of golf on my OptiShot simulator because desperate times call for desperate measures.
And yes, I will move the vehicles out of there before I start whaling away!