This article is part of the FT Globetrotter's guide to Vancouver
Locals claim there's no such thing as winter in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Canadians who pick snow by the eyelashes in the rest of the country might agree, but winters on the southern tip of Vancouver Island are long, dreary and wet.
Despite the dreary weather, there is winter golf. It's not particularly fun but diehards can still venture out onto the muddy trails. However, Vancouver Island's golf courses become great in the spring and summer. When I lived in the city, which is only a short seaplane or helicopter ride from downtown Vancouver on the mainland, I was an unabashed fair-weather golfer. But the endless wait to play golf in better weather is worth it, especially between May and September, when the sun seems to rise daily from a clear blue sky.
In August, I returned to Vancouver Island, officially to visit my in-laws, but really to play my favorite courses. In a token effort at objectivity, I asked two of my old golf friends, Jeff Bishop and Mike Martin, to help me compile a list of the five most enjoyable golf courses in Victoria.
Royal Colwood Golf Club
Visitors: As a guest member. Non-members may also request to play in writing, subject to availability
Green visit fee (summer rates): CAD 165 ($121/£96)
Golf cart rental: $34 CAD ($25/£20)
website; directione
Victorians who appreciate the traditional country club head the Royal Colwood Club, which is regularly placed in the top 30 courses in Canada.
As befits its high profile, Colwood is a private club, but it's not impossible to find a member who will take you along as their guest. Colwood also has reciprocal agreements with several so-called “royalty” clubs spread throughout the world. Fortunately for me, Jeff is a long-time member.
Unlike Cordova Bay, Coalwood is a narrow area with fairways lined with giant spruce and cedar trees. It is an unforgiving cycle for the lost. But it's also a beautiful set with challenging greens and enough height to test quality players.
The choice of favorite hole sparked heated debate, but we settled on the 17th. After exiting the narrow Route 16, you pass massive 450-year-old fir trees and emerge from a canopy of trees to an elevated tee. Through a narrow gap in the foliage, you can glimpse the pristine trail below. If you somehow land the ball safely on the short grass, your approach shot should overcome the wide bunkers to split the green in two.
Such a research examination demands a prize, and the magnificent clubhouse, with large windows affording fantastic views, is a fair reward. Better yet for the visitor, all drinks and meals can be placed discreetly on the member's account.
Olympic View Golf Club
Visitors: Yes
Green visit fees (summer rates): starting from CS$110 ($81/£64)
Golf cart rental: $25 CAD ($18/£14.50) per seat
website; directione
I have a soft spot for Olympic View, because on a September afternoon 10 years ago, I played there my whole life. The trails are narrow and surrounded by massive trees and massive boulders, while rapid changes in elevation often mean you're hurtling into the unknown. But on those very rare occasions when the golf gods smile on you, such obstacles are meaningless.
With the Olympic Mountains rising across the Strait of Juan de Fuca as a backdrop, I hit the ball long and straight and hit it with deadly accuracy to shoot 75. Of course, I've never come close to matching that score since, but for those dark days when I was chipping and hooking like crazy I vow never to… Picking a club again, I remember that glorious round and know I'll be back for more punishment.
Olympic View is a great trail. The holes carved into the woods and hills are challenging in different ways but the most surprising is the 17th. If you find the middle of the fairway, you'll encounter an elevated green with a waterfall that cascades 60 feet down a steep rock wall behind the pin. You will get into trouble if you go too close or too far to the left, which can take away the luster of this beautiful crater.
An added bonus is a beverage cart that bounces across the course to refresh distressed and frustrated golfers. After the tour, enjoy the scenery and a local beer on the terrace that wraps around the club.
Victoria Golf Club
Visitors: As a guest member
Green Visitor Fee (Summer Rates): Call for details
Golf Cart Rental: Call for details
website; directione
Victoria Golf Club is so arrogant that it ignored an email from the venerable Financial Times inquiring about a round of golf on its manicured fairways. Naturally, I was hesitant to mention it in this exclusive list after such snub. But I was persuaded to include it by my fellow collectors because, having played there in the past, it is indisputably the most stunning golf course on the island, with stunning views.
Victoria is a private club, so add a member if you want to play a round here. It will be worth the effort. It is the oldest 18-hole golf course in its “original location” in Canada and the second oldest in North America – the oldest being widely considered to be Oakhurst Links in West Virginia.
Its front nine contains one of the most striking holes, which runs the length of the Pacific Ocean. While waiting on the tee at the third par-8, which is surrounded by water on three sides, I saw whales lazing in the strait. Other golfers even saw the strange killer whale.
It's a relief to advance to the 8th tee after surviving the 7th. The Pacific Ocean runs along the corridor, which descends into the water. Mount Baker looms over the pin across the gorge but there's no time to enjoy the view. The green is brutal, with vicious slopes that seem determined to guide the ball off the playing surface. According to members, the great Ben Hogan once put his ball out of bounds on the green.
The club is appropriately elegant, with patios to enjoy the sunset. Apparently the men's locker room has a private lounge and card room – but I was never accepted into that sanctuary.
Highland Pacific Golf
Visitors: Yes
Golf course fees (summer rates): From $51 CAD ($37.50/£30) for nine holes; Starting at $95 CS ($70/£55) for $18
Golf cart rental: $24 CAD ($17.50 USD/GBP 14) per seat
website; directione
If Victoria Golf Club is elitist, Highland Pacific is a land of enchantment. It doesn't air and is an absolute joy.
Highland Pacific, the closest of the five courses to downtown Victoria, is perched atop hills offering beautiful views of the city, mountains, sea and Lake Thetis Park.
It can be a tough course, and when greenkeepers bring the tees back, they put them back, posing a challenge for even the longest hitters.
The course is still fairly new, with the Pacific Nine opening in 2008 and the Highland Nine two years later. The schemes can be played separately or together, allowing city workers to sneak into nine holes after escaping the office on a summer evening.
The Pacific Nine has the most attractive hole, the par-5 fourth hole. The back tee is almost surrounded by forest and you have to keep your drive to the left to avoid the vast rocky outcrop. For the adventurer trying to reach the green in two, beware of the water hazard and the steep slope that guards the approach from the left. To the right is another huge rock. Equality here should be accepted with gratitude.
The course can be played year-round, and in a moment of madness, we take off in the middle of winter. It was freezing cold and getting dark by the time we got out on the 18th, but we also felt like triumphant heroes when we stumbled into the warm glow of the club bar.
Cordova Bay Golf Course
Cordova Bay feels like a private members' club, but it is open to the public for a fee. For just $100, you can head to the stadium, and although it gets a little crowded, it's probably the best option for a visitor to enjoy a quality tour not far from downtown Victoria.
The course is located along the Haro Strait in the Pacific Ocean, but it is so well protected by large trees that you can hardly feel the presence of the ocean. It is also blessed with wide lanes, which is a boon for the erratic driver. Unfortunately, I was hitting the ball so crookedly that I regularly ended up in the parallel lane.
A woman on the four-ball in front of us, who was watching my play with increasing astonishment, said to me: “You sure like getting your money's worth. You play at least two doubles on every hole.”
Despite this peremptory comment, I managed one straight flight. Unfortunately for me, it was the fifth over, which featured a sharp leg on the left and my ball went out of the fairway. For extra caution, the crater is beautiful, and if you're high enough, you can see Washington State's snow-capped Mount Baker behind the pin. An added bonus is the wildlife, with deer, hawks and eagles appearing every time you look up or to the side.
Cordova is built on an old quarry, so drainage is excellent and is a good option even during the wet winter.
The clubhouse is welcoming, and on a sunny evening, the terrace is filled with families sampling, by Victoria standards, reasonably priced meals and West Coast beers.
What's your favorite golf course on Vancouver Island or further afield in British Columbia? Tell us in the comments below. And follow the FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
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