British Columbia, Canada’s most western province, has been continually, ranked by international media as one of the world’s most livable places.
British Columbians are so assured of that fact that their license plates proclaim ‘The Best Place on Earth’. Larger than the States of California, Oregon and Washington combined , ninety percent of BC’s 4.4 million population live within one hundred miles of the US border.
On the west coast is Vancouver Island, the largest island in North America and home to the province’s capital of Victoria. The Strait of Juan de Fuca which separates the Island from the mainland was first surveyed in wooden sailing ships by the English and Spanish in the late 1700’s now modern cruise ships now sail the waters on their way to Alaska from the Canadian ports of Victoria and Vancouver.
British Columbia provides some of the most divergent topography in the world from its snow capped mountain ranges of the western Coastal Mountain Range to the Rocky Mountains in the east, and the interior with its desert like conditions are ideal for fruit bearing trees and the many fine wines that are produced from the regions vineyards.
British Columbia is best known as a winter get away and in 2010 Whistler and Vancouver, BC’s largest city, will host the Winter Olympics. However golf is big business in the province and has attracted many of the world’s great course architects such as Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Les Furber, Greg Norman, Michael Hurdzan, Tom McBroom, Stanley Thompson and Doug Carrick.
In 2007 it was voted, by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, as “The Golf Destination of the Year’.
The Kootenay region, located in the south east corner of the province, provides spectacular alpine landscapes with dramatic elevation changes and lush rainforests it offers a superb selection of more than 25 championship golf courses including the soon to open Shadow Mountain in Cranbrook whose planned gated golf community will feature pristine surroundings with the famous fly fishing St Mary’s River running along its shores.
Kokanee Springs Resort Club, a new 750 acre real estate development situated on the famed 40 year old Kokanee Springs Golf Course is the flagship course of the Kootney region. The community will feature Appalachian inspired cottages featuring 18’ ceilings and one and two bedroom clubhouse villas that will have commanding views of the mountains and glacier.
A great way to inspect as many golf communities in the region as one can is by helicopter through Western Canadian Golf Tours who will provide stay and play packages as well as aerial home site viewing.
The Thompson Okanagan in the interior is also blessed with breathtaking scenery and the sun shines over 2,000 hours per year with an average rainfall of 12 inches. The region boasts over fifty golf courses in and around Kamloops with well established golf communities: The Dunes, whose 44 home lots all front on the course’s lush fairways; the Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s designed Rivershore Golf Links considered one of the finest tests of golf in Canada; the championship desert course of Sun Rivers Golf Resort voted by Golf Digest in 2003 as ‘Best New Course in Western Canada and Sun Peaks Golf Course 3,500 feet above sea level and home to one of North America’s leading ski destinations with homes reflecting the look of alpine villages of Central Europe.
One cannot contemplate investing or living in British Columbia without the experience of visiting and playing golf at Tobiano, named after the famous painted horses of the American south west and a twenty minute drive from Kamloops.
Ranked in 2008, by Canada’s Score Magazine as ‘Canada’s Best New Course’ and Golf Digest as ‘Best New Canadian Course’ this eighteen hole beauty is the creation of celebrated golf course architect, Tom McBroom.
With the rolling, fissured slopes of Kamloops Lake and the rust colored mountains in the background McBroom said “Tobiano has to be the best golf course site that I have ever seen in terms of beauty and drama. It is hard to describe how powerful the landscape is.”
It quickly became a sensation when the iconic rock star Alice Cooper, who plans his concert tours around great golf courses , following his round, said “It is in my top ten, for sure. You will never putt on better greens!”
With five sets of tees Tobiano is playable by all levels of golfer with some greens seemingly hanging over the lake, McBroom refers them as infinity greens.
The golf course is the center piece for a sprawling 18,000 acre resort community that is the vision of Michael Grenier, President of the development company, Pagebrook Inc who searched for years throughout North America to find the perfect location that would provide a true resort and lifestyle experience.
The master plan calls for 615 lake view residential lots and 499 multi-family residential units on uniquely located building sites. The resort will also include a full service marina and world class equestrian centre, village center and 450 hotel rooms.
The attention to detail is everywhere from the water treatment facility that could win an award for the stylish slanted roof that blends right into the hills and the thought that went into the design of the horse ‘right of way’ with special sound proofing so the horses would not be ‘anxious’ as they cross under the highway to the 17,000 acres of horse trails and fly fishing.
As you travel south, on Highway 97, you will drive along the shores of the eighty mile long, Lake Okanagan, where rainbow trout and the Kokanee salmon are in abundance. One might even site the legendary Ogopogo, a creature 20 to 50 feet long; with a horse shaped head and an undulating serpent like body.
At the North end of the lake, near the town of Vernon, is Predator Ridge Golf Resort. Opened in 1991 the championship course has received a 4 ½ star rating from Golf Digest ‘Best Places to Play’. Every home at Predator Ridge is beautifully designed in keeping with the resorts community feel and provides easy access to the best of the resort’s featuring three lodges, fitness center and spa and fine dining at the Clubhouse. In 2000 and 2008 Predator was the host for the ‘skins game’ featuring Colin Montgomerie, Camillo Villegas, Fred Couples, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, who in 2000 invested in two homes on the property.
In 2010, a new Doug Carrick design course will open and it is destined to be another award winning design.
From the new Carrick course you will be able to view the recently opened Fred Couples Signature Golf Course, The Rise.
When standing on the 17th tee box you have a feeling that you are on the Amalfi Coast of Italy looking down on the waters, Tuscan styled homes and tidy rows of ripening grapes. The Resort owners have their own vineyards and a private label, The Rise. The merlot and pinot noir, though young are certainly worth the investment.
A forty minute drive from Vernon to the wine growing region around the city of Kelowna you pass stands of ponderosa pines and deep canyons that has attracted course designers such as Furber and Nicklaus in the creation of the Okanagan Golf Club with the ‘Bear’ and ‘Quail’ courses and the Mediterranean inspired villas.
Close by Gallagher’s Canyon has been voted the “Best Residential Community” in the entire Thompson Okanagan region for three years in a row with a championship golf course that is another must play.
On a mountain overlooking Kelowna the recently opened Black Mountain Golf Club, featuring hole #5 a par four with an island green, has begun development of luxurious villas, condominiums and estate homes that are designed to take advantage of the panoramic lake vistas.
Within the city limits of Kelowna is another new premiere golf experience and community, Tower Ranch voted ‘Top Ten Best New Golf Courses’ by Travel+Leisure Golf. Another fine Tom McBroom design this inspiring golf course provides uniqueness on every hole but is playable by all levels of golfer. The 10,000 foot clubhouse has many of the comforts that residences of a golf community expect with casual and fine dining with panoramic views from the large patio. The fine homes of the community will also feature expansive patios and media rooms.
A two hour drive west of Kelowna you enter cattle country and Merritt, home to the Mountain Music Festival that attracts entertainers such as Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney – the feeling of the old west is everywhere. It is here that you will find PGA Tour winner, Dick Zokol, developing what will be one of the most prestigious golf communities in North America, Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club. Inspired by the grand courses of Scotland’s Kingsbarn, Oregon’s Bandon Dunes and Nebraska’s Ben Crenshaw designed Sand Hills the course is adjacent to the largest ranch in Canada the 200,000 acre Douglas Lake Ranch.
There will only be 37 homes sold, each with panoramic views of Nicola Lake will include golf and fly fishing membership.
If you have ever had the desire to live on an island then consider Vancouver Island, accessible by plane and regularly scheduled car ferries from the primary ports of Vancouver and Seattle.
British Columbia is blessed with many varied landscapes, from the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the rolling hills, snow capped mountains and modern cities. The golf and living experiences are endless; it truly is a great place to be.
