Merritt-area course being discovered by more golfers

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

QUILCHENA, B.C.(August 1, 2024) — I recently got reacquainted with an old friend I hadn’t seen in several years. I am happy to report she is doing fine after a rough few years.

Sagebrush Golf Club is as wonderful as I remember. Perched on a hillside above Nicola Lake in British Columbia’s cowboy country, Sagebrush offers a golf experience that is both memorable and fun. 

It’s not quite as quiet as I remember and that’s because word is apparently spreading that Sagebrush is back, with stable ownership and a solid management team who have worked hard to get the course back to its former glory.

By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf

QUILCHENA, British Columbia — The two things that are most important on a group golf trip are a great place to tee it up and a great place to recoup during the night from your awesome round(s) of golf. At Sagebrush Golf Course, just outside Merritt, BC, you get both.

Simply put, this golf course is an amazing piece of work. From start to finish, it’s a test of skill and patience but more than anything, it’s one great golf hole after another. The terrain is undulating, with balls skittering about given the dramatic slopes.

image courtesy golfinbritishcolumbia.com

Golf in British Columbia have put together some amazing packages for golf trips in BC. Please take some time to check out the information and terrific golf destinations that British Columbia has to offer below.

There is no better time to explore and enjoy golf in BC than right now.

No Word If These Bears Had An Official Tee Time At Whistler GC, But They Are Okay For Social Distance Rules As They're From The Same Family -   Image Courtesy TripAdvisor.com/Traveller photo submitted by Navigator664564 (Aug. 2016)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbia golf resorts that rely heavily on tourist traffic are hoping the provincial government will soon give the all-clear for non-essential travel.

“The golf course is in great shape, the bears are running around like crazy,” says Alan Kristmanson, the longtime general manager and director of golf at Whistler Golf Club. “Everybody who is playing here is having a great time. We’re ready, for sure.”

Black Mountain Golf Course In Kelowna, B.C. - All Images Courtesy Tourism Kelowna

Natural beauty, abundant sunshine, crystal clear lakes and an extended golf season are all reasons that Kelowna is truly a golfers paradise.

While golf in Kelowna may seem far away, many of the area's golf courses typically open by the end of March. You could be spending your Easter Long Weekend on the links.

Gallagher's Canyon In Kelowna - All Images courtesy facility

By Golf Kelowna

Friday Afternoon: The Couple that Learns Together

Golf is a sport that you can play together for a lifetime. Whether you are both new to the game, experienced players or both, flexible scheduling and customized personal instruction will get your weekend off to a terrific start.

You may both approach the game differently, but that is what golf is all about. Enjoy some time outdoors, learning together.

The City Of Vernon's Courses Are Working Together To Market The Area As A Golf Destination - Image Courtesy Spallumcheen GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VERNON -- Myles Johnson is proud to call Vernon home. It’s where Johnson was born and raised, where he learned to golf and where he has spent more than 20 years in the golf industry. So it’s probably safe to say no one was happier than Johnson, the head professional of Spallumcheen Golf & Country Club, when Vernon-area golf courses recently formed a consortium to market themselves as a golf destination.

“I love it,” Johnson says. “I think for too long we have been trying to do things on our own and we end up being lost in the Kelowna-Okanagan shuffle. I think by doing things together we are going to let people know what we have and give ourselves better exposure.”

Averaging over 2,000 hours of sun every year, Kelowna offers one of the longest, driest golf seasons in Canada. Vineyards, orchards, semi-desert terrain, rolling hills, and expansive lakes make the golf courses in the area some of the most picturesque in the country.

That’s not all: many clubhouses also offer amazing dining experiences that range from casual to gourmet. With 19 courses that range from easy-going to ego-shattering, there is something in Kelowna for every skill level.

Kelowna is the proud home of the Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada taking place at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club June 11 – 17th.

The Kamloops region has been coined the hottest market in Canadian golf for two reasons:

1. It is, quite literally, hot. Kamloops golf courses lie on the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert, a location yielding warm summer temperatures and an eight-month plus golf season.

2. The golf courses here offer some of the most challenging - and rewarding - golf to be played anywhere.

Golfing the Shuswap region means embracing a rather unique brand of water hazard: gathering enough energy to leave the luxury of your houseboat and hit the turf. It is well worth the effort though, because the golf courses here offer incredible value for money on some amazing golf courses.

The Shuswap, long known and loved in Canada for Shuswap Lake houseboating, is perhaps lesser known for its golf courses. That is about to change though. More and more people are discovering this hidden jewel of a golf area.

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia — Introducing an exciting new golf lodge accommodation project for Tobiano — The Views at Tobiano.

Tobiano real estate is thriving, with one of their two townhouse projects in development already sold out. And with out of town rounds at Tobiano Golf Course reaching some 1500 per month, there is clearly a growing need and desire for real estate as well as ‘stay and play’ opportunities on this incredible piece of land and golf course.

 The 'Jewel' Of The South Okanangan, Fairview Mountain GC, Is Ready To Host The Best Male Amateur Golfers In The Province This Summer

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf

Known by locals as the Jewel of the South Okanagan, the Fairview Mountain Golf Club is set to surprise, bedevil and enthrall the province’s best amateur golfers this July when it hosts the 113th British Columbia Amateur Championship.

The big prize may be the Bostock Trophy, which was won last year by Vancouver’s Jordan Lu in a thrilling five-hole playoff over Michael Belle, but every golfer lucky enough to tee it up at Fairview Mountain will come away impressed with how well-conditioned, challenging and fun the course is for all golfers.

by Jeff Sutherland

It may be one of the better kept secrets in BC golf that one of country's best courses is accessible to the public.

Robert Heaslip is best known for building straight-forward, affordable golf courses throughout Canada.

At Eaglepoint Golf Resort Heaslip definitely utilized the natural terrain to his advantage. The Golf Course was built in 1991 through a thick stand of Pines creating a world of its own as each hole was played. Now that the majority of trees are gone due to a Pine beetle infestation, golfers are treated to open rolling terrain and fantastic views at every turn.

by Gord Montgomery

Courtesy of Inside Golf

Back in 1929 some dude named Fats Waller coined the phrase, “That’s what I’m talking about,” in a song titled The Joint is Jumping.

Little did he know then that catch phrase would be widely used almost 100 years later, and in this case, to emphasize the delights of Talking Rock Golf and the Quaaout Resort, near Sorrento, B.C.

The Columbia Valley Golf Trail is home to eight golf courses located between Radium Hot Springs and Fairmont Hot Springs in the Columbia Valley region of British Columbia.

The Trail’s spectacular courses each offer unique golf experiences – from charming to world class and all within a 35 minute drive.

The Shuswap region in BC's Interior has long been known as one of Canada’s favourite recreational playgrounds.

And when Talking Rock and Canoe Creek opened, joining the well regarded Salmon Arm, Hyde Mountain and Shuswap Lake Estates courses, the Shuswap became a true golf destination with five "must-plays”. Now in 2012, under the Golf Shuswap banner they are offering some great values...

by Sue Kernaghan - written for Tourism British Columbia

How's this for a golf getaway? You, your clubs and your favourite foursome travel the world, sampling the game in its myriad forms.