British Columbia’s Vancouver Island offers more than just picturesque landscapes and outdoor adventures; it’s a golfer’s paradise. In this article, Ron Pradinuk shares his experience on a week-long Vancouver Island Golf Getaway. Discover how you can combine golf with exploration on this unforgettable journey.
This is a golf story. But when you can golf in the morning, fish in the afternoon, and then relax by the sea or in the shadows of a mountain in the evening, it becomes much more than that. Every day on my Vancouver Island golf vacation, which my golf partner Randy Williams and I had planned for, became much more.
We had heard plenty of positive feedback about the courses from returning friends, but we did not fully appreciate how truly excellent so many of the Vancouver Island golf courses were. Nor did we know how easy it was to find golf packages and select the courses we might play until we were informed that many of the really good tracks were combined in a marketing package—called the Vancouver Island Golf Trail.
While one-half of each day stayed true to our goal—to experience as many golf tracks as possible during our one-week visit—to our surprise, the other half of the day became an opportunity for tourism discovery. Let’s talk about how you can take part in this on your next trip to British Columbia.
Northern Highlights: The Starting Point for Vancouver Island Golf
Once we looked at the course locations on the Vancouver Island Trail, we realized that—while they dot the landscape from north to south—we could easily travel between them by staying just a few nights in each region. Our stay in each region opened the door to unique travel discoveries we hadn’t anticipated.
With convenient air access into the more northern courses via the Comox Valley Airport and recognizing that it was also close to some of the world’s best salmon fishing grounds, we made this our starting point.
The bonus was that we arrived early enough on our first day to grab a quick lunch and then make the short drive to the nearest golf course.
Experiencing the Crown Isle Golf Resort Community
“This is not going to be hard to take,” I exclaim as we are awe-struck by the magnificence of the sight before us. The Beaufort Mountains are the backdrop to a perfectly maintained, welcoming green lush in front of us.
The Crown Isle course in Courtenay has twice been selected as the final stop on the qualifying tournament for players vying for a spot on PGA Canada’s Mackenzie Tour.
After the game, we checked into the resort and had our first fresh British Columbia sockeye salmon in their Timber Room restaurant. It needs to be said that the Crown Isle Resort accommodation was near spectacular. We had a two-bedroom suite, which would be a perfect choice for a family travelling with children. It had a hot tub, multiple televisions and lots of space for everyone—with an excellent view to boot.
The salmon dinner whetted our appetites for the real thing—catching our own possible future meals on one of the multitude of charters on the waters of what is known as the Salmon Capital of the World.
Campbell River Fishing Adventure – and Golf and Country Club
We flipped our scheduled script and started the next morning in Campbell River—on a guided fishing vessel captained by Dean Parsonage of 50 North Adventures.
As we watched whales surfacing in the near distance, I wondered if this is what it’s like in heaven. Our morning was topped off by an exceptional fishing experience, with scenic photo opportunities that will remain in my head even longer than the actual shots I have taken.
I almost forgot; we were here for the golfing, so we got back at it.
On the surface, the Campbell River Golf and Country Club’s relatively flat and wide-open course would appear to be easy, but a recent course re-design by Graham Cooke & Associates found ways to keep golfers like us on our toes. Tricky greens and a number of narrow target fairways force players to think. Like most of Vancouver Island’s golf courses, this one, too, is superbly manicured, perhaps even better than some of the later ones we would play, if that’s possible.
This course receives consistently high reviews for its friendly staff and its quality food service—in addition to praises for the track itself.
For warm-up and practice, the Velocity driving range, featuring Top Tracer technology, gives you data feedback on each shot, including club speed and trajectory analysis.
While Campbell River is justifiably defined for its “Salmon Capital of the World” designation, its golf reputation may soon vie for that distinction.
Discovering Wildlife at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre
Spotting wildlife on the courses or travelling along the highways soon became an expected occurrence. But when humans and birds or animals clash, it is usually the wildlife that loses—becoming injured by vehicles or irresponsible poachers.
Randy and I were persuaded to visit the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, a few kilometres from Parksville. The work they are doing is truly amazing. Started in the late eighties with a single owl injured in an accident, it would become a non-profit venture and life’s dedication for Robin and Sylvia Campbell.
At the Centre, species of all sizes, from small birds to big bears, are rehabilitated and reintroduced back into their natural habitat as soon as it is deemed that they will likely survive and thrive. Those that are non-releasable are not destroyed. The centre has incorporated them as part of an educational zoo of sorts.
The Centre’s Museum of Nature highlights the breadth of animals that live on the island, and its eagle flight holding is the largest in the country.
What was meant to be primarily a golf vacation had definitely become an island tourism exploration as well.
Teeing Off at Fairwinds Golf Club
Here we are again. We stood on a tee box facing the ocean in the near distance—with a mountain range framing the scene behind it. I believe this is one of the reasons, beyond the game itself, why people love golf. So many of the golf courses around the world are cut into some of the most scenic lands in the region, and Fairwinds is just another example.
The course itself is marvellous. It was designed by Mr. Les Furber, whose reputation may have grown out of recognition for his Western Canadian courses, but he is acknowledged to be as good as any designer out there.
Fairwinds is a treelined course with a number of fairly narrow fairways. Golfers need to keep their minds about them while selecting targets. Bad shot frustrations are easily managed by looking upwards to capture the surroundings, then easily relaxing to execute the swing, which will release them from golf purgatory.
After the game, we drove to Parksville, one of Vancouver Island’s most attractive small communities. Visitors flock here every summer to sit and play on the super sandy beaches—which have led to the entire region being described as Canada’s Riviera.
We stayed at the Tigh-Na Mara Seaside Spa Resort and could not pass up dinner at the Cedars Restaurant and lounge for—you likely guessed it—yet another feed of fresh salmon.
Challenging Greens at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
I’m sometimes not sure if I like golf or the wine after golf better. Since we could do both by taking in this track, no serious choices had to be made.
Situated in the very heart of the wine-tasting orchards of the Cowichan wine region, it made for another two-pronged day.
This may have been the shortest course we would play, but definitely not the easiest. It has consistently high ratings in golf stories. With its two-hundred-yard 17th hole par 3 island green, you may want to be a bit fortified before attempting this challenge.
The course also offers some exceptional views. From the first narrow downhill hole to a couple of tricky par 3’s, ending at the magnificent 18th with its wonderful patio almost always filled with viewers overlooking it, this course was a joy to play.
After the game, we took the opportunity to explore Vancouver Island’s newest attraction, the Malahat SkyWalk. It begins with an easy stroll above the forest, viewing wildlife in a way we likely will never experience again. Then, 32 metres up (105 feet) along a gently sloping spiral, we reached a view of everything the Malahat Tribe has been able to cherish for centuries.
The waters, hills, and mountains—and a picture of the USA border in the distance—speak to their survival in this natural, abundant birthplace of the fish, animals, and birds they would live on.
Golfing in Victoria: The Heart of Vancouver Island
We then played a number of courses close to Victoria, the province’s capital and one of the most visited cities in British Columbia. Rich green grass and big waters, either on the courses or on or along the ocean, have made this island heavenly.
Stunning Backdrops at Olympic View Golf Club
It’s hard to judge, but this may have been our favourite course. Appropriately named because of the consistent views of Washington State’s Olympic Mountains, the positioning of the alternate tee boxes makes it fair and playable for golfers at every skill level.
There are a number of elevated tee boxes and greens, which require serious thought because the occasional sharp drop-off means a difficult up-and-down coming back. While this course is designed around hilly terrain, a significant number of golfers choose to walk it—not always easy on some of the other mountain-side Island courses.
Punctuated by two waterfalls, 12 separate lakes, more wildlife than we expected, and photographic mountains that create magical memories, the 18 holes are challenging but fair. To top off our game, we had a meal at the Table Nineteen Restaurant, which was also one of the best of our trip. It was an amazing day of golf that will not be forgotten.
Sailing into the Sunset: Prince of Whales Excursion
To cap off yet another long day, we boarded the Prince of Whales tour excursion boat for the sunset cruise. What an experience!
Following whales, watching hundreds of sea lions on a deserted island, and seeing loads of seals and otters created another memorable experience as we traversed the Salish Sea and sailed through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
We were on the larger tour boat with all the facilities: bar, food options and the choice of indoor cover or spacious outdoor viewing. For those wanting a more close-up experience, I suggest booking a Zodiac Trip instead. It carries only 12 passengers and gets you much closer to the excitement of the sea. You will want warm gear for this one since cool sea showers can be expected frequently.
Navigating the Terrain at the Highland Pacific Golf Course
I always appreciate designers who must figure out how to create a playable course while facing rock walls and difficult terrain to overcome to achieve a destination golf course people will want to play once and want to return to again. A number of Vancouver Island course designers faced this challenge, yet each one has succeeded in showing how it can be done successfully.
One such course is the Highland Pacific. The course has great views of Olympic Mountain and overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca—and was opened in two phases. The first, the Pacific Nine, opened in 2008, while the second, the Highland Nine, didn’t accept bookings until 2010. Today, it is (no wonder) one of the most popular courses in the region.
This is not quite a rocky mountain course, but if your shots stray by too much, they will careen off a rock face and could cause celebration or grief, depending on the direction it chooses to fly. There are a number of raised tee boxes and greens to contend with, not to mention some rough terrain to cross with your drive. Choose your tee box wisely.
While well protected by trees on many holes, the starker rocky landscape encompasses many of the holes. The two blended together to make it a uniquely attractive design and a pleasure to play.
In Victoria, we stayed at the Inn at Laurel Point on Victoria’s waterfront inner harbour. It is a close walk to everything this tourist city has to offer. Victoria is a world-class restaurant city, and the hotel’s own Aura Waterfront Restaurant has an excellent farm-to-table organic cuisine menu.
We also golfed at the Bear Mountain Golf Course. We chose the Mountain Course—one of two courses that have become signature attractions for the island—not in small part because of the stellar reputation of the Jack Nicklaus company’s designed courses. These may be the most expensive courses to play on Vancouver Island, but they pride themselves on the superior service and superior play they deliver. Next time we may even take more time to experience the amenities available at the Bear Mountain Resort.
With all the daily add-on activities we chose to participate in, we never had much time to rest during this golf week. We return home tired but satisfied. We recovered quickly enough—and continue to hold on to one hope—to golf the Vancouver Island Golf Trail once more and continue our discovery of even more attractions in one of Canada’s most treasured destinations.
Ron is a dedicated traveller, having explored the width and breadth of Canada many times, and has visited 65 countries around the world as well. He is a long-time writer, broadcaster and podcaster, focusing most of his time in the travel and hospitality sectors. As a previous owner of a marketing agency creating campaigns for three Canadian provinces, he understands what travellers are wanting to learn as they finalize their travel decisions. And subsequently owning a larger travel goods store, he knows which products work best for travellers.