SIX-PAGE LISTINGS INsiDE GUIDE GOLF 2009 TOP COURSES FIND OUT WHO MADE THE CUT... C. AND WHO Didn’T B PAGE 5 FURRY CREEK HOLE 14 NICKLAUS NORTH FURRY CREEK MAYFAIR LAKES OLYMPIC VIEW ARBUTUS RIDGE THE BEAR THE QUAIL GALLAGHER’S CANYON 5461_GBC PNG Guide p2.indd 1 3/23/09 2:32:42 PM Cover: BIG SKY (Handout) The Vancouver Sun Golf Guide is published by Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of CanWest Mediaworks Publications. President and Publisher • Kevin Bent Editor-in-Chief • Patricia Graham Vice President Advertising • Brandon Grosvenor Sports Editor • Bev Wake Creative Director • Jim Emerson You could Project Manager • Vanessa Pinniger a Sea to Sky Production • Mark Hanson Golf Trail to Design • Cindy Kruk Win Whistler for 4! Advertising Sales Manager • Tony Guarascio Please send Letters to the Editor to: Editor, Golf Guide, The Vancouver Sun Suite 1, 200 Granville Street Vancouver, B.C. V6C 3N3 “17th Hole @ Nicklaus North” Or e-mail [email protected] One winner and three guests will receive a round of golf at these three Copyright 2009 by Pacific Newspaper Group world class courses: Furry Creek, Nicklaus North and Big Sky plus two No part of this publication may be reproduced without nights accommodation at the Crystal Lodge in Whistler Village. the express permission of the publishers. www.golfbc.com/seatoskytrail Stories by Brad Ziemer: Brad Ziemer, the author of most of this golf magazine, joined The Sun way back in 1985 after spending five years at the Canadian Press news agency. He has handled The Sun’s golf beat for the last 15 years, long enough to see Mike Weir win on the Canadian Tour at Mayfair Lakes EntEr onlinE: www.thevancouversuncontests.com and then on the PGA Tour at Northview. Ziemer, a graduate of Port Coquitlam High School (now Terry Fox) and Western No purchase necessary. Limit 1 entry per household or email address. Only 1 grand prize. Approxi- Washington University, also covers the Vancouver Canucks. mate retail value $2,000. Blackout dates will apply: July 31 to August 4 and September 4 to 7. Must be B.C. resident who is the age of the majority or older at time of entry. Contest runs from April When he isn’t writing about golf in the spring and summer, 8/09 to midnight, PST, April 20/09. Mathematical skill testing question must be answered correctly. he can often be found playing it, badly. A single-digit handi- Odds of being selected depend on # of eligible entries received. For full set of Contest rules, visit www.thevancouversuncontests.com or The Vancouver Sun promotions counter during regular busi- cap for one fleeting summer, he is now happy to break 90. ness hours in the lobby of 200 Granville St., Vancouver B.C. Email: [email protected] THE VANCOUVER SUN GOLF GUIDE | S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 1 WELCOME TO THE SUN GOLF GUIDE s someone still relatively new to the Lower Main- Aland, I can’t count the num- ber of times I’ve asked for advice on where to play golf. The listings we publish in our annual golf magazine are a great resource — telling me everything I need to know about where cours- es are located, how much they cost and how long they play — but I wanted a little bit more informa- tion. Our cover story this year is exactly what I was looking for, and it’s sure to prove a valuable resource for other new golfers, as well as those who have lived and golfed here for years, but "Come Play in who want to try something new. Golf writer Brad Ziemer approached 12 well-known members of the B.C. golf community and asked them to complete a survey that would allow us to name the best public golf course in B.C. our Back Yard" Not surprisingly, in a province as golf-rich as ours, there was no consensus choice. Based on a points-system, however, we were able to put together a list of the top-10 courses (see story on page PGA of BC 2008 5), while also assembling a list of top private courses, signature holes, hidden gems and more (see story on page 8). "Golf Facility of the Year" Of course, the list is far from comprehensive and there are "Places to Play" plenty of other courses worth checking out in this province. Golf Digest Recommended Near the top of my list is Granby River Golf Course in Grand $ Forks, the first full-size golf course in Canada that’s com- Golf From 59.00 pletely green (see story on page 20). Owned and maintained by Philippe and Joyce Thevenaz, it’s kept lush and disease free with organic fertilizer, a solution of garlic extract and rock glacial dust. It has earned praise from Golf Digest magazine, and may one day serve as a green role model for operators across the country. If your greatest concern is how you play rather than where you play, you need look no further than page 24 for a “Little” inspira- tion. That’s where you’ll meet Jackie Little, a Port Alberni resident with five B.C. Women’s Amateur titles to her credit. She won the provincial and national senior women’s titles in her first year of eligibility last year, taking much of the competition by surprise. Why? Little stands just 4-foot-10, which makes the fact she hits 220 yards off the tee pretty impressive. There are more stories in this year’s magazine, including a guide to the year’s local tournaments, and even more online at van- couversun.com/golf. There, you can try our searchable database to find a course in your neighbourhood or a city you plan to Book Online at: visit. The site also includes results from the tours, local golf news www.morgancreekgolf.com and tips from the pros. So until next year, happy reading, happy golfing and happy exploring to everyone. Bev Wake, 604-531-4653 or 1-800-513-6555 Sports Editor, The Vancouver Sun 2 THE VANCOUVER SUN GOLF GUIDE | SPRING 2009 DRIVE all day and never leave home One of the Top Ten New Courses in the World – Travel & Leisure, 2008 Imagineifyourbackyardwas an 18-holegolfcoursedesignedbymastergolfarchitect Thomas McBroom. At TowerRanch,itis. Here you can step from the comforts of your home onto the manicured lawns of Kelowna’s premier golf destination –or into a 10,000 square foot clubhouse complete with pro-shop, fitness facility, restaurant and homeowner’s lounge. With a new home at Tower Ranch and a lifetime golf membership, your game is looking up. Quality estates built by Dilworth Homes, Kelowna’s trusted homebuilders. Move in today for as little as $500,000. www.TowerRanch.com Free lifetime golf membership with the purchase of your new home. Call Today: 250.491.8211 or 1.877.491.8211 This offer is for a limited time only and subject to change. This is not an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, to residents of any state or province in which restrictions and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. Sales by Dilworth Homes Inc. © 2009 Dilworth Homes Inc. FILE NAME: TR_VanSun_GolfGuide_FP.indd DATE: Mar. 20, 2009 SIZE FULL PAGE: 8”x 10.5”(+.125”BLEED all sides) COLOUR: 4 colour process PUBLICATION: Vancouver Sun: Golf Guide INSIDE The best of B.C. Big Sky secures our panelists’ vote as the best golf course in the province. PAge 5 The best of the rest The top private courses, signature holes, hidden gems and more. PAge 8 Meet the panelists Twelve members of the B.C. golf com- munity agreed to take part in our 2009 survey. Golfers stroll the fairway at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey. PAge 10 Our annual listings Powering on A Little game The economic downturn hasn’t hurt two She may be just 4-10, but don’t under- What you need to know about courses new courses in the East Kootenays, set estimate the golfing dynamo from Port inside and outside the Lower Mainland. to open this year. Alberni. PAge 12 PAge 22 PAge 24 Green greens Greens freeze Clip and save No pesticides, herbicides or fungicides Not all developments have managed to From the Canadian Tour to the B.C. come into play at Granby River Golf escape the global recession, including Amateur, your guide to the 2009 season Course. several in B.C. in B.C. PAge 20 PAge 23 PAge 28 4 THE VANCOUVER SUN GOLF GUIDE | SPRING 2009 Our PANELISTS WERE asKED BIG beautiful TO NAME THE TOP 10 PUBLIC coursES IN B.C. FIFTY-NINE NAMES WERE suBMITTED. SKY In THE END, nonE couLD TOP THIS scENIC PEMBERTon LAYouT. Brad Ziemer ❘ VANCOUveR SUN Breathtaking scenery. Bent-grass fairways so immaculate that you al- most feel guilty about taking a divot. And 18 holes that will challenge ev- ery part of your game. Big Sky, which sits in the shadow of magnificent Mount Currie in the Pemberton Valley, has it all. see next page Redwoods is pleased to announce the relaunch of www.redwoods-golf.com. To celebrate, anyone who checks out the new site and joins Redwoods online will not only receive periodic email blasts containing great discounts but will also be entered into adraw for golf for 12 people. Contest entry deadline is April 30, 2009. Be sure to join Redwoods Online by April 17 to receive the first email discount available to Redwoods Online members only.