Bear Mountain’s
Valley Course
L
uggage on
wheels.
Touchscreen
cell phones.
Robot vacu-
ums. Some
inventions
fall into the no-brainer category.
For golfers, the advent of the golf
trail was also an “aha!” moment.
What travel-loving golfer
wouldn’t want to grab their sticks,
hop in a car, and follow a trail
bursting with beauty and birdies?
For golf nuts, the golf trail
might be the greatest thing since
sliced bread. In North America,
there are dozens of golf trails that
summon swingers. The very first,
Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones
Golf Trail, recently turned 25.
Today, there’s a trail to suit
every highway-happy hacker,
from Vancouver Island to P.E.I.
They come in all shapes and
sizes: Some are short and sweet
and need little travel between
courses. Others are spread
out and require lengthy drives
between birdie binges.
Some trails take days, some
take weeks, but all are about the
journey: The quest to experience
new courses, landscapes and cul-
tures. So cozy hotels, good food
and non-golf attractions are key
components of the experience.
Customizing your trail to fit your
needs is par for the course.
As a golf pro, writer and
photographer, I’ve been fortunate
to travel many golf-rich roads.
Here’s a rundown of the Canadian
trails that rank highest on my
scorecard.
VancouVer Island
Golf TraIl, B.c.
Painter’s Lodge
Storey Creek Golf Club
Crown Isle Resort & Golf
Community
Stretching from Victoria to
Campbell River, the Vancouver
Island Golf Trail epitomizes what a
Bear Mountain Resort
golf trail should offer: challenging
VIcTorIa
courses, fantastic resorts and
awesome adventures to experience
along the way.
North Island—an area ripe for
After basking in the beautiful
exploration and easily accessible
weather of Victoria and
from Comox Valley Air-
exploring her seaside
port—plan an awesome
charms (the Inner
weekend with rounds at
Caa extra
Harbour and whale
Storey Creek and Crown
hotel stays
watching are must-dos),
Isle courses, plus salmon
for your golf
start your island journey
fishing at Painter’s Lodge.
getaway are just
a click away.
at Bear Mountain.
In golf as in life, beauty
caa will help
With two top-notch
really
is in the eye of the
you enjoy well-
rested nights
Jack Nicklaus-designed
beholder. But Storey Creek
for better days
courses that are open
in Campbell River, with
on the fairway:
caask.ca/hotels
year-round, the quality of
its towering trees, should
the golf here can’t be beat.
appeal to all. And Crown
While the original
Isle, located just minutes
Mountain Course at Bear Mountain
from the airport, never disappoints
is tough-as-nails, the newer Valley
(nor do the post-round pints on its
Course, featuring wider fairways
picturesque patio). »
and dramatic downhill shots,
Cowichan Valley’s Averill Creek Vineyard
has quickly become a personal
favourite. After your last hole, set
out for the Cowichan Valley. Do a
little wine tasting between courses:
There are more than 15 wineries
tucked away in this pastoral region.
Perhaps the greatest virtue of
the Vancouver Island trail is its
four distinct sections. It’s ideal if
you only have time to explore one
or two areas, saving the rest for
a future trip. For example, in the
35