Sun Rivers Golf Course, Kamloops

Sun Rivers is easily the best-maintained and most challenging course within Kamloops city limits.

People either love or hate this track, and I completely understand both perspectives.

The people who love it revel in its impeccable maintenance, friendly and helpful staff, amazing food in the clubhouse, and elevation changes that force them to pull out every shot in their arsenal over the course of 18 holes.

The people who hate it are those who can’t stand being caught between clubs, hate not seeing their ball land, get frustrated losing a ball that seemed barely off-target as it came off the clubface, and those who get nervous around expensive houses as they pull the driver out of the bag.

As I said, I completely understand both of these perspectives, but I fall into the first category.

I love elevation changes as I make my way around the course. For me, there’s nothing like the feeling of lofting a wedge up into the air and dropping it out of the sky onto a green that’s 20 or 30 yards below my feet. I also like the anticipation of finding my ball as I creep over a ridge and look down onto the fairway that I may or may not have found off the tee.

I also like pulling driver on the first tee because you’re looking at a straightaway par-5 off an elevated teebox. I don’t like climbing up into the sage on the side of a mountain looking for my ball, but that’s generally what happens, isn’t it?

Random advice:

Gear down. All of these seemingly open, “grip it and rip it” holes do serious damage to both your psyche and your score when you get too aggressive and/or go off line. There are plenty of chances at Sun Rivers to put up a good number, so just wait for those. I’ll say 2, 4, 6, 11, 12 and 17 are your chances to go low. Everything else is probably a “get it in play and see what you’ve got when you get to your ball” hole, especially if you haven’t played the course before. As discussed earlier, there are quite a few “where are we going here?” holes out there.

Random advice no. 2:

The green is faster than you think it is. As I said, the crew at Sun Rivers does a magnificent job of maintaining the grounds, and apparently they’re waiting for tour players to show up any day, because they have their greens running like you’re at Augusta National sometimes (especially at peak-season). They also have a tendency to cut the pins right at the edge of the ridges of the green, meaning anything moving with any speed past the hole could be a chip for your next shot.

Random advice no. 3

Plan to come off the course hungry. Hoodoos restaurant is maybe the best dining establishment in the city. Executive chef Darren Bezanson creates a wonderful menu full of fresh and interesting combinations of  flavours that will leave you reeling. Anyone for a prime rib steak with a Sambuca red pepper cream sauce? Yes, please.

In summary, Sun Rivers is easily the best-maintained and most challenging course within Kamloops city limits. Just take it easy, and maybe plan to play it twice, because once you know what’s going on out there, you’ll enjoy it even more.