The 18 toughest holes in British Columbia

Tee it up on the tough ones

Every golf course has one or two holes that prove to be difficult and a challenge to the majority of golfers. The reasons range from being poorly designed to multiple hazards. In many cases, the hardest hole is usually the signature hole or the no. 1 handicap hole. Golf architects continue to find new and ingenious ways to torment golfers of all skill levels.

Just think what a golf course would be like if you could take the hardest holes in British Columbia and combine them into one course. Bear’s Best in Las Vegas did something similar. They selected the best 18 holes from Jack Nicklaus Designs and put them into one golf course. 

In selecting my list of the hardest 18 holes in British Columbia, I set five criteria. They included:

1. Length of the hole and type of hazards.
2. Handicap of the hole.
3. Par 72 with four par 3s, four par 5s and ten par 4s.
4. Only one hole per golf course.
5. My inability to play the hole well.

It would take a book to explain why I chose each hole and it should be noted my selections are highly subjective. Many of the resort courses such as Whistler and Predator Ridge have great golf courses, but not necessarily really difficult holes. Mountain courses dominate the list due to their natural terrain. It is fun to consider: what if money was not an issue in building a golf course where the course rating and slope were off the chart.

The most difficult holes in British Columbia are, as measured from the back tees: 

Front nine

1. Hole 1, Morgan Creek, South Surrey. Par 4, 426 yards, dogleg right. Need a long straight drive, with second shot over water.
2. Hole 6, Tower Ranch, Kelowna. Par 4, 487 yards. Keep it straight and hope for a downhill roll.
3. Hole 11, Salmon Arm. Par 4, 407 yards. Second shot to narrow green surrounded by trees.                                                                                
4. Hole 18, Eagle Ranch, Invermere. Par 5, 537 yards. Third shot to green is over a ravine, with a beautiful view of the valley.
5. Hole  7, Black Mountain, Kelowna. Par 3, 215 yards. Small downhill green with little landing area.
6. Hole 12, Meadow Gardens, Pitt Meadows. Par 4, 443 yards. Large bunker in middle of fairway.
7. Hole 3, Northview, Ridge Course, Surrey. Par 4, 444 yards. Long and very narrow fairway to guarded green.
8. Hole 6, Greywolf, Panorama Ridge, Invermere. Par 3, 200 yards, called Cliffhanger. Hit over a deep ravine to a small green.
9. Hole 8, Tobiano, Kamloops. Par 5, 589 yards. Drive over a ravine with a narrow landing area on second shot.

Back nine 

1. Hole 10, Pagoda Ridge, Langley. Par 4, 285 yards. Second shot to the green takes nerve.
2. Hole 11, Hyde Mountain, Sicamous. Par 4, 338 yards. Second shot to green seems straight up hill, with undulating green.
3. Hole 3, Westwood Plateau, Coquitlam. Par 3, 205 yards, named the Gauntlet. Hardest Par 3 in province, over a ravine to tiered green.
4. Hole 11, The Rise, Vernon. Par 4, 431 yards. Second shot is to a very elevated green.
5. Hole 4, Big Sky, Pemberton, Par 5, 600 yards, named Purgatory. Have to hit over a creek three times, with green surrounded by water and sand.
6. Hole 7, The Quail, Kelowna. Par 3, 227 yards. Narrow par 3, guarded by traps. Do not go left.
7. Hole 2, Redwoods, Langley. Par 4, 380 yards. Drive must be on fairway, with second shot downhill to the green.
8. Hole 17, Peace Portal, Surrey. Par 4, 350 yards. Small fairway surrounded by water, with an elevated green.
9. Hole 5, Northlands, North Vancouver. Par 5, 547 yards. Need to clear a large waste area with an elevated, narrow green.
   
   The 19th Hole goes to Big Sky in Pemberton. For a fee, Blackcomb Aviation will helicopter you to the top of Mount Currie at 8,501 feet and allow you to tee it up one more time.
   
   Although I have not played every golf course in British Columbia and probably missed some obvious difficult holes, my list of 18 holes would make for a very interesting round of golf.