Cranbrook and Kimberley are a golfers dream

Outdoor adventures

From exciting hiking trails to scenic golf courses, Cranbrook and Kimberley are a dream for travellers. Scale the path to the Lakit Mountain Lookout, or swing away on the Shadow Mountain golf course, and you’ll understand why so many call this one of the most beautiful areas in British Columbia.

If you want to learn about the creatures that live in the natural lakes of the area, be sure to head to the Kootenay Trout Hatchery just outside of Cranbrook. The hatchery has aquariums with educational slides that show the difference between types of trout, as well as a millennia-old species called the sturgeon. In the summertime, the hatchery also is home to a painted turtle habitat in the outdoor area, where kids can get close and personal with the local reptiles.

On the way back from the hatchery, don’t forget to stop at Fort Steele Heritage Town, where learning about the history of the area becomes a headfirst dive into theatre performances by talented local actors. Town tours are led by teachers in period-accurate costume, and include stops to see live re-creations of real-life historical events. Not to mention stops at the delicious bakery, restaurant and candy store.

Cranbrook and Kimberley are rife with great places to enjoy the summer sun, whether you want to sit outside on the patio of the local coffee shops, go for a dip in Jim Smith lake, or take your clubs out to any one of the eight golf courses in the area.

Golfers Mike Dale and Andrew Davidson have been golfing for nearly three decades between the two of them, and they both say that Cranbrook and Kimberley have some of the best courses they’ve ever played.

“We’re so lucky to have so many nice courses here in the Kootenays,” Dale said. “We have the mountains, we have the terrain, we have deer and elk on the back of the green when you’re hitting it. It’s an experience, it’s a gorgeous experience here.”

A place to learn

One of the things that these two say is the most important parts of golfing in the East Kootenay is the wide variety of courses that are available for players of all levels. In particular, Davidson notes that Bootleg Gap is a great place for beginners to learn to play.

“The Gap 9 is one of the most beautiful training courses that I’ve ever played on,” he said. “The Gap 9 is definitely worth any novice going to play there, because every club in your bag is used and you get a feel for what a bigger course is, but at the same time there are enough par 3s there that you can figure out your smaller irons and things like that.”

Another great place for golfers to start off their game in Cranbrook is Mission Hills—a relaxing and easy par-3 course that is great for both novices to learn the game and for more experienced players to practice shorter shots. Dale said that courses like Mission are the reason that he and his wife were able to ease their way into the game.

“My wife and I wouldn’t go to (the bigger courses) because we just weren’t ready for it, our skill level wasn’t ready for it,” he said. “And I know how my wife feels—if she feels pressured, then she can’t golf at all. So we stuck mainly to the smaller courses until we felt a little more comfortable and until our game improved.”

And though it is one of the larger courses in the area, Davidson said that Trickle Creek is a great place to bring the family to play without a lot of pressure.

“The scenery at Trickle is amazing,” he said. “You can take the family to Trickle and the kids aren’t going to get frustrated, your wife’s not going to get frustrated, and you’re not going to get frustrated.”

Many of the courses in Cranbrook and Kimberley also have practice tees, putting greens and driving ranges available for you to hone your skills before heading out onto the course. Dale said that one of the best places to receive instruction is at Wildstone Golf Course with head pro Dave Linardic.

“He spends time with you,” said Dale. “He wasn’t judgemental whatsoever. He just analyzes your ability and gives you suggestions on how to improve yourself.”

Wildstone also offers a special type of golf lesson called SNAG (Starting New At Golf)—a unique and colourful approach to learning the game from scratch.

Open for big league play

Once you’ve played your way through all of the above courses, you might just be ready for one of the most challenging courses of the area: Shadow Mountain.

“(Shadow is) more challenging to a novice because it’s a lot longer, the fairways are a lot narrower, and they’ve got what seems like a hundred more sandtraps on it,” said Dale. “But gorgeous, gorgeous golf course, gorgeous scenery—I just find it a little more challenging, which average-to-good golfers like.”

Shadow Mountain also is home to the stunning Hole 17, which Dale calls one of the most scenic holes in Cranbrook.

“It’s a high tee-off box,” said Dale, “So you’re looking down onto the fairway, there’s a lake to your left, a lot of trees to your right. In the distance, you can see the bridge that goes across the river, and up past that you can see the mountains.”

Davidson agreed that Hole 17 at Shadow is beautiful to play, but he said that his favourite hole in the area is at St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino—which he also calls his favourite course.

“My favourite is 9 at St. Eugene,” he said. “The large par 5, where you have the St. Mary River coming right by on the left, and there’s a little pond on the other side, and it’s just—I can usually get there in two, and it’s just a beautiful, beautiful par 5.”

Golf deals

In addition to their diversity of course styles and difficulties, Kimberley and Cranbrook also offer great economical packages, so you don’t have to break the bank every time you want to swing away on the course. Dale said that one of the best places to go for a combination of great golf and great value is Kimberley Golf Club.

“Front 9 of Kimberley is so golf-friendly to any level,” he said. “Back 9 is a little more challenging, with slopes. But they seem to come up with some of the best offers sometimes.”

Another great deal for golfers who want to play all of the courses in the area is to purchase a Rotary Golf Card at the beginning of the season. The card is sold for $40 by the Rotary Club of Cranbrook Sunrise and includes discounts for many courses in the area, from Trickle Creek to Wildstone.

It's not only the reasonable cost that keeps players coming back again and again—it’s the way the courses have been shaped into the natural beauty of the area.

“Three words for me: architectural design and landscape,” said Dale. “Gary Player has done one, Jack Nicklaus has done one. The designs of the courses are awesome, the maintenance of the greens and the fairways are beautiful, and the landscape around us.”

“(We have) the best bang for buck,” Davidson said, “most beautiful courses, and probably the most challenging courses—why travel anywhere else when it’s all here?”