The Ridge at Copper Point is the future of golf

I have seen the future of golf and it’s on display at The Ridge at Copper Point near Invermere, B.C. There continues to be much hand wringing about the future of golf and how to grow the game. There are initiatives that mess with the tradition of golf like the much ballyhooed experiment with 8” or 15” holes.

Recently I had the pleasure of playing The Ridge at Copper Point, which they bill as a “master’s-style” course. It’s challenging, it’s spectacular in design and yet it’s easy to play. I had just came off playing a championship course the week before and scored an embarrassing 110 and then played Copper Point and scored an 88. A 22 stroke improvement and I left feeling way better about my game.

It was a quiet day on the course so we played as a five-some and still it only took 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the 18 hole round. With eight par 4’s and ten par 3’s yet this golf course still has all the distinctive features of a full length golf course – challenging greens, strategically placed sand bunkers, water on several holes but with nice wide, golfer-friendly fairways.

If golf wants to attract more “duffer” golfers, whether seniors, juniors or novices – men or ladies, The Ridge at Copper Point is the answer in my mind. Keeps the game fun and challenging but you don’t come away feeling discouraged or questioning if golf is the game for you.

More golf developments along the “master’s style” at the Ridge at Copper Point will bring and keep more golfers in the game – and it doesn’t mess with the tradition of golf.